PC has long stood as a foundational platform for gaming, largely due to the widespread presence of computers in households globally. Even as consoles have become increasingly common, PC gaming maintains a leading position, often boasting larger player bases and higher sales figures across many titles.
While the gaming landscape is constantly refreshed with fantastic new releases on every platform, there’s a special kind of enjoyment found in revisiting, or even discovering for the first time, a truly classic PC game. The 1990s and early 2000s were a golden age, producing a wealth of PC titles that were revolutionary within their genres and for the industry as a whole. Many of these groundbreaking games possess a timeless quality, continuing to hold up remarkably well even today. Whether you’re seeking a nostalgic trip down memory lane or looking to experience a piece of gaming history, these legendary PC classics are well worth your time.
Here are 8 classic PC games that still hold up well today:
8. Deus Ex (2000)
(Released: 2000) Over two decades since its release, the original Deus Ex remains a cornerstone of the cyberpunk RPG genre. Set in a gritty future of conspiracies, surveillance, and bio-enhancements, this unique hybrid of RPG and first-person shooter casts you as agent JC Denton in a world where player choices genuinely influence the unfolding narrative. What made Deus Ex groundbreaking was its unprecedented freedom in how players could approach objectives. Whether tackling missions through stealth, hacking, or direct combat, the variety of viable playstyles offered a level of player agency that feels just as robust today as it did at launch. Coupled with its deeply branching dialogue options that often lead to morally ambiguous situations, the game encourages thoughtful engagement. While its graphics and some mechanics inevitably show their age, the strength of its immersive design, complex atmosphere, and unparalleled freedom ensures that the original Deus Ex remains a must-play PC classic.
7. Diablo (1997)
(Released: 1997) Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo series continues to thrive today, but its origins lie in the game that arguably set the gold standard for action RPGs almost three decades ago. The original Diablo stood out with its distinctively darker atmosphere, moving away from the prevalent high-fantasy settings of the time. It established the foundational loop of dungeon crawling and loot acquisition that has become synonymous with the ARPG genre, creating an endlessly replayable experience that holds its own even against its modern successors. Dropping players into the cursed town of Tristram and sending them into a hellish underworld filled with demons, traps, and threats, Diablo’s simple yet effective mechanics make it incredibly easy to lose hours to the “just one more run” phenomenon. While later entries expanded and refined the formula, the original still possesses a raw, compelling charm unique to a true PC classic.
6. Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn (2000)
(Released: 2000) Perhaps the most celebrated name in Dungeons & Dragons-based computer RPGs, the Baldur’s Gate series has been a prominent force in gaming for over 20 years. While the original title was groundbreaking in 1998, its direct sequel, Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn, is widely regarded as a significant improvement and one of the strongest installments in the entire franchise. True to its tabletop roots, the Baldur’s Gate series balances intricate gameplay mechanics with complex narrative depth, and Baldur’s Gate 2 is a prime example. Built upon the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition rules, it immerses players in the rich Forgotten Realms fantasy world, filled with ancient magic, fantastical creatures, and a plethora of often difficult moral choices. While its isometric graphics might seem dated today, they are elevated by fantastic art direction. Combined with its deeply developed characters, fluid tactical combat, and sheer scale, Baldur’s Gate 2 remains a gold standard CRPG and an essential play for genre enthusiasts.
5. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind (2002)
(Released: 2002) Any discussion of classic PC RPGs would be incomplete without mentioning Bethesda’s world-renowned The Elder Scrolls series, and specifically its third installment, Morrowind, from 2002. This entry transported players to the alien-feeling land of Vvardenfell, the homeland of the Dark Elves (Dunmer). Vvardenfell broke away from traditional medieval fantasy tropes, featuring distinctive landscapes like mushroom forests, ash-choked plains, and unique insectoid architecture. What helps Morrowind hold up so exceptionally well today is its unique atmosphere and profound sense of freedom. It strikes a remarkable balance between the more guided experiences of some modern RPGs and the often cryptic complexity of older CRPGs. Instead of relying on quest markers, it actively encourages exploration, prompting players to listen carefully to dialogue and environmental clues to find objectives and locations. While some of its combat mechanics might feel a bit clunky by modern standards, Morrowind’s successful blend of old and new RPG concepts gives it an edge over its predecessors, resulting in a complex yet fair and consistently fun experience even for a modern playthrough.
