En el PC no solo hay variedad sino que la hay de forma gratuita. VG24/7 ha elaborado una lista de los mejores juegos gratuitos para PC que hay disponibles ahora mismo, y el resultado es el siguiente:
Tera Rising
Tera’s a K-poppy MMO, but stands out from its fantasy brethren with its non-targeting combat, skill-chaining and global politic system. It’s standard Asian stuff, really, even though it’s billed as the first proper action MMO. But it’s full-price for free, so worth looking at (provided you can stand the gratuitous Far East boob art).
Aion
Aion’s got a good reputation for being a top free PvP MMO, and there’s no denying it looks the part. Combat mechanics have always been something of an issue with critics: things can get repetitive. There’s a bunch of celestial angelic stuff going on here. If you’re looking for the most vaunted Asian F2P MMO around, you’ve found it. There are no subs, no account tiers and no purchase requirements.
Fallen Earth
Fallen Earth is a free post-apocalyptic MMO in which you play a clone striving to regain immortality. It’s completely stupid and a bit rubbish, but this is a massive game with some great action and more than enough MMOness to warrant the download. The Grand Canyon forms the central geographic location for Fallen Earth, which covers some 1,000 square kilometres of deep-fried wasteland. Hardcore. Old skool.
Rift
Fantasy MMO Rift was a big deal when it launched, but the realities of the modern online game space soon turned it free. Choosing between 40 unique souls allows you to create your own class, with three souls available for use at any one time. Dynamic rift events drop heaps of baddies into the world, forcing you and fellow players to kill comprehensively. If you don’t, the evil things invade local towns and stop you progressing. There’s no questioning Rift’s status as a “good game”.
The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot
Ubisoft’s two main F2P plays are Ghost Recon Phantoms and a fantasy hack-n-slash, The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot. The latter’s hook is that you create a castle full of traps with the intention of protecting your gold from other players. It’s certainly different, and there’s so much user-created content you could never see it all (even if it does get a tad samey). This is only just out of closed beta, so there’s a bunch of balancing still being done.
DC Universe
If it’s superheroes you want, DC Universe Online is “the shit”. If you sub you get access to the game’s extensive DLC catalogue, but you have to buy the packs if you’re playing for free.
APB Reloaded
Few events in gaming’s history have been more spectacularly depressing than APB’s launch, but that was then. Much has changed since the first version appeared in 2010, and the current state is more GTA Online for PC than the original disaster. You take jobs, you kill for money, you fight opposing gangs. The character customisation is amazing and there’s enough back-story to drown in, should you so wish.
Ghost Recon Phantoms
Ubisoft’s F2P noob mixes trademark Ghost Recon cover mechanics and teamplay with some well considered free-to-play gubbins, making for one of the most exciting free releases on PC so far this year. Get your mates together, form a clan, waste your free smoke grenades and refuse to buy any more. It’s a genuinely good game. And it costs nothing.
War Thunder
One of the hottest F2P games on PC right now is War Thunder, pretender to World of Tanks’ military crown and a title looking forward to a rosy future alongside Planetside 2 as no-fee trailblazers on PlayStation 4. Armored vehicles, planes, naval fleets, Japan, America, Germany, the kitchen sink: it’s got it all. It’s still in open beta, but this looks to be going places quickly.
World of Tanks
In the world of tanks, and such a world evidently exists, World of Tanks is king. No other similar game allows players such scope and depth. If you want to roll around in a metal box blowing people up in blown-up towns, this game is for you. There’s a reason it has 70 million registered users. Or is it 80 million? Who cares?
DOTA 2
Is LoL better? It matters as much as the colour of your pants. Almost 8 million people played Valve’s MOBA in the last month, meaning it’s nothing if not popular. DOTA 2 features enough competitiveness, prize money and shouting youngsters to induce full-blown hippy cold sweats. Probably not for 40 year-olds, but different strokes, and all that.
League of Legends
Yes, is impenetrable, its community is a bunch of dicks and you need to play for thousands of hours to be any good at it in relative terms, but there’s no question that League of Legends has completely nailed MOBA. If you want to see what’s turning “the kids” on these days.
