Top 111 PC Games, #90-81

90. Claw (Monolith Productions, 1997)

Claw (also known as "Captain Claw") was a sidescrolling platformer on PC - a pretty rare sight in the time period it came out in, particularly as 3D games like Tomb Raider,  Mario 64, Spyro and Banjo were rapidly becoming the new standard.  That doesn't mean Claw is a bad game, though - it's quite well-made with its fluid animation, responsive controls, colorful stages and multiple paths and secrets to discover in every level.  There was even a DVD release later on that added animated cutscenes between levels and improved the visual quality, which was a nice bonus for those with the hardware to run it.  The game sadly hasn't ever been released on any digital storefronts so it's a bit hard to find nowadays, but if you can track down a copy, give it a go - it's solid platforming fun.

89. Epic Pinball (Digital Extremes, 1993)

While I'm not really a big fan of video pinball games, a few have managed to grab my attention over the years due to their brilliant execution.  Epic Pinball is definitely one of them; a huge mainstay on shareware discs and even having limited versions included with some OEM computers back in the day, it certainly impressed me with its high-fidelity and colorful graphics, fantastic music and the sheer variety it brings to the proceedings; the CD version of the game includes a whopping 13 tables to play on.  They also match a variety of themes, from race cars to futuristic androids to a bizarre, threadbare table called the "Enigma" that awards bonuses based on a cryptic set of conditions.  Good stuff all around, whether you're a pinball fanatic or not.

88. I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (CyberDreams, 1995)

A point-and-click adventure based on the Harlan Ellison story, which sparked quite a lot of controversy for its twisted themes that depicted all the worst elements of humanity.  While the protagonists are far from innocent (one notably being a Nazi doctor with a story set in a death camp), its themes of redemption and overcoming failure won out, turning it into a very compelling story even if its puzzles were not always the best and the voice acting was, as per the period, mediocre (save for AM, voiced by Ellison himself, who is clearly having a lot of fun with the role).  It's recently gotten a number of modern ports thanks to Nightdive, and the original is playable in both DOSBox and ScummVM, so it's well worth a look for fans of good stories.

87. Organ Trail (The Men Who Wear Many Hats, 2010)

A game which is very clearly a parody of/tribute to the classic "The Oregon Trail", though it does much to set itself apart too and become a fine title in its own right.  Visually it resembles its predecessor with its low-color visuals and hatched graphics to simulate shading in particular scenes, but gameplay-wise it's a very different beast.  Instead of a wagon you drive a beaten-up car, and you'll frequently have to choose between different routes, fend off attacking bikers or hordes of zombies, and occasionally shoot it out with bandits.  Radiation, infection and vehicle breakdowns are constant threats, and scavenging enough supplies to make it to the end is an endeavor in itself.  A game that melds humor, grim atmosphere and a constant sense of unease and uncertainty together in perfect fashion, Organ Trail is a fine homophonic homage.

86. Ys III: The Oath in Felghana (Nihon Falcom, 2005)

A remake of 1991's Wanderers from Ys, though it did away with the controversial rework into a sidescrolling platformer design and went back to the more fast-paced action Ys became known for.  They take the same engine from Ark of Napishtim and rework it substantially to further emphasize the combat, with some downright crazy, fast-paced platforming and combat that requires well-timed dodges, strikes and effective use of all your moves to survive, and actually encouraging you to blast through enemies as quickly as possible with cumulative attack, defense and experience bonuses.  And of course the game's music is simply phenomenal, with a hard rock/metal bent to typical fantasy soundtracks.

85. Zombie Wars (Gee Whiz! Entertainment, 1996)

The relatively obscure sequel to the cult classic DOS sidescrolling shooter Alien Carnage (aka Halloween Harry), which saw you flying around levels with a jetpack and incinerating monsters with a flamethrower.  Zombie Wars builds on its predecessor in logical fashion, with just about everything seeing improvement - the stage design, controls and physics are tighter, the visuals are more polished, and there's an array of new weapons to utilize - your basic photon blaster, homing missiles, grenades and "mini nukes" that serve as powerful timed bombs.  There's even a second playable character now (Diane), a running storyline and animated cutscenes between levels, giving it the feel of a campy Saturday morning cartoon (just with a lot more gore).  Lots of fun; it's just a shame Zombie Wars is so hard to find nowadays since it hasn't been rereleased on any digital storefronts.

84. D/Generation (Robert Cook, 1991)

An action-puzzle game with nicely detailed isometric graphics and smooth controls, D/Generation also had atmosphere in spades thanks to its tense horror/cyberpunk setting, a surprisingly deep storyline (revealed through NPC dialog and computer files) and a huge variety of traps waiting to nail you.  At first they're relatively self-explanatory - electrified floor tiles, turrets, land mines, et cetera, but they quickly get more and more devious as you go.  Probably the worst are the shapeshifting enemies, which can disguise themselves as hostages or even mundane objects in the environment, quickly ramping up the paranoia.  One can also find the occasional bomb to blow down doors and skip some puzzles, though as these tend to be rare, they should be used sparingly.  The game never got a lot of attention in its day, though it has acquired enough of a cult following over the years to get a re-release on the Nintendo Switch (as well as a 3D remake, released at nearly the same time).  No matter what platform you visit it on, though, D/Generation is a game worth your while.

83. Riven (Cyan, 2024)

The followup to the 2021 remake of Myst, once again keeping the design of the original largely intact while taking advantage of modern technology to immerse the player in a 3D world.  Like the rest of the series it's a rather minimalistic adventure title - there are very few inventory items and puzzles largely consist of trial-and-error using various visual and audio cues, but the imaginative steam-powered technology, gorgeous sights and subtle storytelling (as well as remixed puzzles from the original release) keep it an engaging and immersive adventure.  Seeing it redone in full 3D is quite a treat too, as it makes the experience more gorgeous than ever. 

82. Shadow Warrior (3D Realms, 1997)

3D Realms famously abided by a philosophy of only releasing games "When they're done", even to the point of restarting development multiple times to stay on the bleeding edge.  But while Duke Nukem Forever became infamous for this, Shadow Warrior was the first to really showcase it - prototype builds of this game dating all the way back to 1994 were made available on Steam, showing just how much was changed and added as development dragged on. By the time it finally debuted in 1997 it was just a bit too late to impress gamers, as the fully-3D Quake was out by then and Quake II wasn't far off. Still, stuff like voxel models, turrets, vehicles, dynamic environments, reflective surfaces, true room-over-room and multiple firing modes for each weapon were pretty novel at the time, and of course the game is absolutely awash in 3D Realms' irreverent and often juvenile humor. From fortune cookies full of double entendres to pervy anime references to Lo Wang's constant wisecracks (voiced by John Galt doing a bad faux-Asian accent), it's an incredibly absurd and fun experience. It's also free to play nowadays, so anyone with an interest in silly '90s shooters owes it at least one go.

 

81. Severed Steel (Greylock Studio, 2021)

A fast paced, frenetic shooter that feels like a mashup of Max Payne, Vanquish and Superhot.  Hop, slide and wall-run while mowing down waves of soldiers with head-shots and explosions.  You also get an arm cannon that lets you blast through walls to get the jump on foes or make shortcuts, so it's just pure unadulterated shooting action and fun.  Admittedly it is rather short - the campaign only runs about 4 hours - but there's daily challenges and bonus stages aplenty too, so it's great fun for just picking up for a few minutes and going on a wild power trip whenever the mood strikes.

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