reasons why it's worth to be PCgamer in 2006(56Kb=death)

2006

EXCLUSIVES

STRATEGY GAMES

Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords
"Galactic Civilizations II is a strategy gamer's dream"-9.0

Company of Heroes
This visceral real-time strategy reenactment of World War II's Western Front showcases just how far RTS game design and presentation quality have come.-9.0

Medieval II: TotalWar
"Epic" doesn't quite begin to describe the scope and scale of the latest Total War game--there's a lot of strategic depth, with plenty of amazing combat to enjoy.- 8.8

WH40K: Dawn of War-Dark Crusade
This terrific update to one of the best sci-fi real-time strategy games in years packs in a great strategic campaign and a grand total of seven different interestin-8.8

StarWars: Empire at War
"Star Wars fans finally get to play a strategy game worthy of the license."-8.7

Civilization 4: Warlords
Warlords adds six new civilizations and other enhancements to Civilization IV, but the cool new scenarios are the real treat in this expansion.-8.6

Rome Total War: Alexander
It may be a bit too fast and furious, but this extremely challenging expansion depicting the conquests of Alexander the Great is a fantastic addition to the Rome: Total War family."-8.5

Take Command:2nd Manassas
Wargamers and Civil War buffs will love the easy-to-play, historically authentic Take Command: Second Manassas.- 8.2

SpellForce II
SpellForce 2's intriguing mix of gameplay styles makes for a great divergence from the archetypal real-time strategy game.-8.2

Heroes of Might and Magic V
This latest installment captures much of the charm and addictiveness of the other excellent fantasy-themed turn-based strategy games that earned Heroes of Might and Magic its fiercely dedicated fan base- 8.2

Sid Meier's Railroads!
Railroads! is an addictive economic strategy game that you don't have to be a locomotive aficionado to enjoy.- 8.1

Defcon
Though not a complex strategy game, Defcon's specific sense of style makes for a compelling and unsettling experience-8.1

Empire at War: Forces of Corruption:
Forces of Corruption is a great addition to the Empire at War saga thanks to an interesting new faction that offers up a different way to conquer the galaxy.- 8.1

Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday
"Doomsday heats up the Cold War with nukes and spies."-8.0

SIMS2: Open for Business
"Open for Business makes it fun to put your sims to work " - 8.0 from GS

City Life
City Life combines the fun of a city-building game with the challenge of a financial simulation, though it requires patience and perseverance to master.-7.8

Age of Empires 3: Warchiefs
The WarChiefs expansion adds some interesting new elements to the tried-and-true gameplay of Age of Empires III.- 7.8

Rush for Berlin
Rush for Berlin proves that there is still some life in the WWII RTS genre.-7.8

Caesar IV
""After an eight-year absence, the Caesar series returns with a slightly flawed but very engrossing game about ancient city building.-7.7

The Movies: Stunts & Effects
By seamlessly integrating into The Movies, the Stunts & Effects expansion offers a lot of cool new toys for would-be studio bosses and virtual moviemakers to play with.- 7.7

Anno 1701
Great design and atmosphere make this game about Caribbean colonization one of the better city builders to come down the pike in some time.- 7.6

Rise of Legends
Rise of Legends is a bit flat in comparison to Rise of Nations, but quirky races and units provide a lot of off-the-wall appeal.-7.6

Sword of Stars
Despite some flaws with the combat, Sword of the Stars distills the complex space strategy formula to a slick, streamlined, and enjoyable package.-7.4

Empires & Dungeons
It's an addictive game that's harder than it first seems once you open up the higher difficulty levels.- GameTunnel  7.5

Styrateg
There are some issues with the interface, but on the whole it's a very good production that makes for a very fun and simple game- 7.3 from GameTunnel

Battle for MIddle-Earth 2: Rise of the Witch King
The Rise of the Witch-King is a fairly standard expansion that adds a brief campaign centered around one of the more enigmatic characters from the movies.- 7.3

Warhammer: Mark of Chaos
Mark of Chaos captures the fantasy combat of the popular Warhammer franchise in a beautiful way, but it's marred by some technical issues and a basic strategic campaign.- 7.2