Star Trek Online
Getting on with Star Trek in general is an obvious prerequisite to being able to play this, but STO is more than game enough for nothing. The cartoon styling may not be for everyone, and there’s a huge amount of keys to get accustomed to (the combat involves stance-switching), so this may not be the free game you’re looking to grab for a quiet evening after work. It’s got space and land missions and was developed by Cryptic, so if you’ve been around a while you’ll know what to expect. Put it this way: there’s nowhere else to fight the Borg.
Age of Conan: Unchained
Conan’s been around since 2008, when it released in a broken mess and was roundly savaged as a result. A lot of the problems have been fixed since then, and this enormous, visually sumptuous game is now available for free. Get it from Steam. The F2P component is very generous, but it’d be worth subbing if you were heavily involved.
Hawken
Hawken is a mech shooter that started off with promises of being The Next Big Thing and then sort of wasn’t. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth looking at, however, especially as now it’s available through Steam. It’s a bit “please buy a mech I’ll love you forever,” but someone’s got to get paid, I guess. If you’re finding yourself playing Titanfall just for the robot bit, then you should absolutely download it. It’s good.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
This is one of the most expensive games ever made, and now it’s free. That’s the way it goes, and the biggest winner is you. It isn’t to everyone’s liking, and has been savaged easily as much as it’s been praised, but that it costs nothing is kind of ridiculous. There are many catches to SWTOR’s F2P, however, such as not being able to sprint up to level 10 if you don’t pay (thanks, EA).
Neverwinter
Neverwinter crops up consistently on these lists, usually as a close second only to LOTRO. The D&D MMO is completely free (although it does have something of a reputation for pay-to-win) and features the ability to create your own dungeons. I haven’t personally played it, but if you’re looking for the best current free D&D RPG, this looks to be it. The Curse of Icewind Dale expansion’s just been released, adding a ton of stuff to what seems to be an already epic game.
Planetside 2
If you’re more far future than flowery fantasy, Planetside 2 is unavoidable. It’s large scale sci-fi combat on gigantic battlefields teeming with players, ships, lasers and death. There’s no charge. The PC version’s success is a blessing for PS4, which will be running it at 1080p soon.
Team Fortress 2
This has to be the greatest F2P shooter ever made. It’s funny, stupid, brilliant and could keep you happy forever. It’s a great, great game. The cartoon style will never get old and the mix of classes and some incredible map design would make it essential even if there was a cover charge. An absolute must.
World of Warcraft
WoW is now free up to level 20. There’s a bunch of restrictions in place to free players, but if you’ve never played (really?) then that’s a situation you have to remedy immediately. Whatever you think of WoW, the fact remains it’s a cast iron classic MMO and one of the most content-heavy games ever created. There’s so much to like here. Now it costs you nothing to see it.
Hearthstone
If you haven’t started playing this yet there’s something wrong with you. The Blizzard card battler is available on both PC and iPad, and is far too addictive. The pay element comes in buying cards for your decks, but you can get on just fine without ever having to spend. Get it on PC. Then get it on tablet. Then play it forever.
The Lord of the Rings Online
LOTRO is the best F2P MMO on PC. There’s no question. It’s beautiful, has a range of content that puts it up there with any of its competitors and sports some of the most robust MMO mechanics in existence. It’s free. If you’ve never played an MMO before, or you’re just looking to pretend to be a hobbit for a few hours, there is no excuse whatsoever: get it.
Path of Exile
That Path of Exile is free is borderline criminal. You should have to pay for this ARPG. The notoriously gigantic skill tree alone is enough to download it, let alone the depth of the item combination mechanics and the fact it managed to out-Diablo Diablo III with withering ease. Free or not, Path of Exile is a horror masterpiece, and one of the best games currently on PC. You must play it.
Players use slottable skill gems in Path of Exile as in most ARPGs, the difference here being that they level with play and have their own requirements for upgrading. The passive skill tree is immense. Combining gems and skills offers the sort of customization options that could keep you bogged down for years. Path of Exile sometimes feels more like EVE Online than Diablo.
