When we look at the video games that have truly stood the test of time, MMORPGs are always near the top of that list. The genre has…
When we look at the video games that have truly stood the test of time, MMORPGs are always near the top of that list. The genre has been around for decades, and many of its earliest titles like Everquest are still playable to this day. So, what’s the secret sauce that makes MMOs so popular and long-lasting? Broadly speaking, MMOs offer players a sense of freedom, giving them massive open worlds to explore, dozens of side activities to pursue, spooky dungeons to conquer, and epic quests to complete — all in the company of thousands, or even millions, of other players. These players might cooperate with you, work against you, or do both at different parts of your in-game journey. Best of all, these players can live just about anywhere in the world. With few exceptions, the player base of most popular modern MMOs span multiple countries. You can hop into a World of Warcraft Dungeon queue with players from Germany, Russia, Canada, and France without even realizing it! However, impressive as many MMOs are, like most other genres, it’s always been survival of the fittest. Lesser games have come and gone over the years, long since faded into obscurity. In contrast, others have maintained its popularity due to their excellent gameplay, unique features, or frequent updates. To help you discover some of those games, we’re bringing you our list of the top 10 best MMOs out there (in no particular order). Until Bethesda creates an Elder Scrolls game with proper coop, or one of the many in-development multiplayer Skyrim mods reaches the finish line, fans of the franchise have been left with very few opportunities to explore the world of Tamriel with their friends. That’s where The Elder Scrolls Online comes in. ESO launched in a rough state, but like many «live» games these days, it bounced back impressively. The combat system is entirely action-based and emulates traditional, single-player Elder Scrolls game combat quite well (for an MMO). You only hit what you’re aiming at, and you can block, dodge, and sneak just as you can in other Elder Scrolls games. The quests are all fully voice-acted, and you’re able to make meaningful choices that can alter their outcomes. And, thanks to the game’s plethora of expansions, there’s plenty of content to delve into, and an ever-expanding map that one day hopes to cover the entirety of Tamriel. The Elder Scrolls Online also stands out from the pack with its free-form character progression systems. You do pick a class during character creation, but that only dictates three of your available ability trees — all of the other powers at your disposal are unlocked through weapon or armor skill progression and faction quests. Further, you can mix and match gear at will, often with excellent results: play a Sorcerer decked out in full plate and a greatsword, or cast lightning bolts out of a fancy staff as a Dragon Knight. You can even embrace your sadistic side and turn into a vampire or werewolf (or just break into someone’s house and steal everything that isn’t nailed down). There are guilds to join, homes to buy, and you can marry other players, though it doesn’t do much but provide you both with an XP bonus while playing together. The game is free-to-play, like many others on this list, so as usual, you have nothing to lose by giving it a shot… except for a decent chunk of hard disk space — ESO is quite the beefy game. Get it from: Steam Sci-fi MMO EVE Online might be notorious for having a hardcore player base and a steep learning curve, but it’s better than ever in 2020. Though the MMO is intimidating for new players, if you’re looking for an immensely-gratifying, sci-fi sandbox to play in, few games will come as close to scratching that itch as this one does. In developer CCP Games’ own words, EVE Online is a fully community-driven spaceship MMO where each player is free to chart their own path through a massive, sprawling galaxy. You can be an explorer, tasked with mapping out the farthest reaches of space, or a bounty hunter, taking down deadly targets for the glory of it, or for the hefty payout that waits for you at the end. If both of those activities sound a bit too intense for you, you might consider becoming a humble trader, transporting goods from place to place in search of the best prices and highest profits. Alternatively, you can get involved in the universe’s political systems, and attempt to take over some of the highest offices in the game. And, if altruism is your cup of tea, EVE Online is offering players the opportunity to participate in the fight against Covid-19 by completing various in-game tasks that help researchers categorize cells. However, with all that freedom comes quite a bit of risk and complexity. EVE Online’s interface and combat system are confusing at best, and its PvP mechanics can be ruthless for the unprepared — expect to lose more than a few ships at the start of your journey. Some veteran players will even target new players just to see their reaction. Still, if you can get past the first few days of overwhelming play and perhaps join up with a bigger clan or group, EVE Online truly shines as one of the most impressively-reactive multiplayer sci-fi games around today. Get it from: TechSpot Downloads, Steam No modern MMORPG list would be complete without Black Desert Online. Though it’s a controversial game in some respects (some players accuse it of being «pay-to-win»), it also happens to be one of the best sandbox MMOs on the market, with a low barrier to entry. It’s only $10 on Steam, and can often be found for half that price. In BDO, you start by choosing one of 20 gender-locked classes and subsequently delving into what is easily the most in-depth character creation system we’ve ever seen in an MMO. After that, you are let loose into a beautiful fantasy world, where you can do almost anything you want. You can become a fisherman (or woman), go hunting for rare beasts, or fight off challenging PvE world bosses and even other players using the game’s intimidating (but ultimately rewarding) combo-based action combat system. Speaking of fighting other players, BDO is a PvPer’s dream come true. A massive emphasis has been placed on world PvP in this game, primarily due to the player-driven economy system and the lack of any real protection against player-killing while you’re out in the world — once you hit a certain level, that is. If you get tired of all the combat or miscellaneous «life skills,» you could experiment with worker empires instead. In BDO, you can amass an army of NPC slav-… I mean, employees to do your bidding for you. They can farm, mine, craft, or even investment bank for you, reducing your workload and allowing you to enjoy the game’s other, more entertaining systems. Get it from: TechSpot Downloads, Steam Gamers of all stripes have heard of Blizzard’s highly-successful,16-year-old (and counting) MMORPG World of Warcraft.
