The 5 Best Free PC Games You Can Download Now For Free
PC gaming has never been in a better place than it is today. Not only can you effectively play games spanning the entire history of PC gaming on modern machines, you can also get games at incredibly low prices.
With bundle deals, Steam sales and other extreme savings, most PC gamers have more games in their collection than they can ever hope to play.
On the other hand, what if you are in need of some games, but don’t want to spend a cent? The good news is that there are plenty of free or “free-to-play” (F2P) games on the PC. Of course, free PC games give you the option of grinding or paying real money, but if you are high on free time and low on cash, there’s plenty of time to be had.
Games that are F2P are marked as such in the list below, so this is not a ranked list. So, in no particular order, here are ten games you can go play right after reading this article.
Apex Legends
MOBAs may have been the darling of the gaming world for years, but these days it’s all about the “battle royale” style of game.
The two biggest names are Fortnite and Player Unknown Battlegrounds, but there are other developers throwing their hats into the ring. These games feature one massive level with large numbers of players dropped in to fight each other. The last player standing takes the prize.
Apex Legends is special in this arena thanks to its pedigree. Developed by Respawn Entertainment, it has plenty of people who were worked on critical aspects of Call of Duty among its staff roster. Respawn impressed the world with their Titanfall games and Apex Legends is set in that same universe, sans the titular giant robots.
Apex Legends brings the amazing graphics and on-foot vertical traversal gameplay from Titanfall into the battle royal world. Which means you get the same AAA graphics and pulse-pounding shooting for no money down. Just make sure your PC is up to it.
League of Legends/DOTA 2
This entry is sort-of cheating, because there are in fact two games listed here. However, League of Legends and DOTA 2 are pretty much like the Coke and Pepsi of the MOBA world. What’s a “MOBA” you say? Well, Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas is a relatively new game genre that got its start with the original Defense of the Ancients (DOTA). Which was in turn a mod for the RTS game Warcraft III.
MOBAs are team-based games where players must use their various characters to defend their own base while trying to destroy the enemy base. It’s an incredibly tense type of game and is a mainstay of the eSports world.
Between LoL and DOTA 2 it’s League that’s most popular. However, not everyone is a fan of its community, art style and specific game mechanics. DOTA 2 wasn’t free-to-play from the start, which may also have reduced its popularity.
Now that neither requires any money upfront, you can dip your toes in both to see if either suits you.
Warframe (F2P)
Warframe is a free PC game that might not seem like it’s particularly worth playing at first glance, but if you take the time to give it a chance, you’ll find a game that’s both incredibly interesting and fun to play.
The Warframe of today is almost an entirely different game from the Warframe that originally launched. The visuals have been refined, the game plays more sharply and oodles of narrative have been added to this weird space ninja transhumanist world.
You are a “Tenno”, essentially a massively powerful cyborg ninja. The “warframe” is your suit of armor. Different warframes have different strengths, lending themselves to different roles and play styles.
If you like games such as Destiny, which provides a sort-of MMO experience, but with plenty of single-player RPG loot-em-up flavor, then Warframe is going to be right in your wheelhouse.
The big difference here is on how the game plays. It’s a first-person game that gives plenty of attention to incredible maneuverability and melee fighting. You can traverse levels like a ninja bat out of hell and playing next to a seasoned warframe pilot can be jaw-dropping.
The game also doesn’t really tell you what to do or how to play. You can decide what you want to achieve or which aspects are the most fun, and simply focus on those.
One downside of Warframe is just how many little systems and stats there are. It’s frankly intimidating, but it turns out you don’t have to master or understand every little thing to get the most out of the game.
Hearthstone
Hearthstone is a card battling free PC game very much in the vein of Magic: The Gathering. Each player builds a deck of cards with health and attack stats, as well as special effects. The aim is to bring the other player’s health to zero before you yourself are destroyed. You lay your cards on the deck to either protect yourself, or attack the other player and their creatures.
It’s a simple concept on paper, but Hearthstone offers incredible complexity and depth. It’s no wonder the game has so quickly become an eSports staple.
While Hearthstone is very much inspired by MTG, it benefits from being a digital-only card game. Using the deep Warcraft lore, the game is streamlined to an incredible degree. While truly serious players may find that spending real money gets them the decks they want, casual players and those who have the time never need to spend a dime.
Hearthstone is addictive, beautiful and lots of fun. You can also play it on your phone or tablet when away from your PC, with seamless online integration.
Paladins
Overwatch is another Blizzard Entertainment hit, but the price of entry for this multiplayer-only team shooter is quite hefty! So why not give the free-to-play Paladins a go?
The similarities between Overwatch and Paladins is largely coincidental. The base game, art style and design decisions were all made before anyone outside of Blizzard knew about Overwatch. Yet, despite having more MOBA elements, Paladins very much scratches the same itch as Overwatch.
That’s not to say that Paladins feels quite the same to play. It is definitely its own thing, but offers the same level of polish and fun as Overwatch without the upfront ticket price.
The game does provide some serious benefits to shelling out some real money, but by the time you get to that point you’ll be sure whether Paladins has grabbed you enough to warrant it. Alternatively, just embrace the grind, you’ll need the practice!best free single player pc games.best free pc games 2020
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