New PC Ordered - Game Recommendations Please

[mep]

Hi,

After a few years with various consoles I've decided to buy a PC that's up to playing some modern games. I haven't played PC games for 10+ years so there must be some good ones I've missed!

System has been ordered from scan with the following spec.

Intel Core i5 3570K - Overclocked 4.4GHz
8GB RAM
GeForce GTX 670 Graphics
128GB SSD
1TB HDD

This will be attached to a Dell U2412M 24" Screen @ 1920x1200 resolution.

It looks like I should get a couple of things bundled with the graphics card
Assassin's Creed III - is this any good?
£100 Ingame cash for Hawken, World of Tanks and Planetside 2 - any recommendation which one I should spend my £100 in?

I'm looking for any ideas for the first few games to add to my new collection. I've generally enjoyed driving / FPS type games on consoles but become a bit frustrated by the linearity / lack of depth in some console games so would also like to look at some of the more strategy based PC games.

Happy to try out some older games too although it would be nice if the graphics were more impressive than my PS3 - I need to justify this expense to myself!

Ideas so far include
Arma III Alpha (Looks interesting and £20 gets me the full game when it comes out)
Battlefield 3

Assetto Corsa (When that comes out - Is it worth buying NetKar Pro for 7 euros to get access to the tech demo?)
Euro Truck Simulator 2

Another driving game? - I'm not keen on the iRacing subscription model but would like a decent simulation with online racing etc.

I have a Logitech Driving Force GT USB Wheel which I belive is PC compatible so any driving games that will make the most of that would be a bonus.

Any other ideas?

Games I've enjoyed on consoles over the years include the following. I might consider picking up some of these cheaply on PC at some point but would rather try some new things first.

GTA 4
Skyrim
Far Cry 3
Varios Forza / Gran Turismo Games.

Thanks!

[DavidCane]

I wouldn't dismiss iRacing too quickly. Yes it's subscription based but twice a year they run special offers where you get either a full year subscription at half price or a buy on get one free full year subscription which works about at $49 for the year, or £35. You can use these to top up an existing subscription so I'm currently fully paid up until Jan 2015 thanks to these deals.

Then you need to buy content (cars and tracks) on top of that but they're one off payments and if you are only interested in a couple of race series you won't have too much to get.

I joined 18 months ago and haven't looked back, I'm still cr@p but I haven't regretted signing up.

[jimmyjimjim]

mep said:

Hi,
£100 Ingame cash for Hawken, World of Tanks and Planetside 2 - any recommendation which one I should spend my £100 in?
Thanks!

You don't get the choice. You'll get coupon codes to redeem in all 3 of the games.

It'll be interesting to see if that 100 is split 3 ways, or is 100 for each - I bought a Nvidia graphics card recently, that was $50 for each of the three games, so 33 quid for each is ~$50 for each, and the most likely outcome.

I've redeemed (but not used) the codes on Hawken and World of Tanks.

There's a HUGE WoT thread on PH.

[Marlin45]

World of Tanks and Battlefield 3. Job jobbed!!

[RobGT81]

Witcher 2
iRacing
Kerbal Space Program

[FourWheelDrift]

Games I have installed at the moment to give you some ideas.

Skyrim + modded to death
Fallout 3 + modded to death
Fallout New Vegas + modded, you get the idea.
Half-Life 2 (+ episodes) + Cinematic HD mod
Napoleon Total War
Plants Vs Zombies
rFactor + loads of tracks and car series
The Walking Dead Episodes 1-5
Train Simulator 2013
FSX
Black Mesa
Portal
Portal 2

All great games that can easily be maxxed out on detail and look fantastic.

I have had some FPS like you and got bored with the linearity and same formulaic style and endless uncontrollable cut-scenes. I won't buy another Call of Duty type game again.

Also waiting for Assetto Corsa.

Edited by FourWheelDrift on Wednesday 20th March 13:04

[motorizer]

Skyrim, fallout etc are a completely different proposition with mods...you can change pretty much everything to your liking.

Arma 3 is a good shout, arma 2 had a scale and scope which made all other miltary FPSs seem shallow and dull, especially with the right mods, but it was clunky and glitchy, the new one seems much better in that respect, once the modders get really stuck in it should be brilliant

[mep]

Thanks for the all replies. Looks like a few decent games there!

Am I right in thinking Steam is the place to start looking for games? Any alternatives?

Now just got to wait for scan to build & deliver the PC.

[B3NNL]

Just to pre-warn you, if you get the Fallout and half life series, say goodbye to any social life!

[motorizer]

mep said:

Am I right in thinking Steam is the place to start looking for games? Any alternatives?

There are alternatives, but but steam is the best in my experience, and as many games activate on steam anyway, you're going to need it.
Steam is not usually the cheapest though, you can often get games cheaper elsewhere and activate them on steam, or wait for a steam sale, they often slash 60% 75% or 80% off prices
For example I just got tomb raider for well under half of the cost on steam, and added it to my steam account

Edited by motorizer on Wednesday 20th March 14:11

[FourWheelDrift]

Yep, I never buy new games on Steam I always go for a boxed disc usually via Amazon. Good for sales though. You can download your Steam purchased game and save it to disc/s but it's not quite the same.

[Arklight]

Empire Total War
Sim city 4 Duluxe
X-Com Enemy Unknown
Civ V (with gods & kinds expansion)

and to truly remove you from social circles..

Eve

[130R]

Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package is £10.19 on steam right now, this includes all DLC's / packs.

Also there is a sale on Origin (amazingly) - Battlefield 3 is £9.99 (£22.49 for the premium edition), £19.99 for Crysis 3, £7.49 for Mass Effect 3, etc ..

[mikebradford]

grepolis its free
then spend as much as you can afford on gold, to get you ahead in the game
then anticipate losing hours of your life playing it!
most world's go on for between 1-2 years

[kowalski655]

130R said:

Also there is a sale on Origin (amazingly) - Battlefield 3 is £9.99 (£22.49 for the premium edition), ..

bks...just as I buy 2 expansion packs. Still, nows the time to get the other two,assuming it lasts till Saturday.(Premium is only £20 BTW!!!)
Definitely a game to get

[maturin23]

I have an almost identical special rig - hazro 27" 2560x1440 the only difference.


Borderlands 2 is spectacular - definitely my game of the last few months. second play through complete and now chewing through the DLC. Gets my thumbs up for sure.

[FourWheelDrift]

Others I have but not currently installed.

Borderlands 2 (as above)
Mass Effect 2
Rage

[motorizer]

Mount and blade warband is worth a look, , medieval sandbox RPG with huge battles (with the battle size mod you can be fighting a battle with several hundred soldiers on screen at once in first or third person, if your PC can handle it, bit of a stress test!)

It was made by a small indie team so not very polished or grahically amazing but it's it's unlike anything else I've played.


And I do wonder why a small indie developer can create huge armies where every soldier is an individual with a unique face when all the huge big budget FPSs still throw armies of clones at us

Also out of the games I've played where you can ride a horse, it feels the most like actually being on one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm5tzeQsYdA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&amp...

It's only £14.99 now so will be mega cheap when a sale is on...

Edited by motorizer on Wednesday 20th March 20:04

[NateWM]

Live For Speed - Not the best graphics wise, but blows iRacing out the water when it comes to physics. Doesn't look too bad with some updated textures too!



Check out the tyre flex!

[vonuber]

Crusader kings 2
Sins of a solar empire: rebellion