Regardless of the arrival of the new generation of video game consoles from Sony and Microsoft, a proper gaming PC system is still arguably the best way of maximizing performance when playing video games. Newer and more powerful components that can easily be added to a PC is a liberty that’s absent in consoles. Unfortunately, it also makes it so much more expensive upfront.

Regardless, millions upon millions of gamers prefer playing on a PC and over the years, they’ve been treated with a plethora of amazing games. Those who are playing on a PC will no doubt recognize these games. That is if they haven’t played them for hours on end themselves at some point.

10 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - 94

The Grand Theft Auto franchise is one of the most recognizable, successful, and controversial in video game history. In 2002, Rockstar Games released the fourth game of the franchise called Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and players absolutely loved it.

While the game was also riddled with backlash due to its depiction of immense violence, let’s face it: it’s also one of the many reasons why gamers loved this game. If you’ve played it, you’ll understand that there’s much more to the game than just sheer violence. This is especially true of GTA IV and GTA V.

9 Mass Effect 2 - 94

Mass Effect 2 was the follow-up to BioWare’s first Mass Effect game which came out in 2007. The first game was met with critical acclaim and, similar to all sequels that follow a highly successful and popular title, the release of this sequel was highly anticipated by many.

Upon release, Mass Effect 2 took everyone by surprise for not only holding its own and being a worthy successor but also for its narrative elements. BioWare wasn’t afraid to do new things with its story, and in the end, this sequel ended up being considered as one of the best video games of all time. Fun fact: it also took only about 2 years to develop and ship the game.

8 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - 94

Ah, Skyrim. Who isn’t familiar with this game at this point? There have been almost as many different versions of this released as there have of GTA V. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is, without a doubt, one of the best open-world games of all time. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an absolute delight of a game. Its open-world mechanics and RPG elements are still relevant today.

Though it was released in 2011, many will argue that its quality and content still holds up to this day – save for the various hilarious bugs that haunt the game. Regardless, the world in the game (which can be increased with mods) is one of the biggest ever. While the game is far from perfect, those who have played it will always reserve a place in their hearts for it.

7 Portal 2 - 95

If the first Portal game was more of a prototype, then this sequel looks to be the game Valve wanted Portal to be. The first game itself was already incredible, but it was very brief. It was more a stepping stone and an introduction while the sequel was a full-fledged resolution.

Valve’s Portal 2, like its predecessor, was met with critical acclaim. It had a more fleshed out puzzle-based gameplay with on-point humor, story, and writing. It even had a star-studded cast with the likes of J.K. Simmons, Nolan North, and more.

6 Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn - 95

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn is an RPG by BioWare. Those who love Dungeons and Dragons-esque games will highly appreciate this game as it is based on the rules of the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons second edition.

This second title is highly considered to be a major improvement over the first game in every way possible. It is praised for its immersive gameplay, fleshed-out characters, and decent story. Another game in the series, Baldur’s Gate III, is currently in development from Larian Studios who created the smash-crowdfunded hit Divinity: Original Sin II.

5 BioShock - 96

Major fans of the first-person shooter genre have most likely included BioShock in their list of favorite games. Its initial release in 2007 was immediately met with critical acclaim. Fans and critics noted the game’s morality-based storyline as praiseworthy and so are its setting and gameplay.

The game’s success led to it becoming a trilogy with the second game being released in 2010 and a third in 2013. The original is still considered one of the best video games of all time to this day.

4 Half-Life - 96

There is arguably no game more influential in narrative-driven FPS games than Valve’s Half-Life. Despite coming out more than 22 years ago in 1998, its narrative and gameplay are still considered to be groundbreaking and influential.

To say that Half-Life was successful is an understatement. It managed to sell more than nine million copies and won more than fifty Game of the Year awards in the PC category. The game also managed to spawn various fan-made mods with many of them going on to become standalone titles.

3 The Orange Box - 96

The Orange Box isn’t technically a game itself, but more of a compilation. This package provided by Valve contains Half-Life 2 and its subsequent episodes, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. All of these titles had already received positive reviews on their own. So Valve just decided to release them all together.

The compilation was released in 2007 and was met with major praises. It is considered by many to be the gold standard when it comes to bundled video games and is often cited as the best deal in video game history.

2 Grand Theft Auto V - 96

Grand Theft Auto V is a massively popular video game released by Rockstar Games in 2013. However, a version for PC wouldn’t come out until 2015. Since then, it’s been widely praised for its massive and engaging open-world, decent storyline, and gameplay. That’s pretty much everything fans expect from a Grand Theft Auto title.

The game went on to become the fastest-selling product in entertainment history. It also went on to become the second best-selling video game of all time with an astounding 140 million copies sold.

1 Half-Life 2 - 96

Half-Life 2 is a follow-up to Valve’s massively successful Half-Life title. This game took everything that fans loved about the original game and pushed it to greater heights. Its narrative, background, characters, AI integration, physics, and gameplay are all beyond noteworthy.

The release of this sequel in 2004 only grew Half-Life and Valve’s reputation. Since its release until today, millions upon millions of players have played and loved Half-Life 2. Many call it one of the greatest video games of all time.

NEXT: The 10 Best Games On Steam For Under $6 (According To User Reviews)