Someone plays to relax. Someone wants to face off on their own with friends, family and other gamers from different countries, while someone just likes to expose themselves to the hardest tests imaginable. Why? Why not!

For a gamer, successfully completing the most difficult game is one of the greatest achievements, which he will perceive for a long time as a badge of distinction. In this week's compilation, we take a look at the Top 10 Hardest, Troubled, and Most Powerful Games You Can Imagine. Are you ready to handle them?

10 - Ghosts' n Goblins

For the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), many of the most difficult games have been created (you will find a few more below), and our Top is opened by the first of these 8-bit hits - the Capcom classic - Ghosts' n Goblins. The game stood out for its addictive gameplay, for which accuracy and good memory were a must (as well as luck).

This is a game in which you could disappear for hours, albeit without much results, but at the same time have a good time. What is the moment that makes her so legendary? The whole catch is that after defeating the final boss, you are thrown back to the very beginning, where the player will have to go through these hordes again.

9 - Contra

Another NES game that was simply impossible to cope with as a child, but at the same time, it contributed to our formation as gamers in the future. Contra is an incredibly difficult game that will not let you relax, ruining your plans in any way possible. It's good that the Konami developers cheat code typed during the game splash screen ([Up], [Up], [Down], [Down], [Left], [Right], [Left], [Right], [B], [A],.), Gives you 30 lives instead of the default, which is very encouraging, since you will need each of them to complete the game.

8 - FTL: Faster Than Light

It happens that in a video game some kind of "surprise" can help you. She can help out in a difficult situation, or help defeat a strong enemy. In FTL, surprise is both your best friend and nemesis. You can fly to yourself, enjoy life, when suddenly everything can change dramatically.

There is nothing worse than dealing with the enemy at the moment when your spaceship is smoking with might and main, oxygen evaporates, and the crew of your ship begins to be carried away into outer space. It just looks like chaos.

7 - God Hand

Of all the games on this list, God Hand may be considered the weirdest (sounds ... beats are heard), but no one negates the fact that this excellent beat'em up game will squeeze all the juices out of you and will never let you defeat your enemies.

All thanks to the ingenious balance, which consists in automatically increasing the level of the enemy, after increasing yours. Therefore, no matter how strong you are, danger will still await you.

6 - Mike Tyson's Punch-Out !!

Returning to the NES, we come across the next game on our list. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out !! (or Mr. Dream depending on the version you have installed) was a game I just hated as a kid. My childish mind refused to understand the essence of the gameplay, the characteristic features of which were precision and dexterity of movement.

In addition, it was incredibly difficult for me to pass Glass Joe, and I could only dream of a fight with Iron Mike. Later, I tried to play the game again and felt both joy and deep disappointment, taking an open position in front of the enemy, which gave Little Mac a lot of pleasant sensations.

5 - Ninja Gaiden II

The old version - Ninja Gaiden was, without a doubt, light, but the 128-bit versions took everything to a whole new level, and of them Ninja Gaiden II was the heaviest. Considering the accuracy of the 8-bit version, well-armed enemies, powerful (incredibly powerful) bosses, 3-D platformer - it becomes clear that this was a game that really tested the gamer for strength, and it was considered a real achievement to complete it.

4 - Ikaruga

Bullet-hell games are never meant to be easy to play, and no matter how many games in this genre are on this list, none of them would match the heart-pounding high intensity of Ikaruga. You will not only have to dodge enemy fire, but also take into account the polarity of the ship, switch colors in order to neutralize any oncoming bullet, avoiding color mismatches. This game is difficult from the beginning, and only pro gamers will have to do it.

3 - F-Zero GX

Among all the games on this list, F-Zero GX plays a special role for me, since I played it for a whole year and a half, observing all its possibilities, at the same time admiring its complexity. Even the normal mode will test your reflexes, and there are also 2 difficulty levels, each of which requires seconds of precision and calculation to win.

The action takes place as you descend along a twisty path for 1 max, while overtaking 29 other rivals, very aggressive racers, and you admit to yourself that this is the most difficult racing game ever created.

2 - Shinobi

I don't know what is wrong with ninjas, but if you are on the lookout for challenges, you can't go wrong with a game that mentions shadow warriors. And undoubtedly the hardest of them all is Shinobi on PlayStation 2. The brutal battles and challenging platforming make this game really difficult to play, but those who have played it for a long time perceive the game as a classic that has not received the attention it deserves. But we love you, Shinobi, and we give you the honorable second place in our ranking of the most difficult games ever.

1 - Battletoads

And our rating ends with another game that has enriched the NES - Rare's Battletoads. This game is completely unknown due to the fact that it surpassed the limits of the so-called "NES-difficulty", causing a lot of trouble for both beginners and experienced players in the past. Until now, Battletoads remains an ordeal, a game worth playing for a person who considers himself a hardcore gamer.

Which game got you in trouble? Write in the comments below!

11/16/2016 at 18:52 · Pavlofox · 15 310

The most demanding PC games of 2016

Attention gamers are presented the most demanding games onPC 2016 of the year.

10.

Battlefield 1 opens the top ten most demanding games on PC in 2016. The game takes its detail, picture quality, and not the number of shots, shouts, groans, explosions. No wonder the background sound in battle was removed in this part. In the midst of a tense battle, sometimes there is a lull, which incredibly plunges you into the atmosphere of the terrible events of the last century.

9.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is a very demanding game designed for top-end computers. The picture in the new Call of Duty is as realistic as possible on the current engine. And it's not just about CG videos, which are certainly available here. Most of the screensavers are made on the game engine and look just fine. It will also be possible to evaluate the "grafon" at locations. After all, you have to wander not only along dark corridors or destroyed buildings. You will often fly into space, which means you will enjoy the views of other planets and, of course, actively participate in battles.

8.

