PC/Windows Vista

center
Windows Vista. XP's brain damaged cousin. Not many games were made exclusively for this platform because Vista is slow, unreliable and unstable. Due to these issues, Microsoft quickly threw Vista under the bus and made a newer, faster and more sleek version of their OS, Windows 7.
PC GAEMS FROM 2007 TO 2008
Picture	Title 	Genre 	Description 	Where To Buy
 	Aquaria 	Metroidvania 	Massive award-winning indie title created by Spelunky programmer Derek Yu and Crayon Physics Deluxe composer Alec Holowka. Aquaria features huge underwater environments with an emphasis on exploration, challenging-but-not-stupid boss battles and an absolutely phenomenal soundtrack. Before you ask: yes, there is a nude mod.
An absolute must-have for any Metroidvania fan. 	Steam
GOG
 	Audiosurf 	Rhythm 	A block-matching puzzle-type game, where the levels are generated completely from whatever music tracks you choose to play.Fast music gets you quick and hectic stages, while slow music lets you ride easy. Excellent replay value, since unlike other music games, you're only limited by the size of your music collection.Also comes with a set of downloadable music updated regularly if you're a boring person and don't have your own music, and you can scrobble the music you play to last.fm if you're a faggot. 	Steam
 	Bionic Commando Rearmed 	Platformer 	A remake of the 1988 classic for Nintendo Entertainment System. Features HD graphics (enjoy your bloom). 	Steam
 	Bioshock 	FPS 	The spiritual successor to System Shock (though more on the FPS side of FPS/RPG), set in a failed undersea city. Very atmospheric, can get pretty creepy, and has a pretty decent storyline. Also can be used as a crash course in Objectivism. 	Steam
 	Cortex Command 	Action RTS 	A crazy RTS-like-side-scrolling 2-dimensional game in which your objective is to defend your brain by controlling an army of hivemind robots. You manually control a single robot at a time but can freely switch bodies at any moment. Features a campaign (unfinished) and split screen co-op with up to four players, in which you must defend your brain for as long as possible. Also boasts a massive amount of mods which add new weapons and levels. Has an active modding community linked in the main site, but beware, they're the most cancerous forumites you'll meet. 	Steam
 	Cryostasis 	FPS / Survival Horror 	You are Alexander Nesterov, a Russian meteorologist, tasked to investigate the North Wind, a nuclear icebreaker that has become shipwrecked near the North Pole. It soon becomes clear that he is not alone, as the crew as undergone a strange metamorphosis.
Has a really nice atmosphere (especially if you like the feeling of solitude in horror games) and a unique gameplay mechanic known as the Mental Echo. Sometimes you encounter dead crewmen and can change their fate by seeing the last moments of their life and correcting the mistakes that lead to their death, thus changing circumstances in the present, such as unlocking a door. 	
 	Crysis 	FPS 	It is 2020, North Korean forces have taken over some Pacific archipelago, and a nanosuit-clad squad is sent to rescue American archeologists from there. But they find something there that could change the world... or, more aptly, something there finds them.
People used to joke that Crysis is a benchmark tool, not a game, since you needed a monster of a PC to run it well. But now that technology has caught up, we all can see what a beaut it is! You have a lot of leeway to explore the absurdly detailed island by using the nanosuit's powers. And if your PC is truly a beast, look into various mods to make it even more impressive. The sidequel, Crysis Warhead, is also well worth it, adding more of the same with some extra weapons. The other sequels are also very good, but tend to get flack for being more linear.
Also for X360/PS3, but the graphics were seriously pared down.	GOGSteam
 	Dead Space 	TPS 	A well-made third person shooter set in space (of all places) fighting space zombies (of all things). Notable for its dismemberment mechanic, where to kill an enemy, you have to cut their limbs off. Also, it has no HUD, instead displaying all relevant information inside the game. Uses some good scare tactics, but misses out on some opportunities it had. Also on 360 and PS3. 	GOGSteam
 	Elona 	Roguelike 	Wacky eastern roguelike/fantasy life sim that pretends its from the west. Easier than probably every other roguelike, but offers a shit ton more stuff to do other than dungeon crawl. Also, Shena's ass is the best. 	Free
 	Europa Universalis 3 	Strategy 	A very good game that lets you play as any country in between 1399 and 1820, and unlike other paradox games this one actually has some tutorials in it! You can take little known countries like Ryukyu and make them into giant empires that cover the world, or take giant empires that cover the world and keep it from falling into decay and destruction, like the Timurid empire, or to a lesser extent the Byzantine empire. It is much easier to play than paradoxes other games and you can (after doing the tutorials) jump right in and if you still have any confusion you can just read the EU3 wiki.Oh and make sure to get Europa Universalis 3: Chronicles, otherwise you'll be missing out on ALOT 	GOGSteam
 	Fallout 3 	RPG/FPS 	Beginning with your father asking you what gender you are (and the option to change your mind at the age of 19), this sandbox RPG has been described as Bethesda's Oblivion, but with guns. Explore a post-apocalyptic wasteland as the Lone Wanderer after escaping the Vault your father left you to die in. Butthurt optional. Adds Karma to the mix, allowing you to be either a saint or a total asshole who enslaves children and blows up a town. Obtaining the Game of the Year Edition is highly recommended, as there are a number of excellent DLC quests, as well as the Broken Steel expansion, which allows the game to continue after the original ending. Also available on PS3 and 360.As usual, has a HUGE modding scene, which can be abused to dramatically improve your gaming experience, but isn’t for everybody, since you probably will have to read a bunch of stuff in order to not fuck up your game.
