Wow, look at the time! I think I say this every year, but I can’t believe we’re halfway through 2019 already. And it’s been a busy 2019 as well. This list of the best games of the year so far is already so strong, it feels like a proper end-of-2019 Game of the Year list. Hell, I had to cut some perfectly deserving games because we ran out of space. In June.
And it’s only going to get worse from here, with high-profile releases like Doom Eternal and Control still to come in 2019. And then 2020’s spring gauntlet of Cyberpunk 2077, Dying Light 2, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, Watch Dogs Legion, and on and on.
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Good years ahead. But before we get there, let’s take a moment to recount the best games of 2019 so far—maybe some you played, and probably at least a few you haven’t gotten around to yet. (Note: This list is in no particular order, except the final entry.)
Baba is You
Baba is You is a fiendish puzzler with simple rules. So simple, in fact, they’re laid out for you to see. Every puzzle consists of a series of text blocks, arcane-looking phrases like “Flag Is Win” and “Water Is Hot” and the titular “Baba Is You.” Your task is to push these blocks around, redefining the very rules of the puzzle in your favor. Stuck behind a wall? Well, maybe you should become the wall—or rather, Wall Is You.
Of course, the difficulty escalates. Immutable rules, either placed outside your reach or tucked into corners where they can’t be manipulated, force you to get creative with your solutions, creating long chains of cause and effect where Crab Is You and You Are Melt and Water Is...nothing? Oh,now I can get across that river. And so on and so forth. Baba is You is smart, it’s addictive, and I’ve derived the utmost satisfaction from its “Eureka!” moments.
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2 is the Resident Evil that finally made me a fan—and I don’t mean the 1998 original, I mean the remake this year. After years of trying and failing to get into the series, I finally had a proper Resident Evil game with a well-written story and fully modern mechanics (and no more typewriter ribbons) at a time I could appreciate it.
Point being, it’s not just a nostalgia piece. Resident Evil 2 is one of 2019’s best horror games, with an entertaining story that sustains both Claire and Leon’s back-to-back playthroughs, and tweaks that update the source material without losing its spirit—like a color-coded map that tells you when you’ve collected everything in each room, quality-of-life tweaks that demonstrate how games have evolved since the ‘90s.
And for repeat runs? Well, try putting Mr. X in a thong for a truly exciting twist.
Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus had me worried when I first demoed it. This was a series about claustrophobia, about how nuclear survivors rebuilt some semblance of civilization in the ruins of the Moscow subway system. With Exodus , the series was due to go above-ground and open-world, leaving the subways behind. I feared the change would scuttle what I loved about the first two games, especially Metro 2033.
But my fears were in vain. While some of the open-world bits do feel superfluous, Metro Exodus is still a joy to discover. Each region is dotted with enough ruins to regularly recreate the old Metro feel, and the story of Artyom, Anna, and their journey out of Moscow is a poignant third act for a series that definitely earned one.
Devil May Cry 5
Capcom rolled straight from one win to another this year. After making me a fan of Resident Evil, I then found myself falling in love with Devil May Cry 5 only a month later. This one, I expected even less. Another series I missed out on in its heyday, until now the only game in the series I held in high esteem was Ninja Theory’s controversial DmC.
I still think the level design in DmC is more interesting— Devil May Cry 5 gets a little rote near the end, overusing its H.R. Giger-esque hellscape for a few too many levels. It’s so damn entertaining though, from its stylish slow-motion intro credits to its charmingly cheesy dialogue to its flashy combat. Every single piece feels like a series at its peak, which is incredible for a series that hadn’t received a proper sequel in over a decade. I’m sure Devil May Cry 5 is a treat for longtime fans, but it’s just as apt to hook a newcomer. Take it from me.
Hypnospace Outlaw
There was a magical period in the early days of the Internet where it felt like anyone could make a website, and everyone did. Hypnospace Outlaw is an homage to that era, to GeoCities and AOL and all the weirdness that came with it.
It’s wrapped in a wild story about HypnOS, an operating system that only functions while the user is asleep. You’re a “Hypnospace Enforcer” tasked with stopping illicit activity, be it file sharing or harassment or malware distribution. It’s silly fun, in a Hackers sort of way.