4. Quake (1996)
(Released: 1996) Shifting back to the first-person shooter realm, we cannot overlook id Software’s eternally popular Quake series. With its gritty Lovecraftian aesthetic, thunderous industrial soundtrack, and famously over-the-top weaponry, Quake wasn’t merely a significant technical achievement; it was a fundamental shift for the entire shooter genre. It took the brutal, fast-paced chaos of DOOM and launched it into a fully 3D environment, creating a run-and-gun shooter that still feels incredibly fluid and responsive today. Its tight movement controls and skill-based gunplay, built on easy-to-learn mechanics, created a formula that has remarkably aged little in almost 30 years. Furthermore, the addition of multiplayer deathmatch modes, tense and fiercely competitive, arguably laid the essential groundwork for online shooters as we know them. The simple yet fluid mechanics of the original Quake allow it to hold up exceptionally well in the modern era, solidifying its place as one of the greatest shooters of all time. It’s raw, it’s relentless, and it still absolutely rips.
3. Thief: The Dark Project (1998)
(Released: 1998) While the Thief series has been largely dormant in recent years, the same cannot be said for the legacy of its groundbreaking original entry, Thief: The Dark Project. This game fundamentally revolutionized the first-person action-adventure genre by introducing a heavy, central focus on stealth, where the player’s greatest asset wasn’t a powerful weapon but the ability to utilize shadows and manipulate the environment unseen. Players embody Garrett, a master thief who slinks through the candlelit, gothic corridors of strongholds, meticulously avoiding guards, traps, and even supernatural threats. What truly set Thief: The Dark Project apart at the time was its innovative treatment of sound and light as core gameplay mechanics. Players weren’t just hiding; they were constantly listening for guard footsteps, observing patrol patterns, and extinguishing light sources to create paths through the darkness. The game’s well-crafted levels, atmospheric design, and methodical, nail-biting tension still hold up today, rewarding patience and strategic thinking over speed and brute force. It remains a classic stealth experience that hasn’t lost its edge in over 25 years.
2. SimCity 4 (2003)
(Released: 2003) For those whose classic PC tastes lean away from combat and towards management, a city-builder might be a better fit, and few names were more synonymous with the genre than SimCity in the 1990s and 2000s. Its fourth main installment, SimCity 4, is still widely regarded as one of the genre’s absolute greats. Upon its release in 2003, SimCity 4 showcased the series’ evolution while remaining true to its core formula. While it can be enjoyed casually, mastering it requires careful, long-term planning. You’re not just placing buildings; you’re intricately managing traffic and transportation networks, balancing complex budgets, and shaping a regional economy across multiple interconnected cities. Its simulation mechanics strike a perfect balance of depth and straightforwardness, holding up just as well today as they did over two decades ago. Due to the lack of more recent, highly acclaimed entries in the main series, SimCity 4 remains a must-play classic for any fan of detailed city-building gameplay.
1. Half-Life (1998)
(Released: 1998) It would be almost impossible to compile a list of classic PC games that still hold up without mentioning the 1998 masterpiece, Half-Life. This legendary first-person shooter catapulted Valve from a relatively small company to mainstream success and widespread popularity, years before their Steam platform even existed. Often cited as one of the most defining titles in the FPS genre, its influence is still felt over 25 years later. The game follows the harrowing experience of theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman during an ordinary day turned worst nightmare at the Black Mesa Research Facility when a routine test goes awry, opening a rift between Earth and the alien world of Xen. One of the game’s standout innovations at the time was its pioneering use of environmental storytelling, where the narrative unfolds organically through subtle atmospheric details and scripted sequences rather than being delivered via lengthy explanations or cutscenes. Half-Life was built on a heavily modified version of the Quake engine, inheriting its fun, fast, and fluid gameplay which feels just as good today as it did upon release. Its debut was a massive success, earning over 50 “Game of the Year” awards for PC and cementing Valve’s reputation for years to come. Even today, Half-Life consistently holds a high position on “best games of all time” lists across numerous publications, a true testament to its enduring legacy as arguably the greatest FPS title ever made.
