What’s the worst thing that can ruin your gaming experience? Is it a poorly optimized PC and bad controls? While these are annoying, they’re nothing compared to not being able to play popular entries at all due to high prices.
Salvation comes in the form of free Steam games. This platform has completely unlocked access to some of the most well-known titles. This article will review five of those titles to help you jumpstart your gaming sessions.
Best Free Steam Games
Exorbitant prices might have stood in your way before, but Steam comes to the rescue with a rich lineup of free games. Here are your top five picks.
1. Counter –Strike: Global Offensive
The Counter-Strike franchise took the world by storm when it released the iconic 1.6 FPS. For years, it remained the crown jewel of competitive shooters, but the company didn’t stop there. The torch was passed to Global Offensive in 2012, and it’s been making waves in the gaming industry ever since.
Valve refined every major aspect of the legendary 1.6 to deliver the ultimate FPS experience. There are polished visuals, characters, and maps, which feature familiar locations and some new sites to help spice things up.
More importantly, the shooting mechanics have been elevated. Whether you specialize in AK-47s, sniper rifles, or the M4A4, taking down your enemies is highly immersive and realistic.
2. Destiny 2
The sci-fi genre has been going through a renaissance in the last 10 years or so. You can now finally move on from Starcraft and other (potentially) outdated franchises to something more modern. That something is Destiny 2.
Available for free on Steam, Destiny 2 combines countless fun elements of different genres, not just sci-fi. For instance, there’s high-octane shooting and MMORPG elements to keep your blood pumping.
It all starts with character creation. Here, the game lets you choose from three avatars, and each brings a unique element to the gameplay:
- Warlock – conquer your enemies like mages from adventure games.
- Titan – absorb as much health as possible to wear down your opponents.
- Hunter – deal tons of damage to even the fiercest of enemies.
3. Lost Ark
Lost Ark should also be on your must-play list for several reasons. First, the game provides a unique blend of MMO and ARPG elements many other titles have failed to replicate. Although the developers didn’t get every part of the combo right, the end result proved more than satisfactory. Therefore, you can get a lot of value from Lost Ark, whether you’re a fan of ARPG or MMO adventures.
Second, the story is well-thought-out and executed. The premise is simple yet effective – your character needs to help King Thirain reclaim his crown from the usurpers. More than a few threats stand in your way, and they get more challenging as you progress through the story.
Fortunately, this shouldn’t be an issue because the game also rewards you for your progress. Besides giving you access to numerous chests and other unlockables, your character also grows more powerful, enabling you to vanquish your enemies with ease.
Overall, Lost Ark is definitely worth a play. Your adventure with King Thirain will keep you on the edge of your seat and test your battle tactics.
4. Dota 2
No discussion about free Steam games would be complete without Dota 2. Since its release, the simple yet effective concept of this game has attracted millions of players who want to experience the thrills of team combat.
When you take a look at the premise of Dota 2, you might think there’s not much room to have fun in this game. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Once you select one of the five available roles, you queue up and wait for your opponent’s picks. From there, you can adjust your tactics and spells to improve your odds of winning.
The real fun starts once the match is underway. As every player is different, you need to utilize a myriad of battle strategies to come out on top. The choice is up to you – do you wish to dominate the early stages of the match and carry your team to victory or be defensive and wait for your teammates to exploit other opportunities?
The number of tactics you can follow is too great for this article, which is why Dota 2 has been so engaging for so long. Plus, it forces you to work with your team and avoid trying to be the hero. A skill that will set you in good stead with other competitive games.
5. A Raven Monologue
To wrap up the list of the best free Steam games, we’ll continue with the ever-present flair of first-person shooters. Complementing Counter-Strike Global Offensive and Destiny 2 is Team Fortress 2. In many people’s eyes, the sequel eclipsed the original game in many aspects, including mechanics, sounds, roles, and game modes.
When it comes to mechanics, the developers did a great job of elevating your shooting experience. Despite having a cartoonish appearance, the game is relatively realistic. You do need to be skilled to nail long-distance shots and understand the limitations of your weapons. Otherwise, you’ll dramatically diminish your accuracy.
Gun sounds are also exceptional. Listening to your rifles while conquering your opposition is incredibly satisfying and adds a new dimension to the gameplay.
The same goes for the available roles. There are five classes to choose from: Scout, Soldier, Demonman, Medic, and Spy. Each faction has unique abilities, allowing you to experiment with all kinds of skills and weapons. Whatever class you pick, you’ll have a ton of fun.
In terms of game modes, Team Fortress 2 provides fantastic solutions to keep your gameplay varied. For instance, Arena mode is similar to the standard Counter-Strike match mode. You enter a battleground with your teammates and enemies, where you do your best to bring your opponents to their knees. A number of weapons are available, such as Scattergun, Rocket Launcher, and Pistol, so you can defeat your opposition in creative ways. But if your enemies get the best of you, you become a spectator until the match ends.
Other game modes are just as exciting. Players mostly enjoy Capture the Flag and Control Point skirmishes due to all the strategies they need to utilize to emerge victorious.
With all these features, you’d think you must pay a hefty price to play the game. However, Steam offers Team Fortress 2 for free without any hidden fees.
How to Play Free Steam Games
Knowing there are so many high-quality free games on Steam is great, but it’s not worth much if you’re not sure how to access them. So, how do you play free Steam titles?
The first step is to make sure you have a gaming-compatible PC or Mac to download the Steam app. It is available on Windows, Mac, Linux, and a beta version for ChromeOS is also available. Then, you need to set up an account to obtain access to its library of free games.
Enjoy Free Play in Your Free Time!
Once you set up a Steam account, you have access to a large number of great games without having to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on downloads. This is great for the hobbyist who may wish to play video games in their spare time, but doesn’t want to make a huge financial commitment. With platforms like Steam offering free play, you can become a pro gamer too without breaking the bank.
Have you ever played games for free on Stream? If so, did you choose any of the titles featured in this article? Let us know in the comments section below.
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