The original version of America's Army, released in 2002, was a better-than-average online multiplayer shooter. But what set it apart from the legion of other Counter-Strike clones were its impressive visuals (powered by the Unreal graphics engine) and its price--or lack thereof. Unlike all the other games on this list that began as commercial ventures, America's Army was always intended as a giveaway. That's because it's an unapologetic recruiting tool for the real U.S. Army, which funds its development. While it's unclear how many people the game has converted into real-life soldiers, the game itself continues to rank among the top 10 online shooters, thanks in part to frequent updates; Windows users get the latest 2.8.2 "Overmatch" version, while Mac users are stuck with the older 2.5 "Direct Action." Just make sure your rig meets the somewhat formidable system requirements before you download the mammoth installation file, which tips the scales at almost 3GB.
Download complete Windows game from aaotracker.com (2.9GB): Free downloadDownload complete Mac game from 3dgamers.com (797MB): Free download
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