Game of MMORPGs
In the land of MMORPGs, World of Warcraft sits upon the throne as supreme ruler. But others are watching, biding their time and waiting. Waiting for a moment when WoW will slip up. For in the game of MMORPGs, you win, or you get pwned. Here’s a list of 11 possible contenders.
1. Lord of the Rings online
Middle-Earth has to be the king of fantasy realms. From the quaint villages in The Shire, to the jagged, bleak, fiery pits of Mordor, this land holds everything. Players can quest and craft as they see fit, as well as buy and decorate homes, do their banking and other such day-to-day necessities. There are unique modes in which the player can take on the role of orc, or some other of Sauron’s minions and battle the good guys. Great fun all round.
2. Tera
Tera is one of the most popular and highly regarded action MMOs on the market. With a melting pot of different classes and races, there is a style to suit all players out there. The responsive and dramatic combat make for some memorable battles. A well crafted game, with some truly gorgeous art and animation thrown in as well.
3. Neverwinter
The Forgotten Realms were the settings of two of the later games from the D&D repertoire; Neverwinter Nights, and Neverwinter Nights 2. Now just entitled Neverwinter, this new free to play MMO is one of the best around.
Utilizing the fast paced systems of the 4th edition of D&D, Neverwinter is full of exciting battles and new adventure, whilst upgrading your character remain fresh and interesting.
4. Vindictus
Vindictus is set in a land of violence, where there is a prophecy of endless war and a world of peace which may or may not exist.
It is a fast paced action MMORPG, that has complete freedom when engaging in battle. Use anything you can get your hands on to battle your enemies and work with your allies to fulfil the prophecy.
5. Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 knows that it is the David to WoW’s Goliath, and so instead of being like it, decides to be its own game instead. This makes for a pleasantly refreshing MMO with dynamic events that occur based on the player’s actions. It has also favoured the buy once, play forever option, over the subscription fees that other MMOs employ, which is nice.
6. Dungeons and Dragons online
time for walkies, Rover
Some of the best computer games of all time have been set in the lands of Dungeons and Dragons, Baldur’s Gate, Planescape, and Neverwinter Nights all came from the D&D tabletop games. However, the online version is the first to faithfully mimic the game’s systems and rules whilst also delivering the action we’ve all come to know and love.
Now it’s free to play, there’s never been a better time to check this game out.
7. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
It’s important to take note of the Realm Reborn part of the title here. Had this realm not been reborn, this game would have remained the horrendous, buggy, painful to play mess that was its first iteration. Rebuilt from the ground up, A Realm Reborn is a beautiful world, full of fun quests and little references to other FF games for the fans to enjoy. Although it’s nothing particularly innovative, it’s a fantastically imagined and designed world.
8. Elder Scrolls online
The Elder Scrolls online has had a lot of hype and popularity, despite the early issues it faced on the PC. Now that it has moved to console as well, the problems seem to have been ironed out and this is a great way to explore the entire realm of Tamriel, from Skyrim down to Black Marsh, and complete quests similar to the single player games that have been so successful in the past.
9. Runescape
Set in Gielinor, Runescape is one of the most popular MMOs out there. Although nothing particularly innovative here, it has kept up with its competition and remained as exciting as it when it first came out many years ago.
10. Rift
Rift has studied all the great MMOs, taken the bits that make them great, tweaking them a bit to make it ‘their own’ and sticking it all together in this awesome game. There is a real sense of community within the realm as portals open and throw out enemies hell-bent on destroying everyone in their path.
11. EOS (Echo Of Soul)
Trailer for EOS
A highly anticipated game, EOS puts you in control of a soul keeper who can capture and make use of the souls of your defeated enemies. Make buffs, craft items, or improve your skills. The choice is yours. You can also play how you want. Prefer to adventure alone or in a team. Either way there’s plenty of PvE and PvP content to satisfy all urges.
Who will sit upon the throne?
So there’s our 11 contenders. 11 MMORPGs that stand out from a myriad of others like them. They all have their strengths, they all have their weaknesses. They are all similar and different to WoW at the same time. Will any of them ever be able to topple the leviathan that is Blizzard’s masterpiece? That my friends, is up to you. Click here to see some awesome free-to-play MMOs.
Tell me in the comments if there are any other MMOs I should know about, and see you next time.
