In this year, people have needed an escape more than ever thanks to the ongoing pandemic, which is why the video games industry has thrived. Lots of brilliant, innovative new games have been released, as well as new consoles, and more and more people are discovering the joys of gaming. The gaming industry as a whole has attracted more people; for example, increasing numbers of people are signing up to online casinos such as True Blue Australia to play and potentially win money.
Video games have the amazing ability to immerse players in vast, highly detailed worlds and take them on thrilling experiences. They give us the opportunity to take a break from reality and forget everything that’s going on in the world. If you’re into PC gaming, there are more than enough games available to play.
It’s never been a better time to be a PC gamer!
Whether you decide to manage a baseball team, go spelunking on the moon, construct an automated factory or take part in multiplayer mini-game tournaments, there’s no doubt you’ll have lots of fun playing these PC games. Buy physical copies to treasure or download onto your computer – the choice is yours. Thankfully, the pandemic hasn’t been able to stop lots of brilliant new games getting released.
However, there’s a catch. Sifting through the many titles and finding the right one for you can be quite a time-consuming process. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the top 10 PC video games in Australia. Simply have a look through our list and you’re bound to find some amazing games that you’ll enjoy playing.
1 – 5: Most Popular PC Games
Crusader Kings III
Created by Paradox Development Studio, Crusader Kings III is a sequel to Crusader Kings II (2012) and the original Crusader Kings (2004). It was released on 7 September 2020 in Australia and has been very well received, selling over a million copies within a month and being universally praised by critics. Like the other instalments in the series, it’s a strategy game and a dynasty simulator set in the medieval age.
What makes Crusader Kings III deserve an entry on our list is that it takes all the things that Crusader Kings does right and makes them better. This third instalment is more engaging, easier to get to grips with (though its gameplay is more intricate compared with the average PC game), its user interface is better designed and the visuals, sound effects and world-building have all been improved.
Hades
This video game is another new release for 2020 and was developed by Supergiant Games. It’s an action role-playing roguelike game where you play as Zagreus, the son of Hades himself, and try to make your way out of the Underworld and up towards Mount Olympus. During each run, the enemies you encounter are completely randomised, so no two run-throughs of the game are the same. As you progress through the game, various Olympian gods and goddesses will bestow all manner of gifts upon you to help you on your quest.
Hades is a great game for anyone who enjoys playing roguelikes, especially those inspired by the mythology of ancient Greece. Critics have heaped a huge amount of praise on the game, highlighting its narrative, character development and overall gameplay. Even though it’s only been out for a few months, the game has already won some accolades. These include the Critics’ Choice and the Best Indie Game awards at the Golden Joystick Awards 2020.
The Sims 4 – Snowy Escape
One of the biggest and best known video game franchises of all time is The Sims. In these games, you control virtual people, build homes for them and help them achieve career and relationship goals. The Sims 4 came out back in 2014, but every year since this base game’s release there’s been at least one expansion. Earlier in 2020, the ninth expansion Eco Lifestyle came out – as its name suggests, it focuses on sustainable living and being environmentally friendly.
Coming out in mid-November 2020 is the game’s tenth expansion: Snowy Escape. The focus of this addition is living in the winter. Set in the new mountain town of Mt. Komorebi, the expansion introduces Japanese-style homes, an array of snow sports and, of course, natural hot springs for Sims to relax in. You’re invited to start planning your very own snowy escape and enjoy mountains of fun when you add this expansion to your The Sims 4 game.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Thanks to the pandemic, the global travel industry has just about ground to a halt and millions of holidays have been delayed or cancelled outright. If you’re stuck at home but still have a thirst for exploring the world, Microsoft Flight Simulator is a great game to play. Take to the skies in an assortment of planes, from small, light-bodies ones to commercial aircraft capable of carrying hundreds of passengers at a time.
This game is relaxing, easy to play and incredibly immersive. There’s a huge amount of attention to detail and everything, from the planes you fly to the routes you take, look as realistic as they can. You have the freedom to decide where you fly, however it’s not always plain sailing as certain weather conditions can make your flight more challenging. If you’re keen to see the world or imagine yourself as a pilot some day, Microsoft Flight Simulator is the game to play.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
Developed by Mediatonic, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is a bright, colourful and visually appealing game set in a world full of creatures that resemble jelly beans. It’s inspired by TV shows such as Wipeout and Takeshi’s Castle and its gameplay is based on the hugely popular battle royale format. You complete randomly determined mini-games to make it through rounds of the competition – some are entirely solo, while others involve teamwork, so at times you may have to team up with your opponents. There are obstacles that can make completing mini-games more challenging and on top of that, if you’re not quick enough you won’t qualify for the next round.