Quantum Break is a game designed for the most powerful PCs. Quantum Break was originally planned as a hybrid of a video game and a television project. The entire game is divided into five acts, each with several distinct levels. After passing the next act, the player is briefly allowed to become the main villain and make a responsible decision that will determine how further events will develop. The slowing and stopping time effects in Quantum Brake are perhaps the most beautiful of all available in modern games. Refractions of space spreading along the chronofield in all directions of the wave, "soap bubbles" inside which time slows down, stars smeared across the sky with bright lines, optical distortions created by a miniature black hole - this is just a small part of what you will be able to see in the game.

7.

It is a sequel to the shooter Deus Ex. The new part of the computer game is recognized as one of the most demanding for 2016. Much of the history of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided takes place in Prague, where Adam's apartment, OG 29 unit, the Machine God Church, a brothel, a bank and other important objects are located. Solo missions in Dubai, Golem and then in the cold snows serve for a variety of visuals and gameplay. Separately, it is worth mentioning a truly amazing puzzle mission in virtual reality, which in its admiration for cubes refers to the world of Portal. The levels have become significantly lower compared to the previous part, but this does not disappoint at all due to the complex and interesting structure, many approaches and an extensive electronic protection system. Moreover, due to the nonlinearity of solving some of the tasks, you simply cannot investigate some of the objects in detail, having received what you need through the dialogue system.

6.

Mirror’ s Edge 2: Catalyst is one of the most powerful PC games today with impressive and unrivaled graphics. The main distinguishing feature of Mirror's Edge is its mechanics, and in Catalyst it has been preserved as accurately as possible. Jumps feel the same as before, and with them rolls, pull-ups and running along the walls. However, much has changed for the better. Probably the key innovation was the "cat-hook", which helps to cling to special "points" in the game world. Even though you can't use the grappling hook everywhere, it still greatly revives the familiar gameplay, adding new opportunities while escaping from opponents or, on the contrary, attacking. In the new part, the streets became more lively, the roofs were filled with many small details, and the architecture took another step towards futuristic minimalism.

5.

Tom Clancy’ s The Division included in the list of the most demanding games on PC in 2016. Special squad agents will have to save the city and restore order in it. Almost immediately, the player gets to the base of operations. It is the development of the headquarters that affects what opportunities the user has. At first, there are only a couple of merchants there and there are three non-functioning blocks: medical, technical and security. Each of them has its own storyline and side missions, for which they give points for "pumping" the necessary departments of the base. The main advantages of the game are a fascinating cooperative; impressive graphics, especially weather and lighting; many indicators that you want to improve with new uniforms; the presence of a matchmaking system in all modes.

4.

Assassins Creed: Syndicate - one of the most demanding games on PC 2106. The plot of the story of Assassin's Creed: Syndicate is surprisingly good. There are elements from the previous parts, like chasing enemies through the sewers, you surrender to kill the target, or use hidden opportunities for the most effective crime. Sometimes the game starts to resemble Uncharted with bright explosions, train wrecks and other effects. New mechanics that allow you to quickly move between buildings and climb tall buildings using the zipline makes it easier not only to move around the city, but also makes the game a little more dynamic. The same cannot be said about crewed missions. Races on city streets look beautiful only in roller skates. In reality, you are constantly stuck in the corners of the streets, knocking down passers-by and rather primitively pushing the enemy's carts.

3.

DOOM 2016 opens the top three most demanding PC games this year. With the release of DOOM, id software was able to recall the fact that it was once a technology trendsetter in the gaming market. The new DOOM looks and sounds great - just take a look at these screenshots and imagine all this in a frantic dynamic. There is literally nothing to find fault with, there are no complaints about the stunning animation, or the magnificent brutal dismemberment. But, most importantly, unlike 90% of modern games, all this beauty is almost flawlessly optimized and even in the most intense and brightest moments, the game feels great at maximum resolution, not allowing the frame counter to drop below, both on PC and on consoles.

2.

Watch Dogs 2 - one of the most demanding games on PC 2016. Inconsistencies in the plot logic and gameplay follow the story until the very end, but much more important is that Watch Dogs 2 does not seem to have a common story - in fact, we have a set of motley missions that do not intersect directly. In addition, the creators could not get around their favorite theme with hallucinogens, so one very strange episode awaits you with a pack of laughing mushrooms. The gameplay continues to use the concept of stealth action in the open world. All the main tasks come to your smartphone in the form of messages with a link to the city map. The authors really want you to use vehicles, so they block fast travel to the required point. If you are outside the quest, you can easily bypass this limitation by selecting one of the adjacent icons with a side task (like a motorcycle race), teleport and from there quickly run to the desired place.

1.

Forza Horizon 3 tops the rating of the most demanding PC games in 2016. The developers have deepened and expanded not only the controls and sensitivity, but also many other elements of the world in Forza Horizon 3. First, the world itself: it has become twice as wide as the coast of France and Italy from FH 2, The territory is huge, it includes forests, desert-sandy branchy roads, slides, jumps and, of course, virgin asphalt, playfully winking at fans of speed, flying at full steam. Villages, towns, water, incredible beauty of the sky - everything is drawn in a pleasantly high quality, each element of virtual Australia fulfills its intended purpose - it creates an atmosphere and true beauty of life. The change of weather and time of day is also perfectly implemented.

What else to see:

The release of each new game is necessarily accompanied by questions on the forums about its optimization: it is important for gamers to know how well the project works on various configurations and how efficiently it uses computer resources.

A well-optimized game is a game that demonstrates a stable frame rate on low- and high-performance systems, has a wide range of settings, and also scales performance with increasing PC power - that is, it will show an acceptable FPS on a weak system, and a top-end computer will load 100 %, with the corresponding improvement of the picture.