DISCLAIMER: If you are a big fan and loved Fallout 1 and 2, you might be disappointed in this game. Just treat it as "Oblivion with guns." For something more in line with the classics, play Wasteland 2.	GOGSteam
 	Fortune Summoners: Secret of the Elemental Stone 	RPG 	From the localizers of Recettear, created by Lizsoft, recentley translated and put on Steam.
Arche, having moved to a new home in the town of Tonkiness, ended up attending the only school in the area. 
It is the school for children aspiring to be magic users: the Minasa-Ratis Magic School.
Despite the innocent appearance of the game, the gameplay itself is quite unforgiving, requires you to think and use what abilities you are given in order to win so button mashing doesn't work.
The combat is very fun and you can switch between any of the party members, all have a different set of abilities. 	Steam
 	Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 	Shoot 'Em Up 	Fun and flashy arcade-style shooter with graphics that might just give epileptics something to wave their arms about. 	Steam
 	King's Bounty: The Legend 	RPG / Strategy 	Rrrruskie RPG/Strategy hybrid (NOT SRPG). There are stats, classes and items for your hero, but combat plays out like a SRPG with different troops beating the shit out of each other. Good fun. 	GOGSteam
 	Left 4 Dead 	FPS 	Co-operative multiplayer FPS involving zombie hordes and an AI "Director" that creates situations intelligently based on the players' conditions and actions. Headshots are superb, and the game can feel wonderfully epic when the numbers of attacking zombies reaches its peak. Casual, but due to being easily accessible for all gamers, lots of unobtrusive hand-holding and non-competitive gameplay make it a great entry point for getting friends and family away from the Wii and into 'real' gaming. 	Steam
 	Mass Effect 	RPG / TPS 	You play Commander Shepard in Bioware's first fully voice-acted game. The gameplay is a not-always-polished hybrid of an RPG and a third-person cover shooter, with technological and 'biotic' (psychic) abilities usable by certain classes. The game has a well-structured narrative and draws heavily from 70's/80's sci-fi. Highlights include the detailed lore which paints the Mass Effect universe as particularly hard sci-fi and the wide variety of equipment customization, along with the 'feeling' of an epic space opera. Downsides include the clunky interface which gets cluttered with hundreds of nearly-identical guns, a lack of strong variation in sidequests, and simplified role-playing compared to previous Bioware games. It was Bioware's last game as an independent company, before becoming a subsidiary of EA. Take that as you will. Also available on Xbox 360.	Steam
 	Mount & Blade 	Action / RPG / Sim 	Recently re-released as Warband, with a new faction. Extremely active mod community. Roam around a large world, equipping a small army, and unique companions, to fight for your king- or for yourself. Siege castles and pillage towns, compete in tournaments or charge into battle with as many as 150 or more troops on the battlefield. 	GOGSteam
 	Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer 	RPG 	Despite the disappointing original campaign, Neverwinter Nights 2's first expansion pack, Mask of the Betrayer, provides one of the most compelling and intriguing stories since Planescape: Torment. Cursed with an insatiable, spiritual hunger that devours you from within, you must attempt to put an end to your condition, a quest that, depending on your decisions, can propel you to utter damnation or unimaginable power. Thanks to Obsidian's knack for writing, those decisions include a whole host of exciting and believable evil choices that never fall into the usual clichés. 	GOG
 	Overlord 	Action / Adventure / Strategy 	Take the role of the titular evil Overlord and command a legion of gremlin-like minions to take over the world and defeat seven corrupted heroes. Plays pretty much like the Gamecube game Pikmin, but with more attention towards the action-adventure part. Lots of tongue-in-cheek humor and some good puzzles inbetween looting and pillaging. As for the strategic elements, this game WILL punish you for acting recklessly, specially on the Legendary difficulty: Rushing into battle alone is a sure way to get yourself killed, just like mindless sending minions against large groups of enemies is guaranteed to thin your troops quickly, since it doesn't take long for the game to introduce enemies with special moves that can kill dozens of critters with a single hit, if they are close enough.
