If you’re a diehard PC gamer, then you’ve been spoiled for choice on Steam this past month. So many games, so little time, and it NEVER STOPS. This week is no different, with games that will completely destroy your free time if you let them. Open world survival, RPG, multiplayer action, visual novel, pick your poison, and it’ll be good. We promise!
Laser League ($14.99)
From the studio that brought you the amazing Olli Olli comes Laser League, a frenetic and futuristic multiplayer sports action game. You’ll compete in 3-on-3 scenarios as you sprint around Tran-Inspired arenas and light them up with coloured laser grids. If you hit a laser of your opponent’s color, you’re out. Your teammates can revive you, but once you’re all out, that’s game. Dodging the dense grids of moving lasers requires intense concentration, and there are multiple classes to choose from, with unique offensive and defensive skills that can really make things tricky. It’s slick, well-designed, easy to learn and fun to watch.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire ($49.99)
Old-school computer RPGs fans, this week has been Christmas for you. Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity returns for a second outing, and it’s as deep as ever. The classic Dungeons and Dragon-inspired formula has been given some hefty upgrade, with full voice acting, more intricately-connected mechanics, ship combat, and consequences to every single little decision you make. It’s deep as the ocean, and a no-brainer for fans of the genre.
Steins;Gate 0 ($34.99)
One of the most beloved Japanese-style visual novels finally gets its latest release on PC. Steins Gate brings along its cast of characters into a new time-travelling scenario, but you don’t necessarily have to have played the first game to appreciate it, I promise. This narrative adventure focuses on hardcore science and moral quandaries about memory and artificial intelligence, with all the twists and turns that make this subcategory of visual novel games great. Also returning is the smartphone mechanics where your texts change the outcome to the story, and possibly the entire fabric of your reality, because of course. If you’re curious about visual novels, this is definitely one of the better ones to check out.
Conan Exiles ($39.99)
After a super rocky start on Early Access, Conan Exiles got itself together and transformed into the game players wanted to be. And that game is huge and overwhelming, with a ton of stuff to do. It’s open-world survival at its best, with beautiful biomes, granular and robust crafting options, a combat system that provides a variety of options and is satisfying to participate in, and probably about a thousand other things we haven’t even touched yet. With PvP, PvE, and custom servers along with a single-player option, Conan Exiles wants to be the survival game you want it to be, and judging by the player base, it’s hitting the mark for a lot of people.
What new PC games have you been playing this week? Let us know on Twitter: @EdmondTran + @JessMcDonell
