The Best Space MMOs For Combat and Adventure
The great thing about the universe is that it's ever-expanding, which means there will always be more to learn about it and explore.
Within humankind lives a driving need to explore. The curiosity and intelligence of our species has led across across the globe, to the moon, and we are striving to go further. But not all of us were meant to be vikings, scientists, or astronauts, and that’s okay. Because we have video games. If you are needing to scratch that exploratory itch, there’s no better way to do it than in these immersive and expansive space MMOs.
11. Defiance
Defiance Gameplay
Defiance 2050 is based on an earth ravaged by war between an alien race who was trying to colonize the earth, Votans, and humankind. Apparently, the Votans didn’t know humans were on the planet before coming to stake a claim to it. Then occurs the Arkfall, a cataclysmic event which ends the war, and forces Votans and Humans to do what they can to live in peace on the planet together. The game is a story-heavy MMORPG third-person-shooter, with completely customizable characters, classes, and weapons. You play as an Ark Hunter, trying to seek out the technology needed to restore the earth to its former glory.
You can team up with friends and engage in co-op battle royales, as well as complete immersive story missions together.
Explore the Unknown: Have friends join you on missions all over a futuristic earth; shoot and loot to your heart's content!
Exterminate: Future earth also appears to have a bug problem, but you and your buddies can take care of that too.
10. Warframe
“Warframe (2017) – The Awakening” – prologue
Warframe is a scifi third-person-shooter dungeon crawler that gives you a map of the solar system and lets you planet hop to your heart’s desire. You can party up and play with your friends, raiding and looting new maps and following new storylines every time there is an update, or you can go solo. Either way, it’s nonstop hack-and-slash fun, it’s free-to-play, and the crafting system is elaborate. There isn’t a whole lot of open-world to explore, but the galaxy of dungeon-type maps to plow through are vast and you get your own little ship to roam around in.
The story is based in the far future. You are one of many warriors called Tenno, who have drifted across the galaxy aimlessly after an Old War. Basically, you’re an armored space ninja. You play as a Tenno who is needed once more to protect the galaxy from conquering by the Twin Queens and their goons.
Choose your weapon: You have the option between range weapons and melee. Dual swords, pistols, rifles, bow and arrows, throwing knives, twin daggers, and melee staffs; the options are expansive.
Customize: There are a range of skins to choose for your Warframe, with new ones coming out all the time. Choose your look, and then choose your colors. You can always customize and craft more skins, storing them with your weapons in your arsenal.
9. EVE Online
“EVE Online – Info and Gameplay”
Eve Online came out in 2003. This year it is 15 years old, and it is still one of the best free-to-play space MMOs out there. It is set in a future where humankind has colonized a galaxy far from earth’s, having discovered a natural wormhole. The wormhole later collapsed, and now humanity has created four unique empires at this far end of the universe. You can choose your race, customize your look, select your ship, and then explore as much as you want, because the universe is vast. There are immense PVP battles, PvE instances, economy and industry. Players control this game entirely. You can be the leader of a massive corporation, lead ships into battle, become an explorer, or live life as a pirate. There is nothing you can’t do here.
Grow Your Assets: Ships vary greatly in size and shape, and the bigger you are, the more of a target you become for pirates and looters.
Mining Industry: In the Galaxy of New Eden, there is an entire industry based on mining. You can mine your minerals, or buy them from manufacturers.
8. Fractured Space
Fractured Space – Last Stand
Fractured Space is another game in which you are taking the helm of huge capital ship. It’s based in 2684, where AI controlled capital ships are attacking human colonies in space. You play as one of the few that can attempt to protect civilians from their destruction. Can you save them?
There are multiple modes in the game, and a variety of multiplayer options. Monthly Episodes offer you new maps for new and unique gaming experiences, or you can hold your ground against waves of AI enemy ships in Last Stand mode. There are also 5-versus-5 PvE or PvP options in Conquest mode. The game requires co-op tactics, and the size of the ship you choose affects how you play. If you choose a Colossus, you are slow and take time to position yourself in battle.
Size matters: Just like any co-op combat game, a party requires balance. Will you be the durable yet cumbersome tank, the quick but less damaging rogue, or small and vulnerable healer?
Starting Positions: You will battle across a multi-sectored map, and have the ability to warp from sector to sector.
7. Dreadnought
“Dreadnought Gameplay – Massive Ship Combat”
Dreadnought is a science fiction MMO that centers on giant space ship battles. Take control of a massive heavyweight capital ship and command it on the front lines. This game is a class-based combat game based on teamwork in which you can unlock and customize over 60 space-worthy vessels. Each vessel has a five-tiered customization tree, giving you over 150 options weapons and modules in total. Basically, you get to deck out your ship however you want, and then blow people up in space.
Dreadnought is a co-op combat game. You can play 8-versus-8, and the developers are working on co-op PvE missions.
Blast Pulses, tesla coils, and rocket turrets galore: you can deck out your ship with every weapon imaginable, as well as customize its hull. It's best to look good while destroying opponents in space.
Quality AND quantity: For a free-to-play game, playing with graphics these outstanding in a world this massive is pretty much a steal.
