Choose one of these titles: Star Wars, The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, or Dragon Age.
Choose one of these titles: Star Wars, The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, or Dragon Age.
I've never played any of these titles before. My setup was a family PC with a 3rd gen i3, and I only had a GT730 at some point. I'm looking for a way to start exploring games I've never played—there are so many options like Yakuza, Far Cry, Assassin's Creed, Halo, Mass Effect, Crysis, Tekken, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Test Drive, Fallout, Diablo, Portal, Crash Bandicoot, Shenmue, Sonic, Silent Hill, Resident Evil. I need to know where to begin.
Among the games I've experienced, here are my impressions: The initial Halo title stood out as a top FPS on consoles during its peak. I haven't commented on the latest titles or PC releases. SF II Turbo impressed me because it didn’t demand extensive memorization to enjoy. Classic Mortal Kombat games also appealed, mainly due to their straightforward combat style, though the AI difficulty felt tougher than AF II Turbo. Fallout New Vegas often receives more praise than its counterparts (3 and 4) for its narrative and mechanics, which seems stronger since it wasn’t developed by Bethesda but was published by them. Diablo II might have been my first dungeon-based looter RPG. I don’t comment on newer Blizzard titles on various platforms—Activision is the only one I know about. Portal 1 and 2 are considered top puzzle games for PC, though that’s less important for players who struggle with patience. Sonic games I’ve played range from original consoles to PC episodics, and I think the later ones keep the same engaging feel. My personal favorite remains Sonic Allstars Racing Transformed, which rivals the best kart titles I’ve tried since Mario Kart Wii. Resident Evil is widely regarded as a top third-person horror experience, but outside of RE3 (or similar), I found the earlier films more captivating, possibly because Milla Jovovich’s presence drew me in more than any character in the game.
Consider starting with Yakuza 0 to gauge your interest in the series. You'll get a better sense of what follows from enjoying 0. Other titles like Far Cry 3 and Blood Dragon might not be worth it unless you enjoy similar themes. Assassin's Creed I and II didn't impress me much either. Mass Effect 1 is a solid choice if you prefer a story-driven experience, but avoid the continuous narrative approach. Andromeda feels underwhelming and misses its potential. Fallout New Vegas stands out as a strong option for modern gaming. Portal is a standout, though the second installment has some drawbacks. Silent Hill suggests skipping the original and trying 2, then revisiting later if you like it. Bethesda games are generally not recommended due to their development challenges.
Mass Effect spans the entire series, which is quite solid. Crysis stands out as a top choice. If you enjoy the narrative in the second and third games, the first remains exceptional. Portal was never my thing, though the original is engaging and memorable. Resident Evil offers a great HD remaster of RE1.
Here’s a refreshed version of your list:
Games spanning Mass Effect 1-3, Fallout 1-New Vegas (last one the least appealing), Portal 1-2, possibly Diablo 1-2. All aimed for compatibility with GT 730. I didn’t include additional titles unless they fit the low-res, stable criteria, and I recommend exploring other genres like RPGs, strategy games, adventures, and lighter 2D or 3D titles that generally run smoothly on older hardware. From what I know, some popular options that work well on most systems include Hades, Dead Cells, Pentiment, Disco Elysium, Shovel Knight, Planescape Torment, Elder Scrolls Morrowind and Oblivion, Tyranny, KOTOR 1-2, Bioshock 1-2, System Shock 2, Half-Life series, Dragon Age Origins, Deus Ex Human Revolution, GTA Vice City, San Andreas, plus several expansions. If you need smoother performance, consider lowering the resolution to 720p and adjusting settings, or even going to minimum for titles like GTA 4+DLCs and Witcher 2.
I've already gone through all the GTA titles, now I'm revisiting the OG trilogy one more time before the new release. GTA 4 didn't really catch my attention, even though some enjoy it and call it "underrated." The PC version suffers from many frame drops, and the driving experience feels unappealing to me—it's not enjoyable. Still, I managed to complete GTA 3 a few days ago after starting it in 2017. I believe it's often overlooked despite its quality. It can get frustrating and challenging sometimes (even with cheats and mods), but the satisfaction after the final scene is unmatched by any other GTA ending. I don't want to spoil anything, but the conclusion really emphasizes that GTA is here to stay. It's even more rewarding if you finish them in order—first Vice City, then San Andreas, then 3. Although it was the most polished at launch and marks the end of the 3D universe from a lore perspective, it offers a calming close. The difficulty varies: most Vice City missions are simple compared to San Andreas, which can be tough but still manageable in about seven years; San Andreas missions are challenging yet playable; GTA 3 lacks a map, making navigation difficult and leading to frequent encounters with gangs and damaged cars. VC stands out as the easiest and best starting point, followed by San Andreas, then III.