None2024 was a great year for PC gaming, with a diverse range of high-quality releases. From AAA titles like Elden Ring's expansion to indie gems like Animal Well and Tactical Breach Wizards, PC gamers were treated to a variety of critically acclaimed games. With strong support from both Sony and Microsoft, PC has become a premier platform for gaming. Here’s a list of top 10 PC games according to Gamespot’s Metacritic: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the highly anticipated expansion to FromSoftware's critically acclaimed open-world RPG, Elden Ring, offers a new challenge for seasoned players. This expansion introduces a vast new area, formidable enemies, and a captivating storyline that delves deeper into the game's rich lore. With its signature challenging combat, stunning visuals, and immersive world, Shadow of the Erdtree is a must-play for fans of the series. Tekken 8 Tekken 8 , the latest instalment in the iconic fighting game series, arrived with a bang. Following the success of Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1, Tekken 8 solidified its position as one of the top three fighting games. With stunning visuals, aggressive gameplay, and an engaging single-player story, Tekken 8 offers a thrilling experience for both casual and competitive players. God of War Ragnarok The stream of first-party games from Sony, formerly exclusive to PlayStation consoles, continued in 2024, and God of War Ragnarok was one of the highlights. The continuation of 2018's soft reboot told another great story filled with memorable characters and set pieces. The action also took another step forward with new tools and wrinkles to keep it feeling fresh. Despite being a few years old, Ragnarok held up exceptionally well. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth was a fantastic sequel, offering a bigger, bolder experience with Danny Trejo as a memorable villain. The game also served as a fitting farewell to beloved characters, delivering an emotionally charged narrative. With its polished gameplay and abundance of extra content, Infinite Wealth was a satisfying conclusion to Ichiban's story. Destiny 2: The Final Shape The Final Shape effectively concluded the decade-long story of Destiny, bringing the game to its best form yet. The RPG elements were more fully fleshed out, and the new activities, compelling campaign, and dense Pale Heart location made for a satisfying end to the Light and Darkness Saga. While Destiny 2 will continue, The Final Shape was undoubtedly a high point for the game. Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to the critically acclaimed Horizon Zero Dawn, was finally released on PC in 2024. The game continues Aloy's journey as she explores a post-apocalyptic world filled with advanced robotic creatures. With its stunning visuals, engaging story, and thrilling combat, Horizon Forbidden West offers a captivating gaming experience. Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut Ghost of Tsushima, an open-world samurai game, offers a more accessible blend of stealth and action compared to traditional soul-like games. Its stunning visuals, captivating story, and immersive world make it a must-play for fans of the genre. The PC version, with its enhanced graphics and additional content from the Director's Cut, offers an even more immersive experience. Silent Hill 2 Bloober Team weathered many doubts as they worked on the Silent Hill 2 remake. Players seemed to have pre-ordered their frustrations with the game. However, upon its release, the game surprised everyone with its exceptional quality. It was both a faithful remake of an all-time great horror game and a fresh experience that added to the overall lore of Konami's best horror game. The Silent Hill 2 remake is arguably the best horror remake in recent years. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle The Great Circle was the best Indiana Jones game since the intrepid archaeologist solved the fate of Atlantis. It embodied the spirit of a cinematic icon with its big-budget presentation, scrappy combat, and challenging puzzles. Developer MachineGames did their homework, creating a game that felt like a labour of love celebrating the character and his enduring impact on pop culture. Crusader Kings III: Roads to Power Crusader Kings III: Roads to Power was a major expansion that added new mechanics and features to the already complex strategy game. It introduced new government types, intrigue systems, and diplomatic options, further deepening the game's strategic depth.
It was a smart move by the U.S. president-elect to invite Xi to his inauguration in January (the Chinese leader reportedly turned it down), but future attempts need to be more than just empty gestures to make a real difference. A face-to-face meeting, sooner rather than later, is essential to set the tone of the bilateral relationship over the next four years. The alternative is continued misunderstanding, which in the worst-case scenario could lead to actual conflict. During Trump’s first term, he regularly talked up his warm ties with Xi, going so far as to say the two leaders “love each other.” Still, that didn’t stop the then-U.S. president from imposing harsh trade tariffs on Beijing, the start of a prominent shift in U.S.-China relations that solidified during the Biden administration. Next year looks to be another challenging one for Xi. China is facing a continued loss of investor confidence, a deepening real estate crisis, ballooning local government debt, a volatile stock market, deflationary pressures and increasing popular discontent. Improving relations with the U.S. could go a long way toward lifting sentiment at home. To do that, Xi will have to find some common ground with Trump. That won’t be easy. During his campaign, Trump floated revoking Beijing’s most-favored-nation status. He also said he would slap tariffs of as much as 60% on all imports from China. Bloomberg Economics says this would manifest itself in three waves of tariff hikes, starting in summer 2025, with levies on China ultimately tripling by the end of 2026. Further analysis indicates China could say goodbye to 83% of its sales to the U.S., a huge pressure on exports, which are already suffering. A Trump presidency is forcing China to change economic policy. Last week’s annual economic work conference made “boosting consumption” China’s top priority, with measures such as increasing government-sponsored pension and medical-insurance payments. Trump is using tariffs as leverage. He has a potential Cabinet lined up with China hawks who could revive hard-line trade policies. The Chinese leader is well aware of the impending threats. So after Trump’s election, he reached out with a congratulatory message stating that “both China and the United States stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.” But this relationship has to work on Beijing’s terms, too. Xi’s boundaries are clear. He emphasized last month the “four red lines” Washington should not cross: Taiwan, democracy and human rights, the Chinese political system and Beijing’s right to development. The declaration was a warning to the Trump administration that breaching them could further heighten tensions. Some form of formal communication channels should be established before any further tariffs are imposed by Washington, to prevent a cycle of retaliation from Beijing. If that doesn’t happen, it will take months or even longer to get both sides back to the negotiating table. A potential template exists for talks: The strategic channel between National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Foreign Minister Wang Yi that has helped stabilize relations since 2022. The countries came together by signing an agreement extending scientific cooperation for another five years. It allows for science and tech cooperation but minimizes the risk to national security, and it keeps the development of critical and emerging technologies off-limits to Beijing. On China’s side, rebuilding relations will depend on its perception of Trump’s national-security team and whether back channels can aid future negotiations. The new Washington administration could adopt a more transactional approach that could leave Taiwan’s security as a bargaining chip. China’s recent naval exercises around the Taiwan Strait were among Beijing’s largest in 30 years, according to Taiwanese officials, a reminder that China sees the self-ruled island as its own and it wants the U.S. to stay out of its way. The most we can hope for is a renewed cordiality between Trump and Xi. The nature of the U.S.-China relationship will be defined by strategic competition. Preventing further deterioration is crucial.Cryptocurrency Cybercrime Hits $2.2 Billion in 2024, North Korean Hackers Responsible For 61% – Report
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