Finally have a sort of okay gaming PC, need suggestions!

Hey All,

I have been a console gamer most of my life but have finally pulled enough money together to upgrade a store bought desktop I inherited. I need some suggestions from PC aficionados on what I need to play or have missed on the PC!

Specs are a GTX 550 ti (best I could do right now)

core i5 CPU 650@ 3.2 GHz

8 gigs of ram

lots of storage space

Its not great but its better than anything I have ever had and better than my 360. Any game from the past 5 or 6 years will do, what are the highlights?

Thanks!

Welcome to the most open, loving and freebie-infested platform that ever was or will be. Enjoy your stay (: 
 
I'll quote myself from another thread: 

• Deus Ex is by far the greatest gem to ever grace the platform. Download the texture pack and have one of the best most innovative stealth FPS cyberpunk experiences out there. 
• If it feels too old/dated for you, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an absolutely faithful and true spiritual successor. It's all about the unique stealth gameplay.
• Battlefield 3 is the best multiplayer FPS for the PC on the market right now. We have our own Giant Bomb server and a group of 400 GB members, we play together and have our own voice server.
• Team Fortress 2  (multiplayer)  - Very entertaining, encourages teamwork, has a unique cartoony aesthetic, and it's FREE TO PLAY.
• World in Conflict and Company of Heroes are two of the best Real Time Strategy games from this generation.
• Starcraft 2 is the best strategical multiplayer RTS (Real Time Strategy).
• Civilization V for Turn-Based Strategy.
• Some will argue that Skyrim is a sellout and that you should play Morrowind and Oblivion. I haven't played Morrowind, but I think Skyrim is a great Elder Scrolls title. The mods you can download to radically alter the game can blow your mind.
• If you dislike fantasy RPGs, Fallout 3 is Oblivion/Skyrim with guns, and set in a wasteland. Tons of mods as well.
• The Witcher is miles ahead of the 7-8 other RPGs that I've played. Such a bleak, bleak universe that's almost as scary to explore as Stalker's. The character is way too badass for you to handle and the story is very unique. Swordplay is a little stale but the various attack stances and the awesome magic spells that you can upgrade make up for it.
• The general consensus (which I disagree with) is that playing Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings without playing the first game is just fine. Both games are great, but Witcher 1 is a must-play on PC IMO.
• Crysis. If anyone tells you it's a tech demo, they didn't play for more than 30 minutes. That gameplay blew my mind in 2007 and has been doing so on an annual basis. Arguably the greatest PC FPS.
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl . Hands down thee best atmosphere in a game, big dysfunctional world around you with mutants and beasts and bandits and military, and the shooting is extremely unique. Download the Complete 2009 Mod.

• Half-Life 2 is the obvious choice for a more linear and story driven FPS.
• The Portal franchise is a must play.
• If you like your multiplayer co-op games, Left 4 Dead 2 and Magicka are great.
• Serious Sam 3: BFE is a new old-school shooter where all kinds of freaky monsters lunge at you and you get to blow them to bits.
• Hitman: Blood Money, Thief: Deadly Shadows and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory for the best first person/third person stealth adventures on the platform. You need patience, strategy and some trial-and-error, but the end result is extremely satisfying.
• Max Payne 1 and 2, extremely old, yet the gameplay, aesthetics and story telling haven't aged a single day. Some of the best Third Person Shooters you can find on the platform, and by far the best noire atmospheres in a game.
• Too outdated for you? Jump onto Max Payne 3, I can't be more amazed by how true of a sequel it is and how well it looks and runs on PC.
• Just Cause 2 is the most explosive action open world third person shooter I've ever played. The graphics and aesthetics deserve an award too.
• Trine and Trine 2 are both really great side-scrolling adventure puzzlers. 
• Dreamfall: The Longest Journey is a pretty good adventure game. I'm not good with adventure games, I dunno.
• Mount & Blade is a... I'm not even sure how to describe it. But it's very good at what it does.  Help, someone!
• ArmA II, especially with the newly-released and widely acclaimed zombie mod for it called DayZ, is the best military sim on the PC. An MMO-like open world with tons of custom game modes. Try ArmA II Free2Play and see if you like it! (Which is done by downloading the demo on Steam).
• Diablo III if you like ARPGs with infinite grinding and loot whoring. Amazing game!
• If you wanna try the Diablo experience in a smaller, simpler and CHEAPER version, play Torchlight.
• Neverwinter Nights 2 is, I think, the go-to party-based RPG on the PC. Go for Dragon Age: Origins, the last real PC game by Bioware, if NWN2 is too outdated for you.

