Eight popular games from the 2000s that are now available for free.
1- Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2, Valve's 2007 smash hit, is now a free game with a devoted fan base. The game promises a fun multiplayer experience with balanced gameplay, well-defined classes, and a reward system for teamwork.
The game is available for download on Steam and, as it was released in 2007, should run smoothly even on older computers. The game is free to play, but players can purchase items and customize their characters through microtransactions.
2- World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft, a historical MMORPG, debuted in 2004 and revolutionized a genre of games by attracting millions of players and telling complex stories. Furthermore, the game features completely online progression mechanics for both the universe in which the game is set as well as the players' own characters and NPCs. There are thousands of quests, several regions to explore and many active players to discover.
World of Warcraft is now available to play for free. The only requirements are an Internet connection (the game is entirely online) and a Battle.net account with Blizzard. The major restriction is that the free game only allows the player to progress to level 20; in order to progress further, you must pay.
3- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO)
Although from 2012, CS: GO deserves mention in the list because it inherits much of the previous games in the series, especially Counter-Strike: Source, from 2004. Huge success, the game is today part of the esports scene and promises combat between teams of terrorists and against -terrorists in game modes with different objectives.
Available for PCs, but also for PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Xbox 360, CS: GO was free in 2018 and is available on the Steam virtual store for free. Like the other titles on the list, the game offers the option for players to purchase cosmetic items (skins) to personalize their experience using real money.
4- League of Legends
Launched in 2009, League of Legends was born from the inspiration of a game mode available in Warcraft 3. LoL took a while to emerge, but later it became a true phenomenon and is still one of the greatest successes of video games today. The title registered the impressive mark of 110 million active players in the monthly average of 2020.
To play MOBA, all the player needs is to download the free client and install the game on the computer, in addition to having stable Internet connectivity. To do well in the title, it takes practice, determination, agility in reactions, and strategy.
5- GunBound
Launched in 2002, the South Korean game is one of the "grandpas" on the list with almost 20 years of history. Betting on a gameplay difficult to find in another game, GunBound consists of a multiplayer artillery game by turns in which the objective is to eliminate the members of the other team.
The game has a mixture of 2D graphics with in-depth ballistic simulation, which affects the trajectory and angles of the projectiles. Also available for mobile phones (under the name of GunBoundM), GunBound was one of the first hits of the lan houses of the 2000s and is completely free to play.
6- Ragnarok Online
Another MMORPG on the list, Ragnarok Online is a 2002 game available for free for PCs that is part of a complex universe: in addition to the effect of the passage of time in the game itself, the story adapted from a manga gave rise to an animated series of TV. There is also the Ragnarok M version, for cell phones.
The game's theme is strongly inspired by Norse mythology - Ragnarok, in the mythological context, would mark the end of the universe - and this also extends to the player's characters. With simple graphics, which place 2D characters in 3D environments, the game is light, has its own Battle Royale, and can be downloaded free of charge on the official website.
7- MU Online
Launched in 2001, MU Online is an MMORPG with isometric graphics and a medieval theme available for PCs. The game consists of creating characters - there are nine different classes - and mainly involves scenarios of the player's combat against monsters, each with skills, points spawn, and different items.
Not very demanding in terms of hardware, MU Online is free, but it offers microtransaction mechanics that players can resort to release items and get more customization of their characters. The game receives constant updates and is already in season 15.
8- Maplestory
From 2003, Maplestory is another MMORPG of South Korean origin on the list. In it, the characters created by the players must defeat monsters in "Maple World" and, like other MMORPGs, there are incentives for the creation of groups and guilds. In addition to the social aspect, the game stands out for its 2D presentation - 2017's MapleStory 2, has 3D graphics - with a community that surpasses 180 million users.
The game also has mobile versions under the name MapleStory M and offers a player versus player gameplay option. Distributed free of charge, the MMORPG offers an online store for the purchase of items and customization with real money.
