A new gaming computer can be very expensive, with prices going up into the thousands of dollars. If you’re a broke college kid like me, or just someone who doesn’t want to spend huge amounts of money upgrading your computer, you might have some trouble playing graphically impressive games like Skyrim or Dark Souls 2. Luckily for you, here is a list of 10 great games, both old and new, that should run well on any PC. Even if you do have a powerful configuration sitting on your desk, you still owe it to yourself to play through these classics if you haven’t done so already.
They are in no particular order.
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Starting off our 10 great games list is Mojang’s well-known Minecraft. Though Mojang’s Minecraft features huge, 3-D worlds, it actually doesn’t take a lot of power to run it. Sure, you might need to turn your viewing distance down a bit, but in the end you will be able to build houses and fight creepers on whatever PC you have. This is a must-have for PC, console, and mobile gamers!
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FTL, the rogue-like space-simulator, takes almost no power to run. Fly around space fighting hoards of enemies and upgrading your ship. The game features tons of unlockables and hours of addicting gameplay. Plus, Subset Games just updated to FTL: Advanced Edition, a free update that give players more ship upgrades, enemies, and more.
[promo title=”Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos“][/promo]
Blizzard’s old school strategy game, Warcraft III, is a timeless RTS that will run perfectly on any computer. Collect resources, build units and building, and ultimately try to wipe your opponents off the map with huge armies. Though made in 2003, Warcraft III still has many fans making mods and new scenarios for it, making it never get old.
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Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, is an amazing open-world RPG. One of the prequels of Skyrim, Bethesda’s game offers unlimited adventures. With huge worlds to explore and two official expansions, Morrowind gives players hours of first-person RPG fun. People still regularly make mods for the game, adding new skills, graphics, enemies, maps, and more. If you feel like you’re missing out on Skyrim due to a slow computer, Morrowind will help you forget that Skyrim even exists.
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The Half-Minute Hero games are fast paced RPG/RTS/Action games that will run on an computer. Made by Marvelous Entertainment, the first one came out a few years ago, while Half-Minute Hero: The Second Coming came out only a few weeks ago. The games feature unique RPG gameplay that is addicting, easy to learn, and extremely fast paced. Much of the gameplay only gives you 30 seconds to complete quests (hence the title) making this very different from other RPGs that focus on long, story driven gameplay.
[promo title=”The Sims 2“][/promo]
While The Sims 2 is a bit old, especially with all the talks of The Sims 4 coming out soon, it still is a great game. With all the expansion packs, from the crazy University one to adorable Pets one, this game is definitely worth your time. It will run fast on any sort of PC, and the expansions are pretty cheap due to the game’s age. If you want to spend hours of fun playing out the lives of others, check this game out.
[promo title=”Torchlight II“][/promo]
The Diabloesque dungeon crawler Torchlight II is a pretty great game for computer’s of any age. It features hack-and-slash RPG gameplay, while giving players tons of loot to grab and quests to do. Choose your own pet, go fishing, and slay hoards of enemies in this game by Runic Games. While you might need to turn the graphics down a bit, it should run smoothly! And speaking of Diablo, you should also probably check out those games as well!
[promo title=”Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy“][/promo]
This is one of the best Star Wars games ever made. The game puts you in the shoes of a young Jedi Knight who must complete various missions for the Jedi Academy. Choose to be either good or bad as you gain new force powers, such as lightning or force push. Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy features lots of light-saber duels, force battles, and slicing off bad guys arms. People still actually play in multiplayer battles, and there are tons of awesome mods to add to the game.
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Many people regard Valve’s Half-Life 2 as one of the greatest FPS games ever. Though you may or may not need to turn some graphical options down, the game should work fine on most PCs. The winner of 39 “Game of the Year Awards,” Half-Life 2 is an amazing graphical, audio, narrative, and gameplay experience. If you like first-person shooters, this is the game you really need to have. People still make oodles of mods for it, so you will really be able to make the most out of this game.
[promo title=”The Civilization Games“][/promo]
Sid Meier’s Civilization games are turn-based strategy at its best. From the first one to the fifth one, they all should be able to run on any computer (Civilization V might run slowly). The games allow you to build a civilization from scratch and advance it through time. Go from the Bronze age to the Nuclear age, all while competing with other civilizations for resources and land. If you like history, strategy, or just good games, these are for you.
And that concludes the list of 10 great PC games that can run on any computer. Most can be found on Steam if you want to purchase them. I know I left a lot of great games out, from Neverwinter Nights to the Heroes of Might and Magic series. I encourage you to comment below and let Gamer Headlines and fellow readers what games you like to play on your old PCs!