Today we are doing an article about the top 20 PC games you can play on low-end PCs. These titles can run decently on both a low-end desktop computer or a laptop.
Back when I first discovered PC gaming, I had nothing but a roasted potato that could run a handful of computer games. Despite that, the memories I had with these titles will be burned inside my memory forever.
To this day, I’m still on the hunt for anything old. It’s a great thing to mix between the old and the new in my opinion. Playing old games allows gamers to discover titles that influenced a plethora of titles that we are currently playing these days.
We’ve previously made a list of Top 20 FPS Games for Low-End PCs. Check it out if you want more titles for your potato rig.
NOTE: The showcased games were tested and ran at 60fps Medium to High settings most of the time using XFX Double D Geforce GT630 810MHz 1GB DDR3, Intel i5 2400 3.1ghz, and Crucial 6GB DDR3-1333 Tri-Channel.
The Legacy of Kain Franchise
Developer: Silicon Knights, Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Silicon Knights, Eidos Interactive, Square Enix
Platform: Xbox | PS2 | PlayStation | PC | Gamecube | Dreamcast
Release Date: 1996-2003
Region: WW
Genre: Hack and Slash, Adventure
The Legacy of Kain franchise is a series of hack and slash action-adventure video games primarily developed and published by Silicon Knights. The series had a humble start with Blood Omen Legacy of Kain and went on to spawn several entries in the franchise that would garner critical success across all platforms. The series, to this day, is regarded as a masterpiece by gamers and critics.
The voice acting is stellar and is unlike any other game you’d experience. The story is deep and has a lot to offer, and the gameplay is easily captivating. It’s a franchise that I would recommend to anyone who’s looking for a great game to play on a low-end PC or Laptop.
The last entry in the franchise was Legacy of Kain: Defiance. But, there was an attempt by Square Enix to revive the saga through a reboot. Unfortunately, that latter was unfortunately canceled due to reasons unknown.
Dead Space Franchise
Developer: Visceral Games
Publisher: EA
Platform: Xbox360 | PS3 | PC
Release Date: 2008-2013
Region: WW
Genre: Third-Person Shooter, Horror, Action
Dead Space franchise is a series of survival horror video games that draws inspiration from the likes of Resident Evil 4. The first entry of the series was created by Glen Schofield, and his buddy, Michael Condrey while at Visceral Games. Later on, the game would receive two sequels until EA shut down Visceral. And since then, nothing was heard about the franchise.
The series put you in the shoes of an engineer named Isaac Clark who has to go through the horrors that surround him and survive amidst chaotic events that no ordinary man can handle.
Dead Space 3 was the final nail in the coffin as it performed far less than the previous entries. Consequently, EA shut down Visceral Games for good. Luckily, Dead Space performs very well on low-end PCs and Laptops. So, many people still have the chance to discover this gem.
Killer is Dead
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacturer
Publisher: Kadokawa Games, Xseed Games, Deep Silver
Platform: Xbox 360 | PS3 | PC
Release Date: August 1, 2013
Region: WW
Genre: Hack and Slash, Action
Killer is Dead is the closest you can get to No More Heroes games. Brought to you by the same guy who made the likes of Lolipop Chainsaw, Killer 7, and Let it Die. The aforementioned is seriously underrated and a lot of people can’t stop comparing it to Devil May Cry when both are different.
The game’s story follows an executioner named Mondo Zappa as he assassinates several opponents targeted by his clients. The story is dark but it contains a slew of waifus you can tag along with.
Killer is Dead relies heavily on maintaining the combo meter. Each time Mondo hits an enemy, he initiates a combo chain that keeps growing as long as Mondo keeps landing hits without being hit. The game quickly turns from slow-paced to fast-paced thanks to this mechanic.
Burnout Paradise
Developer: Criterion Games
Publisher: EA
Platform: Xbox 360 | PS3 | PC | PS4 | Xbox One | Switch
Release Date: January 22, 2008 (original) – 16 March 2018
Region: WW
Genre: Racing
The Burnout series has always put the likes of Need for Speed and The Crew to shame in my book. The way how Burnout handles racing is unlike any game I have experienced before, and crashing cars brings endless fun.
