Excited about our list of the best classic PC games? We are! I mean, can you believe it's been 19 years since Morrowind came out? Depending on how old you are, this may or may not be a distressing thought. This article is specifically designed to foster that distress into something productive-ish: nostalgia. To celebrate this, we've assembled a mighty fine list of the 10 best old PC games that we believe are still some of the most influential games for any PC gamer to play.
After all, don't we all basically want to go back to being carefree kids playing Quake at 640 x 480 on that one ratty library computer? With all of that in mind, we'd like to invite you to take a look back with us. These range from classic trendsetting FPS titles all the way to some of the best stealth games on the planet. Strategy games, adventure games, RPGs - we've got a little something-something for anyone and everyone is what we're getting at.
And for all the younglings who might not have the faintest clue about any of the above, don't worry: all 10 retro PC games featured here are still perfectly playable, and loads of fun. We do recommend them!
Top 10 Best Classic PC Games - 2021 List
Quake (Remaster)
Quake gets the throne on this particular article, even if only for its recent Remaster - which you get for free if you own the base game. But look, Quake is a classic however you flip it. This is essentially the FPS that cemented 3D as the de facto rendering technique in the first place.
Quake is fast, brutal, and old-school in all the best ways. Seriously, if you're yearning for a back-to-basics shooter, this is pretty much as good as it gets.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Game of the Year Edition
Many people feel that the third game in the incredible Elder Scrolls series, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, is the pinnacle of modern(ish) role-play gaming. Who are we to disagree? While Bethesda has definitely iterated upon the immersive sim kind of approach to RPGs over the past two decades or so, there's something to be said about Morrowind's soberingly hardcore outlook.
Here's an adventure game that doesn't offer so much as a nudge in the right direction. It's well and truly massive in all the ways that count, and it's effectively the grand-daddy of modern free-form RPGs. Morrowind is a must-play, whether you mod it or not. And you may well need to mod it, now that we think of it.
Doom 64
Now, alright, most of us will have played the original Doom already, but Doom 64 is a way more novel idea. Originally launched as a Nintendo 64 exclusive, this particular rendition of classic Doom is unique in most ways. It's dark, grim, and utterly hardcore. In many ways, it's a strange combination of new and nostalgic, and for that alone, it's a must-play.
Setting that particular feature of Doom 64 aside, it's a competent FPS through and through. Running and gunning never felt quite as good as this, far as classic FPS games go.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
By 2021, we've had a fair few Call of Cthulhu video games released. We'd argue, however, that none of them ended up being better than Dark Corners of the Earth. This strange adventure game/RPG/shooter hybrid has basically got it all. Some of the most intense chase sequences ever created. A whole bunch of ridiculous Lovecraftian monstrosities. Narrative developments that the father of Cosmic Horror himself wouldn't be ashamed of... the list goes on, truly.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is, regrettably, rather dated at this point. You'll need to contend with a bunch of strange gameplay choices such as infinitely respawning enemies and whatnot. Regardless, it's well worth the trouble!
Max Payne - Double Pack
Remedy Entertainment's utterly legendary third-person shooter franchise is more relevant than ever before, what with Alan Wake and Control tying things up at last. Even if we disregard that, though, both of the original Max Payne games have held up incredibly well.
Tight controls and possibly the slickest implementation of bullet time in a video game ever combine with a neo-noir narrative that'll easily get your heart pounding. Make no mistake, this thingie here is the third-person shooter to play, far as classics go.
Play the Max Payne games today!
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Master Collection
As any of our readers will know, we're huge fans of Dawn of War II specifically. Regardless, it never reached the sort of absolute popular appeal that its immediate predecessor enjoyed back in the day. Indeed, the original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (and its several expansion packs) are a true testament to everything the RTS genre stood for.
You've got your dozen-or-so factions duking it out against one another in a total meat grinder setup. All the fan favorites are here, and they're all reasonably competent - for the most part. If you're only going to play a single real-time strategy from back in the day, do yourself a favor and make it this one.
Play WH40K: Dawn of War today!
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell - Chaos Theory
We're reasonably sure that we won't see a proper Splinter Cell game anytime soon. All the more reason to look back to the legendary Chaos Theory, then. And wouldn't you believe it, the ridiculous bastard still holds up! Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a representation of both Tom Clancy and Sam Fisher in their respective primes. Ubisoft, too.
Arguably, Chaos Theory is the greatest stealth game ever made. We know, we know - Metal Gear Solid is a thing, Thief is a thing... Chaos Theory is in a class all of its own, though, and we'd be remiss not to recommend it.
Play Splinter Cell - Chaos Theory today!
Fallout 2: A Post-Nuclear Role-Playing Game
Easily the hardest sell on this list, as it's had no remasters, refreshes, or remakes of any kind, Fallout 2 is a relic in the truest sense of the word. The game is obtuse, often indecipherable, and almost too outdated to be enjoyed in any sense of the word. Yet, here it is - in all of its post-apocalyptic glory.
Look, we won't joke around. We know full well that Fallout 2 just won't be an item in most readers' minds in 2021, but there's ridiculous value in this game. It's the RPG to play, and the game which all Bethesda Fallout releases were based upon. It's awesome. Just, maybe not in a way that most players will agree with. If you have the stomach for it, it's an incredible experience.
Heroes of Might & Magic III - HD Edition
Heroes of Might & Magic III - especially in its High-Definition remaster edition - is a hoot. No, really, it's awesome, and it's the perfect combination of modern and vintage for a nostalgic gamer. It holds up in every possible way: artwork, mechanics, complexity... all of it meshes perfectly well with modern gaming sensibilities.
Do keep in mind, though, that HOMM III has always been best enjoyed with a friend in hotseat multiplayer. Just give it a shot - we promise that you won't be sorry that you did!
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Finally, there's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. This game has well and truly marked generations of gamers, all the way back since the first game released in 1997. It's a huge, sprawling open-world that oozes character. It's a genuinely interesting and engaging narrative with believable, if caricatured characters. Rockstar hit it out of the park, and San Andreas remains thoroughly unique, even today.
As of 2021, San Andreas does have some issues running on modern PCs. You may need to limit its framerate due to physics-related oddities, but other than that, it's still every bit as good as it ever was.
Nostalgia hits hard, doesn't it?
Now that we've got all of the above good and done, we suppose it's time to reflect. While playing old classics, of course! You can grab all of the games featured on this list right here at 2Game, for sure, but it's entirely possible that you have them in your game libraries already!
Whatever you do, just give some of these games a whirl and let us know if they're still as fun as you remember them being. Sometimes, it's a great idea to look back - even if only to see just how ridiculously far we've gotten in the meantime. Have fun, and don't forget to check out some of our other articles, too. You'll find a huge repository waiting for you in our Community Hub. That said, we also have a few recommendations below:
Excited about our list of the best classic PC games? We are! I mean, can you believe it’s been 19 years since Morrowind came out? Depending on how old you are, this may or may not be a distressing thought. This article is specifically designed to foster that distress into something productive-ish: nostalgia. To celebrate this, […]
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