@AhmadMetallic: Thank you kind Sir. Does S.T.A.L.K.E.R. have much in the way of a story, or does the atmosphere mostly carry it?

Not the biggest PC Gamer (saving up for a nice rig myself) but I throw the obvious ones out there:

Anything in The Orange Box if you haven't already played their 360 ports, along with anything Valve touches (Left 4 Dead).

If you're into strategy or RTS games, I hear the Civilization series is a must, as well as Company of Heroes. Also, Blizzard games go without saying (Diablo 3, Starcraft 2). As far as I know most of the shooters carry over across all platforms with the exception of Counter Strike and games like ArmA.

EDIT: what @AhmadMetallic said.

@Goof: Thanks! I somehow forgot about Left 4 Dead amid all of Valve's other stuff

The Witcher 2 is great and has an interesting world and story. Also there's Skyrim, which is fun especially with mods.

@dubios451: Dude!  That's just an O.K. PC?  Man, that's pretty much what I have and it feels better than O.K. to me.

Titan Quest: Immortal Throne

Torchlight

Drakensang: The River of Time 

Men of War, Cryostasis, Europa Universalis 3, Amnesia, Binding of Isaac, E.Y.E, Metro 2033, Total War: whichever.

Those are a few of the games in my library that should should most probably play. Right now. DO it.

@tourgen: Haha, being new to PC gaming I wasn't sure how it rated in the scale of gaming machines, its hard to know what beefy machines some GB users might have

@AhmadMetallic: Thank you kind Sir. Does S.T.A.L.K.E.R. have much in the way of a story, or does the atmosphere mostly carry it?

The Binding of Isaac is really good.

Now that you have pc I suggest going to Good old Games. There are some great games in that library. Quest for Glory is my personal favorite. They have the entire series for 10 bucks and it is worth it. If you don't like role playing games then you shouldn't play the QfG games. If you liked the fact that mass effect 2 brought back your saved game, Quest for glory did it in 1989.

I'm pretty new to PC gaming too. Everything Ahmad said is great, I definitely recommend Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Also fuckin Mirror's Edge! - Beautiful game and so so fun. Plus the Humble Bundle Vis awesome.

Try not to go on a crazy spending spree right now because there's bound to be some great sales on Steam during the summer.

Yea, I'm kinda in the same boat. Just built the following machine:

AMD Phenom 2 black edition (quad core, 3.4ghz)

16 GB RAM

GeForce 560 (EVGA Brand)

Wasn't sure it would at first, but this thing handles whatever I can throw at it. Definitely jump on the Humble Bundle, nothing mind-blowing on the graphics side. most of the games others have listed are great. What I've been doing lately is checking the steam deal-of-the-day and wait for the big sales.

@AhmadMetallic: No fair, you put every goddamn contemporary PC game out there.`

I will say that you should go for New Vegas, not 3 if you want to play a Fallout game. There are a number of enhancements to the systems in the game that, in my opinion, make it more enjoyable.

@AhmadMetallic: No fair, you put every goddamn contemporary PC game out there.`

Yea, I'm kinda in the same boat. Just built the following machine:

AMD Phenom 2 black edition (quad core, 3.4ghz)

16 GB RAM

GeForce 560 (EVGA Brand)

Wasn't sure it would at first, but this thing handles whatever I can throw at it. Definitely jump on the Humble Bundle, nothing mind-blowing on the graphics side. most of the games others have listed are great. What I've been doing lately is checking the steam deal-of-the-day and wait for the big sales.

If you own a PC and are not playing The Binding of Isaac, then something is wrong with you.