Burnout is all about insane speed and crashing your opponent in many ways. Paradise provides many modes, unlike other racing games. If you’re tired of racing, you can start crashing your opponent for points. Tired of that? You can execute stunts for points as well.
Burnout Paradise is recommended to anyone who’s looking for a crazy racing game for their low-end PC or laptop. It would not disappoint you, I promise.
Mirror’s Edge
Developer: DICE
Publisher: EA
Platform: Xbox 360 | PS3 | PC
Release Date: November 11, 2008
Region: WW
Genre: Parkour, First Person
Mirror’s Edge is a first-person parkour video game released back in 2008 for PC and consoles. The aforementioned is pretty unique, however short when it comes to the story. Nevertheless, the game’s action is more than enough to keep you hooked.
You take on the role of Faith Connors, a 24-year-old Runner who has to unravel the circumstances of Robert Pope’s murder and find the person who framed Faith and her sister for it.
Mirror’s Edge is one of the best parkour video games you’ll ever play. If you haven’t played it yet, you should give it a try real soon.
Prince of Persia Franchise
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platform: Xbox 360 | PS3 | PC
Release Date: 2003-2010
Region: WW
Genre: Parkour, First Person
Before Assassins Creed, Ubisoft was rocking the show with the Prince of Persia games left and right. While many enjoyed the franchise, it sadly came to a halt in favor of the now-better selling IP, Assassins Creed.
The series’ story casts you in the role of Prince who goes into adventures in which he has to battle his way through trials and hardships. His adventures vary from saving the world to saving his kingdom from total decay, but at the end of the day, he has to save something doesn’t he?
The parkour system in Prince of Persia was responsible for inspiring a lot of titles such as Assassins Creed, and God of War. We can only hope that the upcoming remake will manage to sell well so Ubisoft would re-consider reviving the franchise.
Remember Me
Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: Xbox 360 | PS3 | PC
Release Date: 3 June 2013
Region: WW
Genre: Parkour, First Person, Beat’em Up
Ever wanted to room a cyberpunk city with a hot chick? Remember Me got you covered fam. Brought to you by the developers behind Life is Strange, Remember Me was Dotnod Entertainment’s breakthrough into the gaming industry.
You take on the role of a female memory hunter named Nilin. She works for an underground resistance called the Errorists who seek to thwart the megacorporation Memorize plans. Unfortunately, in the beginning, Nilin finds herself unable to remember her identity or what happened to her. It is at that moment where she will join the resistance and retrieve her memory fragments.
Remember Me is a beat ’em up video game that has a similar combat system to the likes of the Batman Arkham series, Assassins Creed, and Sleeping Dogs.
Child of Light
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platform: Xbox 360 | PS3 | PC | PS Vita | Wii U | Xbox One | PS4 | Switch
Release Date: April 30, 2014
Region: WW
Genre: Platforming, Role Playing Game, Turn-Based
The first time I played Okami, Viewtiful Joe, and Vib-Ribbon, I had some difficulties finding something with the same artistic level as these three. Surprisingly, when I stumbled across Child of Light and gave it a try, I was amazed by the details, atmosphere, and engaging combat system.
Child of Light is a blend of platforming and turn-based gameplay that works very well. Similar to other role-playing games, you can recruit several NPCs throughout your journey that can help you to fight enemies and bosses. In addition, there’s a rewarding level-up system that rewards the players with stats and new interesting abilities.
This particular title is a masterpiece and something that people shouldn’t miss especially if you’re looking for a game for low-end PCs.
Mafia II
Developer: 2K Czech
Publisher: 2K Games
Platform: Xbox 360 | PS3 | PC | Xbox One | PS4 | Mac OS X
Release Date: 24 August 2010
Region: WW
Genre: Action, Open-World
Mafia II is an open-world game that is sometimes better than Rockstar’s renowned Grand Theft Auto franchise. But both are similar in terms of open-world design, and action. Except for the story that is a gritty drama that is quite unpredictable at times.
In Mafia II, you take on the role of Vito Scaletta, a war veteran who becomes trapped amidst a power conflict between the city’s Mafia crime families while struggling to pay back his father’s debts and secure a better lifestyle for his family and himself.
