Company Of Heroes While the personal computer had its fair share of excellent games in 2006, it is again Relic's Company of Heroes that stands head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. Besides being one of the highest rated games of 2006 and winning multiple game of the year awards elsewhere, Company of Heroes is the best the PC has to offer because it's a lot of fun to play. Sure, the game is busting at the seams with high production values, refined and streamlined gameplay and multiplayer that is particularly fun, but it's real crowning achievement is that it is so much fun to play. Company of Heroes is the best World War II game this year if not ever and deserves to be honored for its excellence.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion While there were a fair share of complaints about the way Bethesda changed 2006's entry in the Elder Scrolls universe, there's no denying that Oblivion is the best role-playing game of 2006 on every platform its been available on. While most of the accolades and fanfare have revolved around its Xbox 360 sibling, Oblivion is a pretty decent on the PC as well. During E3 in Los Angeles I thought it was pretty ridiculous when I heard the crowd watching Bethesda's first reveal of the game cooing and clapping like school girls at a Justin Timberlake concert. Looking back now, I realize that I should have been doing the same. Oblivion has lived up to its own PR, delivering a role-playing game experience that is both too beautiful and too deep to describe. It's the best RPG that the PC had to offer in 2006, and a testament to the long and distinguished series.

Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lord Stardock's turn based strategy space conquest game is a prime example of what happens when a company sets out to make a fantastic product, complete with the new features, a well-calculatd design plan, and scope that the designers want rather than worrying about focus groups and bottom lines. The result is one of the best strategy games in 2006 – and arguably the best space strategy "4X" game ever made. As strategy games go, Galactic Civilizations II is simply that good. This sequel takes the potential from the 2003 original and improves everything - from the graphics and combat to the AI and the diplomacy model. GalCiv II is a complete sequel that is better in every conceivable way to its predecessor. For Stardock's dedication to its fan base and for its general greatness among 4X strategy games, GalCiv II joins our list of the best PC games of 2006.

F.E.A.R. Combat F.E.A.R. Combat builds on the 2005 action game from Monolith and Sierra that offered a tense action-packed, psychological thriller that looks great and satisfies that itchy trigger finger. The game modes range from the usual CTF, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Elimination and Team Elimination and a couple of cool extras like Control and Conquer. For a twist on the CTF, DM and TDM modes, Monolith delivered Slo-Mo versions where players can access the SloMo Recharge Boost which will fill up your reflex bar at the bottom of the screen. F.E.A.R. features many of the same dark settings as the single-player game along with many familiar locales like office buildings, dark corridors and outdoor areas, but all were created and refined with multiplayer in mind. For being free and for delivering a much needed F.E.A.R. multiplayer fix for the masses, F.E.A.R Combat makes our top five PC games list for 2006.

Civilization IV: Warlords The expansion to Sid Meier's fourth title in the ultra popular Civilization series proves that turn-based strategy gaming is far from dead. Civilization IV: Warlords is packed with great content, from new races and technologies to game-altering scenarios that bend the rules of play and make the game seem as fresh as ever. Civ IV: Warlords provides rewarding gameplay that is paced perfectly, and pays homage to the features and gameplay that has made the fourth chapter in the series so popular.