The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is aging like fine wine. Even several years after it hit the streets, it’s still one of the most impressive open world games that’s ever existed – mixing Skyrim’s unapologetic scale with Grand Theft Auto V’s incredible depth. It’s such a jam-packed game, which is why it claims the top spot on our list of the best PC games in 2021.

Staggering, beautiful and an absolute time sink – in a good way – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt isn’t just the best PC game of 2021 or among the best open world games on PC.

Ultra-violence and constant motion meet in this post-apocalyptic dystopian game. This FPP is not for the faint of heart – it’s tense, exhilarating, and you will probably die over and over trying to beat it. If you ever wanted a game that came in equal parts Doom Eternal and Mirror’s Edge, you found it in Ghostrunner.

The game is set in Dharma Tower, a sort-of last refuge for humanity, where you ascend the tower through platforming and katana-induced carnage to take revenge on a ruthless ruler.

It’s not hard to see why Control has taken the gaming world by storm. The creative team at Remedy Entertainment made sure to pack this title with plenty to love, paying very close attention to the intricate details. A deeply cinematic game, this action-adventure offers its players staggering visuals, inspired environment design and brilliant performances – not to mention, a deeply satisfying combat experience.

Control places you in the capable shoes of fiery-haired Jesse Faden. You’re tasked to seek out The Oldest House, a building in New York City that’s in a constant state of architectural flux and only appears to those who desire to find it, and locate your missing brother, all while heading the Federal Bureau of Control as its director and overseeing the containment of paranatural entities.

There’s nothing quite like Control on the market, and it makes it one of the best PC games to play right now.

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands may be the fastest selling game this side of Cyberpunk 2077. But it’s also a shot in the arm to one of the longest lasting MMOs out there. Considering WoW has 16 years under its belt, the new installment keeps things fresh by introducing not only a new story but a revamped leveling system, access to a new class, and, of course, new areas, dungeons, and raids to explore and take part in.

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands takes place in the land of the dead, split into five major zones and a central hub city to explore. Whether you want to play with friends or tackle the story on your own, there’s a ton of new content here to keep you occupied. Though there’s plenty of new additions with the expansion, such as more character customizations and a new drop zone known as “Exile’s Reach” for beginner players to level up, the game stays true to its RPG and MMO roots, giving you the kind of fantasy-laden vast world to explore and kill monsters in that’s kept the game alive for 16 years.

Beyond its impeccable graphics and its excellent peripheral support, it won’t take you long to realize that the Microsoft Flight Simulator is a labor of love. There’s a great attention to detail here, as well as a level of realism and immersion you won’t find elsewhere. So much so that if you’re not a fan of flight simulations, you’ll want to start getting on the bandwagon. Though that also means this game won’t be for everyone. Still, if you’re a flight sim fanatic or you love planes and flying, you’ll relish the chance to fly iconic vehicles in some of the most beautiful yet dangerous locations and conditions in the world.

Hitman 3 closes out the rebooted trilogy with another gorgeous entry that hews close to what makes these games so unique. It doesn’t redefine the gameplay but it does introduce six new maps and wraps up the story started in 2016’s Hitman. Just like the previous games, the maps will take you all over the world from Dubai and England to China and more.

If you’re not familiar with the gameplay of this series, you’re in for a treat. As Agent 47, you play a calm and calculating hitman whose job is not to run and gun through a mob of bad guys as most games would have you do.

Monster Hunter is one of the biggest gaming franchises you’ve probably never heard of for years now. With Monster Hunter: World, the series broke into the mainstream and came to the PC (much to many gamers’ relief), and now, it’s one of the best PC games you can play to date.

Monster Hunter: World puts you in the shoes of a monster hunter, and you’ll hunt increasingly bigger and meaner monsters, strip them for parts, and craft bigger, badder armor. It’s a deviously simple gameplay loop that ends up being one of the most compelling and rewarding PC games you can play right now.

If the name Norman Reedus is what got your attention when someone mentioned Death Stranding, well then you’re in for a treat. However, this game is getting a lot of attention for more than just the big names attached to it, which incidentally include Mads Mikkelsen and Léa Seydoux. As porter Sam Bridges, you bravely traverse an apocalyptic United States to deliver valuable cargo, navigating lands overrun by terrorists, bandits and these invisible creatures called Beached Things. This award-winning action game is a treat to all the senses as well, thanks to its great storyline, which may be reminiscent of the current pandemic, good gameplay, fun quests, and impressive sound and visuals.