Concerns surrounding “score inflation” have been a topic of discussion within the gaming community. A score of 90% should signify a truly exceptional game, and when we venture into the realm of 94% or 95%, we expect to experience something akin to the enlightenment depicted in the galaxy brain meme. Notably, PC Gamer has yet to award a score higher than 98%, with the highest score recorded in its UK edition being 97%, granted to Baldur’s Gate 3 just last year. As PC Gamer celebrates its 30th anniversary, the standards remain high.
Conversely, there are instances when reviewers present a game that may appear simplistic, reminiscent of an ASCII title from the ’80s, yet they insist it is nothing short of extraordinary. After thorough discussions and personal gameplay experiences, a score of 94% is ultimately decided upon, even if it involves peculiar scenarios like performing a water ritual with a character named Abbashaphat Mordecai, impacting your standing with “newly sentient beings.”
While the 2024 Game of the Year Award winners are not included in this list, it still showcases a robust selection of titles. Although 2024 may not have been the most groundbreaking year for PC gaming, it certainly wasn’t lacking in quality.
89%
- Persona 3 Reload: “a highly-polished remake of the 2006 classic”
- Tekken 8: “The best Tekken game in years, let down only by its struggling netcode and aged customization”
- Dragon’s Dogma 2: “A magnificent adventure with impressive fights and some very rough edges”
- V Rising: “An even better version of one of the best Early Access survival games”
- Little Kitty, Big City: “an adorable, entertaining journey through a delightful world that’s just the right size”
- Lorelai and the Laser Eyes: “a thrilling mystery that asks players to rise to its challenges, and rewards them when they do”
90%
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: “fulfills the promise of being the most true-to-life and detailed game of its kind”
- Shogun Showdown: “This wonderfully clever strategy roguelike demands your best, and it deserves to get it”
- Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred: “Compelling characters to root for, creative loot to chase, and fiercely expressive action”
- Satisfactory: “a masterfully made game for crafters, builders, and factory managers of all kinds”
- Riven: “as impressive, immersive, and unmissable as it’s ever been”
- Animal Well: “a sleep-destroying puzzle metroidvania of baffling depth”
- Granblue Fantasy: Relink: “an essential ARPG”
91%
- Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake: “welcoming for newcomers, a fan’s dream, and a truly timeless classic”
- Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance: “combines the fresh, familiar, and the fiendish into one incredible RPG”
- Wild Bastards: “The roguelike and FPS genres haven’t been spliced so successfully since Deathloop”
- Balatro: “A roguelike deckbuilder debut already worthy of joining Slay the Spire and Monster Train at the King’s table. Essential”
92%
- Destiny 2: The Final Shape: “It’s simply the best Destiny 2 expansion—both a satisfying conclusion to the series’ first saga, and a compelling shooter packed full of stuff to do”
- Factorio: Space Age: “Blowing out Factorio’s scale and reinventing its factory systems multiple times over, Space Age is an immediate contender for the best expansion ever made”
94%
- Caves of Qud: “a genre-defining achievement in play, story, and roleplaying freedom”
