7 of the Best PC Games in History Based on Metacritic Review Averages

Many of the best video games in history have been PC titles. While consoles are generally better for platformers and beat ’em ups, Windows PCs are just as good, if not better, for the RPG, action adventure, first-person shooter, real-time strategy, and turn-based strategy genres. The PC gaming boom happened in the latter half of the 1990s, when developers (Valve, especially) released some classic games for the Windows 95 platform. These are the best PC games in history based on Metacritic review averages.

Disco Elysium

With a Metacritic score of 97, Disco Elysium is the highest-rated PC game in history. However, it’s worth noting that it is based on 12 media reviews. Other Windows PC games have Metacritic scores based on more like 80 media reviews. Nevertheless, Disco Elysium is also very highly rated on console platforms by thousands of players and gaming critics alike.

Disco Elysium is a detective RPG game in which players control Harrier Du Bois, a detective who lost his memory, tasked with solving a murder case and piecing his own identity back together. This game has many admirers because of its deep lore, compelling murder mystery, and memorable characters. Disco Elysium’s innovative RPG gameplay mechanics, based on a unique skill system, and deep choice consequences also give its players considerable role-playing freedom in the game.

Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 blew the gaming world away when Valve released it for PC and consoles. The universal acclaim for Half-Life 2, from 81 media reviews, amounted to a Metacritic rating of 96. Half-Life 2 also scooped 39 Game of the Year accolades for industry-recognised awards, such as BAFTA. So, there can be little doubt that HL 2 is among the best PC games in history.

Half-Life 2 is a direct sequel to its predecessor, in which Gordon Freeman joins the Resistance in City 17 to lead an uprising against the alien Combine empire and its Dr. Breen collaborator, who has conquered Earth. The sequel to Half-Life blew players away because of its revolutionary physics, showcased by the Gravity Gun, immersive plot, groundbreaking Source Engine graphics, and seamless world design. Although Half-Life 2 didn’t offer extensive multiplayer, it set the benchmark for single-player first-person shooters that still holds up today.

Almost all reviews lauded Half-Life 2 in 2004 and 2005. For example, one IGN review said this about the game: “Half-Life 2 is, simply put, the best single-player shooter ever released for the PC. It does so many things right in so many ways that it might be possible to write a thesis on the topic of Half-Life 2 compared to other single-player shooters. What Valve has created is simply a masterpiece — a work of art in the genre.”

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V has been one of the most loved PC games of the last decade. The PC GTA V has had universal acclaim with a Metacritic score of 97. Console reviews were generally just as good on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 360. However, more recent releases of Grand Theft Auto V on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X aren’t quite as highly rated.

Grand Theft Auto V is a third or first-person action-adventure game in which players can complete heist missions with its criminal protagonists. The meticulously crafted world of Los Santos that players can freely explore outside of missions is one of the great things about GTA V. Added to that, Grand Theft Auto V has an engaging story and characters, and a deep, regularly updated multiplayer mode that offers plenty of additional content. Many players prefer playing GTA V on higher-specification PCs than on consoles due to its superior graphical quality and greater customisation with its thriving modding community.

Baldur’s Gate III

Baldur’s Gate III, released in 2023, has been one of the best PC games of recent years. This game has been widely reviewed, with a 96 Metacritic score based on 112 reviews. More than 20,000 player reviews also rate the game 9.2/10. Thus, Baldur’s Gate III has been the must-play RPG of the last two years.

Baldur’s Gate III set a new standard for RPGs because of the unprecedented freedom of choice it gives players. It is a RPG in which players can approach situations in many different ways, with consequences for in-game quests and characters. Such freedom gives Baldur’s Gate III considerable replay value. The game’s deep, branching story is undoubtedly another highlight, along with its terrific visuals and detailed environments.

Half-Life

Half-Life was perhaps the best PC game of the 1990s, which established Valve as one of the most influential developers. This was the first-person shooter that started the HL series, with Gordon Freeman engulfed in a catastrophic Resonance Cascade that unleashes an alien outbreak at Black Mesa. The original Half-Life had very positive reviews, with an average Metacritic score of 96. Player reviews in 2025 also still rate Half-Life highly, even though it looks graphically dated today.

Half-Life completely revamped the FPS genre, which had become increasingly saturated with Doom clones, when Valve launched it. This game had an immersive story and narrative with no cutscenes, which was very innovative for its day. The game featured some groundbreaking level design, with intense combat action mixed in with environmental puzzles. Half-Life’s pacing, atmosphere, and environmental storytelling were also special, and the game has always had a lasting influence.

BioShock

BioShock was another revolutionary first-person shooter, like Half-Life, when launched. This game has a Metacritic rating of 96, which makes it another of the most highly-rated PC titles in history. Most media reviews gave BioShock top marks of 90 or above.

What stands out about BioShock is its great art style and environmental storytelling. The decaying underwater city of Rapture has a stunning Art Deco design, one of the most unique and cohesive art styles seen in a game. It is also a game with some innovative gameplay features, primarily Plasmid modifications, that allow for more diverse combat strategies. That gameplay, combined with BioShock’s deep philosophical narrative, made the game a classic.

Portal 2

Valve’s Portal 2 has set a benchmark for PC puzzle games since its 2011 launch. Most players loved Portal 2, as highlighted by its 95 Metacritic score. With generally universal acclaim, Portal 2 is another landmark title from Valve alongside the Half-Life games.

Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle game in which players must escape the Aperture Science facility with the Portal Device. This is a game mostly renowned for its ingenious and engaging puzzles, mixed with some hilarious character dialogue and rich narrative. The story narrative for the game reveals quirky and dark details about Aperture Science’s history. Portal 2 also includes a great co-op mode for collaborative puzzle cracking with the Atlas and P-body robots.

So, Disco Elysium, Half-Life 2, Portal 2, Half-Life, BioShock, Baldur’s Gate III, and Grand Theft Auto V are the creme de la creme of Windows PC games. All of those games are generally very highly rated by the millions who’ve played them. If you’ve never played any of those best PC games in history, you should check out at least a few of them.