In this article, we have collected the most optimized PC games of the last five years - there is no point in delving further into the past, since any modern gaming system can easily deal with the most unoptimized project of five to ten or more years ago.

2013

Crysis 3

The game, which prompted many to upgrade the PC, since it was one of the first to require mandatory support for DirectX 11, it demonstrates impressive graphics, and also contains a wide range of settings that allow you to find the perfect balance between a beautiful picture and good performance. What can I say, in some scenes Crysis 3 looks better than some modern AAA games.

BioShock Infinite

One of the best story-driven shooters in the history of the gaming industry pleases with a beautiful picture, a large number of graphics settings, and support for many modern technologies. The engine itself is well optimized, and in the right hands it demonstrates performance wonders, which is what happened with BioShock Infinite.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist

Tomb raider

Brand new adventures delight gamers not only with a variety of situations and exciting gameplay, but also with excellent graphics, good work with multi-core processors and innovative technologies - for example, the TressFX option, which makes Lara's hair soft and silky better than any shampoo.

Battlefield 4

DICE knows its Frostbite engine like no other. Therefore, games get perfect optimization. This also applies to the fourth part: in the settings of the shooter, the gamer will find many options that will help to set the parameters necessary for good performance. If this doesn't seem enough, you can find tips on how to edit the config file on the game forums, which will further increase the frequency.

2014

Elite: Dangerous

Ryse: Son of Rome

The exclusive Xbox One that moved to PC gave gamers a fascinating history of a Roman legionnaire, impressed and pleased with its good scalability, thanks to which the game is perfectly optimized for weak PCs and at the same time is capable of loading a powerful system in high definition - up to 4K.

Dragon age: inquisition

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

The Nemesis system, which gave "memory", was not the only feature of the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor action: the game also distinguished itself with good performance and a flexible range of settings. Owners of weak gaming PCs got the opportunity to enjoy an excellent fantasy story with a comfortable fps rate, while owners of top-end systems were waiting for advanced graphics settings and 4K textures.

Alien: Isolation

2015

Star Wars: Battlefront

Mad max

The case when the setting of the game became the reason for good optimization: the world of Mad Max is a wasteland, so there is simply nothing to load the "hardware" there. At the same time, the excellent design of the locations and the general atmosphere make the game impressively beautiful in its dark charm. Moreover, it works without problems on weak PCs.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void

The final game of the StarCraft 2 trilogy not only brought a massive story campaign to an end, but also got new graphical improvements and support for 4K resolution. In addition, I paid special attention to the optimization of the part (the most important element of the game sharpened for multiplayer) and at the same time kept the system requirements of the strategy at the level of the previous parts of the trilogy.

Grand theft auto v

PC gamers had to wait for Grand Theft Auto V for a long year and a half, while the owners of the consoles were already enjoying the adventures of the three main characters with might and main, but the wait was worth it: they released a project that was perfect in gameplay and technical terms. The game contains a huge number of settings, each clearly showing changes in graphics and video memory consumption. Thanks to excellent optimization, GTA V runs stably on weak computers, and can also load powerful systems to the eyeballs, with a corresponding improvement in the visual part.

2016

Need for speed

Titanfall 2

The developers of Titanfall 2 have released a beautiful, dynamic and undemanding shooter, which implements adrenaline races on the walls and epic battles. "Old Man" 2 in the able hands of Respawn Entertainment produces an excellent picture and at the same time pleases with a consistently high frame rate per second on any game configurations.

Stellaris

Paradox has released a beautiful, large-scale and fun, which contains an extensive selection of settings and easily adapts to different configurations of gaming systems. Sure, in the most epic battles on slower PCs, frame drops can occur, but most of the time, players enjoy a smooth picture without any performance issues.

Battlefield 1

One of the most beautiful online shooters, exploiting such a rare topic in the gaming industry. Battlefield 1 has excellent graphics, easily unleashes the potential of the most powerful hardware, and also has no network code issues. But it is worth noting that the environment system is very CPU-intensive, so for ultra-settings it is better to get the appropriate components.

Overwatch

Blizzard knows how to make good multiplayer games. And he also knows how to optimize them: the online shooter Overwatch will start even on the office, and the owners of powerful systems will be given the opportunity to unscrew the settings to the maximum and get quite modern graphics combined with excellent performance. The authors have not forgotten about the network part, so you are not threatened with connection drops and high.

The division

Gears of War 4

The sequel to the famous third-person action series is at the forefront of technological progress: Unreal Engine 4, DirectX 12, support for all kinds of graphics "goodies" and 4K-resolution. Plus, it's also a great game with a fun co-op campaign and addictive multiplayer. It is worth considering that to run the shooter, you will need to install Windows 10.

Doom

Hurricane shooter Doom pleases gamers not only with beauties and detailed from Hell, but also with excellent optimization that can reveal the performance of any computer. Thanks to the support of various APIs (openGL, DirectX 12, Vulkan) and graphics technologies, the game is able to flexibly adapt to different configurations and demonstrate a comfortable fps (which is very important in battles with demons and in network mode) on both weak and powerful configurations.

2017

Destiny 2

The popular online shooter works great on any PC configuration, and is also easily scalable for powerful systems. Bungie has added support for all possible technologies to the game, as a result of which the PC version of Destiny 2 demonstrates technological superiority over the console versions. Combine that with 4K performance and a stable 60fps even on low-end systems and you have one of the most optimized games ever.

Forza Motorsport 7

Star Wars: Battlefront 2

And again, the Frostbite 3 engine, which has established itself as one of the most productive. Online shooter Star Wars: Battlefront 2, dedicated to battles in the Star Wars universe, works well on configurations with outdated components, copes well with multithreading, contains many sliders in the graphics settings section, allowing you to find the perfect balance between beautiful pictures and high frame rates in give me a sec. On the technical side, there are no complaints about the game, and microtransactions are a thing of the past.

