Male or female, we all wish we could take the role of a warrior of legends. Whether they were real people or not, they shared common traits. They were fearless, skilled, unforgiving, revered, celebrated, and lucky to a degree. Unfortunately, being a warrior has a different meaning in the modern world. Luckily, there are a plethora of video games to simulate the experience of times long gone. And, you don’t have to put your life in danger, which is a relief. Here are the best warrior games for PC.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
First on our list is a gorgeous singleplayer, open-world game. It is one of the contenders for the best-rated games for PC. You’ll play as Geralt of Rivia, who is a Witcher, a human-like race with yellow eyes that has access to magic. As such, you will be tasked to go on many quests, a lot of which have to do with hunting and slaying monsters and humans alike. Additionally, you’ll only have access to riding a horse as a mode of transportation, leaving you to explore the world a settlement at a time. Your time won’t be spent only killing, there is also a deeper backstory, such as finding a child of prophecy.
2. Dragon Age: Inquisition
Have you ever wanted to be the Chosen One, a warrior that everyone has been waiting for? Well, you are exactly that, a man named The Inquisitor. You will quickly spot that demons are appearing in this epic world out of a tear in the sky. The Inquisitor is tasked with using both brains and brawn to stop them. Besides side quests, friendly and hostile NPCs, an immersive backstory, and a lot of fighting, you’ll have one main goal. That is to stop and dispose of Corypheus, the main antagonist, a former human Magister who went corrupt and opened the tear in the sky.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
An older RPG game, but one that has, and will always have a loyal fanbase. Although this is mostly due to a wide variety of player-made mods, some of which are the weirdest things you’ll ever see, the base game is addicting enough. It’s set in medieval times, and you’ll be Dragonborn, a character whose race you’re free to choose. Your main goal is to rid the world of a terrifyingly large dragon, Alduin the World-Eater. You’ll have to complete hundreds of quests, gather items, and improve your skills while roaming the open world.
4. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Did you love the movies 300 (2006) and 300: Rise of an Empire (2014) and you love the history of the military? If so, you’ll feel right at home. This singleplayer game is set in Ancient Greece, in the middle of a Peloponnesian War. You’ll control a male or a female mercenary, a descendant of the Spartan king Leonidas I, but you can play for both sides. Besides a lot of fighting as a hunter, warrior, or assassin, based on your preferred weapon and skillset, you’ll also experience naval combat, and even have romantic relationships with NPCs of both genders, regardless of the gender you chose.
5. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Although not a sequel in terms of the story, the sequel to the Odyssey is Valhalla, allowing you to experience the lives of best-known warriors and conquerors, Vikings. This upcoming singleplayer, action RPG game with beautiful graphics will take your breath away. You’ll play as Eivor, a male or female character, a fearless badass who aims to raid the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. But not every encounter will end in bloodshed – some issues can be solved through diplomacy. You can also go back to the places you already visited and the world will change based on the progress you made since you left.
6. Monster Hunter: World
Initially released for consoles, Monster Hunter: World quickly became available for PC and took the world by storm. The name says it all, your goal is to slay a wide variety of monsters and leave the fight to share the story. Monsters aren’t brainless NPCs though. each of them has their abilities, size, strength, health, movement patterns, and pose a real challenge. Oh, and there is a time limit to the fight, so you can’t hide and hope the danger goes away. The game is available as both a singleplayer and a multiplayer, so you can be joined by fellow player hunters if you wish.
7. Middle-earth: Shadow of War
On the seventh spot is an action RPG game from a third person, set in an open-world environment. Also, the lore is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legendarium. The game is very similar to The Witcher, and you’ll have no trouble falling in love if you loved the former. You will play as Talion, a warrior who is proficient at using his athleticism and combat skills to dispose of enemies. But, you are also in a unique situation. You share a body with a spirit of an elf named Celebrimbor, who grants you additional magical abilities.
8. Darksiders
You’ve read or heard about the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, right? Have you ever dreamed of being one of those mythical riders, and taking charge? IF so, Darksiders will fulfill those desires, as you’ll be ‘War’, and play from a third person. But you’ll quickly find things aren’t as they were prophesied. For one, humanity was wiped out before the Armageddon was scheduled to appear. You are left to scour the Earth’s remains, doing dungeons, and boosting your character’s skills while you uncover the mystery of what transpired.
9. Kingdom Come: Deliverance
It is time for us to present you with a game that will make a warrior out of you, whether you like it or not. Set in medieval times, following a historically accurate timeline in 1403, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a hardcore first-person RPG game. You are Henry, the son of a blacksmith, who is determined to restore the rightful king to the kingdom of Bohemia. Every single choice you make affects the storyline, so the game has a great replay factor. Our advice, having played the game, is to be prepared to die repeatedly. Also, be careful who you make an enemy out of.
10. Fable Anniversary
An old from 2004 that got a 10-year-anniversary to remaster for PC brought a new influx of players, who quickly became loyal fans. It has all the elements of a warrior tale from voice acting, to plenty of new, tightly-placed NPCs that add life to the game. You’ll start to build a name for yourself from the get-go, and it’s up to you to choose whether you’ll be a hero or a villain, or something in-between. We have to warn you, it’s a semi-open-world game, with a way to travel from area to area, but not truly by free choice. We just wish it was an online game, so you can play with others.