The expansion, Raising Hell, adds a few new areas and a new endgame that ties the story into Overlord II.	GOGSteam
 	Penumbra: Black Plague 	Survival Horror / Adventure 	Continuing the story, you can expect more of the same mindfucking and puzzles, except now there's no combat, fuckers. Best be learning how to run. 	Steam
 	Penumbra: Overture 	Survival Horror / FPS / Adventure 	A FPS set in 2000 where a scientist is led to Greenland in search of his dead father. He falls into a mineshaft where he is only equipped with a flashlight(which runs on batteries) and a glowstick. The game blends a very unique physics element where you must click and drag items to pull them open/closed. Enemies include wolves, giant spiders, giant worms, and humanoid like creatures. Only weapons are a pipe and hammer. Has tons of puzzles. 	Steam
 	Portal 	Puzzle 	You're a "volunteer" at an experimental research facility managed by an AI who is lacking in ethics and doubtful sanity. Your job is to test a device that can connect two surfaces together. You are promised cake if you complete the tests successfully (spoiler: the cake is horrible-screaming-death flavoured). 	Steam
 	Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale 	RPG, Sim 	YOU PLAY AS AN ADORABLE LOLI. Your adventurer father has run off and left you in debt. To pay it off, you have to open an item shop for the adventurers of the world to shop in. Manage sales, special orders and the store layout, hire heroes to explore dungeons and find treasure, try to survive against the ever-increasing weekly payments. Deciding which items to sell and which to equip on your heroes is an important factor. A really charming and original game. 	GOGSteam
 	S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl + Clear Sky + Call of Pripyat	FPS 	A very atmospheric game. Amazing FPS with freedom being the key gameplay element. Explore the forbidden zone scavenging and bartering for weapons and items etc, taking missions, and trying to avoid all the seriously fucked up shit that is going down near Chernobyl. Has some great mods, such as AMK, L.U.R.K and Complete, that overhaul the game. Hard as balls. No, don't get Oblivion Lost, it stole features from AMK. Don't even get the "Complete" mods either as they tend to fuck the game up a lot. For first playthroughs, you should check out the Starter Pack for SoC.
The sequels are more of the same as the first but with improved graphics and minor gameplay differences here and there. Play the three of them by the order seen on the title for INFINITE PLEASURE. Get the Sky Reclamation Project mod for CS. CoP doesn't really need mods for first playthroughs since it is, for the most part, polished enough as it is, though be on the look out for some anyway.
Now, get out of here, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.	Shadow of ChernobylClear SkyCall of Pripyat
 	Sins of a Solar Empire 	RTS 	Epic scale RTS. Control one of three factions and try to annihilate your opponents. The map is arranged into a web of specific zones like planets, asteroids, stars etc interconnected by phase lines, in other words routes connecting the said zones. You colonize, upgrade planets; build defenses; manage fleets etc. Shit gets crazy with large maps as you try to strategically place your fleets and defenses. However, could use some more unit diversity. Nonetheless definitely for the seasoned RTS veteran. Note the slow game process (a short game can go for up to 5 hours). Also has space pirates. Recently re-released as Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, which is a stand-alone expansion that enhances and adds much and includes all of the previous expansions along with the original game 	Steam
 	Team Fortress 2 	FPS 	Arguably the most fun of any multiplayer game with cartoonish graphics and game-play filled with constant explosions and hats pure chaos. Goes great with loud music. /v/ has an active server as well. Free to play. 	Steam
 	The Void/TENSION/Typrop (RUS) 	Mindfuck, Survival-Adventure, Horror	Another weird game by the creators of Pathologic. You end up in some sort of limbo land, where you're not being told shit and better start wrapping your head around the place as you are quickly dying, time stripping away color from your body. Enigmatic naked Sisters are your only guides in this very bleak and desolate place... At least if you can reach them before starving, or being confronted by their much less friendly counterparts.
It's grim, even in the later parts of the game when crazy shit keeps happening, relying more on eeriness than full-on horror (which is technically inexistent here). Most players starve out of color in their first attempt, but the further you are in the game, the harder it is to become really stuck, while paradoxically your prospects for survival become always dimmer and dimmer, hence the titular "tension".
Little-known yet awesome game. Note: It's quite tough: Survival and resource management are a essential part of the core-gameplay and despite the great atmosphere, things might get rage-inducing at times. If you're having trouble, this guide has some tips that might help without spoiling too much.	Steam
 	The Witcher 	RPG 	One of the best Hack-and-Slash RPGs to come out in recent years. Based off of The Witcher novels, which are recommended to be read before playing this game. Great combo based battle system, and a very well done story make this game well worth playing.
NOTE: if you have the original boxed release, be sure to get the Enhanced Edition patch, it's free and a massive improvement, adding tons of bug fixes, faster loading, improved script, voice acting, and generally makes the game much better. Also, boobs. 	GOG
Steam
 	X3: Terran Conflict 	BIG Space Sim 	One of the best space simulators, you fly ships (any ships, from small to capitals), you trade, you fight, you build your own stations ( and empire ) you do missions, you pirate, you hire pilots to do things for you ( like sending them on trading runs ). Learning curve like in dwarf fortress, but its worth it. Note: This game is a bitch to play. Your starting ship is a piece of shit if you play custom games. 	GOGSteam
Category:Microsoft
Category:Computer