Injustice 2

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

The sequel to the shooter about the adventures of the brave fighter William Blaskowitz, who fights against the Nazis occupying the entire planet, demonstrates excellent performance on any configuration: the game will run stably at maximum graphics settings on a four-year-old budget gaming video card, while producing a bright, juicy picture. Of course, the top-end "hardware" shooter is also capable of loading to capacity, if available.

2018

Final fantasy xv

Far cry 5

Far Cry 5 is the sequel to Ubisoft's popular shooter series. Players will travel to the American hinterland and confront a creepy cult. The pristine nature of Montana and the bright explosions that illuminate the cultist bases consume a lot of computer resources, but the game works great on PCs that are weak by modern standards.

Monster Hunter: World

Shadow of the tomb raider

A new chapter in the adventures of the famous Lara Croft offers neither more nor less - to prevent the end of the world, while enjoying the amazing landscapes of South America. Owners of powerful PCs will definitely appreciate the support for RTX technologies, including DXR and DLSS.

PC gaming isn't just limited to the desktop. These games will run smoothly on both laptops and outdated PCs.

Many of us have been in a situation where we want to play PC titles, and we only have a laptop with us, which can only pull simple games. It will launch, for example, Doom, but we have already played this game several times. I want something new. Where can you find a selection of the best games for PCs with integrated graphics or for a gaming laptop? On our website.

Here is a list of the best games with low system requirements - games in which you can immerse yourself for several hundred hours and not worry about your device not being able to handle them. Almost every genre is represented here: adventure, action, strategy, puzzle, and even Mount & Blade (whatever genre it belongs to). You won't find particularly demanding projects like The Witcher 3 and PUBG on the list (it's better to play them on a regular PC), but there are plenty of options without them.

In addition to the titles collected here, we recommend that you check out the list of all games released on GOG since 2004. If you haven’t played, say, Half-Life 2, then know that your laptop can easily handle it. And if you are interested in classics, then take a look at the Internet Archive portal, where there is an in-browser emulator and an impressive library of games, which includes such hits as Prince of Persia, Wolfenstein 3D, The Oregon Trail and many others.

We also recommend reading articles with collections and games of the genre "". Before installing each game, we advise you to check the system requirements, and if we forgot to mention your favorite game that fits into this topic, write about it in the comments.

Dropouts from the main list

Developer: Failbetter Games Buy

Another game with lots of text inserts that should run on any electronics that has a built-in screen. This is a sequel to the browser-based text adventure game from Failbetter Games, in which there was significantly more action, but at the same time the emphasis on history remained. Explore an underground ocean in a Victorian world full of devilry, then crash your ship and start over.

Developers: Dennaton Games Buy

In its place could have been any indie game made entirely in 2D. Why did we choose Hotline Miami? Firstly, because it is gorgeous, and secondly, like most indie games, it will run on any device with a color display. But there is one important nuance: you must play it with headphones or with speakers, because Hotline Miami is famous, among other things, for its amazing soundtrack.

The most obvious candidate for this list, but I just couldn't help but include FTL here, as it is one of the best games in the one more fight and I'm going to sleep genre. This space simulator invites us to take control of a spaceship bound for an important mission. You have to correctly allocate resources and fight your way through the entire galaxy.

You can pause the game at any time, which is very convenient if you downloaded it to your laptop, and simple graphics means no lags and freezes. But keep in mind that taking the game with you on the road is fraught with serious consequences ... After all, after each loss, you will probably want to fight at least one more battle.

Developer: Subset Games Buy

This phenomenal, small turn-based strategy game from the creators of FTL, the beloved PC Gamer of 2018. You just want to replay it, using different mechanical units and mastering new tactics. As we said in our review: “Demanding, excruciating, difficult and rewarding game. A small Into The Breach contains a huge amount of ideal strategy. ”

Developer: Mega Crit Games Buy

A roguelike card game that you get used to quickly. It uses the strategic fun of board games, combined with the intricacies of games like The Binding of Isaac and Risk of Rain, in which finding random items can change the course of the game. If you hit a lucky combination, you can become a terrible card god. Like the best roguelike and board games, Slay the Spire gives players absolute delight when you get a devastating combo.

Enemies that once seemed threatening now fall to their knees in front of you. This game is fun to play over and over again thanks to the unlocks: stronger cards for each type of deck, as well as protagonists who play differently from each other.

Developer: Wadjet Eye Buy

New adventure game from Blackwell developers, Wadjet Eye, is one of their best creations. They have demons, exorcism, light RPG elements that influence the plot. Here's an excerpt from our review: “Unavowed is another fantastic adventure game from Wadjet Eye. It's great to see studio founder Dave Gilbert back on top. Humor was not always my taste, and the voice acting in some places was not very good.

Other than that, this is a great example of modern point-and-click adventure. The addition of character customization and companions are small things, but they change the atmosphere of the game tremendously, even if other aspects, such as puzzles, seem to be a thing of the past. "

Developer: Buried Signal Buy

An ingenious puzzle game that creator Jason Roberts spent years developing and designing. Through his puzzles, Gorogoa tells an interesting story that makes it stand out from the rest of the genre. As we wrote in our review of this game, “The plot provides an interesting, controversial basis for exploring repetitive patterns. You try to create a complete picture out of the available details, filling in the gaps yourself ... Fantastic interaction between plot and game design. "

Developer: Ludomotion

A surprisingly inventive roguelike that will run even on computers with integrated graphics. Unexplored retained the complex and interconnected systems that made roguelike projects of the ASCII era replayable, like magical scrolls and potions that you can create yourself. But here these elements are not presented in text format, but in an intuitive interface.