Mafia II runs fine on a low-end PC these days. That is if you stick with the Standard Edition and not the Definitive Edition. Overall, an intel HD 5500 is capable of running this title at nice frame rates.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Platform: PC | Xbox One | PS4 | Nintendo Switch
Release Date: January 26, 2018
Region: WW
Genre: Fighting, Anime
Dragon Ball FighterZ is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works. The latter is renowned for titles such as BlazBlue games, Guilty Gear, and Double Dragon IV.
The aforementioned is similar to many fighting games except it’s a Dragon Ball game, and you know what does that means, right? No? Well, people will play it regardless if it’s the millionth game in the franchise. I mean it’s Dragon Ball after all.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is available on Steam, and Microsoft Store to pick up. However, I’d suggest waiting for a discount if you want to have the Ultimate Edition with all of the DLCs included.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Developer: Frictional Games
Publisher: Frictional Games
Platform: PC | Xbox One | PS4 | Nintendo Switch | Linux | OS X
Release Date: 8 September 2010
Region: WW
Genre: Psychological Horror, Survival
Amnesia: The Dark Descent puts the likes of Outlast to shame thanks to how it succeeds at making the player feel paranoid of his surroundings. The game does a great job at making the player afraid of the unknown and what’s lurking in the shadows.
The aforementioned was developed and published Frictional Games known for other horror games such as Penumbra and SOMA. All of these games will scare the crap out of you. I highly recommend playing them at 11 PM for the best experience.
If you’re looking for a scary experience, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a great game, and it works on low-end computers very well.
Dead Cells
Developer: Motion Twin, Evil Empire
Publisher: Motion Twin
Platform: PC | Xbox One | PS4 | Nintendo Switch | Linux | macOS
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Region: WW
Genre: Roguelike, Perma Death, Metroidvania
Dead Cells is a roguelike video game that borrows several inspirations from the likes of Castlevania, Metroid, Faxandu, and The Binding of Isaac. It’s kind of obvious if you look at the similarities between all these five games.
You take on the role of a unique character who’s desperately trying to escape their hopeless situation. Unfortunately, he finds themselves doomed to repeat the cycle countless times until he figures out how to be free.
Dead Cells can be bought from anywhere these days at a cheap price. While it would definitely work on a low-end PC, I’d highly recommend doing your homework before purchasing it because the difficulty isn’t forgiving at all, and it may annoy you if you’re not accustomed to such brutality.
Persona 4 Golden
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Sega
Platform: PC | PS4 | PS Vita
Release Date: June 13, 2020
Region: WW
Genre: JRPG, Turn-Based, Social Simulation
After the release of Persona 5: Royal, the franchise’s popularity exploded to a higher level and it reached more people thanks to its critical and financial success. The success of P5 nudged Sega and Atlus to port Persona 4: Golden to Steam. And to no one’s surprise, the game performed very well globally.
The success of P4G asserted to Sega that there’s a lucrative field for the franchise on PC. And no wonder why they’ll be releasing Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne to Steam on 25 May 2021.
I do hope that SMT3 performs as great as P4G so that Sega can probably port SMT IV to PC and other platforms as well.
LUNA The Shadow Dust
Developer: Lantern Studio
Publisher: Application Systems Heidelberg, Coconut Island Games
Platform: PC | Linux | Nintendo Switch
Release Date: 13 February 2020
Region: WW
Genre: Point & Click, Adventure, Indie, Puzzles
LUNA The Shadow Dust is a stunning hand-animated point & click video game released back in 2020. The aforementioned takes inspiration from several games within the genre such as Monkey Island, The Dig, and The Longest Journey.
Its astonishing ghibli-like style will surely leave one gazing at every corner of the game while exploring the breathtaking world and listening to the stellar soundtracks. Furthermore, there are plenty of puzzles that will take a while for you to figure out.
LUNA The Shadow Dust is now on Steam and GOG as well for you to pick it up at an affordable price. It’s a superb experience, and it works on low-end computers as well.
Katana Zero
Developer: Askiisoft
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platform: PC | Xbox One | Nintendo Switch | MacOS
Release Date: April 18, 2019
Region: WW
Genre: Action, 2D Platformer, Indie, Bullet-Time
Have you ever wanted to wear your kimono, grab your katana, put on your headphones, and start slicing anyone that comes your way? Surprise, Katana Zero got you covered, fam. Katana Zero is all about slicing and dicing, and if you fail? Time to rewind.
