12 Best FPS Games for Low-End PCs

There is something to be said about a flagship laptop or a PC that can answer questions like, “Can it run Crysis?” with a resounding yes. However, gamers vying for a good story or excellent gameplay need not limit themselves to modern games with daunting requirements. In fact, there is no dearth of games that work perfectly well on low-end systems, too.

That’s not all; the choices are not just limited to games with a linear story progression. Instead, many FPS games offer diverse multiplayer modes or an open world with lots to explore. Some are so engaging that they’ll have players practicing unique mechanics like wall running for hours. We’ve come up with a list of 10 such FPS games that run great on PCs with modest specs and non-gaming laptops.

A low-end PC doesn’t mean a machine that runs only on integrated graphics. No, the idea is a PC that is two or three generations behind the current standard system requirements. Every title on this list runs at a smooth 60+ fps on an Intel Core 2 Duo and a GeForce GTX 680; most require even less.

Updated September 9, 2024, by Hamza Haq: Few gaming genres have as many options for the low-end PC market as First Person Shooters. FPS games, especially competitive ones, tend to demand very little from the machine they run on. It is one of the only types of games where gamers with weaker PCs have an overabundance of games to choose from. Even non-competitive FPS titles tend to not be very graphics intensive, relying instead on engaging gunplay and intense immersion to carry the day.

12 FEAR 3

Metascore: 74

FEAR 3 is a superb shooter with some psychological horror elements. Although its plot can leave gamers wanting more, the game makes up for it with its fun, high-octane combat involving various guns, melee skills, and powerful abilities like Telekinesis or bolts of psychic energy.

The game’s story puts brothers Point Man and Paxton Fettel on the run from ATC, a criminal organization notorious for responsible for conducting unethical experiments on the protagonists. This, in turn, grants the brothers some special abilities, which players can use to get an edge in the gunfights. Although the brothers are escaping from ATC’s clutches together, they both have hidden agendas. The game ends with players having to choose one of two endings and further either Point Man or Paxton Fettel’s objectives.

11 Valorant

Metascore: 80

One of the biggest issues with older multiplayer games is the lack of an active player base. Conversely, modern multiplayer shooters often require beefy PCs. Thankfully, Valorant is an exception to the rule. The game is designed to run on PCs with integrated GPUs, and it can comfortably produce respectable FPS at low settings.

The game is a PvP shooter with a variety of weapons and agents, each with a distinct tactical and ultimate ability. These abilities range from enhancing the player’s speed to helping them fortify a spot or blinding the opposition with flashes and smoke. If that sounds like a lot, then fret not. The game offers a slurry of game modes, too, and players fond of gunplay can simply join a Deathmatch, which restricts the use of abilities.

10 Borderlands 3

Metascore: 81

FPS games usually have short campaigns but Borderlands 3 is an exception to the rule. The game offers hundreds of hours of content and the main campaign can take players anywhere between 25-30 hours to complete, too. This can be attributed to the game’s expansive playing areas and excessive loot, which can be utilized to craft incredibly unique weapons.

In fact, the game offers millions of gun combinations, which should help players narrow down their preferred loadout. The game’s story is quite engaging, too, and it follows four new Vault hunters who have joined Crimson Raiders, a rebel group opposing those in the Children of the Vault’s cult. The new recruits have been tasked with investigating the cult and its leaders. Throughout the campaign, they must take on various quests, fight bosses, collect loot, and stop the Cult leaders from gaining access to the Alien vaults.

9 Counter-Strike 2

Metascore: 82

Counter-Strike 2 is the successor to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It is also one of the more demanding games on this list, as it features new and improved lighting, volumetric smokes, and enhanced textures. It is one of the most challenging PvP shooters and requires a good know-how of the vantage points

Players must also learn how to get information at a glance by peeking the opposition properly. There are a lot of other mechanics that can enhance a player’s ability to bring down enemies swiftly, all of which, combined, should keep gamers glued to their screens. That, and the fact that the game has a fantastic selection of weapons, allows for a wide range of play styles.

8 Superhot

Metascore: 82

Superhot is unlike any other first-person shooter on this list. In the game, time only moves when the player moves. Players must strategically navigate each level, fighting enemies and avoiding bullets in a slow-motion, Matrix-like sequence. For the most part, players will have to use long-range weapons like pistols and assault rifles.

