14.  Path of Exile (2013)

‘The Diablo 3 we all deserved- free’

Developer: Grinding Gear Games

Genre: Action role-playing

Theme: Bada** Dungeon crawler in the spirit of Diablo 2

I still can’t believe Path of Exile is free. Both Gamespot and IGN declared it their 2013 PC game of the year, a stunning achievement considering its free-to-play status. This beautiful, atmospheric dungeon crawler will have you drowning in loot- a key ingredient in the highly addictive experience.

Path of Exile gives the player six classes to choose from, but the customization doesn’t stop there. PoE’s innovative gem system provides a ridiculous number of ways you can upgrade your character, combining dynamic active skills with about 1,350 possible passive upgrades.

If you found yourself feeling a little…loot-poor after Diablo 3, and you haven’t checked out Path of Exile yet, do yourself a favor and download it today.

‘Are you sure it’s free?’

13. Tribes: Ascend (2012)

‘It’s Halo on uppers!’

Devloper: Hi-Rez Studios

Genre: Multiplayer First Person Shooter

Theme: Futuristic fast-paced sci-fi action

 Rarely have I ever played a game and felt so…free. The combination of high-flying jetpacks and fast-gliding skis that are Tribes: Ascend’s bread and butter create a shooter that plays unlike any other FPS out there.

Gorgeous and huge landscapes provide the perfect playground for the zippy pace Tribes offers. With everyone moving wildly across the map, eliminating your foes becomes less about quick-shooting madness and more about clever positioning and careful forethought.

All-told, the Tribes: Ascend recipe breathes life into a sometimes stale genre, with its unique and difficult to master style making each kill scored into one to savor.

‘Kind of idyllic until a dude with a jetpack comes out of nowhere.”

12.  Star Wars The Old Republic (2011)

 ‘A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…”

Developer: Bioware

Genre: Massively multiplayer online role playing game

Theme: Star. Wars.

From the makers of the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series’ comes the now free to play Star Wars: The Old Republic. Since SWTORs December 2011 release, fans have been split on the positivity of their final opinion of the game, but if you’re a gamer, and a Star Wars fan at all, this game needs a look. 

Combining Bioware’s penchant for cinematic storytelling with gear-acquiring, upward-levelling staples of the MMORPG genre, SWTOR is a polished, gorgeous, and exciting entry into the Star Wars universe.

Criticism rightly abounds due to the restrictions placed on players by the game’s take on “free-to-play”, but the chance to live in Bioware’s take on the Star Wars universe makes any such headaches feel insignificant.

‘You know you want to be this guy.’

11.  Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Phantom Strike (2014)

‘I do love my gadgets’

Developer: Ubisoft

Genre: Mutiplayer tactical third person shooter

Theme: Gadget-donning spies vs. spies

Fast-paced, futuristic, fun, and full of firefights, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Phantom Strike offers everything a spy-loving Clancy fan could possibly desire. A clean, attractive third person shooter loaded with killer gadgets, Phantom Strike offers a quality gaming experience that you can easily sink hundreds of hours into.

Phantom Strike offers gamers three distinct classes, each with their own sick tech to play around with. The sniper class is my personal favourite, with its cloaking device and radar-pinger that reveals enemy locations. Each of the classes are built to specific lay styles, and the interplay between them creates some very interesting situations in-game.

If you’re a huge fan of the Tom Clancy games, there’s a decent shot that you have yet to check this out due to it being released practically simultaneously to Future Soldiers. If that’s the case, and you have a decent chunk of time to waste, I highly suggest you give this a shot.

  ‘Sneaky is the name of the game, as usual’

10.  Blade and Soul (2012)

Get revenge for the death of your master in Blade and Soul

• Developer: NCSOFT and Tencent              
• Genre: Action, MMORPG
• Theme: Revenge is a dish best served cold.

No one is prepared or even expected an attack on the Hongmoon School.  Jinsoyun, a former student at the Hongmoon School, attacked the school, slayed the students and your beloved Master.  Now you must use your training to seek vengeance and stop Jinsoyun’s plan of releasing dark forces upon the world.

Beautiful and exciting characters to play.

To begin your journey, you must first choose your race and class.  Were you born among the strong and powerful race of the Gon?  Or did you survive among the Lyn, a race known for unpredictability and mischievousness? 

Are you the Yun, a race of strong willed females that are heavily attuned to nature?  Is your path that of the Jin, the friendly race that is strong like the Gon, but has high moral sense of right and wrong?

Once you’ve made your choice of Race, you’ll need to choose your class.  Take note that there are many classes that are restricted by race, so you may want to do a little research before choosing between these incredible classes.

Choose between Blade Master, Destroyer, Summoner, Force Master, Kung Fu Master, Assassin, Blade Dancer, Warlock, or Soul Fighter.  The classes have their own unique abilities and traits.

A powerful combo.