The battles in the game do not take place in turn-based mode, but in real time. You can pause the game to think about further actions, but you also need a reaction to gracefully deal with enemies with your melee weapons (by the way, each type of attack has a separate animation).

The real innovation of Unexplored lies in the procedural generation of a world story linking dungeons and hinting at the rivals we will meet in the future. Each dungeon here is a truly unique place with its own backstory, which is extremely rare in this genre.

Developer: Asymmetric Buy

One of the funniest games of 2017 and probably the funniest RPG in our memory. In this project, you explore the world for new jokes, not for loot. Jokes are scattered all over the world here, they are even in the settings menu, and finding new jokes is a pleasure. In addition, West of Loathing has a strong RPG component, and the playable classes are very different from the standard ones - how do you like the Bean Thrower and the Cow Hunter, for example?

As we wrote in the game review: “Flush the toilet for experience points, search a haystack for a needle, or go to the mine to find meat ore (meat in West of Loathing is the backbone of the economy), and then insult your reflection in the mirror to enter berserk mode and receive an attack buff. And be sure to explore every corner of West of Loathing, but not for the sake of pumping characteristics and new weapons, equipment and hats (there are more than 50 of them!), But for the endless jokes, each of which is funnier than the previous one. "

Developer: StudioMDHR Buy

Perhaps the most beautiful game that can be played on a laptop or weak computer. A distinctive feature of the project is hand-drawn and animated 2D graphics in the spirit of classic cartoons. Cuphead says hello to Gunstar Heroes and other platformers from the 90s, inviting us to fight incredibly difficult bosses, each with multiple phases.

If defeats do not upset you and are ready to memorize the order of actions of bosses in order to defeat them, then you will have a great pastime. That there is only an amazing soundtrack and visual style of the game, inspired by animation from the beginning of the last century.

Developer: tobyfox Buy

The breakout game of 2015, which turned the entire RPG genre upside down, owes its popularity to the fact that the game could even be played on a toaster. And I don’t mean to say that it looks bad or that we didn’t like the gameplay. For those familiar with the rules of the RPG genre and the hackneyed ones found in every other game, Undertale has become a bright, enchanting and delightful swan song that makes us rethink all our gaming habits.

Go on a date with a skeleton, tame (or kill) dogs, and reflect on the plight of a mouse devoid of cheese. Undertale will make you doubt every choice you make, except of course your local shopping choices.

Developer: Red Hook Studios Buy

A brilliant and tense strategy in which we have to wander through dungeons, literally saturated with the spirit of Lovecraft, which is expressed in an ingenious presentation of the plot and in frightening quests. When your squad comes face to face with the horrors of the dungeons, its members are stressed, and the more stressful, the more likely the heroes will start to lose their minds. All of this creates constant tension.

What if the plague doctor is the most reliable member of the squad, but he constantly insults his comrades, increasing their stress level? The deaths of characters in Darkest Dungeon are usually harsh enough, but you will find that it is not so easy to break away from the game, even if you just saw a whole squad of heroes died in front of your eyes.

Developer: Terrible Toybox Buy

This is a point-and-click adventure game from Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island author Ron Gilbert. It is full of mysteries that no game in this direction can do without, but it gives players freedom of movement and choice, so you can always find a new path if you get stuck in any episode. In my review, I called it "a quality adventure with creative puzzles, weird but engaging characters and an intriguing storyline with a touch of mysticism."

Developer: ConcernedApe Buy

The indie sensation that brought the farming life from Harvest Moon to the PC. Build your farm, turn it into a real vegetable empire, explore the world around you, spy on neighbors, fall in love and start a family. The graphics are pretty simple in this game, so it's guaranteed to run on a laptop, and it's also a great way to keep yourself busy on long flights.

N ++

Developer: Metanet Software Buy

A cute platformer with a billion levels. Okay, actually there are fewer of them. About a thousand, but if you count all the levels that modders have created, then a billion is not far. As I wrote about N ++ right after the game hit the PC, “it's more of a toy that you take out from time to time to get purely aesthetic pleasure. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable platformer experiences. "

Developer: Suspicious Developments Buy

Created by former PC Gamer editor Tom Francis, who previously released Gunpoint, Heat Signature is a gameplay that consists of stealthy infiltration of spaceships and battles with the crews of these ships, where everything comes to hand. In our review of the game, we wrote this: “Heat Signature encourages creativity by continually increasing difficulty, just like a good immersive sim should.

I constantly share with my friends the stories of incredible robberies, in which all decisions were made on a hot head. Heat Signature manages to create a lot of memorable situations in a procedurally generated universe. "

Developer: inXile Entertainment Buy

A sequel to Planescape: Torment? It sounded too good to be true, but inXile took the engine on which Obsidian built their Pillars of Eternity and recreated the Torment world in RPG format, where almost everything we loved the original was preserved in. Fortunately for all laptop owners, the game is not particularly demanding on the hardware, and therefore anyone can get acquainted with it.

In our review, we wrote the following: “A slow start flows smoothly into a thoughtful adventure in a memorable setting. An excellent sequel to the classic RPG. "

Developers: Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl Buy

The original version of the game looks like it could run on anything, but oddly enough, it used up all the CPU power, overloading the system. Its remake, titled Rebirth, feels quite comfortable on weak computers and laptops, thanks to a new engine that gave us a new visual style, wider rooms and a lot of new content.

2D games like The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth are usually designed specifically for weak systems, and if you like games with procedural generating items and rooms in which you only have one life, be sure to check out Dungeons of Dredmor, Spelunky, FTL and Rogue Legacy. And when you are hopelessly addicted to this drug, move on to the add-ons for The Binding of Isaac: I'm talking about Afterbirth and Afterbirth.