But the real hook is nostalgia. Your in-fiction job mostly requires trawling through a vast collection of faux-‘90s webpages, laden with ugly gifs and dad-rock jingles and eye-searing colors. It’s a meticulously detailed recreation of what that period felt like, everyone exploring this new medium before self-expression consolidated around the handful of universal sites we have today.
Total War: Three Kingdoms
After two excellent and creative Total War: Warhammer games, I didn’t know what a Total War based in human history could do to refresh the formula. Turns out the answer was in historical fiction, drawing on elements of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms saga for a Total War that embellishes history with larger-than-life characters and grandiose battles. Did it all happen this way? Doubtful, but Three Kingdoms is full of personality and lends itself to the dramatic player-driven storytelling you want from a strategy game, old rivals dueling on the battlefield and trusted advisers stabbing you in the back at a crucial moment.
And for those who don’t want any of that? The “Records” mode gives you the old Total War experience, albeit with a far deeper diplomacy system than any in recent memory. It’s a best-of-both-worlds situation, and easily the best historical Total War since 2011’s Shogun 2.
Observation
“Observation is kind of 2001: A Space Odyssey—but you’re HAL.” I maintain you only need that single-sentence description from No Code’s lead writer Jon McKellan to know whether Observation might be up your alley.
You are Systems Administration & Maintenance, or SAM for short—the artificial intelligence aboard a space station that ends up far from home, with no record of how it happened. Building on the work it did with Stories Untold, No Code’s made another love letter to analog and early-digital technology, tasking you with unraveling the mystery of the space station’s mysterious journey from the confines of the ship’s security cameras and computer systems. And while it’s a novel mechanic, Observation’s New Weird-story (with hints of Annihilation ) is really what keeps you hooked. It goes places.
Void Bastards
Moment-to-moment, Void Bastards is like an infinitely replayable System Shock, as you trawl through a series of abandoned spaceships for food, fuel, and ammo. Each ship incursion takes maybe five minutes, with randomized elements like “No Power” adding additional hurdles—and enemies that get more difficult as you go deeper into the Nebula.
But your goals are nonsense like “Find a Line Printer,” with which you’ll create an ID card that doesn’t work. Not without an HR Computer at least, for which you’ll need a Mouse Ball and other space garbage. Every time you die, you’re given a new space felon to try again—with randomized traits like “Smoker,” meaning you cough every few seconds and alert enemies. And did I mention S.T.E.V.? He’s your handy AI guide, who chimes in with advice like “Note to self: Issue more bullets to replacement client.”
It’s one of the most satisfying and rewarding run-based games I’ve played in years, and hilarious to boot.
Heaven’s Vault
Heaven’s Vault has some rough edges. Its more action-oriented bits—sailing around the Nebula, walking around various planets—are the least interesting facets, and you do them a lot. Less, after the game’s post-release patches, but they still comprise a significant portion of the experience.
The writing makes up for it though. Inkle already demonstrated its prowess with 80 Days and Sorcery!, but Heaven’s Vault is its most ambitious work of interactive fiction yet, a sprawling archaeological sim of sorts, comprised of dozens (maybe hundreds) of different story branches that still manage to coalesce into an engaging sci-fi story. And how well you understand that story also depends on how deep you delve into its translation side, with a “lost” language for the player to slowly decipher as they explore the Nebula—for the first, fifth, or tenth time.
A linguistics-based puzzle game won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it’s very much to my taste, and I’ve rarely felt smarter than when I finally deciphered the rules to Heaven’s Vault’s glyphs.
Best of 2019 (so far): Outer Wilds
The music swells and I stop. By now, I know exactly what those first musical cues mean: The universe is about to end again. My 22 minutes is up. I settle in to watch the sun explode, already planning where I’m going to explore the next time out.
Outer Wilds is incredible. It’s a clockwork, a solar system in miniature that’s trapped in a time loop. The same events play out every run, with 22 minutes to explore any planet you’d like and uncover its secrets. You could theoretically finish it in your first-ever playthrough—provided you looked up the answer, where to go and what to do. More likely: You’ll die, either by crashing into a planet at top speed (as I did), or in a blaze of glory as the clock expires.
