5 console games that are better on PC

This week we're pulling a cheeky 180 and siding with the PC crowd. Below is a list of five games that were developed for the consoles or traditionally thought of as console franchises that are better on PC.

Let us know what you think of our picks and which console games you think are better on PC.

LA NOIRE

We know this one hasn't even had chance to hit shelves yet but we've seen it in action and trust us LA Noire benefits from the power a decent PC rig can pump out.

The crisper lines and the superior rendering capabilities do the usual job of giving a richer appearance and experience as a result. Especially for a game like LA Noire, where visual atmosphere is such a crucial part, the capabilities of a good PC can go a long way.

But even if you haven't seen the game at work on PC yet, you only need to look at the box to see why you might want to discount the consoles.

PC players are getting The Complete Edition, which means that all the LA Noire DLC in existence comes in the box and its ready and waiting for you to flick on a bit of stereoscopic 3D, which really brings the world to life.

GTA IV

The Grand Theft Auto games always have plenty of impactful, quirky and downright outrageous characters generally getting up to no good in them, but it's always the city the criminal antics are set in that shines the brightest.

After all these years, when the memories of characters transplanted from Scarface have faded, we can still remember almost every sun-drenched inch of the 1980s inspired Vice City. Though we might not be able to fully recall exactly what went down between Nico and Dimitri Rascalov, we can still grab a controller and give you a guided tour of Liberty City.

But over time these beautiful metropolis' fall prey to the passage of time, their beauty diminishes as gaming technology progresses. Except on the PC, where insanely talented modders are able to breathe new life into each city, constantly updating them like some sort of supreme architect with an inexhaustible supply of time and money.

For that reason alone we're willing to argue that the Grand Theft Auto games are superior on PC.

GEARS OF WAR

One word: Brumak. On the Xbox 360 it was just that enormous monster you saw in a cut-scene, but on PC it was that enormous monster that terrorised you for a few hours before trapping you and forcing you to go toe to er...claw, with it.

Even without five extra single-player chapters, three additional multiplayer maps to spend hours in and a map editor and builder, the idea of fighting the Brumak was enough to get us to purchase and play through Gears of War all over again. And you know what? It was totally worth it.

MASS EFFECT

Admittedly, most of our time spent with BioWare sci-fi epic series Mass Effect has been on console, but we've always made an effort to test the PC waters too.

It's easy to pick out the visuals and say how much better Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 look. How the PC versions allow the game to run at much higher resolutions, how there aren't any texture fade in issues and how every edge is razor sharp.

But actually it was the inventory management changes that made the biggest impact. Given how poor the first game's item management system was having a streamlined, more user-friendly system that was easy to navigate was liberating.

The truth is the Xbox 360 version came out a few months before the PC release, and by the time the PC version came around we were already invested in our characters, and that determined where we'd be playing subsequent sequels. If it wasn't for that we'd be playing it on PC.

BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2

Let's not beat around the bush, although Battlefield: Bad Company and its sequel were designed as and are the two most console-centric entries in the franchise, they're PC games downgraded and shoehorned on to consoles.

We're not saying they're bad games, in fact Battlefield developer DICE did a fantastic job of adapting the series' unique brand of large-scale warfare for consoles, but at the end of the day it was always going to be better on PC.

You only have to look at the game to see why it's superior on PC, there's an overwhelming amount of visual detail compared to the console version, and the Frostbite engine is given much more room to stretch its legs. On the console Bad Company 2 lifts its skirt a little and gives a cheeky wink, on PC it's puts on a seductive striptease.

Also, keyboard and mouse.

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