@AhmadMetallic said:

Welcome to the most open, loving and freebie-infested platform that ever was or will be. Enjoy your stay (:

I'll quote myself from another thread:

• Deus Ex is by far the greatest gem to ever grace the platform. Download the texture pack and have one of the best most innovative stealth FPS cyberpunk experiences out there.
• If it feels too old/dated for you, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an absolutely faithful and true spiritual successor. It's all about the unique stealth gameplay.
• Battlefield 3 is the best multiplayer FPS for the PC on the market right now. We have our own Giant Bomb server and a group of 400 GB members, we play together and have our own voice server.
• Team Fortress 2 (multiplayer) - Very entertaining, encourages teamwork, has a unique cartoony aesthetic, and it's FREE TO PLAY.
• World in Conflict and Company of Heroes are two of the best Real Time Strategy games from this generation.
• Starcraft 2 is the best strategical multiplayer RTS (Real Time Strategy).
• Civilization V for Turn-Based Strategy.
• Some will argue that Skyrim is a sellout and that you should play Morrowind and Oblivion. I haven't played Morrowind, but I think Skyrim is a great Elder Scrolls title. The mods you can download to radically alter the game can blow your mind.
• If you dislike fantasy RPGs, Fallout 3 is Oblivion/Skyrim with guns, and set in a wasteland. Tons of mods as well.
• The Witcher is miles ahead of the 7-8 other RPGs that I've played. Such a bleak, bleak universe that's almost as scary to explore as Stalker's. The character is way too badass for you to handle and the story is very unique. Swordplay is a little stale but the various attack stances and the awesome magic spells that you can upgrade make up for it.
• The general consensus (which I disagree with) is that playing Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings without playing the first game is just fine. Both games are great, but Witcher 1 is a must-play on PC IMO.
• Crysis. If anyone tells you it's a tech demo, they didn't play for more than 30 minutes. That gameplay blew my mind in 2007 and has been doing so on an annual basis. Arguably the greatest PC FPS.
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl . Hands down thee best atmosphere in a game, big dysfunctional world around you with mutants and beasts and bandits and military, and the shooting is extremely unique. Download the Complete 2009 Mod.

• Half-Life 2 is the obvious choice for a more linear and story driven FPS.
• The Portal franchise is a must play.
• If you like your multiplayer co-op games, Left 4 Dead 2 and Magicka are great.
• Serious Sam 3: BFE is a new old-school shooter where all kinds of freaky monsters lunge at you and you get to blow them to bits.
• Hitman: Blood Money, Thief: Deadly Shadows and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory for the best first person/third person stealth adventures on the platform. You need patience, strategy and some trial-and-error, but the end result is extremely satisfying.
• Max Payne 1 and 2, extremely old, yet the gameplay, aesthetics and story telling haven't aged a single day. Some of the best Third Person Shooters you can find on the platform, and by far the best noire atmospheres in a game.
• Too outdated for you? Jump onto Max Payne 3, I can't be more amazed by how true of a sequel it is and how well it looks and runs on PC.
• Just Cause 2 is the most explosive action open world third person shooter I've ever played. The graphics and aesthetics deserve an award too.
• Trine and Trine 2 are both really great side-scrolling adventure puzzlers.
• Dreamfall: The Longest Journey is a pretty good adventure game. I'm not good with adventure games, I dunno.
• Mount & Blade is a... I'm not even sure how to describe it. But it's very good at what it does. Help, someone!
• ArmA II, especially with the newly-released and widely acclaimed zombie mod for it called DayZ, is the best military sim on the PC. An MMO-like open world with tons of custom game modes. Try ArmA II Free2Play and see if you like it! (Which is done by downloading the demo on Steam).
• Diablo III if you like ARPGs with infinite grinding and loot whoring. Amazing game!
• If you wanna try the Diablo experience in a smaller, simpler and CHEAPER version, play Torchlight.
• Neverwinter Nights 2 is, I think, the go-to party-based RPG on the PC. Go for Dragon Age: Origins, the last real PC game by Bioware, if NWN2 is too outdated for you.

Well, I don't think there's anything else to say beyond this.

Now get a water cooler.

just cause 2

@cannonballBAM: I forgot about just cause 2, you are a genius!