Developer: Valve Buy

I could include almost any game in the Source engine here, since it works fine on modern legacy systems. (Possibly because it itself is already outdated). Half-Life 2 with all the new visual mods no longer fits this category, while Portal 2 remains one of the funniest and most inventive puzzles, even if you play it at 800x600 resolution and the lowest graphics settings.

After all, it's not the fancy visuals that matter here, but the amazing voice acting by Steven Merchant, J.K.Simmons and Ellen McLain, and that potato episode.

Developer: Mojang Buy

Most often, laptop owners ask the same question on the network: "Will Minecraft run on it?" And the answer is simple: "Most likely, yes." Mojang's cube world is not very demanding on systems, and it is ideal for killing a couple of hours in it - especially if you have an urgent article about games with low system requirements hanging on your nose.

Recently, it is usually played on tablets, consoles or smartphones, but you can download a set of mods and the latest updates, and then run it on your PC. You will find the link.

Developer: Firaxis Games Buy

If you choose games for your outdated computer, then it is better to stay on the Civilization series, namely the penultimate part. But do not blame us for the fact that the game will tighten you so much that you forget about sleep and breakfast, trying to wipe the insidious Gandhi off the face of the earth. The fourth part works great on a laptop, and if your gadget can handle this game, then you should look at other similar games - for example, the fantasy Endless Legend from Amplitude Studios and Age of Wonders III from Triumph.

Developer: SEGA Buy

What's so great about the 2008 game? The fact that it was released in 2008, which means it does not need a powerful gaming system. Valkyria Chronicles is a great tactical RPG that is a lot like Firaxis' XCOM reboot. And the beautiful art style on the PC looks just mesmerizing. This is one of those JRPGs that every fan of the genre should try out (this also includes Trails in the Sky and Falcom's Y-series).

Developer: Technocrat Games Buy

Wadjet Eye, in conjunction with publisher Adventure Game Studio, continues to produce high-quality, modern adventure games that modestly require a "Pentium or higher" processor. If you are not reading this article from a pager, then chances are high that you will be able to run Technobabylon from Technocrat Games. A point-and-click adventure set in a cyberpunk setting is set in the near future. (Follow the link for a full overview.)

Developer: Klei Entertainment Buy

Studio Klei managed to master it on the first try, releasing Mark of the Ninja - a striking platformer with ninjas in the lead role, which easily bypasses most 3D stealth games. And you don't need a powerful gaming system to run it - it runs surprisingly fast, even on older PCs.

Developer: TaleWorlds Entertainment Buy

Most resources describe the Mount & Blade project from TaleWorlds as a "role-playing strategy with sandbox and simulation elements", and this is one of those games that has acquired a decent number of fans who, even several years after release, continue to play it.

You should opt for Warband if you are determined to fight the bandits on horseback (in fact, this is the same original, but with additional content). Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord promises more advanced graphics, but if you don't mind outdated visuals, Warband, along with all the mods, will captivate you for months to come.

Developer: Infinite Fall Buy

A touching and sometimes sad story about crimes, solving mysteries and trying to fit into an alien and cold world. Night in the Woods attracts not so much with its riddles, but rather lively and deep characters, as well as melancholic atmosphere. Walk on power lines, fool around with old buddies, disappoint your parents, and fight the system.

The pace of the game will seem too slow at first, but over time you will get used to it. If you have a long train journey ahead of you, and it is pouring rain outside your window, then you will not find a better game.

Developer: 2 × 2 Games Buy

Don't be fooled by the cute looks of the units: this is a serious WWII-themed strategy game set on the Eastern Front. Of course, the cute interface is confusing, and at first glance, you might not understand that this is a deep war game. If you've wanted to try this genre for a long time, but have always been intimidated by overly detailed menus, then Unity can be your first step in the realm of war games.

Developer: Inkle, Cape Guy Buy

80 Days is a great retelling of Jules Verne's classic Around the World in 80 Days, and you'll spend most of your time reading. It is a novel, rightly noted for one of the best gaming scenarios of 2015, in which there are also elements of strategy - you need to plan your journey yourself. I recommend running it on a laptop to fully appreciate the artistic style, read the text easily and carry it with you at all times while on the road or while waiting.

Developer: Noumenon Games Buy

Snakebird is another game that tries to mislead us with its cute art style. In fact, this is one of the most difficult puzzles in the history of the genre. The mechanics themselves are quite simple - move the heroes around the level to eat all the fruits, and then head towards the exit, but the design of the puzzles makes you wonder, because even at first glance, simple levels can be a task for several hours.

If you don't mind straining your gyrus well, then Snakebird simply has to become your pocket game.

Developer: Yacht Club Games Buy

When you stumble upon Shovel Knight by accident, you know you've found a real treasure. This emotion is comparable to the feeling when you rummage through a collection of old NES games that your parents bought, and for the first time you find Mega Man or DuckTales. But this game is much better because it has more secrets, more interesting mechanics and more unexpected artistic tricks that games from the 8-bit era simply were not capable of.

Difficult but fair to the player, Shovel Knight delights us with comfortable controls that fit the keyboard wonderfully. And its stylistics under the 8-bit projects of the past means compatibility with any computers and laptops.

Developer: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd., Abstraction Games Buy

I try not to overdo it with the visual novels, but Danganronpa definitely deserves a spot on the list as it is one of the most talked about and wackiest Japanese novels in recent years. The set includes two games from the series at once: Trigger Happy Havoc and Goodbye Despair.

And in my review, I tried to briefly describe the plot of the first part: “An insane and perverse villain named Monokuma, who appears in the guise of a mechanical bear, catches the students of the school and makes them play a creepy game. The only way to leave this place, or, as he says, “graduate”, is to kill another student. " And everything was delivered at the highest level.

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment Buy

The cRPG industry is reviving again, which should delight all gamers with weak computers. Some games, like the luxurious and completely three-dimensional Divinity: Original Sin, turn out to be a little demanding on systems, while others squeeze the most out of the Infinity Engine without burdening the players' computers.