But you could finish it, because nothing about Outer Wilds changes. Only your knowledge changes, as you uncover shortcuts that make it easier to get to hidden areas, or chart when and where certain events occur so you can be in the right spot next time, or learn in one area a heretofore-unknown mechanic that will get you past an obstacle in another area. The story is told in scraps of a lost language—reminiscent of Heaven’s Vault, albeit without the translation mechanic. By the end you’ll have an idea how and why the time loop occurred, and what to do about it, assembling the story like a puzzle.
Outer Wilds is what an adventure game should be in the modern era, full of breathtaking vistas and packed with secrets that make it a delight to explore, and meticulously designed so even without any guidance the player can string its breadcrumbs together, figure out where to go next and what to do to bring the journey one step closer to its end.
Bonus: Yakuza Kiwami
In the interest of letting another proper 2019 release get on this list, I’m relegating Yakuza Kiwami to the “Honorable Mention” section. After all, it came out on consoles three years ago—and is a remake of a game from 2006, no less.
Don’t skip it though. Don’t think “Ah, it’s not on the actual list, so who cares?” Kiwami is one of the best games I’ve played this year, and the perfect entry-point to the series for someone who doesn’t want to spend 50 or 60 hours on Yakuza 0. I took that route, and I think it’s the better option because some of the story moments hit harder having played the prequel and spent more time with those characters. Kiwami gives you a bite-sized introduction to what makes the series special, condensing the typical Yakuza experience down into 20 or 25 straightforward hours, and putting longtime protagonist Kazuma Kiryu through some harrowing events before it’s all over.
It’s a soap opera, but it’s a great one, and I’m glad Sega’s porting these games over to PC at last.
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Which is the best media player for Windows PC — If you’re looking for this question’s answer, you’re at the right place. Apart from being a feature-rich software, a media player also needs to be simple, intuitive, and lightweight. If we take these factors into account, players like VLC, GOM, Media Player Classic, etc., are recommended. But, what about their features?As there are tons of software available for Windows platform, choosing the right one for your computer isn’t an easy task. Also, with the increasing number of newer media formats, not all free media players are capable of running all popular file formats like MKV, FLV, AVI, MP4, MOV, etc. That’s why very often people send us emails asking the question “Which is the best media player for Windows?” This has prompted me to prepare a list of the best free media players for Windows operating system. You can also check our previous lists of top video players for Android and Linux.
Apart from being a free video media player, it should also be lightweight to make sure that your multitasking doesn’t take a hit while watching movies and TV shows. So, let’s take a look at different options and help you make the best possible decision:
11 Best Media Players for Windows
1. VLC Media Player
Whenever we start any discussion of the best media players and how great they are, the name VLC automatically comes at the top. But, why is it so? What’s the reason behind its massive popularity? VLC Media Player is a free and open-source media player that’s available for all popular platforms. Created by the VideoLAN project, VLC Media Player is known to support a vast number of audio and video compression methods and file formats. Over the years, VLC has earned the reputation of being the “play everything” video player.
VLC is one of the best PC media players due to its fast and simple nature that doesn’t involve any painstaking steps. The software also features different customization options that can help you improve your viewing experience and change the look of the player. It’s also often used a streaming media player. This amazing Windows Media Player alternative also receives frequent updates and has a large user community. It runs on all Windows versions, from Windows 10 to Windows XP SP3. From time-to-time, this free movie player keeps receiving new features and updates. You can also check out our dedicated article on VLC tricks.
What sets VLC apart?
- Free and open source
- Plays almost anything
- Available on almost all platforms
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
– VLC Media Player website
2. PotPlayer
Competing with other video players like VLC, PotPlayer has managed to earn a good reputation in recent times. This multimedia software for Windows platform has been developed by South Korean internet company named Kakao. PotPlayer has tons of features and specialties that can easily give VLC a run for its money. This recommended media player comes with a wide range of customization options that allow you to make this software fit for your needs. Using the techniques like CUDA, QuickSync, and DXVA, PotPlayer is able to deliver maximum performance and lightweight experience. That’s why PotPlayer is the second best media player on the list.
