Instead, we've skipped right to the top of the list. Here are a few compelling reasons to put down the pad and pick up the mouse.

Diablo III - Click stuff to death

Whilst it is true that you can also get Diablo III on the Mac, the majority of players do their demon-clicking thing on PC. Diablo III was quite possibly the most eagerly anticipated title of all time, its release finally helping gamers scratch a twelve year itch.

Blizzard knew there was going to be a hell of a lot of interest in this one, and as such it will run on a fairly wide variety of machines, though it's still worth checking your specs against the Blizzard's recommendations. That said, Diablo III is one of the few games that can inspire gamers to upgrade whole systems; the lure of Sanctuary is that strong.

If there is still any doubt in your mind as to the credentials of this particular game, may we please point you to our recent review, which should alleviate any concerns you may have. Downright essential.

Tribes: Ascend - A bit of the old up and down

Brilliantly, FPS Tribes: Ascend is free-to-play. There are three basic loudouts available to play, though anyone spending time with the game will likely find themselves investing in new classes fairly quickly. Twenty quid will be more than enough to get you started, should you choose to cough up the dough.

In Tribes: Ascend the pace is fast and furious. Momentum is your greatest ally, as you flash in and out of rapid exchanges of fire. It's all about timing, and preempting the movements of your online opponents.

The controls have a very particular feel, which means it might take you a while to find your rhythm. The game is already populated with a strong and capable community, so don't expect to jump in as MVP. If you can take the inevitable beatings as you find your feet, a deep and fulfilling shooter awaits. Brutal, but brilliant.

Skyrim - Dragons and other stuff

Yeah, yeah, we know, you can play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Xbox 360 and PlayStation, but can you play it with lightsabers? Well, can ya? No, that's right, you can't.

Via the Steam Workshop there are literally thousands of ways to spice up and/or expand on your adventures in Skyrim, lightsabers are just one mod that can be easily added. To get an idea of what is possible head over to Steam and have a goosey gander.

Extensive mod support is just one facet of the Skyrim experience. Forgetting all that, this is still 2011's Game of the Year, and if you haven't played it yet then you should probably take yourself over to the naughty step.

League of Legends - Heroes

League of Legends is the love child of Defence of the Ancients, a mod for Warcraft 3 that spawned a whole new sub-genre of gaming. At its core it's an RTS, and with the large selection of Heroes available the range of tactics is considerable.

It's free to play at the most basic level, with an ever changing roster of Heroes available for experimentation. But if you want to specialise, you've got to buy.

League of Legends is notoriously tough, and the community can be extremely unforgiving towards new players. Games can take a fair old chunk of time, and a weak player can severely handicap a team, allowing opponents to level up by exploiting the weakest link.

Luckily, developer Riot Games has recently introduced a bot-mode, allowing gamers to get some practice in and learn the ropes before committing to the game proper.

League of Legends is very popular right now, but faces competition from DOTA 2 and Blizzard's Allstars, two similarly themed games due in the near future.

The MMORPG

There are a fair few of them about, so picking which game to go invest your time and money in could be daunting.

The most obvious is World of Warcraft. Soon to be given an injection of new blood with the forthcoming Mists of Pandaria expansion. It's still incredibly popular with gamers, and Warcraft still sets the pace within the genre.

Another major MMO is last year's Star Wars: The Old Republic. Whilst Bioware's entry into the crowded market place has struggled to maintain its early momentum, there are still plenty of reasons to consider checking it out. The most enticing reason must surely be Bioware's knack for delivering a compelling story. The fusion of narrative and traditional MMO mechanics ensure a distinctive experience. And the lightsabers are pretty cool too.

There are plenty of other MMOs worth a look, depending on your tastes. Eve Online, Tera and Rift are three perfectly good examples, but there are many, many others.

There are also several exciting games in development, with Guild Wars 2, Firefall, The Elder Scrolls Online and The Secret World all due in the coming months.

More Reasons

There aren't many games out there more enduringly popular than Starcraft II. Blizzard's sci-fi RTS is still played religiously by a large and competitive community. Indeed, the biggest matches between the best players are capable of drawing impressive crowds.

Fall of the Samurai is the most recent entry in the Total War series, and along with Total War: Shogun 2, it represents the pinnacle of the franchise. Creative Assembly's mixture of turn-based empire building and epic real-time combat has garnered them a strong and dedicated fan base over the years. Nobody does it bigger. Or, arguably, better.

There have been many rivals, but none of them have ever truly managed to the match the scope and depth present in Sid Meier's Civilization. The premise is so simple, yet it affords an incredible array of tactics. Take your Civilisation from the stone age to the stars, crushing (or charming) anyone foolish enough to stand against you.

There are things that the PC can do that consoles just can't. For example, you can play up to 64-player on Battlefield 3. Makes the consoles version seem kind of barren, doesn't it? MMOFPS Planetside 2 will allow up to 2000 gamers to simultaneously scrap it out when it's finally released. And like so many other online PC games are these days, it'll be free-to-play.

There's no other place that can offer you the huge variety of flight sims that the PC can. In fact, you can find a simulator for almost anything. Ever wanted to be a dump truck driver, or captain a ocean liner, then you need to ditch the console and pick up the keyboard instead.

There are several studios that specialise in PC gaming, the most notable being Valve and Blizzard, but there are smaller companies like Paradox Interactive who are creating games like Crusader Kings II and Hearts of Iron; quality games that you just wont get on console. And I haven't even mentioned the indie scene, which is vast.

Add to that list of essential games a variety of classic titles such as Company of Heroes, Team Fortress 2, Command & Conquer, Crysis and Minecraft, and you've got a plethora of reasons to fall back in love with your PC.