Players take on the role of Zero, a samurai assassin suffering from amnesia. His job revolves around killing anyone he’s told to finish off. The latter possesses the ability to slow down time and perform stylish kills thanks to the Chronos drug he is been treated with.
Katana Zero is not a walk in the park. Sure, some levels can get pretty challenging, but thanks to his samurai abilities, he already has an advantage over his enemies.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platform: PC | Xbox 360 | PS3
Release Date: October 5, 2010
Region: WW
Genre: Action, Hack and Slash
When Ninja Theory’s name is mentioned, people often mention games such as Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, DmC, and Heavenly Sword. But among all of these games, there’s one that sadly doesn’t get the attention it deserves. That game is Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a loose adaptation of the Chinese novel Journey to the West. And it takes inspiration from several shows and games such as Ico and Life After People which helped create a dynamic connection between Trip and Monkey.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a great game with a stellar world design and a memorable storyline that should be experienced by anyone looking for something similar to Ico.
Max Payne Franchise
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: Gathering of Developers, Rockstar Games
Platform: PC | Xbox 360 | PS3 | PS2 | GBA | Xbox
Release Date: 2001-2012
Region: WW
Genre: Action, Third-Person Shooters
One does not simply, talk about games for low-end computers without mentioning Max Payne. Considering that the last Max Payne game was released back in 2012, it’s safe to say that every entry in the franchise would work on a potato computer.
The game casts you in the role of Max Payne as he confronts every kind of obstacle that stands in his way. In the first game, Max has to hunt down those responsible for killing his wife. In other entries, he has to survive and be a badass.
If you’re a die-hard fan of Max Payne, I highly recommend checking up Top 10 Similar Games to Max Payne from our site. It’s a list that will certainly not disappoint you.
Guild Wars 2
Developer: ArenaNet
Publisher: ArenaNet
Platform: PC | OS X
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Region: WW
Genre: MMORPG
Guild Wars 2 is an MMORPG developed by ArenaNet and published by NCSoft back in 2012. If you’re a fan of World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, or Black Desert Online, Guild Wars 2 is a recommended choice.
The game is set in a fantasy world known as Tyria featuring a storyline responsive to players’ actions. Guild Wars 2 includes some features that set it apart from other MMORPGs such as a dynamic event system, the ripple effect, and a dynamic combat system.
Guild Wars 2 will surely work on a potato PC with no problem. And while you’re here, why don’t you check out some of our Guild Wars 2 guides?
Hyper Light Drifter
Developer: Heart Machine
Publisher: Heart Machine
Platform: PC | PS4 | Xbox One | Nintendo Switch
Release Date: March 31, 2016
Region: WW
Genre: Action Role Playing
Hyper Light Drifter is what happens when you blend The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Diablo. There are noticeable similarities if you’ve already played or heard of these titles before.
The game puts you in the shoes of Drifter who suffers from an unknown illness. The Drifter possesses several tools that help him progress throughout his adventure such as an energy sword and a gun.
Hyper Light Drifter is an excellent choice if you’re looking for something similar to games such as Hades in my opinion.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Developer: 38 Studios, Big Huge Games
Publisher: EA
Platform: PC | PS4 | Xbox One | Nintendo Switch | PS3 | Xbox 360
Release Date: February 7, 2012 ( original), March 16, 2021
Region: WW
Genre: Action Role Playing
We’re finishing the list with the Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning as it’s one of the games that are quite similar to The Witcher 3 in case if you PC can’t handle it.
Surprisingly, the game is fun to play and it holds up pretty well to this day. A remastered version titled Kingdom of Amalur: Re-reckoning was released 9 years after the release of the original. This remastered version doesn’t add much to the base game except for some touched-up visuals here and there. It’s definitely recommended to just stick with the original as it looks better than the remastered version at times.
This marks the end of the list. Let us know what other games you have played on your low-end computer as well. Thank you!
The post 20 Best PC Games You Can Play on a Low-End PC / Laptop appeared first on Altar of Gaming.