Black and White2 : Battle of the Gods
Battle of the Gods is a straightforward expansion that adds some new, but not remarkably different, content to Black and White 2.-7.2

Panzer commander
From KoiosWorks(TinSoldiers-8.3 )

DropTeam
An extremely deep SF wargame from Battlefront

Harpoon 3 Advanced Naval Warfare
New version of legendary naval wargame

World at War 2
sequel to 8.3 game

Distant Guns
Revolutionary naval wargame created by people behind games like OperationalArt of War(9.0 at GS)

Forge of Freedom
from makers of Crown of Glory(8/10 at IGN)

The Operational Art of War III
TOAW got 9.0 and TOAW2 got 8.7

Airborne Assault: Conquest of the Aegean
Third game in this classic series(previous two both got 8.1 from Gamespot)

ROLEPLAYING GAMES

NeverWinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2 isn't without some technical issues, but the engaging, dynamic story and proven Dungeons & Dragons framework make it a role-playing game that shouldn't be missed.- 8.6

Guild Wars: Factions
The follow-up to the innovative Guild Wars features a large new fantasy world to explore and enough competitive and cooperative role-playing action to easily keep you busy for weeks.-8.5

Guild Wars: Nightfall
Unmistakably similar to the previous two games in the innovative Guild Wars series, Nightfall features an impressive new Egyptian-themed continent to explore through plenty of solo and cooperative questing.-8.2

Space Rangers 2
It has its flaws, but Space Rangers 2 remains a crazy, inspired, over-the-top, and addictive blend of gameplay.- 8.1

Gothic3
If you can get past its technical issues, Gothic 3 offers a substantial, open-ended role-playing experience. -7.6

Titan Quest
With its lengthy single-player campaign, well-integrated multiplayer, and full-featured level editor, Titan Quest is a robust package that nonetheless feels all too familiar.- 7.6

Dungeon and Dragons Online
This online role-playing game lives up to its namesake as far as the quality of its action-packed quests is concerned, but it doesn't have all the features you'd probably want. -7.5

Auto Assault
Auto Assault has potential, but that potential is buried under layers and layers of problems.- 7.2

Undercroft
Oldschool DungenMaster-like RPG from Rake in Grass(makers of Jet N' Guns)

DOFUS Arena
The original DOFUS is very popular(250.000 players) free MMORPG. DofusArena is a new MMO spin-off from the franchise that's concentrating on PVP tactical combat in vein of japanese rpgs like Ogre Battle or  Fire Emblem

Tales of Eternia Online
A MMO from Namco

Tokimeki Memorial Online
A MMO version of insanely popular dating-sims series

Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising
A MMORPG created by lead Diablo2 designer

Bastard! Online
A MMORPG from Tecmo

PUZZLE GAMES

Diner Dash
Diner Dash is one of the best casual games we've played yet.- 9.1

Crazy Machines: The Wacky Contraptions Game
other puzzle games on the PC, but the amount and quality of its content makes it worthwhile anyway.-7.9

Eets
I'll just state that you MUST download this game. The visual style is unlike anything else you've seen and the game plays like the one-of-a-kind gem that it appears to be.-9.0 from Gametunnel

Wild Earth
There is a fairly good chance this is the closest you will ever come to wondering the Serengeti while taking photos of animals killing, hunting, bathing, and playing-8.7 from Gametunnel

Steam Brigade
Steam Brigade is one of the best looking and most charismatic Indies games I've ever played and it is just cusping on greatness8.0 from Gametunnel

Mosaic: Tomb of Mystery
Reflexive applies its famous uber polish to the Inlay genre. The Egyptian theme is trotted out once again but made fresh with rock-solid integration.-8.0 from Gametunnel

The Odyssey: Winds of Athena
Hooray for originality! This is a very cool and very unique game. It fits into our newly created "frenzied clicking" genre, but with more thought than usual, and of course, it's actually very original, unlike your usual clicker. -8.0 from Gametunnel

