Best PC Action Games of All Time

Some of the most successful action game franchises 

started out on PC and you only have to look at Grand 

Theft Auto as a shining example of this. It's most recent 

iterations have easily become some of the top PC action 

games of all time!

There are plenty of other examples though, as Infinity 

Ward and Activision launched WWII shooter Call of Duty in 

2003 on PC. Similarly, Battlefield 4 was used as an 

example of what the new generation PS4 and Xbox One were 

capable of, yet the series began back in 2002 with 

Battlefield 1942. There's just something about structured 

mission games

that get the blood pumping and if you can throw in some 

adventure too, then you're onto a winner.

Of course since the early part of the 21st century PC 

graphical grunt has increased exponentially, giving rise 

to not only great action gameplay, but stunning visuals 

to match. You'll also often find that the PC versions of 

multi-platform titles benefit from added effects – 

Batman: Arkham City, Tomb Raider and Mirror's Edge are 

examples of titles which look way better on PC. So with 

that, here's the top 30 PC action games of all time.

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned

The Lost and Damned would be worth buying as a stand 

alone game

Shadow Complex

Shadow Complex is a triumph, a new standard for 

downloadable games. Shadow Complex is Super Metroid for 

the Gears of War generation

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Whether you fancy skulking in the shadows, smashing slow 

motion fists in into a goon's skull, or simply using some 

cool gadgets, you can do no wrong with what is Eidos' 

best game in years. Super heroes appeal because they are 

usually men and women

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony

In parallel with the superlative Chinatown Wars, The 

Ballad of Gay Tony restores a sense of playfulness to the 

GTA franchise, cementing Rockstar's status as King of the 

DLC. "I have a deep sadness in me, Luis. Will you join 

me, please, for an orgy of... more

Reviewed on: 03 November 2009   Platforms: PC

Assassin's Creed II

The storyline is intricate, there's depth beyond the main 

quest, and the action is incredible at times. We've had 

some stunning games this year, and Ubisoft has given us 

another to add to the list. Assassin's Creed was a 

massive commercial success

Bayonetta

It's fast, thrilling, gorgeous, punishing, rewarding and 

tremendous fun. It's an old-fashioned game at heart, will 

test your skills to their limit, and more than lives up 

to its billing. "Seven years ago I created Devil May Cry

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City

PS3 owners can finally get their hands on what is the 

finest example of DLC we've seen to date. The Lost and 

Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony would be worth buying 

as standalone games. After what must have seemed like a 

monumental wait, PS3 (and PC)

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Brotherhood's success lies in taking what made Assassin's 

Creed 2 work and simultaneously making it more coherent 

and more cinematic. There was a brief period back in 2007 

when the marketing of Assassin's Creed

FTL: Faster Than Light

Even on easy mode, FTL is another capital-D Difficult 

game and its random nature means even the most careful of 

explorers might find themselves unexpectedly asphyxiated. 

Have you ever watched Battlestar Galactica and wanted 

control 

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate

A great action title and one of the best offerings on 

Nintendo's console. Castlevania Lords of Shadow: Mirror 

of Fate feels like an amalgamation 

State of Decay

This is The Walking Dead: The Simulator, and it’s every 

bit as good as that sounds. It's ugly. The frame rate is 

terrible. It routinely stutters. The clipping

Hotline Miami

A fine port of the original game. Before I go anywhere 

with this, if you've landed on this page thinking

Grand Theft Auto Online

GTA's online offering lives up to its billing. With a 

launch so devastatingly crippled by server issues, it's 

fair to say

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

The strongest Lego title yet, and the best Marvel game 

ever made. Lego Marvel Super Heroes is, for the most 

part, plastic proof 

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

A triumph of emergent gameplay, slightly let down by a 

heavily scripted ending. Forget the Tolkien association, 

and put aside its similarities

DmC Devil May Cry

DmC Definitive Edition's customisation tools that allow 

the player to tweak gameplay to suit their own style is 

what makes this an excellent remaster for newcomers and 

veterans alike. Remember back in 2013 when all the 

internet had to get mad about

Rise of the Tomb Raider (PC)

Rise of the Tomb Raider was one of the best games of 2015 

and nothing has been lost in the months since its 

release. On PC it can look even more spectacular, so just 

buy it, yeah. I like Rise of the Tomb Raider a lot, yet 

sadly I really don't think it

Rise of the Tomb Raider

An awesome adventure that delivers an epic sense of 

discovery. On PS4 Rise of the Tomb Raider is just as 

gorgeous as ever and packed full with some excellent 

bonus content. Tom and Colm discuss what's new in Rise of 

the Tomb Raider on PS4.What

NieR: Automata

NieR: Automata has more creativity and self-awareness in 

its little finger than most games have for their entire 

run time. Don’t miss this because it’s sandwiched between 

other, bigger games. This review was kindly done for us 

by Adam Cook. Find other cool stuff he's

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

 Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is beautiful, 

discomforting, and compelling. It might challenge what 

you like about games, but challenge is good. You're doing 

yourself a disservice if you don't try it. Hellblade: 

Senua's Sacrifice is the sort of game that you'll either 

really.

Monster Hunter World

This long standing series makes an outrageously good 

current gen debut. The size and scope of the 

environments, and the monsters in them, is awe inspiring, 

making Monster Hunter: World a true (lizard) king of 

games.  There will probably, whilst playing Monster 

Hunter: World, come a moment

Devil May Cry 5

Devil May Cry 5 revels in its own gleeful stupidity, 

presenting a world in which the most valuable commodity 

is style. At the beginning of Devil May Cry 5, the city 

of Red Grave

Half-Life 2

Half Life 2 represents the culmination of the best 

aspects of recent FPS development, wrapped in a setting 

rich with atmosphere and truly immersed in physics - hail 

to the Freeman indeed You might not realise this, but 

it's actually more

Gears of War

Must have, if for nothing more than to see why 360-owners 

say the Lancer/chainsaw one of the best videogame weapons 

ever. When Gears of War came out as an Xbox 360 

exclusive, it blew me away.

Grand Theft Auto IV

If you've been waiting for the ultimate version of GTA 4, 

then this is it, providing you can put up with a fair 

amount of hassle to get the game running well. When we 

reviewed GTA 4 on Xbox 360 and PS3 earlier this year we 

made some

Batman: Arkham City

It doesn't take the world's greatest detective to spot 

that this is an expertly crafted adventure, one that 

maintains a breathtaking pace and invigorating rhythm 

from beginning to end. Batman: Arkham Asylum's success 

hinged on the fact it would have been 

Dark Souls 2

A refined, slicker version of one of the greatest video 

games ever made. Dark Souls. That's the really hard one, 

right? Sure, but the difficulty is.

Grand Theft Auto 5

The definitive version of Rockstar's biggest world to 

date. Editor's Note: Below is a rundown of the technical 

accomplishments of GTA 5

Batman: Arkham Knight

Batman: Arkham Knight is the best Batman game ever made 

and a classic in its own right. 'The Batman games 

wouldn't be any good if Batman wasn't in it' is a long