@tourgen: Haha, being new to PC gaming I wasn't sure how it rated in the scale of gaming machines, its hard to know what beefy machines some GB users might have

• Steam - If you're this close, just wait for about a month, until the Summer Sale (GoG also has one). Tons and oodles of games for dirt cheap prices. Get a game or something right now to hold you over(I suggest Diablo 3, because it's aweomse), but save most of your moneys for the summer sale, from both Steam and... 
• GOG - Originally specializing only in timeless classics you hear Dave talking all about all the time, GOG has recently refreshed its lineup to include some newer titles. They have no DRM on any of the games they offer (last I heard at least), unlimited number of downloads, give you a soundtrack, and a couple other things. I typically just get a game from there, and mount it in Steam. Steam has an amazing overlay that lets you open a browser, see which of your friends are online and what they're playing, take screenshots, achievement menu's, join on friends if you happen to have the same game, etc. Really top notch.

:: Giant Bomb Voice Server :: 
We have a 100-slot Mumble voice chat server for Giant Bomb, you're welcome to hop on, invite your friends, and use the many game-specific channels to converse as you play or simply chit chat with other giant bombers!   
The server is available 24/7 and it's open for everyone. Don't hesitate to use it.
I'm the administrator of the voice server, so if you're having any issues, you can ask here or PM me, or talk to me on Steam.        
 
1. Download the Mumble client here  and install it. 
2. Open the program, you will get a window asking you to connect to a server. Click "Add New...", and type in the following: 

• Label: Giant Bomb 
• Address: ny.eoreality.net 
• Port: 64747
• Username: [Your username].

3. Click OK and then Connect. When you get prompted for a certificate failure   , just click Yes. You will now be able to connect.
4. Right click on your name when you're on the server and click "Register." This will assure that no one else will use that name. 

Install Steam. Wait until Christmas. Buy Everything. My standard new pc gamer advice.

@AhmadMetallic said:

• Dreamfall: The Longest Journey is a pretty good adventure game. I'm not good with adventure games, I dunno.

I liked it, story wise. Gameplay wise? Well? It's an adventure game alright...

@cannonballBAM said:

just cause 2

JESUS YES.

I'm the administrator of the voice server, so if you're having any issues, you can ask here or PM me, or talk to me on Steam.        
 

Congrats on getting a powerful gaming rig - now go and play the best Flash game ever made.

@Matthew: Thank you very much, I have dabbled a bit on steam and GOG so its good to know there will be some awesome sales coming up soon. I will have to check out this talking on the internet about games thing you suggest as well, never been much for voice chat but both the PC crowd and the GB crowd have been so nice its hard to figure out why I wouldn't.

All of these and remember, you can emulate.

@AhmadMetallic: DAMMIT MP3 LOVER, ITS A BLOCK QUOTE!!!!!

@Matthew said:

We have a blast in there, and a good number of us are going to be in there while the press conferences are happening during E3, because the GB chat moves waaaaay too quickly, and voices are pretty cool! Hope to see you around! Welcome to the awesome side of gaming!

I did not know this, I might have to swing by!

@Chavtheworld said:

@Matthew said:

We have a blast in there, and a good number of us are going to be in there while the press conferences are happening during E3, because the GB chat moves waaaaay too quickly, and voices are pretty cool! Hope to see you around! Welcome to the awesome side of gaming!

I did not know this, I might have to swing by!

Well . . . . ummmm . . . see, the reason you didn't know about it . . . well, I'll just say it. You're British.

@Matthew said:

@Chavtheworld said:

@Matthew said:

We have a blast in there, and a good number of us are going to be in there while the press conferences are happening during E3, because the GB chat moves waaaaay too quickly, and voices are pretty cool! Hope to see you around! Welcome to the awesome side of gaming!

I did not know this, I might have to swing by!

Well . . . . ummmm . . . see, the reason you didn't know about it . . . well, I'll just say it. You're British.

http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/kidavenger/pc-exclusives-everyone-should-have/46-73737/

@AhmadMetallic: a friend helped me build it and I haven't really played "real" PC games for awhile. The guy who helped me build it assured me it would be stupid powerful and he was definitely right.

to be honest, I hadn't really planned on it being a gaming PC at the time, just needed a new PC (my old one was pushing 5 or 6 years in age) but I'm loving the access to all these new games

Get the current Humble Bundle. None of the games need a good gaming computer to run (although I still can't run Amensia) but the games are fantastic.

@MordeaniisChaos: nothing else compares.