Compared to VLC, PotPlayer might be less popular but it supports even more file types. It goes without saying that it’s a great player for MP4/FLV/AVI/MKV files, which are very common. You have the option to make a choice between sound cards, bookmark your favorite scenes and preview them, etc. You also get filters for brightness, contrast, hue, noise reduction, etc. It also comes with lots of built-in keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys. But, what makes VLC more popular than PotPlayer? Well, for most of the users, the long list of features and settings might be just too much. Also, PotPlayer is limited to Windows. Overall, PotPlayer is one of best media players around if you want to ditch VLC Media Player.
Why use PotPlayer?
- Attractive interface
- Better audio performance
- Tons of customisation options
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
– PotPlayer website
3. KMPlayer
KMPlayer is another great and free Windows 10 media player that possesses the ability to play almost all mainstream video and audio files. As it has an inbuilt codec for Windows 10, the users don’t need to look for any different codec. To increase its compatibility even further, you can add external codecs. With the support for 3D, 4K, UHD support, the users can enjoy high definition videos on your devices.
KMPlayer is also known for its wide range of support for formats. The users have lots of choices when it comes to audio and video effects which makes sure that you don’t feed the dearth of any feature or support. You can choose the parts of videos as favorites, make them repeat, remap the keys for remote interface, etc. You also get the feature of editing subtitles right inside the player. First released in 2002, KMPlayer free media player was acquired by a Korean streaming company Pandora TV in 2007.
Why use KMPlayer?
- Robust media organization
- Highly customizable
- KMP Connect feature
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
– KMPlayer website
4. Media Player Classic – Home Cinema
Just like its name signifies, Media Player Classic is a classic media player that was bound to be featured on our list of best media players. Build after the halted development of the original Media Player Classic, the Home Cinema version is an effort made by the community of its fans. Together, the developers have improved the older version and made a speedy and lightweight software. The other fork of the original Media Player Classic is the Black Edition. If we compare both of them, Home Cinema ranks better and keeps improving its feature set to rank among the best media players.
Talking about all the fancy features, just like other software on this list, Media Player Classic doesn’t come loaded. But, that doesn’t mean that it’s going to disappoint you. This free multimedia player can be used even on your old computer without any hassle. Media Player Classic is a great Windows 10 Media Player alternative and it also features a DVD player software on Windows 10, subtitle download option, Skype integration, etc.
Why Use MPC?
- Supports even more formats than VLC
- Better audio performance
- More responsive than others
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
– MPC-HC website
5. ACG Player
If you’re looking for a UWP media player app for Windows 10 that’s clean looking, it’s time to stop your search becauase ACG Player could be your final choice. It’s a lightweight media player that has all the essential features like audio and video effects, music visualizer, art font subtitle, gesture control, background music. etc. ACG Player supports most media codecs out-of-the-box and follows no-nonsense policy. It also supports playback from external devices, files, and discs. An even more lightweight version of ACG Player is available in the form of Ax-Lite, which is its faster version without some features. Do give it a try for its clean and zippy interface.
What’s special about ACG Player?
- Lightweight experience
- Touch gestures and interface
- Minimalist design
Supported Platforms: Windows 10
– ACG Player website
6. GOM Media Player
GOM Player, or Gretech Online Movie Player, is a completely free Windows media player alternative that comes with inbuilt support for the most popular video and audio formats. That means it can play all the most popular video formats like AVI, MKV, MP4, FLV, MOV, etc. Apart from the basic functionalities that come loaded with other popular PC media players, GOM Player comes with lots of advanced features like A-B repeat, Media Player Capture, speed control, audio and video effects, screen capture, etc. It also gives you the choice to change skins and make the whole look of GOM Player highly customized.
Using GOM’s own library, you can download lots of subtitles and enjoy movies and TV shows in your preferred language. You can also link this awesome media player for PCs with the vast database of OpenSubtitles.org. It could be possible that this media player software might not support some uncommon types. For that scenarios, GOM Player’s Codec Finder service will let you search for the missing codec. GOM Player for Windows supports a wide range of operating systems, ranging from Windows 10 to Windows XP SP3.
