8 Best Low-END PC Games to Play Before Eventually Dying

Many games offer more than just gameplay. They offer an experience filled with awe from joyous to depressing. Here are my top 8 recommendations for games that are worthwhile to give you such experiences. All the games are compatible with Integrated GPU and are suitable for Low-END PC gaming. These games will make you want to run back in time just to feel your first playthrough again. But we only have so much time, right? So, without further ado, let’s get into our first entry –

Ah, The Elder Scrolls… Probably the best title to start off a list with! For those unaware, Skyrim is your ultimate high-fantasy open-world RPG to get immersed into head-first. Taking the role of the last Dragonborn, your main mission is to save Skyrim from the return of the dragons, by turning into the the ultimate dragon-slayer and defeating the world-eater Alduin.

But to be real, the main quest is only going to be a hindrance to most because it’s the side quests that keep you glued to your monitor. All the little details & distractions. The scenery, the music, the voice acting, and my personal fav – the lore.

This is an epic game that only gets more epic with mods. In simple words, anything you find about this game that bothers you can be changed with mods, and I would stress the term anything. The modding scene is even more grand than the base game since this is one of those pieces of media that garnered the most loving community in video gaming history.

Moreover, it’s the unpredictability that caters to its perhaps most incredible feat, the replay value. Even after about 5 playthroughs, all ranging from 30 – 50 hours I have only scratched the surface of this literal “continent on a hard drive“.

Maybe the most underrated game of all time. Prey is advertised as an immersive sim & first-person shooter, but once you experience it for the first time yourself, the realization hits that it’s so much more. The key feature of this game is the freedom it gives the player, not only that, but it’s also very well-paced with the rewards it grants you for your creativity. Every situation has multiple ways to be handled. Take the enemy head-on, or sneak past and avoid the fighting altogether.

There is an enemy in the mid-game known as a telepath who can float high up in the air. In all, a pretty tough enemy to beat. Not worth it. But if you are smart enough, you can lure it to a high place and then blast your Gloo cannon on it till drops to its death. I was shocked when I found this myself. And this underrated masterpiece is jam-packed with moments like this.

Keep in mind however that this – is not an easy game at all. It’s a challenge even if you’re an experienced veteran in the FPS genre, as it takes much more than just your aiming skills to feel like a pro within this immersive sim.

The story is a rollercoaster ride in its own way, with twists and turns following every completed mission. And the mega plot twist at the end that just -blows your mind-.

This game’s functionality is also top-notch, meaning even the design of the main menu to the in-game HUD, the hotkeys, and even the pause menu can leave an impression of perfectness on the player. It just feels really convenient & effortlessly seamless in its smallest details.

Another plus point I would like to add about this game is its optimization – which is through the roof. Being a 2017 game it can still be played on a dual-core laptop CPU & integrated graphics on low settings with 30+ FPS with just some occasional frame drops here and there. So, don’t miss out on the incredibly diverse and engaging gameplay, and grab this low-end game for yourself before you die!

A really cute game about a bug-filled dystopia. The magic lies in its simplicity throughout the art direction, the nearly perfected combat, the exploration elements, and of course, the about 4 whole dozen of boss battles. Hollow Knight grants you the role of the nameless & genderless knight who has arrived in Hallownest to save it from the new plague that has eaten up the kingdom. This indie-platformer made by Team Cherry is packed with elements that feel like they were crafted with much love and care, rather than petty cash grabs.

This is a game that can be known as virtually perfect. Under a defined scope of features, it gets them all right. This is what most fans of the game would say, and even you might, once you’ve played it. And it’s a tough game, with many different areas and boss fights to win & gather upgrades for. Throughout this cute little journey, the very serene soundtrack of the game will act as a worthwhile companion and the combat of this game is pretty engaging for how streamlined and simple it is.

It’s a 2D platformer, but the sense of adventure that the narrative and the environmental storytelling together convey is definitely going to live as more than three-dimensional in your mental space. Another plus point of this game is its community. Much like Skyrim, this game has an incredibly loyal fan base. Truly worth playing before you lose the chance to!

This game conveys a very important and potent message through its first-person shooter action-filled cover-fire gameplay, which is similar to the cover-fire games of that time. When it was released, Spec Ops The Line faced massive challenges in becoming a staple name as it was going up against titles such as Battlefield and Call of Duty, games which many kids have grown up with, but Spec Ops: The Line is especially memorable because of its story. Not because of the gameplay, not because of the missions, but the message it chooses to convey through them. And the message is actually so strong that it got banned in multiple countries because of it, plus the storyline and the events that happened within it.

Basically, you’ll have to do terrible things and you’ll be held responsible for it. You don’t get the heroic stature in this war. You will just be a man who has done wrong. The developers had only one goal with this game, which was to point out the reality of war, which is often toyed with in FPS games such as Call of Duty, Battlefield, PUBG, etc. We can’t ever feel the true impact of war through these games. It almost feels trivial, but it’s something that’s seriousness is understated. Many players of this game have also dubbed this game the “PTSD simulator“, and to me, it deserves the title.

Many reviewers would say that the gameplay is not much to write home about, which is true, it’s nothing revolutionary, but it’s good enough. And I think it’s pretty solid, although, not that in-depth. It doesn’t have many complex mechanics, but it’s simple, it runs well.

