10 old PC games that are still addicting

1. Thief: Deadly Shadows

Thief was one of those games that made stealth art. It was here that the ability to listen to footsteps, carefully peek around corners and get rid of light sources first appeared.

The protagonist is a thief, and his specialization will untie your hands. The game encourages impudent theft: the more you steal, the more items you can buy before the next mission.

Older PC Games: Scene from Deadly Shadows

Despite the outdated graphics, Thief is still enjoyable to play after 20 years thanks to its intuitive mechanics. The main thing is not to forget to install the unofficial TFix patch. He fixes a bunch of bugs and helps the game "make friends" with modern systems.

Buy Thief for PC →

2. Grand Theft Auto III

The first 3D GTA is one of the most influential games in the industry. After that, the action in the open world has changed a lot.

A huge living city, a dozen full-fledged radio stations, many types of weapons and car models, as well as a plot worthy of a crime thriller, amazed players in 2001.

The action is still going well now, although the very low detailing and angular models may scare some players away.

Older PC Games: Angular People from GTA III

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3. Heroes of Might and Magic III

Older PC games: Heroes of Might and Magic III

The third "Heroes" were released in 1998 and immediately won the love of the gaming community. The battles dragged on, the mechanics of the development of their own city carried away. Each playthrough of the strategy was different from the previous one due to the many available heroes and types of creatures.

Heroes of Might and Magic III is so engraved in the memory of players that thousands of people still periodically look into it. The only pity is that the HD reissue was not very successful. But instead, you can buy the original with all the additions.

Older PC Games: Map in Heroes of Might and Magic III

Buy Heroes of Might and Magic III: Complete for PC →
Buy Heroes of Might and Magic III - HD Edition for PC →

4. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

Older PC Games: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

The second part of the strategy, which takes place in an alternate universe. Einstein built a time machine and used it to kill Hitler. There was no World War II, the USSR increased its firepower and attacked the United States. Super soldiers in earflaps and devastating Kirov airships are included.

In the 19 years that have passed since the release of the game, strategies have changed little. Therefore, all the basic mechanics of Red Alert 2 will be clear to the modern player. You just have to install a small fan patch for the project to work stably on new PCs.

Buy Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 for PC →

5. Deus Ex

Deus Ex is a cult action game, one of the pillars of the immersive sim genre. The action takes place in the near future. Cyberimplants have become commonplace, police robots scurry around the streets, most of the planet's inhabitants are below the poverty line - in general, cyberpunk.

The main character, special agent JC Denton, uses his superhuman abilities to fight terrorists and at the same time unravels the government conspiracy.

If not for the graphics and outdated interface, the game could well have passed for a modern one, because the game design of such projects has hardly changed over the years. Here you can go through the levels in several ways: stealthily, with combat, killing enemies or avoiding them.

The player develops the character depending on his preferences, and then uses the newly acquired abilities to complete tasks.

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6. StarCraft

StarCraft is the product of an era when strategy was at its best. Everything is good in the game: nice animation, captivating plot, well-thought-out multiplayer. It is disliked only by those who do not like microcontrol, because there is a lot of clicking here.

Although even for such people, StarCraft has an awesome single player campaign with interesting characters and unexpected twists.

Download StarCraft for PC →
Buy StarCraft Remastered for PC →

7. Baldur's Gate II

One of the best CRPGs in history. This is a very deep and thoughtful game, in which it is easy to disappear for several tens of hours. Hundreds of characters, a huge number of quests, partners with different specialties and interesting locations.

The pace of the game is not as fast as that of many modern projects. But if you take the time and delve into it, it will be difficult to come off.

Older PC Games: Scene from Baldur's Gate II

Buy Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition for PC →

8. Diablo II

The reference action RPG Diablo 2 is mesmerizing in its simplicity. There is no need to choose answers in dialogues, solve complex puzzles, or use tactics. Only "call out" hundreds of opponents, collect loot from them, sell unnecessary things and buy the necessary ones.

This is partly why it is pleasant to look into the game even 19 years after the release. Such addicting gameplay and 2D charm is impossible to resist.

Buy Diablo II for PC →

9. Half-Life

Half-Life in 1998 was very different from all other shooters. It had a plot, riddles and even action scenes - nothing like that in the industry had yet been seen. Thanks to this game, modern first-person shooters have large-scale staged moments, epic cutscenes and characters with prescribed characters.

Valve still hasn't dropped its first hit. The Steam version of Half-Life runs great on Windows 10 and supports all popular resolutions.

Buy Half-Life for PC →

10. Quake II

Despite the influence of Half-Life, at its core, shooters have remained largely unchanged over the decades. In them, you still need to be able to direct the weapon at the target as quickly as possible and shoot as accurately as possible.

In Quake 2, apart from this mechanic, there is practically nothing. Except that sometimes you have to press buttons to open doors, and pick up cartridges and first-aid kits.

The gorgeous soundtrack makes the gameplay more meditative. The perfect game to turn off your brain and wreak havoc in the virtual world.