Why use GOME Player?
- Codec and subtitle finder
- Clean, colorful interface
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7
– GOM Player website
7. DivX Player
The #7 entry on our list of best media players is DivX Player for Windows. It calls itself the first of its kind media player that offers free HEVC playback. With this popular and useful media player, you can also enjoy UltraHD (4K) playback. It goes without saying that DivX player is optimized for played video files in the most popular formats like MP4, MKV, DivX, and AVI. DivX also acts as a streaming media player that lets you stream music, video, and photos to any DLNA-compatible device.
DivX player also comes with advanced features like Trick Play, which lets you jump to your favorite scenes easily. With the support for Chapter Points, you can simply play different scenes. Its smart media library keeps track of the purchased as well as private video content. The support for multiple audio means that you can switch among different soundtracks without hassle. With its Resume Play feature, you can simply jump to the point where you left off.
Why use DivX player?
- Full of features
- DivX To Go feature
- DLNA streaming support is great
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
– DivX Player website
8. Kodi
Kodi, formerly called XBMC, is a free and open source media player. It’s a highly customizable media player that you can use on your laptop or desktop to get a media center experience. Just in case you’re missing Windows Media Center on Windows 10, Kodi is a great alternative. This contender for the top media player for streaming content is even better if you’re using it with an external, larger display because of its 10-foot user interface. In the recent past, Kodi has been in the headlines due to pre-loaded Kodi boxes and add-ons that support piracy.
Kodi plays almost all popular video and music formats, podcasts, and other digital media stored locally or on the internet. Initially, Kodi was independently developed and called Xbox Media Center for the 1st gen Xbox gaming console. This recommended media player also has plug-ins that can be used to expand its features and include functionalities like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Veoh, etc. Kodi’s source code is open source and developed by a global community of unpaid volunteers.
Why prefer Kodi?
- Media center experience
- Content streaming
- TV interface
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7
– Kodi website
Also Read: Best Kodi Repositories For Downloading Popular Addons
9. Plex
Back in 2015, Plex made a big change and replaced their Plex Home Theater with its new Plex Media Player. Plex lets you easily take care of your large media collection, which can include anything like videos, TV shows, movies, photos, personal videos and music, etc. It organizes your collections and makes it look great. With its easy-share nature, you can pick and choose what to make public and give your family access.
It supports almost all file types, including hi-fi music and video formats. As it’s Chromecast supported, you can cast the videos on your larger TV screen. You can also use the Plex app on your phone or tablet to take control of your player. Use this app to streamline your video content library and get the advantage of a feature-rich video media player as well.
Why use Plex?
- Media management
- Takes care of metadata
- Most platforms are supported
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7
– Plex website
10. 5KPlayer
5KPlayer, the final entry on the list of recommended Windows media players, is a top-rated video player for Windows 10 as it’s extremely compatible. It claims to play almost all kinds of videos and music without any plug-ins, and it actually delivers. Its interface is very clean and simple. It’s also known for its more streaming options. 5KPlayer also lets you import videos and music from websites like YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, MTV, etc. It goes without saying that it’s compatible with common formats like MP4, MOV, M4V, MP3, AAC, etc.
Why use 5KPlayer?
- Built-in AirPlay support
- Video downloader for many video sites
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7
– 5KPlayer website
11. MediaMonkey
The latest addition to our list of free media players that you can install to enjoy watching media on your Windows 10 computer. Also commonly called MMW (MediaMonkey for Windows), this freemium software is known to provide a helping hand to people who wish to keep their music organized.
Just like other notable movie players, MediaMonkey for Windows also comes with the ability to extend the functionality with the plugins. You can use them to make the look of player more appealing, enhance device support and playback, and newer music discovery features.
MediaMokey’s best features?
- Intelligent file tagging
- Heavily configurable
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7
– MediaMonkey website
So, which free media player is best in your eyes? Which one do you use to enjoy movies and other media content? Don’t forget to share your views and become a part of the discussion.
Also Read: Best And Free Music Player Apps For Windows You Must Use