Wanna start fragging but you’re on a budget? Does the yearly Call of Duty routine keep you wallet on a diet? Don’t worry, we’ve got just the list for you. Our Top 5 Cheap Online Multiplayer FPS Games you can play on your computer right now. You won’t be playing alone either.
QuakeLive (by id Software)
Back in the day, death matching and capture the flag was where it was at. Quake III Arena was the king of that. It’s still highly played with dozens of servers online filled with opponents. You can buy the game for pretty cheap on Steam. But better than that, you can play for free on id Software’s QuakeLive.com. There are always matches happening for free, so you can jump right in and start playing. If you really enjoy it, they also offer a pro membership which gives you access to play with other pro players in exclusive and new maps, join multiple clans, remove the ads, invite your friends to play with you in matches and more.
>>>> Play: Quake Live
Counter-Strike (by Valve)
Not just death matching, now there’s an objective. Disarm the bomb and stop the terrorists… or perhaps, set the plant the explosives before the counter-terrorists arrive. Whichever flavor you buy of Counter-Strike, be it the original (PC only on Steam), Source or Global Offensive, they’re all cheap and have tons of people playing online at any given time. There are also many mods available which add variation and customizability to the game. Though it worth noting that Counter-Strike’s lack of change over the years is what has kept it alive due to the fact that competitive players don’t have to relearn the gameplay for every new iteration of the game.
>>>> Play: Counter-Strike Source / Counter-Strike: GO
Doom II via Zandronum (by id Software and community)
We’ve all played and enjoyed Doom. Sure it’s old and showing it’s age, but hey, retro games and graphics are trendy now right? Regardless, gamers can still enjoy Doom today with updated multiplayer features and gameplay. You play it in a source port called Zandronum (formerly Skulltag). What’s a Doom source port you ask? Basically an updated version of the game engine that can still play the original game. With features like mouse look and brand new multiplayer modes like survival, it’s almost like playing a brand new game. There’s also tons of fun mods to play including the infamous Brutal Doom mod. All you need is a copy of Doom II, which you buy really cheap on Steam (or from your old CD or floppy disks if you still have them).
>>>> Play: Doom II / Zandronum
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (by Infinity Ward)
Forget about Black Ops… everyone knows that Modern Warfare was pretty much the pinacle of the COD series. All the same things you loved about the console version except you don’t have to pay Microsoft to play on Xbox Live. Lot’s of weapons to choose from and tons of servers always running. Online play is heated and frenetic, which makes for a pretty enjoyable time waster. In addition to active multiplayer community, it also includes a pretty entertaining single player experience to help hone your skills before you play against the world. You can buy it cheap on Steam for the PC. Mac users can buy it cheap on Amazon too.
>>>> Play: Call of Duty 4 PC / Call of Duty 4 Mac
Team Fortress 2 (by Valve)
At heart, a Quake mod, Team Fortress eventually became a full blown game which actually landed the developers a job at Valve. Then TF2 began development. Currently it is available as a free to play game, playable as either 3rd person or first person perspective. Various character classes make the game interesting, allowing for dynamic multiplayer. There also many downloadable add-ons for game allowing fans and game developers alike to publish items for other gamers to purchase. You’ll always find people to play against as the game is still highly played by casual and hardcore gamers like.
>>>> Play: Team Fortress 2
All these games are great and cheap. We highly recommend you try them all out whether you’ve got a Mac or Windows PC (probably Linux too). Unsurprisingly, both Valve and id Software appear multiple times in this list. Interestingly, all 5 games are based on id Software technology (idTech) deep down inside. Quite a legacy…
What’s your favorite cheap or F2P online FPS?
I still love Doom II, Quake 3 Arena, and COD Modern Warfare. Cool post!