7 Free Steam Games Better Than Expensive Blockbusters
1. PlanetSide 2
Play Instead Of: Battlefield 1/Star Wars Battlefront
PlanetSide 2 brings new meaning to the term "massively multiplayer online". This first-person shooter is able to support hundreds of players in a single battle and the game holds the world record for the largest number of players in a single first-person battle: 1,158.
With so many players, battles take place across entire continents, with the main goal being to win as much territory as possible. Also, players can coordinate to capture certain buildings and factories to help boost their advance, as well as using surrounding minerals to build their own bunkers, silos and turrets.
The game mechanics are excellent, and stand up to any AAA first-person shooter you can buy, with PlanetSide 2 borrowing familiar mechanics from rival titles, such as sprinting and regenerating shields.
As with similar FPS titles, the player can choose one of several soldier classes, from assault to medic, or engineer to mech, with each helping to contribute their small part to the larger team effort. After all, these battles are simply to big for one person to do everything, making the game equally accessible to beginners and veterans alike.
Despite the game's large fanbase and big business backers (Sony and Microsoft), the developers earn their money from in-game convenience items and aesthetic effects, e.g. camouflage. So you can expect these continent-sized battles to remain free for some time to come!
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