Alexey's Dwice
I’m just going to say that Dwice is a welcome chance that for me has proven to be far more addictive then Tetris ever was.- Gameplasma 8.3

Armadillo Run
It's a game for real tech geeks, and I think a very enjoyable one!-8.0 from Gametunnel

Wonderlines
The game play has just enough action and strategy in piece placement to keep me playing without it ever becoming boring.- GameTunnel  7.3

Snowy: Treasure Hunter 2
Lots of control options and multilayered parallax backgrounds seem to just be extras, but it all adds up to a wonderful game with some really fun levels that may lead you to better appreciate how cool Snowy is.- GameTunnel 7.0

Tube Twist
Realistic physics, logic puzzles, and a tight GUI come together in a beautiful way in TubeTwist, I think what really makes it interesting is there is never a single correct solution, you can hammer away at your own idea and usually get it working.- GameTunnel  7.5

Toybox
Probably the coolest set of desktop toys ever.- GameTunnel  7.5

Virtual Villagers
Despite the tiny people not actually doing much I still recommend checking this, like a fish tank, it's strangely relaxing.- GameTunnel  7.3

Dodge That Anvil!
One of 2006's IGF Finalists

RACING

GTR2
Despite a slightly gentler learning curve, GTR 2 still demands the most out of your inner race driver.-9.0
 

NetKarPRO
netKar Pro , in many ways, is the most realistic simulator to come to the market,-8.7 from AutoSimSport magazine

GT Legends
A joy to play and a real showpiece for the vintage cars it replicates, GT Legends is a great achievement and a must-have for simulation addicts- 8.5

SIMULATORS

Microsoft Flight Simulator X
Microsoft's Flight Simulator X provides a mind-boggling level of depth and breadth--if you don't mind some less than stellar frame rates.- 8.4

Darkstar One
DarkStar One lets you finally take to the space lanes like a Han Solo, not a stockbroker for hire.- 8.1

ATC Simulator® 2

Trainz 2006
Trainz got 8.7

A-OK! - Wings of Mercury
New edition of best commercial astronautic sim ever.

Wings of Glory 2
Sequel to best FlightSimulator2004 add-on ever (8.2)

A-OK! Spacecraft Simulation System
An open-ended simulation application designed as a "construction kit" for space vehicles of all types.

Orbiter 2006
Incredible freeware sim

Ostfront: Decisive Battles in the East
Add-on to IL2:FB

ADVENTURE GAMES

Sam and Max: Culture Shock     
Culture Shock in every way looks, sounds, and feels like a true Sam & Max sequel. If you can forgive the ease of the puzzles and embrace the episodic concept, it is nothing less than a complete blast of fun.- Adventuregamers(8.0  
 

Scratches  
Scratches is a great adventure game that shouldn't be missed by anyone who enjoys a story well told within a scary, gothic presentation.- Adventuregamers (8.0)  

Bone: The Great Cow Race          
An excellent step forward from Telltale, and a game that everyone should be playing.- Adventuregamers (8.0)    
 

Secrets of Da Vinci          
It's  a thoroughly enjoyable game, with engaging puzzles and plot ; had it completely fulfilled its promise, it would have been exceptional.- Adventuregamers (8.0)         

Safecracker          
A must-have for puzzle fans and definitely worth a look for anyone who values an intellectual challenge- Adventuregamers (8.0)          

Barrow Hill          
Don't let the word "independent" concern you; this game is an excellent adventure that everyone should give a chance, especially those who like their horror mixed seamlessly with science and history.-8.0 from Adventure gamers 

Paradise          
While falling short of the masterpiece it could have been, Paradise remains a memorable experience that deserves to be given a chance.- Adventuregamers (7.0)          

Anhk          
It's not quite the return of LucasArts-era cartoon adventures, but this cheerful game dishes out a lot of laughs.-7.3          

CSI III: Dimensions of Murder          
This is a solid sequel in the franchise and while it doesn't really break any new ground, it does make some minor but important improvements that make it the best game in the series.- Adventuregamers (7.0)          

Frasse and the Peas of Kejick          
For the gamer on a budget this is a definite weekend killer that you should take the time to play and come to appreciate.- GameTunnel 7.3          

