PC gaming is an expensive hobby. A good video card can cost $400-$800, a good gaming computer can cost as much as 8-10 grand, your average game title can run $40-$50, and some titles (multiplayer, in particular), charge a monthly fee of $10-$20. These costs don’t even include the monthly power bill increase most gamers end up with!
I am like most people: I live on a budget. If I were to buy every game title that sounded fun, I would go broke INSTANTLY. Luckily for me (and others in my predicament), there are plenty of low to no cost options available for the gamer on a budget. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the ones that I’ve tried.
I’m an avid fan of multiplayer online games, and unfortunately, many of the most popular require a monthly fee. One that does NOT (but does require an initial purchase) is Guild Wars, and was the first multiplayer title without a subscription I had played since the Diablo series. Is it any good? I started playing it shortly after release, and still have an account to this day. Though it lacks a persistent world, reminiscent of Diablo II with its instanced adventure areas, the PvP is exciting, and the game is absolutely incredible to look at. The required system specs are also very low, and easily manageable with even 5-6 year old hardware.
A free MMO that’s fairly popular around the office is Silk Road Online. I’ve tried it myself, and was fairly surprised by the high quality of the game. It’s produced by a South Korean company called Joymax, and has a fairly thriving community. It’s your typical Everquest/WoW fantasy MMO based upon the real silk road, the trade route from China to the west, and sports a PvP system similar to Lineage II. Players can buy in game equipment from an item mall in real U.S. dollars, which is how the game developers make money.
Another free MMO that’s caught my attention is Perfect World. This game is absolutely gorgeous, and has a very helpful and active community. This game is heavily based on Chinese mythology and, like Silk Road, offers items for cash in an item mall to support the game. Unlike many MMOs, the grind in this game is quest based, so that your quest rewards provide the bulk of the XP needed for your character to level. When I haven’t been pwning people in Eve-Online, lately I’ve been enjoying this lovely addition to my gaming diet.
For those gamers that aren’t really interested in the MMO experience (yes, I know you exist), Gametap offers free game downloads of older titles. The games offered range from classic arcade games like Joust and Rampage, to titles like Deus Ex, Hitman 2, Myst, and Thief. They offer titles to buy as well, if you find that your budget has a few extra dollars in the entertainment category.
If you’re like me, though, and love a good MMORPG, GameOgre has compiled a fairly extensive list of free MMOs complete with a ratings and reviews system. Looking through them, it doesn’t look like there’s enough time in anyone’s schedule to play them all.
Now there’s almost no excuse. Get out there and GAME!