It’s sadly no longer available in stores, and therefore you can’t buy it anymore. The developer stated that the digital license had expired and that’s why they had to put it off of all stores online. And the heroic tales that you often hear about American patriots going out of their way to save the world, this game will put that all to rest by giving you that harsh truth and reality that actually goes on in those uncertain situations. Personally, the incredible feat that this game achieved was how it depicted all the complexities that are involved in a real-life scenario. It’s not flushed out one bad guy, one good guy narrative. And yes, definitely give this one a try before dying.

An underwater open-world title that’s so open it crosses boundaries with the horror genre. Take a dive into the mostly underwater adventure that the world of Subnautica grants you and the freedom + awe and wonder this alien ocean planet environment has to offer. One of those games that just drop you into a vast world with some tools – and let all control be in your hands.

Much like Skyrim – this game pushes you to take risks and rewards you for the exploration you do in the meantime. And that’s where the fun begins – as you swim through the diverse views of flora and fauna the world of Subnautica has to offer, which totally alien & the vibe is something unique as far as videogames can go with their atmosphere & ambiance. The strange feeling when you first encounter a new biome, with new wildlife, resources, and hidden secrets and stories to uncover, or when you meet your first leviathan – makes for such moments when you can get completely lost and immersed into this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The game puts you in the role of Ryley Robinson, the sole survivor of the crashed spaceship Aurora, on a desolate ocean planet called 4546B somewhere in the Andromeda Galaxy. The story of this game is good enough, but it’s one of those games where it’s much more about the journey rather than the destination. Be sure to give this one a try before you lose the chance to!

A Sci-fi survival horror title by Frictional Games, the creators of many popular titles such as the Amnesia series. This has to be the most odd one on the list. simply because of its lackluster gameplay, well then, why is this even on this list? Because this game has much more profound and human ideas to discuss, far beyond the scope of most mainstream games.

SOMA is a guaranteed experience that will leave you with so much existential dread by the end of its 6 – 7 hour runtime, that you will start to rethink what games as a medium of art can really say about human nature. So, if you pick this up in time before you’re left with none, this game will reshape thoughts in your mind in the minutes that pass by till the end of your breaths.

This game states its message & leaves you devastated without overstaying its welcome. The horror you’ll feel will be existential. You play as Simon Jarret, who ends up in the last ruins of humanity underwater, known as PATHOS-II, after a crater destroyed the Earth’s surface. ‘PATHOS’ is a Greek word meaning ‘suffering’. This submerged facility’s mission was to “save humanity” by copying human consciousness onto the ARK which was to be shot up into space, “among the stars”. But of course, all hell broke loose at PATHOS-II, as this is a horror game after all. The rest of the story is up to you to uncover!

Being the second main installation in the sneaky-sneaky-stab-stab franchise that most gamers know and love, this one is a special deal because it gives the intro and begins the very first chapter of what many recall as one the best protagonists in Ubisoft’s history.

The story of Ezio Auditore begins as that of a youngster thugging (not a real word) around the streets of Florence, Italy. This is used as bait by the story writers because after this the sense of home and comfort completely vanishes from Ezio’s life & also the players’ minds. Following this only chaos ensues.

This open-world, stealth, action-adventure game’s greatest strengths are quality world-building, and its definitive ability to transport you into the world of the narrative – The Creed. And to say, that the whole game is just Ezio running around chasing the ones responsible for the murder of his family, which although true can be an understatement. It’s just that but much more, because you are one with that journey with Ezio and get the chance to learn with such a compelling character and absorb the essence of Renaissance Italy.

Not only that, but by putting a playthrough into this which is a masterpiece alone, you’re investing in one of the best videogame trilogy collections ever – The Ezio Trilogy. How our protagonist goes from a bratty young man to a full-fledged master assassin and leader of his own order fighting against the Templars.

Well… this one might make you want to die before you get the chance to play it. Its effect on the player can just be that exceptional. Outlast is often recalled as one of the scariest videogames of all time and for good reason… And you’ll understand just why once you finish this incredible horror game yourself.

But this one is not even on this list because of the ” ooo so scary ” part, but because of what it achieves through that horror – a thorough and candid take on the worst of humanity. All the unfiltered gore, and intestines lying around, are all examples of all the gut-wrenching events that have taken place in reality. You should play this before your time runs out because it can give you the chance to realize the real value of the comfort we take for granted. Or maybe you will just wet your pants. Either way, this is an experience worth having gone through, if you have the balls for it, Of course.

Developed by Red Barrels, this title will put you in the shoes of Miles Upsher, a journalist who goes to the Mount Massive Asylum to investigate at the pointers of an employee from the facility itself, the man on which the DLC of the game Whistleblower is based. You’ll be navigating the nightmarish landscape with nothing but a camcorder with night vision to help you… go through dark places.... with lunatics running around to ensure you stop breathing ASAP – and trust me it’ll only get scarier when you play this horror masterpiece yourself.

Games grant us an escape from our daily lives – from the ‘normal’ to someplace extraordinary. Here we went through some of those games that accomplish exactly that – in the most life-changing ways possible. So be sure to pick these up & have your flourish with the time you spend with them!