       
Secret Files: Tunguska          
Secret Files: Tunguska is a highly-polished game, but suffers from an uninspired design.-7.0 from AdventureGamers          

Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave          
This series has always provided quality stories and good value for the cost of the games. With some enhanced animations and cutscenes, this entry is better than the last game but shorter in duration,-7.0 from AdventureGamers   

Runaway2          
Sequel to great game          

Broken Sword 4          
A new entry in one of best adventure series ever created(BS1-9.2, BS3-8.1 )          

Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine         
 A indie freeware adventure game from the people who brought us awesome KingQUest 1 and 2 VGA remakes          

Murder on the Orient Express          

EVIDENCE: The Last Ritual          
sequel to Missing(7.1)          

Heart of Osiris          
Stand alone add-on to Ankh          

ACTION

Half-Life 2: Episode One          
Episode One is even better than Half-Life 2. The only problem is that it's over before you know it.-8.7        

the Ship          
This wildly different take on Quake, The Sims, and Clue is off the wall and innovative.-8.3          

SWAT 4: Stetchkov Syndicate          
"The Stetchkov Syndicate's additional weapons, aggressive suspects, and new multiplayer mode breathe new life into an already great tactical shooter."- 8.2          

Battlefield 2142          
Battlefield 2142's new Titan mode is an exciting new addition to the Battlefield series, though for the most part 2142 offers up minor evolutionary improvements over its illustrious predecessor.-8.1          

Chameleon          
Chameleon is an excelent game, which can easily compete with  the best of what SplinterCell and Hitman series have to offer. Games Imperium 8.0      

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic          
If you give it, it'll pay you back. You won't remember Dark Messiah's busty-woman character guide, but you will remember the sheer joy of mutilating the orcish, undead and assorted monstrous hordes in a variety of imaginative ways. When mass slaughter is as imaginative as this, it can't help but be memorable.- 8.0 from Eurogamer          

Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45           
Red Orchestra is an enjoyable, team-based online shooter for those who like the Battlefield-style games but want a more technical and realistic experience.- 7.9.          

F.E.A.R: Extraction Point          
Extraction Point offers up about five more hours of the intense F.E.A.R. gameplay, but that's pretty much it.- 7.8          

Sin Episode 1          
This is a pretty-looking, short, budget-priced, by-the-numbers futuristic shooter that's most notable for its episodic nature and its old heritage.- 7.3.          

DevastationZone Troopers          
The gameplay harkens back to the heyday of the PC, when you loaded up a title not knowing what to expect and ended up really surprised by what you found. The level of polish, the presentation, gameplay, sound, the two different play aspects ;it all works wonderfully.-GameTunnel  8.3          

Titan Attacks          
At it's best Titan Attacks pure retro goodness heaped on so high that you'll wonder how anyone could have put together everything in such a cool package. The game is honestly just shy of perfect and at such a low price is something that every gamer should immediately put into their home library.8.3 from Gametunnel          

Bullet Candy          
Hard to go wrong here...I keep coming back to it all month!-GameTunnel  8.0          

Gumboy          
Playing this game made me remember, once again, why I love Indies.- 8.0 from Game Tunnel          

Phoenicas          
This game is a combination of many types of shooters distilled into one adrenaline pumping experience.- 7.5 

RIP: Strike Back          
You'll get your moneys worth of sadistic bloodshed here.- GameTunnel  7.5          

Clash'N'Slash: Worlds Away          
A very solid shooting game and one worth checking out.- GameTunnel 7.5          

Garden Dreams          
It all comes together as a powerful motivator that keeps you playing to see the next special item. I played this time-waster far too long, strangely mesmerizing.- GameTunnel  7.3          

Pizza Panic          
I couldn't help but think this game did a fantastic job of transporting me back to being a little kid playing arcade games at the roller rink. Simple straight forward game play collecting various food like objects (think Wonder Boy) while delivering pizzas on a skateboard. Race levels were definitely a plus. Well worth spending a couple of evenings on.- Game Tunnel 7.3          

Battlefield2:EuroPack          
7.7          
[img]http://www.adrianwerner.neostrada.pl/1/bf2.JPG[/img

Battlefield 2: Armored Fury          
7.4          

Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso          
Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso is an adventure game that features more depth than you might first give it credit for.- Game Tunnel7.5          

Ninja Loves Pirate          
Great old school beat-em up          

Parkan 2          
A mix of FPS, strategy and space and mech sim by Nikita.          