However, the game allows players to throw guns to disorient enemies that are close or even punch them. The game has a short campaign, though, and it can be completed in under five hours.

7 Far Cry 4

Metascore: 85

Far Cry 4 received rave reviews when it launched. Like other titles in the series, the game features a massive open world. At the start of the game, most of the map is shrouded in a mist. However, players can unlock bits of the map by uncovering Bell towers.

In the game, players take on the role of Ajay Ghale, who is caught in a war between two factions: Kyrat’s Royal Army, spearheaded by a tyrannical king, and a rebel group called Golden Path. Although the game is a couple of years old, it is still somewhat taxing. However, toning down the settings and dropping the resolution can help achieve playable FPS on laptops and PCs with low-end hardware.

6 Titanfall 2

Metascore: 86

There aren’t many FPS games that leverage movement as effectively as Titanfall 2. Developed by Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind the popular BR Apex Legends, Titanfall 2 is a sci-fi first-person shooter with an engaging albeit short campaign.

The game features an assortment of weapons and numerous movement techniques, such as wall running, to deliver a high-octane combat experience. Additionally, players can leverage Titans, which are massive, controllable robots throughout the campaign as well as in various online multiplayer modes.

5 BioShock 2

Metascore: 88

Thwarting enemies with guns is cool and all. However, the BioShock series takes combat up a notch by granting players a range of superpowers, so to speak. On that note, players can hurl lightning bolts, torch foes to a crisp, and even use telekinesis by modifying their character’s genes. The story takes place in the underwater city of Rapture, where players step into the shoes of a ginormous humanoid called Big Daddy.

Big Daddy has an assortment of weapons at its disposal, and players must fight their way through the city to find Elenor, a Little Sister who extracts ADAM, the gene-slicing fluid from corpses. The game has a riveting campaign and thrives on fast-paced combat. Additionally, it should work well on PCs with older components.

4 ULTRAKILL

Metascore: 90

ULTRAKILL is an extremely fast-paced shooter with a heavy emphasis on smooth movement. The game looks like an old Doom title but plays like a new one, with hordes of bloodthirsty enemies swarming around every turn and the player using guns of various types to ground them into meat paste. The gunplay rewards good aim and fast reaction time, dealing more damage the more accurate the shots are.

To promote a consistently fast playstyle, ULTRAKILL also has a style meter like the Devil May Cry titles that goes up every time there is a kill. Using different tools, abilities, and weapon types for a varied playstyle is more rewarding. The end result is a gory run filled with endless carnage left in the wake of the player.

3 Metro 2033 Redux

Metascore: 90

Metro 2033 is a post-apocalyptic shooter based on a novel by Dmitry Glukhovsky. Set in Moscow after a nuclear war that killed billions, residents can now be found taking shelter inside metro stations. Players take on the role of Artyom, who is a resident of the Exhibition station. His home station is attacked by mysterious creatures called the Dark Ones.

Artyom must then set off from his home station, fight the mutated creatures inside the Metro, and make his way to Polis, the capital city of Metro, to seek help and fend off the threats plaguing his home station. The game features realistic gunplay, and players must use their resources judiciously and keep their guns clean to ensure they don’t jam in the heat of the battle.

2 Dishonored

Metascore: 91

While most FPS games take a guns-blazing approach to combat, Dishonored takes the road less traveled and focuses on Stealth instead. The game is set in the fictional city of Dunwall. Players take on the role of Corvo Attano, who is a bodyguard to the Empress of the Isles. During the initial sequences of the game, Corvo is framed for the empresse’s murder.

As players await their execution, a group known as the Loyalists free Corvo from his cell. Once free, he becomes an assassin, and players must then take revenge and reclaim the throne from those who wronged the Empress. The game has a formidable campaign and will surely impress those looking for a challenge.

1 Half-Life 2

Metascore: 96

Even for players who’ve never touched a Half-Life title in their lives, the number of memes spawned by Valve’s most legendary franchise should have made them familiar with the premise, at least. Continuing 20 years after Half-Life 1, Gordon Freeman now faces a world overtaken by aliens from the Black Mesa facility. The game is much more lore-heavy and story-focused than its predecessor.

New players are often put off by Half-Life 2‘s apparent age and somewhat dated graphics, writing it off as a game not worth playing today. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Everything in Half-Life 2, from the gunplay to the story to the enemy variety, still holds up today. It is one of the only true 10/10 games in existence today, and it would be a disservice not to try it at least once.