At the time of writing, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is in its second season, which is medieval-themed. In line with this, a number of cosmetics and maps that stick to the medieval theme were introduced, as were changes to some of the existing mini-games. Fall Guy: Ultimate Knockout has become an unprecedented success, selling way more copies than predicted – over 10 million to date. It’s been praised for combining the multiplayer challenges of Fortnite with the lively party game atmosphere of games such as Mario Party. The game’s been phenomenally successful on the streaming platform Twitch.
Video games that incorporate mini-games are very popular indeed because they make the gameplay more varied and fun. It’s not just PC games that have mini-games; many online casinos do too. Many of the best Aussie online casinos, such as True Blue Casino, have a number of mini-games available to play that offer a break from slots and table games.
6 – 10: What to play right now?
Spelunky 2
Back in 2008, a rather quirky game called Spelunky was released. This procedurally generated game takes you on the role of a spelunker as he explores caves, doing things such as collecting gems, rescuing damsels and fighting enemies in the process. It was highly praised and some even suggested it was one of the best video games of all time.
Spelunky 2 came out in September 2020. In this new instalment, you’re taking on the role of Ana, the daughter of the first game’s spelunker. The premise is that both her parents have gone missing on the moon, so she’s making her way through lunar caves trying to find them. The sequel builds on everything that made the original game such a big success and introduces new features such as rideable mounts, traps and enemies.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
If you’re into immersive role-playing games, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla may well be the game for you. It was created by Ubisoft Montreal and is the twelfth main instalment in the successful Assassin’s Creed series. Counting prequels, sequels and spin-offs, it’s actually the twenty-second game in the series to date. It’s been generally well received by critics and has been a significant commercial success so far.
The game serves as a sequel to the Roman-themed 2018 game Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, but instead has a viking theme. It’s set in the year 873 AD and focuses on a particular series of fictional events during the viking invasion of Britain. You play as a character called Eivor, who as the game progresses gets more and more caught up in the ongoing conflict between the Templar Order and the Brotherhood of Assassins. The game was designed to improve the gameplay of its predecessor and offer players more surprises, challenges and options as they progress through the storyline.
Factorio
One of the more interesting entries on our list is Factorio. The premise of this game is straightforward: you’re an engineer and have crash landed on an alien planet; your objective is to gather resources and eventually construct a rocket to take you back home. You start off by going exploring to find basic supplies to build machines and tools with. As the game progresses, you end up constructing factories that automate the process of locating materials and assembling them into different products you need to construct the rocket. However, there are native creatures that are hostile and can slow down your progress. You’ll have to successfully defend yourself against these, though they become increasingly difficult to defeat as the game progresses.
Constructing a rocket wins you the game, though doing this requires a lot of time and work, even with factories doing a lot of the graft for you later on. To get the game completed sooner rather than later, you should aim to make your factory as efficient and effective as possible. Since the game is open world, you can keep playing after your rocket is set up and continue constructing things through your factory.
Super Mega Baseball 3
This is the third entry in the Super Mega Baseball series and has gone down well thanks to its improved graphics and gameplay. It introduces a range of new features, such as on-field player traits and pickoffs, as well as two new modes for players to try out: Online Leagues and Franchise. If you haven’t been able to play baseball as much as you would have liked in 2020, get your fix by playing this highly realistic baseball simulator game instead.
Take on the game’s Franchise mode and put your managerial skills to the test, overseeing teams as they take part in tournaments. With the Online League mode, you can take on your friends in organised leagues and enjoy a more challenging and exciting gameplay experience. The game offers just about everything you could want from a baseball simulator and is beautifully presented, offering a total of 14 different ballparks that are rich in detail and come with many different lighting conditions.
Doom Eternal
This is the fifth main instalment in the Doom series and a direct sequel to the franchise’s fourth main entry Doom, which came out in 2016. This first-person shooter has you play again as Doom Slayer as he tries to put an end to hell’s consumption of Earth and to prevent humanity from being exterminated. It was released in March 2020 and during that month alone, it was reported to have sold in excess of 3 million copies.
The game’s developers confirmed that two separate DLCs would be coming. The first of these, The Ancient Gods: Part One, was released in October. The second, The Ancient Gods: Part Two, is set to come out at some point in 2021. Access to both of these add-ons is included with purchases of the base game’s deluxe edition.
Play Top PC Games and Have a Blast!
Our selection of games is by no means definitive. After all, everyone has a different opinion about what the best games are. The ones we’ve chosen are all very well appreciated by critics and players alike and have impressed many people with their gameplay, features and innovations. So, to round up, here’s our list of Australia’s 10 best PC video games:
- Crusader Kings III
- Hades
- The Sims 4 – Snowy Escape
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
- Spelunky 2
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Factorio
- Super Mega Baseball 3
- Doom Eternal
You’re sure to enjoy playing at least some of these thrilling new games. Read some online reviews of them to get a better idea about what these games are like, then purchase whichever ones suit your tastes and start playing. These games offer a very welcome distraction from what’s going on in the world right now and are expertly designed, offering compelling and intuitive gameplay, highly realistic graphics, ambitious storylines and imaginative features.
