15 Great Games That Are Playable On Low-End PCs

Written by Slapstic

Plenty of people use non-expensive laptops and desktop pcs for simple school projects, music management, and web browsing. A lot of these people are also gamers, but don’t buy games for their PCs because they think that their setup can’t handle anything beyond Bejewled. Well they’re wrong. I happen to be one of those gamers. I got my laptop last Christmas and ignorantly popped in the Orange Box and after the lengthy install, dove into Half-Life 2. It wasn’t pretty. I thought my computer was going to explode. So I started doing some research, and learned about system specs and what they meant. I found that all of the following great games worked well on my system. Here are my system specs so that you can compare for yourself and predict accurately how well the games will work for you. Before reading, prepare yourself. My machine is SUCKAGE.

I’m running an Acer Aspire 4720Z
Processor: Intel Pentium Dual CPU T2310 @ 1.46 GHz, 1.47 GHz
Memory (RAM): 1GB
System Type: Windows Vista 32-bit Operating System

Obviously there are other factors involved in how well a game will run on your system but those are the major ones. So here’s the list of games! There are some multiplatform games on the list, but I’m recommending the PC versions. All of the games below are absolutely quality.

1. Deus Ex

It’s not uncommon to find this game referred to as the greatest PC game of all time. I don’t necessarily think it deserves THAT title, but it’s definitely a great shooter. The graphics aren’t very pretty (but still passable), but it’s sort of like an old lady. She was hot at some point in time. But now that she doesn’t have any teeth and smells like Metamucil it’s like “eeeeeeh…”. Actually it’s nothing like that. This is a great game.

2. Diablo 2

I hope you like the sound of your own mouse clicking, because you’ll be doing it a LOT during this classic RPG. The character management and growth aspect of the game is fantastic, and anyone that’s played it will tell you that you NEED to play it.

3. Final Fantasy VII

Yes, nerds around the world, there IS a PC version of this game, and it’s exactly like the original. There’s no way you haven’t heard about this game already, so just go get it.

4. Unreal Tournament

Okay. So take any shooter and put it on acid. Congratulations, you have Unreal Tournament. It’s probably a cure for ADHD.

5. Guild Wars

There is no shame in playing a MMO that you don’t have to pay a monthly fee for, and this one is just fun. The game gets a little choppy in towns on even the fastest of internet connections, but other than that it’s a flawless experience.

6. Age of Empires 2: The Conquerors Expansion

As the single greatest RTS ever created, this game is more fun than a taco filled with jello. In fact, it took me forever to write this article because I took a break to play this game for a few hours. Once you learn the ropes, the game is timeless.

7. Counterstrike 1.6

It’s fun, but please, just play with friends if you’re a beginner. The people online don’t have too much else in life to do, so they’ll pretty much destroy you. It’s a fantastic shooter, though.

8. Metal Gear Solid

Like FFVII, it’ll probably surprise many gamers to learn that this game is available on the PC. This game also retains the original version’s greatness, as it’s pretty much a straight port of the PS1 masterpiece.

9. Warcraft 3

Don’t play this game for the actual game. Play it for the mods. There are some truly amazing mods for this game, most notably the multiple tower defense packs that abound on the net. Nothing quite beats a round on the Jurassic Park stage with a few buddies.

10. Call of Duty

Undoubtedly the best looking game on my system, CoD runs at a smooth rate and maintains its PS2-quality graphics despite my laptop’s weak specs. It’s also a great shooter with fun multiplayer. There’s no reason not to buy.

11. System Shock 2

A gruesome, scary FPS with more than few similarities to Deus Ex, System Shock 2 holds up as one of the best of its genre. Miss this one at your own peril.

12. Fallout 2

Odds aren’t you haven’t played this game. Odds are you’d like it if you did. Odds are your crappy pc can run it. The odds are good. So just shut up and get this one: it’s an RPG classic.

13. Halo

Yes, Halo online multiplayer is fun. A LOT of fun. And if you haven’t spent the last 5 years with your head in a mud hole, you’re probably aware of that. Well one more thing to be aware of is that Halo doesn’t require too much power out of your PC. So get to playing.

14. Grand Theft Auto 3

Although on my system, the game gets a tad choppy sometimes, it’s totally worth it to play the game that basically crafted the sandbox genre. Fun story, fun driving, fun music, and tons of freedom make for a truly great game.

15. World of Warcraft

Yeah… It’s WoW. No comments here. Just try not to get TOO addicted once you start. So that’s the list! If you don’t like those games, you probably smoke crack. Thanks for reading!

-Ryan Rigney