In any given year, there are hundreds of games that come out. But only a handful from that number become popular and even less become classics. The specs also get more and more demanding. So, your current gaming laptop might not handle it without constantly upgrading it.

There are days where you just want to enjoy a good game. A lot of games don’t have that much replay value, so it fills it with endless hours of grinding and treasure hunting. That can get tedious.

Luckily, there are really amazing games that came out in the past that offer you endless amounts of fun and entertainment. From the gameplay, the customization, and the story. And no other game genre provides more hours of play than RPGs.

There are a few games, that to this day, still get a lot of playtime and most fans tend to compare new games to (just not the graphics, for obvious reasons). The best part is that any gaming laptop can handle them easily (even better when they first played it).

Without further ado, here are the classics:

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Series (1 and 2)

When the first game in the series came out, it was an instant classic. It was a great game with a compelling story and dynamic RPG system. You were in control of a character caught in the middle of a war between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic (set 4000 years before the main series). There are several ways to accomplish most missions. You can be stealthy, diplomatic, or just destroy everything in your path. Plus, your decisions make an impact on the story plus it shifts your alignment with the Light and Dark side.

The game is challenging as well. Battling through isn’t always a good idea, so you have to pick your fights. The second in the series was an improvement, but it was rushed due to the popularity of the first game. It’s not that it’s incomplete, it just could’ve been a longer game.

One thing you will love from both series are the amazing characters that you will encounter and might even recruit. Plus, certain characters are only available to certain alignments so you will play it more than once to know their story.

One of the best things in the story is the plot twist you encounter towards the end. That ending blew the mind of all that played it. And that particular plot twist has been emulated by other recent games as well.

The Fallout Series (1 and 2)

This is the series that started it all. At first glance, people thought it was a Diablo-like game because of the look, but they couldn’t have been more wrong. The Fallout series started the idea of customizing your character with a particular set of skills that will be useful in the wasteland of retro-future America. You will trek your way to the Mad Max like land, making friends and enemies based on your decisions. You can be a slaver in one game and a freedom fighter in another. A lot of interesting story tangents are made based on your decisions, fame/infamy, and even your attributes. Dialogue options change based on your Charisma and Intelligence.

It’s worth noting that you will play this, again and again, to get the whole picture or just even see how things differ based on different game styles. And if you play it, a lot of inside jokes and references made in Fallout 3 and 4 will make sense.

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

Before Steampunk was a favorite thing, there was Arcanum. Arcanum is a lot like Fallout with the look but completely different in gameplay. First off, character creation makes sure that you will have a unique character because of the varied given backgrounds. Not only that, you have to pick from a slew of skills and attributes that directly affect the game. One of the most impacting of all choices is what your character will be.

Arcanum is set in a world filled with magic but also steam-driven technology. Magic always interferes with this tech. So you can’t be a wizard carrying guns and other technological devices nor can you be a spell-slinging technologist. Certain side-quests and missions are open to you based on your preference. Not to mention your alignment, Charisma, and Intelligence playing a factor in dialogue options and overall gaming experience.

Plus there are a lot of pop culture references that would tickle any lover of it. Again, the game has very little specs so even the most basic of gaming laptops can play this with no problems.

The Baldur’s Gate Series (Tales of the Sword Coast, Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal)

Based on the popular pen-and-paper game, Dungeons & Dragons and set in it’s most famous world, The Forgotten Realms. This game is a gem. Hundreds of hours have been spent on this game by players individually, and a lot of them still play this game over and over again. A lot of narrative paths are created based on your race, class, reputation, choice of partymates, and story choices.

The customization is so expansive that most people spend a lot of time with just character generation. Then there’s the main story for each game. It’s admittedly long, but everything is well-written with memorable characters. Add to that over a hundred of sidequests. This game keeps on giving, and you will keep on playing.

***

Whatever you decide on playing, you won’t regret it. You can even search online and see how much these games have influenced players and new games alike. It will bring you back to a time when people were more focused on the story than being flashy with graphics.

It has been mentioned a lot but the idea that you can play all of these amazing games on even the simplest gaming laptop is a big deal.

Steam and GOG always have sales and bundles that you can get these games cheap and easy. Just go and buy it, you won’t regret it.