With pre-rendered backgrounds and relatively modest visuals, Pillars of Eternity runs on medium-sized cars as well. Yes, its requirements are slightly higher than those of Baldur’s Gate’s or Planescape: Torment’s, but from the very beginning you get a pleasant-looking game that does not require installing a lot of additional visual mods. Read our full Obsidian RPG review in the vein of old projects, and check out Shadowrun: Dragonfall from Harebrained Schemes.

Developer: Blizzard Play

As long as you have Wi-Fi, Blizzard's card game is still considered the king of the genre on PC without any problems. Regular updates keep Hearthstone up-to-date. Plus, it's completely free (except for the in-game store), so you can start playing right now.

Want to know which games will squeeze all the juice out of your iron? Now you will find out: the guys at GameSpot have selected 18 of the most graphically demanding games.

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For the analysis, they used the comparative test, as well as the Fraps program. The main criterion in the order of exposure was the average frame rate. The lower the score, the higher the game is on the list. To get the most out of the PC, they played at 4K (3840x2160) resolution and at their highest graphics settings. Even anti-aliasing was turned to the maximum, which, in fact, does not affect 4K in any way. The purpose of this experiment was not to select the optimal settings - the journalists wanted to crank everything to the maximum and see how the game would behave on a powerful computer.

The only setting that was decided to be turned off is vertical sync, and for the sole purpose of not being limited by the 60Hz monitor. The journalists spent five minutes in each game, and so that the speed of the Internet did not affect the download process in any way, they tested only the single mode. We also abandoned various mods.

It was decided to take the following basis for the future computer: Bulldog 2.0 from Corsair, which includes:

• Mini-ITX Z270 motherboard
• Liquid cooling system Corsair Hydro Series H6 SF CPU
• 600 watt power supply

Added to this set:

• Intel Core i7-7700K Quad Core 4.2GHz
• RAM DDR4 16GB 2133GHz Dual Channel
• Corsair & MS Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Overclocked to 1683MHz, 8GB GDDR5X Memory, Water Cooled

Many of the selected games are multi-platform projects, some of which, admittedly, have not been well optimized on PC. The degree to which a game performs well on a PC as opposed to consoles is difficult to determine. And if in this matter many people rely only on the visual component, then in this article the authors decided to mention only numbers.

18th place: Doom

• Developer: id Software
• Game Engine: id Tech 6
• Release date: May 13, 2016
• Minimum FPS: 47
• Maximum FPS: 91
• Average FPS: 65.2

Doom looks hellishly beautiful, and thanks in large part to the id Tech 6 engine, which suits PC very well. At the very beginning, we were shooting monsters, at 4K resolution and maximum settings, the game averaged 65.2 FPS. The lowest score is 47, which will naturally force many players to lower their graphics settings. But overall, the gameplay was pleasant enough.

17th place: GTA V

• Developer: Rockstar North
• Game Engine: RAGE
• Release date: April 14, 2015
• Minimum FPS: 16
• Maximum FPS: 270
• Average FPS: 60.9

GTA V has very diverse settings, you can tweak the quality of textures, shaders, tessellation, and even increase the number of people on the streets. When we set the maximum values, our car tensed very much. Fortunately, the GTX 1080 handles this game as well. As a result, the average FPS is 60.9. There were no jumps in the frame rate in the game, the game did not stumble, although it produced 16 FPS once.

16th place: Just Cause 3

• Developer: Avalanche Studios
• Game Engine: Avalanche Engine
• Release date: December 1, 2015
• Minimum FPS: 44
• Maximum FPS: 381
• Average FPS: 55.9

Just Cause 3 is a huge game with an equally huge open world and landscapes rich in variety. The Avalanche Engine allowed for complex physics; in the game you can blow up and destroy whatever your heart desires. And this, in turn, has a significant impact on performance. As a result, Just Cause 3 was the first game to deliver an average of only 60 FPS. And even with these 55.9 it was pleasant to play, no frequency jumps were noticed.

15th place: Battlefield 1

• Developer: EA DICE
• Game Engine: Frostbite 3
• Release date: October 21, 2016
• Minimum FPS: 42
• Maximum FPS: 68
• Average FPS: 55.5

Battlefield 1 came out last year and almost caught up with Just Cause 3 with 55.5 average FPS. We played the first few minutes of the single player campaign, and, admittedly, the game looked very realistic at maximum settings. Frostbite 3 allowed the game to be kept fairly stable and the FPS did not fall below 42.

14th place: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

• Developer: CD Projekt RED
• Game Engine: REDengine 3
• Release date: May 19, 2015
• Minimum FPS: 24
• Maximum FPS: 52
• Average FPS: 39.9

The Witcher 3 is a great game. And all thanks to the artistic and sophisticated engine REDengine 3. The game has a variety of graphical settings that allow you to change the quality of hair, volumetric light and depth of effects. While we were riding a horse and admiring the forest landscapes, we noticed how gorgeous the lighting effects in this game are: the sun's rays peeped through the branches of the trees. And all this beauty, of course, comes at a price. The average FPS is almost 40, and we thought that this would be the minimum figure, but no, at one point the frequency dropped to 24.

13th place: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

• Developer: Bluehole
• Release date: March 2017 (Early Access)
• Minimum FPS: 26
• Maximum FPS: 51
• Average FPS: 38.5

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is one of the most visually impressive games on this list and, unfortunately, is very system-intensive. 100 players.Our powerful enough computer produced an average of 38 FPS.Hopefully, the developing project will be improved and optimized.