6. Dual Universe
“Dual Universe Exclusive Demo Gameplay Footage”
Dual Universe is being called “The Civilization Building MMO.” It’s a continuous single-shard sandbox, which means that everything takes place in a single world on one server. Everyone you interact with will be another human-being playing the game. It takes place in an entirely editable universe. Build and create in a player-driven economy and engage in politics, trade, and warfare. You can build vehicles, ships, buildings, cities, space stations, games within the game, contraptions, and puzzles. You can then blueprint your creations, and even sell them for profit. The universe has multiple planets in it to explore and cultivate and has the most realistic economy system ever made in a game. Pioneer in the space-exploring future, and be, and do, whatever you want.
Friends or Foes: Work as a team to both build and conquer. But can you trust your teammates? This world is entirely player-run. Will your plans topple because of one person’s greed?
Entirely Editable: Everything in this game is player-made. You are the engine of civilization.
5. Anthem
“Anthem Hands On – New Gameplay – First Impressions – New Info”
Anthem is a co-op action RPG set in a fantasy scifi world straight from the minds at BioWare and EA. As a player, you have a choice of a Javelin exosuit, which will shape your strategic role in your co-op party. As you play you will find yourself immersed in a unique storyline. You play as a Freelancer, setting out to save humanity on a distance planet. The game also features intelligent matchmaking to ensure that you find other people to play with quickly and seamlessly.
The world in Anthem is ever-changing, featuring conditions, hazards, and enemies that will keep you on your toes. The game and the world within it will continue to expand and develop as new stories and events are introduced to players.
Robotic Armor: The strategic role you play in your co-op team will depend on which of the four unique Javelin suits you decide to use.
Unlimited Mobility: In this vast world, you have the options of running, walking, flying, swimming, and leaping from high altitudes into the wide open sky. There is nothing you can't do to get around when wearing your Javelin.
4. Star Citizen
“Star Citizen – Gameplay (open Universe Sandbox Game)”
Star Citizen is a space trading and combat MMO based in a vast futuristic universe. It is attempting to combine space, trading, flight combat simulation, and first-person-shooters into a single MMORPG game. The game is set in the 30th century and takes place in the Milky Way, centered on the fictional United Empire of Earth (UEE). Because humans love to colonize and control things, of course. One of the main themes of the game is citizenship. As a citizen of the UEE, you must complete a period of military service. You don’t have to become a citizen, but if you do, you enjoy in-game benefits, such as reduced taxes.
All in One: Star Citizen wants to combine a space-ship adventure with a first-person-shooter. Fly to a new world and then get out of your ship to explore!
Engage and Explore: Witness the vastness of the universe firsthand!
3. Elite Dangerous
“Elite Dangerous Gameplay – Welcome to the Galaxy”
In Elite Dangerous, your actions shape the rest of the world in which you play. Set in the 34th century, in an age of galactic superpowers throughout the Milky Way, every player lives out his own evolving narrative. Fight interstellar wars, watch governments rise and fall, win battles and lose some, and watch as you and your fellow players reshape the final frontier for not only you but everyone else within it.
Elite Dangerous is a living game, and is constantly growing. There are ongoing seasons of gameplay, expansions which add more features and content regularly. Throughout the galaxy you can hunt, explore, mine, fight, smuggle, and do what you can to earn wealth and power among the Elite. You can also team up with the community and take part to reach Community Goals, join or create Community Groups and play with like-minded Commanders.
An Unending Universe: The Milky Way in which you play has over 400 billion star systems, with a full galactic and technological simulation. It features the largest designed play-space in video game history.
In Control: You have your own ship and can take it wherever you want. The galaxy is at your fingertips.
2. SWTOR
“Star Wars: The Old Republic – Jedi Temple”
Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMORPG set in the Star Wars universe. Created in collaboration with BioWare and Lucas Arts, you play your choice of an entirely unique character. Not only do you get to choose you’re alliance, Republic or Empire, but you also have a handful of unique races to choose from and then customize. And then after that, you choose an occupation, whether is be jedi, smuggler, or Sith warrior. Like any traditional MMORPG, the game is quest driven, but you also get to shape your story based on how you respond to NPCs as you play.
You can party up with your friends in this game and work on quests together, but there are individual story zones in which you each have to work alone, for the sake of your own unique story lines. Once your done with your own choices and individual cut scenes for a story quest, you can both get back to doing what you were doing outside of your story zone, whether it be farming for resources or filling up that KO counter.
Unique Characters and Story-Driving Dialogue: As you make choices and interact with your unique storyline, you can tell that BioWare had an obvious hand in the RPG elements of this game.
Visit planets from the Star Wars universe: Now you can explore and quest on Tatooine like you've always wanted!
1. Star Trek Online
“Star Trek Online – First hour of gameplay edited to 25 minutes”
Star Trek Online is based in the same timeline as the television series, in the 25th century, about 30 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis. It is a free-to-play MMORPG in which you can join the United Federation of Planets or the Klingon Empire, choose to be a tactical, science, or engineering officer, command teams, captain your own ship, breed tribbles, and fight the Borg. Once you make it through the in-game tutorials and learn to captain your ship, you are free to travel to the furthest reaches of the known universe. The game features a multitude of locations from the TV series, and its universe is constantly expanding.
Completely Customize: You have the options between 17 difference races from the Star Trek canon.
Take Command: Captain your ship through debris and battle. Your crews lives are in your hands!
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