Most humans love socializing. When people get together they can share ideas, make memories and build things together. While socializing was once seen as a face-to-face activity though, it can now be done online with social media, YouTube, and, of course, video games leading the charge.
Exploring a virtual world can be incredibly enjoyable by oneself, but even more so when it’s done with friends. It needn’t be an expensive pursuit either thanks to the ever-increasing number of high-quality free-to-play games that are available online. As a result, the only thing that players really need to invest is some quality time with their friends.
Updated January 4, 2021, by Tom Bowen: With more and more publishers opting to go with a free-to-play model for their games these days, it really is a great time to be a gamer. Granted, the model does have its downsides, such as aggressive monetization and the ever-present threat of sudden server shutdowns, but it arguably provides a level of accessibility that just cannot be found in many modern triple-A titles. Games that can be played without charge typically have huge player bases, meaning that it’s always easy to find a match. The fact that many of them now also support crossplay further shortens the amount of time spent lingering in lobbies while also allowing PC players to game with their friends who are playing on other platforms.
Paladins (83)
There are plenty of great team-based hero shooters on the market these days, many of which are free-top-play. Paladins arguably tops the list, however, at least when it comes to good clean fun. There’s also a surprising amount of customization on offer in the title, something that’s not all that common in most modern fps games.
Though perhaps a little too intrusive in its presentation, the monetization in the game really isn’t too bad either, with chests and battle passes offering cosmetic items rather than pay-to-win features. The card system also provides an interesting approach to managing loadouts and really helps to set the game apart from some of its peers.
Halo Infinite (81)
Given that the series is best known for its fantastic multiplayer combat, the decision to make Halo Infinite’s multiplayer mode free-to-play took a lot of people by surprise. Despite one or two teething issues, it offers up an incredibly enjoyable experience, though much of this can be attributed to the introduction of the grappling hook.
How exactly the experience will evolve in the months and years to come remains to be seen, but only a fool would bet against 343 Industries further improving things over time. There are still many classic match types that could be added, for example, not to mention the prospect of new maps, weapons, and arenas.
PlanetSide 2 (84)
PlanetSide 2 once held the Guinness World Record for the largest first-person shooter battle ever fought; with over 1,283 players taking part. The size of the player base has shrunk quite a bit since then, although there are still plenty of people playing the game in 2022.
Sony doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to supporting its MMOs, but, to its credit, the Japanese giant has stood by PlanetSide 2 for almost a decade now. With its crisp visuals and well-refined combat mechanics, it serves as a solid alternative for those who are fed up with the plethora of battle royale games that have flooded the market in recent years.
EVE Online (88)
Although a subscription is required for some of the game’s extended content, the vast majority of the EVE Online experience is completely free to play. Given just how much there is to see and do in the game, it’s hard to argue that it isn’t worth the price of admission.
Best known for its insanely large space battles, EVE Online is one of the largest MMORPGs in existence; both in terms of the size of its player base and the universe that it provides for players to explore. Fans of role-playing owe it to themselves to check this one out, although it will also appeal to fans of sci-fi and space exploration titles as well.
Apex Legends (88)
Released in early 2019, Apex Legends is a free-to-play first-person shooter. It requires a rather sizable 40GB of hard drive space, but is arguably worth every single megabyte; especially for those who just want to casually enjoy a game with their friends. They might have to put a with a few bugs though.
The best part about the game is that it is still relatively new, meaning that it includes plenty of interesting and innovative ideas and mechanics. It’s still receiving regular updates too and features one of the best battle royale modes around. The graphics aren’t too bad either, especially for a free-to-play title.
Destiny 2 (83)
Who wouldn’t want to play a game made by the same developers behind the first few Halo games? Better still, having once required an upfront purchase, Destiny 2 is now free to play on Windows and other platforms and is, therefore, a pretty great game co-op game to enjoy with friends.
It may be almost four years old now, but Bungie plans to continue supporting the game for at least another two years. It has great visuals, solid gameplay mechanics, and many interesting worlds to explore. The only downside, perhaps, is the game’s huge file size; which at over 100GB, may be an issue for some players.
Dota 2 (90)
A lot of people might assume that since Dota 2 was released in 2013, it belongs to the older generation of gamers. That couldn’t be further from the truth though, as, even in 2022, Dota 2 remains a great game to play with friends and caters to a wide range of demographics thanks to its excellent cast of heroes.
Many consider it to be one of the best MOBA games of all time, which, given the competition, is high praise indeed. On top of that, the game is much lighter in size than some other free-to-play titles meaning that it doesn’t take up a lot of hard drive space and won’t require too much processing power to run at sensible frame rates.
Team Fortress 2 (92)
Everybody knows Team Fortress 2, as it is one of the most popular multiplayer games of its era. Despite its advancing years, however, its varied game modes, contrasting character styles, and all-around intuitive nature mean that it’s still a lot of fun to play even today.
One of the game’s other big selling points is its unique art style, which adopts a heavily stylized cartoony approach. It’s incredibly well optimized too meaning that it should run well even on low-end gaming rigs and still looks pretty solid even when compared to some of the more recent multiplayer FPS games.
Path Of Exile (86)
For those who are looking for a hardcore role-playing experience, Path of Exile just might be the best free-to-play co-op action RPG out there. It expertly combines retro elements with modern gameplay features which allows it to appeal to both older and younger generations alike.
On top of that, the game looks beautiful, especially considering it was released almost a decade ago. Path of Exile is an excellent game to play after work or school; role-playing as specific characters and building unique stories together. Many consider it a must-play for RPG fans and one of the most unique co-op titles around.
Valorant (80)
Highly rated by critics yet poorly rated by players, Valorant is a somewhat divisive FPS game that is fairly similar to CS:GO, although different enough to set itself apart. It was created by the developer behind the hugely popular League Of Legends, Riot Games, and is a great game to enjoy with friends.
It was first released back in June of 2020, and, performance-wise, should work well on a wide range of system configurations. Some may be a little deterred by the game’s use of microtransactions, although this is a fairly common trade-off when it comes to free-to-play games.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (83)
The Counter-Strike series laid the foundations on which many modern shooters have been built and played a huge role in the development and advancement of the FPS genre. The latest rendition of the series, CS:GO, is definitely the pick of the bunch and remains one of the most popular shooters on the planet.
It is incredibly well-balanced and acclaimed for its classic, yet modern gameplay which has seen it become a major eSports title. It’s pretty easy on the hardware as well, coming in at around 15GB and able to run well above 60fps without needing a top-of-the-line graphics card.
World of Tanks Blitz (83)
World of Tanks Blitz is a free-to-play MMO that revolves mainly around its vehicular combat. More specifically, tank-based battle. It is a fun game to play with friends, mainly because it is exceptionally light. The game requires only 3GB of storage space and can run with as little as 256MB of RAM.
As a result, the game is one of the most accessible multiplayer titles available and has a huge and active player base. It also supports crossplay, thus allowing PC players to party up with those who are playing the game on mobile or Switch; which is yet another huge benefit to picking it up.