11. Horizon Zero Dawn
We think this is one of the most beautiful 3D games made so far, thanks to the Decima engine. It is very reminiscent of The Witcher 3, but this time you’ll battle an array of futuristic dinosaur beasts who are constantly on the attack. And even though being an apex predator and hunter is the main mission, you’ll also thoroughly enjoy the voice acting, a storyline that feels real. Don’t worry, you can also choose to be stealthier and more defensive if that’s your forte. But the lack of massively populated cities and villages by NPCs truly adds an end-of-the-world, dystopian feel to the game.
12. Conan Exiles
How would it feel to be Conan the Barbarian, we wondered? This was before we started playing this game, of course. We quickly realized that his life is tougher than we thought. We never realized he has to gather food to eat, water to drink and keep the flame going to stay warm. Conan also has to build a home while staying aware of the monsters who are coming to devour him. Luckily, you’ll soon build a city of your own and start laying siege against enemy cities lead by the way of traps, explosives, and old-fashioned cold weapons.
13. Bound by Flame
Bound by Flame is a third-person fantasy RPG game that will put you in a unique predicament. Because your character is possessed by demons, as you progress through the game, you are forced to either accept or reject evil powers he offers. Besides that, you are also able to craft equipment and weapons and pick a playstyle. Play with either heavy weapons that are powerful but slow, or small weapons such as daggers, that enable you to dodge enemy attacks with ease. Furthermore, you can use traps, fire attacks, and recruit companions to help you on your quest.
14. Sekiro Shadows Die Twice
This paid game is not a PC game for boys, but real men, in the same sense as Kingdom Come: Deliverance is. The game puts you in the shoes of Wolf, a shinobi and a master samurai. He is seeking revenge for his lord, who was kidnapped by an enemy clan. As such, you can expect a lot of brutality and violence. But there is also a special emphasis on acting like a ninja and playing smart to avoid unnecessary attention by being stealthy. Oh, and it was named “Game of the Year” at The Game Awards in 2019.
15. Dark Souls III
This game will teach you how to be a complete warrior. And not only a warrior, but also a healer, master of stealth, detective, and a master strategist. The game is seemingly created to break your spirit and send you into a fit of rage. Trust us, the odds are not in your favor. For one, the bosses will crush you like a bug. A few hits are enough for you to shuffle off your mortal coil and respawn at a campfire. You have to play smart, not hard. Brush up on your combat skills, stay aware and on your feet at all times, keep track of the boss and his unique abilities, and always be a move ahead of him.
16. Nioh
Nioh, a Japanese action RPG samurai game is dark, dangerous, heartbreaking, challenging, spirit-breaking, rage-inducing, but also adrenaline-pumping. You will play as William, an Irish guy and a pirate who landed on a Japanese shore to marry a Japanese woman. It only goes downhill from there, becoming a tale of the fight to the death. The boss fights are hard and unforgiving, almost at a Dark Souls level in terms of difficulty. Expect a very-well developed story, a lot of sword-fighting, smart and dangerous enemies and bosses, and a lot of dying on your part.
17. Nier: Automata
In Nier: Automata. You’ll play as a female protagonist, from a third person. You will have the control over combat androids, ground and flying, in an open-world environment. And just like Dark Souls and Nioh, there will be plenty of Japanese swords and massive bosses who will scare you to death. And rightly so – the game is just as hard to beat, and takes more than 30 hours to complete. Although the game isn’t as graphically advanced, it has 26 different endings. That means each choice you make affects the final outcome.
18. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
This horror game might as well be a quiz game because you’ll have no idea what the hell is going on. Affected by psychosis, you, as Senua, will be forced to make a sacrifice for Dillion, your love interest. You will genuinely feel like you suffer from a mental illness yourself, particularly if you use headphones while you play. The game has no HUD indication, and you’ll hear the same voices Senua hears in her head. They’ll conveniently inform you of your stats as you play. Crazy experience, that’s for sure!
19. DOOM Eternal
Another installment in the long-running FPS series is a game that puts you in the shoes of Doom Slayer. He has to survive an endless horde of demons from another planet and slowly get rid of the demon leaders one by one. You have a wide variety of weapons in your arsenal, from melee to short and long-range guns, as well as incredible agility and speed. You can alter the game difficulty as well, to fit your current skills. Oh, and you can also try multiplayer in a 2 versus 1 combat. The two demons will be controlled by real players.
20. Lords Of The Fallen
Although it was released with mixed reviews, this game is dear to our hearts. It is very similar to Nioh and Dark Souls and can be considered their underrated younger brother. The concept of tough-to-beat enemies is present here, and the only light seen is the moonlight, and through the metal bars on the windows. The atmosphere is eerie and terrifying, the bosses and mobs are powerful, but it only makes for an educational. The negative reviews came from the poor performance, glitches, and bugs at launch, but those were resolved in time.