Have you ever wondered which are the heaviest games in the world and why they are so heavy? For those who venture into the world of games, whether on PC or console, it's no news that the storage required to download their content is increasing disproportionately. Games like Black Ops 1 and Batman: Arkham City, released less than 15 years ago, didn't even take up 10 GB on gamers' devices and that's not why they were small games or games with poor graphics quality, quite the opposite.
With the progress in graphics, games would have more space, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, since HDDs and SSDs have also seen an evolution in their storage capacities. However, these increases have not been proportional, with games getting much bigger while consoles like the PS4 and XBOX 1 were still sold with just 500 GB of storage. In the following list, we'll rank the 5 heaviest PC games in the world.
Baldur's Gate 3 - 150 GB
We start this list with Baldur's Gate 3, the game of the year 2023 and a favorite of tabletop RPG fans. Baldur's Gate 3's presence on the list of the world's heaviest games comes as no surprise; the amount of possibilities within this game is something never seen before in the industry. It's not surprising that in order to download it, players need 150 GB free on their computer.
The game is set in the Dungeons and Dragons universe and, as in any D&D game, you have a frightening amount of freedom to build your character and assemble your team. Although the main story is the same for everyone, each player of Baldur's Gate 3 will be presented with such a large number of possibilities during their journey that it's practically impossible for two people to experience the same adventure. In this case, the size of the game is not due to the wonderful graphics, but to the sheer volume of content.
Star Wars jedi: Survivor - 155 GB
In this game, a direct sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, we follow Cal Kesties, one of the last jedi knights, in his fight against the Empire. Set in the same universe as the famous film franchise that gives the game its name, Star Wars Jedi is known for its well-developed story and cinematic action scenes.
Despite high expectations before its release, Survivor didn't deliver what PC gamers had hoped for. The many defects, coupled with the 155 GB of download space, put off many players who were looking forward to Cal's new adventures. Despite this, the game became one of the biggest commercial successes in the gaming world in 2023, becoming the 4th best-selling game of the year. Knowing this, it's no surprise to anyone that the third game in the series is already in production.
Call of Duty: Black ops Cold War - 175 GB
We can't talk about the world's heaviest games without mentioning the Call of Duty franchise. FPS fans already know, is there going to be a new COD? Time to make room on my PC. Set in the early 1980s and continuing the story of the first Black Ops, the game's campaign centers on the hunt for Perseus, a Russian spy whose goal is to defeat the United States and make the Soviet Union the world's greatest power. The campaign is considered by many to be one of the best in the franchise and its multiplayer is second to none.
Cold War pleased many fans who were hoping for a game set in the 20th century after 3 years of futuristic releases. Many didn't like the storage space needed to download the game. 175 GB is an exaggeration for a satisfactory experience, and places it among the heaviest games in the world. The game's graphics are another plus point, but they don't justify its size, as there is no extra content added.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond - 180 GB
Second place on our list goes to another title from an FPS franchise. In Above and Beyond, the player will be transported to the Second World War, where he will fight as an Allied soldier in historic battles against the Axis. What makes this game unique is that it was developed exclusively for augmented reality devices, which caused the disappointment of many fans who had been waiting for a new title in the franchise for eight years and didn't want to have to use VR to play.
Due to the fact that it was the first highly successful VR game, its position on the list of the world's heaviest games is justified. The 12-hour campaign is considered very long compared to other augmented reality games. The game also featured a multiplayer mode, but as of December 1, 2023, the developers have shut down the servers for the online mode.
Ark: Survival Evolved - 400 GB
Our first place goes to none other than the king of the world's heaviest games, Ark: Survival Evolved. The first-person survival game is set in a vast world where dinosaurs rule the sea, sky and land. Just like Baldur's Gate, Ark is famous for its immensity of content.
The player can build his base, tame dinosaurs, make weapons and even attack other players. Few heavier PC games offer the freedom that Ark: Survival Evolved does, and we haven't even mentioned the various DLCs that add mountains of new content. Add all this to poor optimization of the game's files, and you have a monster 400 GB of space required, including all the DLCs.
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