By:PortableGamingFanDec 27, 2007 at 7:34 PMViews:402Comments:0Saved: 0
xxx Console gamers have their game rental services... OK. PC gamers have wide choice of demo, shareware & web games... but that's not all - there is a whole bunch of games you can get for absolutely nothing, gratis, free (licensed as freeware, open source, public domain, special offers etc.) that are pretty decent - so decent, that some of them can easily compete with commercial ones... but wait a moment, some of them are created by commercial companies & distributed free (e.g. Enemy Territory). Here's list of some most interesting titles that you can instantly download without paying a dime.
Open Arena
Poor man's Quake 3. Based on Quake 3 engine it delivers very similar, fast paced shooting experience. Expect the expected, with guns based on Q3 ones. Unfortunately, there are no Q3 original maps (in default distribution, there are some conversions available separately) and some of the Open Arena maps simply sucks - not all of course. Anyway, it's very good "arcade" FPP shooter. If you liked Q3, you will like this too, because it's basically same game it terms of gameplay (and now low system requirements). Multiplayer and singleplayer bot-match modes are included. http://openarena.ws Fast download - http://www.gamershell.com/search/index.html?q=openarena
Urban Terror
Next game running on Quake 3 engine. It's strange mix of realistic weaponry that requires steady handling to fire accurate with arcade moving abilities - you can bounce of the walls and perform power slides. Graphics aren't great, but they're bearable... Hey, guns animation is pretty nice after all. There are several game modes available including deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag and bomb mode. This is multiplayer only game. http://www.urbanterror.net
Grand Theft Auto 1 & 2
These are games that everyone should know... Especially now, when they're free. In both of them we play as wannabe-gangster which has to gain money & respect ("And remember - respect is everything"). Both games are offering full ;-) 2D top view graphics . First game in the series, GTA1, was released in 1997 and even then the graphics were pretty outdated. It can however run in high resolution and there is no problem with pixels big as a bricks, so it's perfectly playable even today, with one little exception - there is no save... Gamestate will be saved only after completing whole city, which is pretty lengthy task. GTA2 offers much better graphics and comprehensive gang relations system, which greatly affects our choices as a thug. Oh, I forgot to mention that both games offer non-linear "story" (you can choose missions to complete, that's something I miss in recent GTA games), great soundtracks & multiplayer modes (with no lobby - but there are free programs that fix this inconvenience - check out http://gtamp.com ). http://www.rockstargames.com/classics/
Hidden & Dangerous Deluxe
WWII tactical TPP shooter is the shortest description of this game. It's improved (hence "deluxe") full version of 1999 game rated 75% (http://www.gamerankings.com), released as an ad for the Hidden & Dangerous 2. DirectX 8.1 graphics looks pretty good, there is plenty of different equipment, weapons and soldiers to choose. Please note this isn't simple shooter, it requires more planning and stealth actions than pure shooting (hence title). Big plus of this game is cooperative multiplayer. http://www.gamershell.com/download_3644.shtml
America's Army
US Army recruitment tool based on Unreal engine. Having said that, no matter which side will you choose, you will always be an US soldier (however the opponent team will see you different). Hmmm, pretty strange. Except for that this is very complete FPP shooter with more realistic feeling than many other similar games (e.g. you have to complete various trainings before you enter battlefield). There is crosshair, but for more accuracy you have to use iron sights. Most of the time you will fight and travel on foot, but there are several vehicles available. To win a map you have to complete map objectives, e.g. kill/ protect the VIP. Multiplayer only. http://www.americasarmy.com/
War Rock
Free* alternative for Battlefield 2. Created by Korean game studio, War Rock delivers most of the features known from the EA shooter. There are three kinds of maps, diverted by size and gameplay type - small, infantry ones, medium size, where some vehicles can be used and biggest ones, where all vehicles are used. Speaking about vehicles, there are many of them to choose from - motor bikes and trucks, HMMVs, tanks, helicopters and planes. There are five different soldier classes available, each one with specific wepons and additional equipment: Engineer, Medic, Sniper, Heavy Trooper and Assault. War Rock has some RPG-like elements - you gain experience in combat, which will cause your rank to go up. Graphics are really good, servers are hosted by game publisher so there are plenty of them in many different region of world to ensure smooth gameplay. Please note that many of the bugs previously ruining the game are now fixed and it's pretty enjoyable. *Basic version is free, but additional equipment and some other upgrades are paid. Multiplayer only. http://www.warrock.net/
Nexuiz
First person shooter similar to Open Arena in terms of atmosphere and speed of gameplay. This futuristic shooter delivers excellent graphics (which may be surprise, because it's based on modified Quake 1 engine called DarkPlaces) and really fast paced gameplay. There are loads of different weapons (e.g. rocket launcher launching rockets which can be detonated in mid-air) and fight arenas available. Singleplayer mode consist of fights with bots. You can play in game modes such as DM, TDM, CTF, domination and rune match. http://www.alientrap.org/nexuiz/
Gun Bound
Many free games are based on commercial titles - this one isn't different, and it's "poor man's Worms". No, you aren't worm this time - instead, you are a tiny character in a "mobile" - which can be a vehicle, or something more, ehmm, organic. Ok, if you never played Worms, I will say what's this game about - it's all about shooting. But not with standard guns - with artillery. So instead choosing the target, you try to choose your missile trajectory. Every mobile has different features - delay, armor and missile types. If you liked Worms, this one should be interesting for you. Multiplayer only. http://gunbound.softnyx.net/
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Fast paced, arcade like WWII shooter that requires cooperation with team and good tactics... sounds interesting? Well, it certainly is, because ET is one of the most popular multiplayer games. Five soldier classes are available and every class can choose from many weapons. Target of every game is to fulfill mission objective and on most maps allies are attacking team. Game is pretty fast and requires good knowledge of maps, which can be difficult for new players. Besides original maps, there are literally hundreds of custom maps and tens of modifications, which are active on many public servers (don't worry, they're downloaded automatically). If you like WWII atmosphere, teamplay, intense shooting and don't mind bunnyhopping (http://www.velocity.lunarpages.com/trickjumping.html ) and fast paced gameplay ET may be good choice for you. Multiplayer only. http://www.splashdamage.com/?page_id=14
TrueCombat: Elite
ET mod, that moves action into modern times. Game focuses on close-quarters battles and offer wide choice of real guns. It's pretty realistic, thanks to iron sights aiming (there is no traditional crosshair). Two competing teams are terrorist and.. counter terrorist (called SpecOps) of course. There are three game modes, team deathmatch (called bodycount), objective mode, which is basically the same as in Counter Strike and CTF. Graphics are generally up-to-date - clear textures, nice models and many special effects. If you fancy some modern gunfights, go for it. Multiplayer only. http://www.truecombatelite.net/
