While most gamers prefer PCs when it comes to live-service games, there are a lot of single-player games which everyone tends to enjoy on this platform.
By definition, single-player games do not have any multiplayer concept. Although the player might end up controlling more than one character, you won’t need an active internet connection to play the game. Over the years, studios and developers around the world have released some amazing single-player titles for PC. Here are the 5 best single-player PC Games of all time!
From Shooters to RPGs, Single-Player PC Games Have Had Quite a Fan Following Over the Years
With so many titles to select from, it’s difficult to pick just five titles from the entire basket. However, here are some of the titles that have been heralded by the gaming community, not only for their gameplay but for their storylines as well.
1) Half-Life 2
It would be wrong to keep Half-Life 2 away from this list because a majority of the gaming community does believe that this is indeed the best single-player game to have been released on PC. Valve outdid itself with the in-game physics, level design, and storytelling with this title. While most believe that Half-Life 2 paved the way for some of the FPS titles that we have today, many also believe that the title further paved a way for a Steam-dominated gaming marketplace as well. Moreover, the fact that everyone is still waiting for Half-Life 3 says something about how good this title actually is.
2) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
A list such as this is bound to have Skyrim included. Released by Bethesda back in 2011, the game has a huge fan following even now. In this title, you control the Dohvakiin, the only one who can speak the language of the dragons. Your task is to defeat Alduin, a rogue dragon with the ability to resurrect other dragons. We won’t go into the details of the entire storyline because there’s a high chance you’ve already played this title. In case you haven’t, we’ll not spoil the entire plot for you. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a title that everyone should be on everyone’s wishlist, if not in their gaming library!
3) Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is a strange hybrid of assassins and pirates. The story follows the travels of a pirate known as Edward Kenway, who unknowingly dons the disguise of an Assassin he comes across, quite early on in his travels. While he unknowingly steps into a plot full of deceit and disguise, he soon realizes his mistakes and goes out of his way to fix them. Although Assassin’s Creed 3 introduced the naval warfare system in the series, Black Flag took it up a notch by letting everyone explore the seas and plunder other ships for loot in true pirate fashion.
4) Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is probably the best-looking game on this list. Designed by an indie studio known as Team Cherry back in 2017, this is a rather simple title. You fill the shoes of an insectoid knight, tasked with slaughtering bugs in the kingdom of Hollownest! This Metroidvania game is very simple and straightforward, but it can be unforgiving at times. If you’re a fan of titles like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Hollow Knight is something you will definitely appreciate.
5) Stray
Released back in 2022, Stray revolves around the story of a cat who fell into a chasm, leading to an abandoned underground city. Your goal is to traverse through this dying city and make your way to the surface. Once home to a lot of humans, this city now crawls with robots. You will need to use your feline skills to navigate your way through this city till you get to the surface. This title is a unique take on action-adventure games, and the way the ending is set up, there just might be a sequel on the cards.
6) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Seeing a Witcher title on this list shouldn’t come as a surprise to everyone. This is the final title in the series and follows the journey of Geralt who’s looking for his adopted daughter Ciri. However, it isn’t as easy as it sounds because Ciri is being hunted by a group known as the Wild Hunt. How Geralt tracks her down and then fights for her is something that you will need to experience firsthand! Most importantly, given that it’s an open-world experience, you’re free to stray off the regular path and complete whatever side quest you may come across.
7) Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
This title was rather unexpected. When the entire gaming community thought that the Star Wars games were finally done for, Electronic Arts came up with this amazing title that followed the journey of a young Jedi who had kept his abilities hidden for a considerable amount of time. While you do end up battling Darth Vader at the very end, that isn’t the only highlight that this game has to offer. From breathtaking visuals to the entire process of crafting a Lightsaber to intense gameplay mechanics, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a surprise package.
8) Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
It can be safe to assume that the Prince of Persia series set the stage for the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise. There were three games in the entire series, and each of them was an absolute stunner in their own accord. However, Warrior Within stood out from the rest primarily because of the storyline and the sword-fighting mechanics it came with. Released back in 2004, Warrior Within saw the Prince of Persia travel to the island of time to change his own fate. It’s a very interesting story, and the overall sound design of the game adds more flavor to it. It also featured an alternate ending which depended heavily upon the number of life upgrades you managed to collect over the course of your journey. The gameplay was pretty linear, but it did have its moments!
9) Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
Most Wanted (2005) is one of the best titles in the Need for Speed franchise. The game is set in the city of Rockport, where your car is wrongly stolen and you’re sent to jail. When you get free, you start winning races and taking down the “Blacklist” to get your car back. This is the first game in the franchise to feature open-world cop chases, that progressively increased in difficulty the longer you remained in pursuit. The storyline, music, and game mechanics were one of a kind, and are the primary reasons why this game remains in the hearts of many racing enthusiasts even to this date.
10) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Both Liberty City and Vice City were stellar in their own accord, but San Andreas just outdid its predecessors with respect to the sheer number of things that you could do in the game. From participating in gang wars to low-rider battles, possibilities were endless in the game. While the graphics were slightly shaky, the other aspects of the game made up for it. The storyline was simply the icing on the cake. It encompassed the entire map in the game and had multiple layers to it. While it may not be as diverse as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, it does have a decent modding community as well.
With that, we come to the end of our list of the best single-player games on PC. Speaking of single-players, the Dead Space Remake has finally gone live. Here’s a brief idea of which difficulty you should play on, and all schematic locations in the game.