War Angel          
An old-school shooter co-created by Moonpod team(makers of Starscape, which got 80% from PCGamer)          

GUNZ          
This free online action is in beta now and it's already fricking amazing, imagine how the finished version will rock.    

MULTIPLATFORMS

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion          
i]The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is simply one of the best role-playing games ever made.- 9.3          

World Soccer Winning Eleven 9          
Winning Eleven 9 represents a significant enough improvement over its predecessor that it's impossible not to recommend you check it out.- 9.1          

Rainbow Six: Vegas
[Rainbow Six is reinvented and reinvigorated for a new age thanks to beautiful visuals and top-notch tactical shooting action.- 8.7

Dreamfall  
 Anchored by a wonderful cast of characters, the very well-crafted sci-fi story in Dreamfall will leave you anxiously wanting more.- 8.1          

Condemned          
This first-person action game hits you like a sledgehammer with its astounding, stunningly creepy presentation, but it sacrifices opportunities for more shocks and surprises by settling for repetition.-8.1          

Godfather          
The Godfather is a great addendum to the film and a fun and lengthy game in its own right.-8.1          

Football Manager 2006          
Sports Interactive's best game to date combines stability and variety in a truly immersive football experience.-8.5           

TOCA Race Driver 3 (PC)          
The TOCA racing series returns for a third go with numerous improvements over its predecessors. TOCA Race Driver 3 features upgraded artificial intelligence, a spectator mode, rivalries, and 35 racing styles.8.5           

Marc Ecko's Getting Up          
Getting Up builds a cohesive and entertaining world without sacrificing gameplay, resulting in a really great overall package.8.4 from GS          
 

Battle for Middle-Earth 2          
New races, heroes, and battlegrounds let you command battle in all-new ways.-8.4           

Marvel Ultimate Alliance          
Raven improves upon the great work it did with the X-Men Legends games, creating a lengthy adventure that touches nearly every last corner of the Marvel Universe.- 8.3           

Hitman:bloodmoney          
While the underlying stealth action is mostly unchanged from the previous Hitman games, a diverse sequence of imaginative scenarios gives Blood Money its own fair share of violent thrills.-8.2          

FIFA World Cup 2006          
2006 FIFA World Cup does a good job of re-creating the carnival atmosphere that surrounds the competition, and it plays a good, fast-paced game of soccer to boot.-8.1          

Splinter Cell Double Agent          
Agent Sam Fisher's latest assignment turns out to be a fairly routine stealth action operation, but changes to Splinter Cell's innovative multiplayer mode help make up for this. -8.0          

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth          
A thick, unsettling atmosphere fills this ambitious first-person action adventure, which makes up for some frustrating moments and dated graphics with plenty of chills, variety, and originality.-7.9          

GhostRecon:Advanced Warfighter          
While the PC version of GRAW offers the most impressive and expansive campaign, the extreme system requirements and multiplayer headaches make this tactical shooter feel rougher around the edges than it should.7.8          

Prey          
Prey is an easy ride through an alien world that doesn't cash in on all its potential but still offers enough thrills to make it a worthwhile trip.-7.5          

Tiger Woods 2007          
There's very little that's truly new in Tiger Woods 07, but it's still a good game.- 7.5          

Onimusha3          
Blatantly ripped straight from the PlayStation 2, this version of Onimusha 3 still packs some good, solid hack-and-slash combat and a likable story.- 7.4          
         

Flatout2          
FlatOut 2 seems a little too slick for its own good in spots, but it still manages to provide plenty of destructive racing fun. -7.4