12th place: Hellblade: Senua "s Sacrifice

• Developer: Ninja Theory
• Game Engine: Unreal Engine 4
• Release date: 8 August 2017
• Minimum FPS: 32
• Maximum FPS: 43
• Average FPS: 37.2

The most recent game on this list is Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice from Ninja Theory. The game has a very realistic face of the protagonist, which fits perfectly into the harsh and frightening surroundings of the surrounding world. However, all this beauty greatly affects performance. Average FPS is approximately 37, and Senua is ranked 12th.

11th place: Arma 3

• Developer: Bohemia Interactive
• Game Engine: Real Virtuality 4
• Release date: September 12, 2013
• Minimum FPS: 28
• Maximum FPS: 44
• Average FPS: 35.6

And while Arma 3 is one of the oldest games on this list, and in general its presence here can be disputed due to the lack of colorfulness, Real Virtuality 4, in turn, supports up to 270 square kilometers of open world. Also, Arma 3 has impressive physics and destructibility. At the beginning of the game, we flew in a helicopter and were able to look around the scale of the world, the beauty of which we cannot but admire.

10th place: Watch Dogs 2

• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
• Game Engine: Disrupt
• Release date: November 29, 2016
• Minimum FPS: 23
• Maximum FPS: 55
• Average FPS: 30.0

Watch Dogs 2 climbed to # 10 on our list. The game uses a modified version of the Disrupt engine. The same one that was used in the first part of the game. At maximum settings, Watch Dogs 2 showed us long range views, vibrant colors, and very realistic water effects. While we rolled through the streets of San Francisco, the average FPS was 30.

9th place: Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands

• Developer: Ubisoft Paris
• Game Engine: AnvilNext
• Release date: March 7, 2017
• Minimum FPS: 24.4
• Maximum FPS: 34.6
• Average FPS: 29.8

Ubisoft's Ghost Recon Wildlands is one of the latest games from this publisher on our list. The game has a very detailed world filled with various panoramas. We were also pleased with the effects of fire and smoke. But, to everyone's surprise, FPS was lower than Watch Dogs 2. Wildlands was the first game on this list with FPS below 30.

8th place: Mass Effect: Andromeda

• Developer: BioWare
• Game Engine: Frostbite 3
• Release date: March 21, 2017
• Minimum FPS: 10
• Maximum FPS: 40
• Average FPS: 26.7

While the animation of the faces in this game still needs to be worked and worked, Frostbite 3 still allowed developers to create intricate and detailed worlds with stunning lighting effects. And even if the game looks good on modern computers, then at maximum settings, even a powerful machine will be hard. The average was 26.7, the frequency was unstable and sometimes dropped to 10.

7th place: Assassin's Creed Syndicate

• Developer: Ubisoft Quebec
• Game Engine: AnvilNext
• Release date: November 19, 2015
• Minimum FPS: 1
• Maximum FPS: 33
• Average FPS: 25.6

Syndicate used AnvilNext, the same one used in the creation of Ghost Recon Wildlands. From past experience, we know that the game's optimization is not the best. Not only is there no SLI support in the game, but also the fact that Syndicate is one of the few games that works horribly on computers with two video cards. But be that as it may, Syndicate looks good and gives us a very realistic picture of Victorian London. On average, the game had 25.6 FPS, but it happened that the frequency dropped to 1.

6th place: Crysis 3

• Developer: Crytek
• Game Engine: CryEngine 3
• Release date: 19 February 2013
• Minimum FPS: 18
• Maximum FPS: 31
• Average FPS: 23.0

The original Crysis came out in 2007. This game was so graphically demanding that even the "But can it run Crysis" meme appeared. Crysis 3 is the oldest game on our list, but, of course, no less demanding. CryEngine 3 supports a huge number of particles, complex physics and tessellation. In the game, among other things, high-resolution textures. Maybe all this influenced the fact that the average FPS was 23.

5th place: Ark: Survival Evolved

• Game Engine: Unreal Engine 4
• Release date: June 2015 (Early Access)
• Minimum FPS: 17
• Maximum FPS: 42
• Average FPS: 21.4

Unreal Engine 4 allows developers to create a truly huge world and rich landscapes. The game has very realistic water effects, crisp textures and lush vegetation. After turning the settings to the maximum and playing the first few minutes of the campaign, the game immediately got into fifth place, showing 21.4 FPS.

• Developer: Crystal Dynamics
• Game Engine: Foundation
• Release date: January 28, 2016
• Minimum FPS: 2.2
• Maximum FPS: 56.3
• Average FPS: 18.7

Crystal Dynamics have created their own engine specifically for Rise of the Tomb Raider. This allowed them to create truly real characters with high quality animations. In addition, the game has beautiful and detailed environments. When the game was launched, when Lara visited both the tomb and immediately into the tundra, the system produced an average of 18.7 FPS, which made Rise of the Tomb Raider the first game on this list with an FPS below 20.

2nd place: Project CARS

• Developer: Slightly Mad Studios
• Game Engine: Madness
• Release date: May 6, 2015
• Minimum FPS: 15
• Maximum FPS: 19
• Average FPS: 17.9

The only racing game on our list and, with maximum graphics settings, the most realistic. Project Cars will bring your PC to its knees. The developers have heavily modified the Madness engine that was used for Need for Speed: Shift. With a dozen cars on screen, the game averaged 17.9 FPS.

1st place: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

• Developer: Eidos Montréal
• Game Engine: Dawn Engine
• Release date: 23 August 2016
• Minimum FPS: 2.6
• Maximum FPS: 8.7
• Average FPS: 6.1

Many of the games on this list would make you and your PC sweat, but Deus Ex: Mankind Divided in 4K is crying. Deus Ex's results may be the worst thing that can happen to a game, but nevertheless, this is the most graphically demanding game we've been able to test. The average FPS is 6.1. It was a solid slide show. But the most interesting thing is that the maximum number of frames that we could see is only 8.7. And this is something with our pretty strong computer.

Wire