Sensible Soccer 2006          
"The first game in the series for seven years, Sensible Soccer 2006 plays as well as its predecessors, albeit with little innovation and a few gameplayissues."-7.2          

Devil May Cry3: SE          
Though it's like a fish out of water on the PC, this straight port of a great, gruelingly fast and intense PlayStation 2 action adventure game can still be exciting. - 7.1           

Need for Speed: Carbon          

Madden 07          

NBA Live 07          

RoboBlitz          
using UE 3.0          

Super-Bikes: Riding Challenge          
from makers of Superbike2001(9.1)          

Star Trek Legacy          

Resident Evil 4          

Nice work man, but I'm still wondering how you can miss Eldar Scrolls: Oblivion from that list...InfectiousDust

I figured if you made an exception for Dreamfall, you could definitely make one for Oblivion (the 360 is a glorified PC anyway).

S.T.A.L.K.E.R would be a nice addition as well...

:shock:

Good job man :D

This should be stickied

AdrianWerner, *thank-you so much*. I've seen something like this that was for the PS3 (don't know if you did that one) and ever since then have been yerning to see one for all the upcoming PC games. You did so, and I must say it looks very impressive. Again, thank you and I'm sure I'll be using this very frequently. :)

I figured if you made an exception for Dreamfall, you could definitely make one for Oblivion (the 360 is a glorified PC anyway).

S.T.A.L.K.E.R would be a nice addition as well...

InfectiousDust

Nice 'nods to mods' becoming retail franchises! ( Alien Swarm + Red Orchestra ).......but I didn't know about Sins of the Solar Empire and Sword to the Stars ( no gamespaces here at GS ). Links ?MasterMarcus

[QUOTE="InfectiousDust"]

I figured if you made an exception for Dreamfall, you could definitely make one for Oblivion (the 360 is a glorified PC anyway).

S.T.A.L.K.E.R would be a nice addition as well...

AdrianWerner

Oh my bad, I definitely missed that one! As well I gotta agree, Oblivion has enough hype surrounding it already!

Nice job including some more obscure games in the list. You've done an excellent job here, deserving of a sticky me thinks.

Brilliantly fantastic post, you put a lot of effort into this and I'm absolutely positive it'll enlighten some PC gamers into sticking with PC gaming for at least another year. Dnom

Just one thing. An add on cant be goty since its not a game its an add onPetri87

Very good list. Looking foward to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

good job dude.....could be quite a good year.

Although i doubt STALKER will ever be released

Great list. It's nice to see all of the upcoming titles put together like this.

Good work!

very good list man, was waiting for someone to mak eone..glad to see atleast 3-5+ space games!!!! I am Definatly going to buy a custom built computer for this next year(more exciting then this year for me)

I am gonna pwn my consol gamer friends SOOOOOO much.

Wow, there are loads of interesting games in here that I've never even heard about (honestly, I didn't expect a list of this magnitude). Great thread, you should definitely contact a mod and try to get this floated.

Great list :D...I'd just edit the topic title from "2005" to 2006....then again, whether its 2005 or 2006, its always worth it to be a PC Gamer.

Great list :D...I'd just edit the topic title from "2005" to 2006....then again, whether its 2005 or 2006, its always worth it to be a PC Gamer.

 

dynamic1

You missed one-

F.E.A.R. ;) alecs37

Umm... F.E.A.R. came out this year. This list is for games coming out in 2006. :|

Nice. But tell me what's so awsome about Gothic 3, particularly why "it will murder any upcoming RPG" :P

:shock:

Good job man :D

This should be stickied

darkplayer

......is it bad news that among ALL those games, i'm only interested in Hammer & Sickle? :?

anyway, it's an excellent post.

Yes, its a wonderful compilation.  I to think Gothic 3 is going to be a great RPG, probably better then Oblivion, and you just know its going to beat Dragon Age.  Neverwinter2, despite the terrible blight on the genre that the original was, is in the hands of Obsidian and Chris Avalone (Planescape: Torment), so I'm holding out a good deal of hope for that one.

Meanwhile, I need to start researching my strategy games.  A lot of those looked interesting, only I've haven't heard of them.