Single player gaming can only take you so far. For many keen gamers, the lure of online perpetual worlds where characters can be developed, careers forged, relationships built and new kingdoms conquered is where the real heartbeat of videogames culture lies. Here we delve deep into the mysterious world of the MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) to uncover the very best in fee paying and free to play games out there. Wave goodbye to your social life!
Pay to Play
Many MMOs require a regular subscription charge. Detailed below is our pick of the bunch.
World of Warcraft
PC/Mac
The most popular MMO in the world with over 12 million regular players. The massive multiplayer world is split between two warring factions - The Horde and The Alliance. Choose to be a member of The Horde - a dark gathering of Orcs, Undead, Trolls and Taurens. Or The Alliance - made up of Dwarves, Humans, Night Elves and Gnomes – to name but a few.
Each race has a further set of classes ranging from Warrior to Priest ,Warlocks, Rogues and Shaman. Each class has its own traits - that can be further enhanced by learning skills such as mining and blacksmithing for the manufacture of weaponry and armour.
Players must engage in quests in order to gain valuable experience points that translate to leveling through the ranks - allowing for greater powers and skills. But none of this translates to just how well this game is executed. From the smooth transition in loading to building your character and learning with him/her as they level through the game – to auctioning valuable items at in-game auction houses. This title is more intuitive than learning to walk and with expansion packs The Burning Crusade and Wrath of The Lich King there’s more gameplay than a level 80 mage could wave a wand at.
Lord of The Rings Online Shadows of Angmar
PC
The first MMO to be based on the work of Tolkien, LOTR Shadows of Angmar allows players to forge legacies in the War for Middle-Earth. Gamers will experience an evolving persistent recreation of Tolkien's world-renowned fantasy realm where they can establish their unique reputations, and discover and wield legendary weapons in strategic battles, while adventuring solo or in Fellowships.
An updated expansion pack entitled The Mines of Moria released a little under a year ago lets players adventure into the largest online underground environment ever created while extending the challenge with two new classes, ten additional levels and hundreds of new quests.
EVE Online
PC
EVE is a futuristic space trading and exploration game. When players join EVE they assume the role of a freshly graduated Capsuleer, a small group of elite spaceship pilots capable of controlling powerful spaceships on their own from within their capsules. Unlike most of MMOs, EVE gamers have the opportunity to affect more than 250.000 other players in one way or another as all players are a part of the same persistent universe, hosted on the world‘s most powerful gaming server – rather than a single server on a server farm, as found in World of Warcraft and LOTR Online.
Players can trade to make a living, conduct mining operations, market fighting skills as a mercenary, camp the spacelanes for profit as a pirate, conduct espionage and infiltration, focus on research and manufacturing, or perform increasingly profitable missions for NPC (non player controlled, run by the EVE system) agents. The best sci-fi MMO bar none.
Final Fantasy XI
Xbox 360
The first MMORPG on Xbox 360, Final Fantasy XI was visually average but dripping in gameplay atmospherics – especially for fans of the long running franchise. Players are be able to see and hear the perpetual world of Vana’diel as they partake in conquests to elevate their nation’s standing, missions to build their reputation within a nation, and special quests to discover useful items, new jobs and earn money. The Battle system was considered clunky, even for its time (2006) but with over 100 different areas plus three expansion packs that boast new jobs, items, mission scenarios and quests to explore, there is a lot to love with this charming game.
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
PC
If you like your MMO to have a theme of ongoing war laced with dark humour then look no further than Warhammer Online - the virtual version of the classic Games Workshop game. It‘s a breathless introduction to a kingdom consumed by war. Your character is thrust into a city under siege; all around cannon fire and warring players hack and slash, the two sides of Order (High Elves, humans, Dwarves) and Destruction (Greenskins, Dark Elves, Chaos humans) going at each other literally hammer an tongs. It may be a wait until your character reaches level 40 and embarks on his first large–scale raid but the journey‘s an incredible one.
It‘s in the PVP play though that Warhammer shines. There‘s such a variety of scenario–based tactics and missions leading up to the ultimate goals of city sieges. It‘s still daunting if you‘re a newcomer to the title, and the range of gameplay is absolutely vast, but it‘ll quickly become child‘s play. Albeit, a bloodthirsty one.
Free to Play
If paying to play doesn’t float your boat, take a look at these subscription-free online RPGS.
Netropolis 2
PC, Mac
We can’t write a guide to online RPGs without a mention of our very own offering – Netropolis. Originally launched in 1997, Netropolis was Tiscali's free to play online multiplayer game. Its clean and clear graphics made it easily usable by the vast majority of PCs and Macs, and as it ran through a browser, no additional software was required. Think online multi-player business building mixed with devious undertones and you’re half way there.
Players aim was to build up a huge business empire and either link with other players or strive to conquer on their own. Co-operation between players was strong, but so was the competition, with players using fair means or foul to get to the top of the rich list.
Now re-branded and improved for TalkTalk, there's a new boss in town called... erm, Bosswars.
Bosswars is the new online multi-player strategy game where you match your wits as a corporate tycoon against other real people. Buy some land, set up a few businesses and watch the money roll in. Easy, right? Not here...
Sign-up to Bosswars here.
Free Realms
PC
In Free Realms, players can customise their characters and play a wide variety of minigames in a safe, online environment designed for younger gamers. The focus is on freedom and variety rather than combat-heavy epic adventures. Characters aren’t locked into classes or jobs – you can be a ninja one minute and a race kart driver the next.
Players are free to do or be anything: cook a yummy meal, battle goblins, set out on epic quests or connect with friends through a safe, social networking page and they can purchase items via microtransactions.
Microtransactions involve players registering for usually free online games and then purchasing in-game currency to be redeemed for various items.
Unlike other MMOs Free Realms is designed to run on nearly all PCs. The game will stream to your PC as you play, so the title will not take up a lot of memory and will download quickly.
RuneScape
PC
Recognised as the world’s most popular free to play MMO, RuneScape has approximately nine million gamers happily playing the Java-based game. The action takes place in the world of Gielinor, a fantasy-themed realm divided into several different kingdoms, regions, and cities.
Players can travel throughout Gielinor on foot, by using magical teleportation spells and devices, or mechanical means of transportation. Each region offers different types of monsters, resources, and quests to challenge players. RuneScape does not follow a linear storyline; players choose their own goals. Players can fight NPC monsters, complete quests, or increase their experience in any of the available skills as well as interact with each other through trading, chatting, or by participating in both combative and cooperative minigames and activities.
Guild Wars
PC
The 6 million-selling Guild Wars provides two main modes of gameplay - a cooperative role-playing component and a competitive player vs. player (PvP) element. Three stand-alone episodes and one expansion pack were released in the series from April 2005 to August 2007.
The relatively low level caps (the highest level is 20, which an intermediate player can reach fairly easily), along with the lack of subscription fees (players just buy the episodic content),combined with the highly detailed graphics made Guild Wars a popular multi-award winning MMO competitor. After reaching the level cap, players differentiate their characters by which skills they equip to bring into battle; new skills can be learned by exploring and completing quests, but only eight of a player's learned skills can be equipped at any one time. A sequel (Guild Wars 2) has been announced but there are currently no details on an official release date.
MapleStory
PC
With over 92 million players worldwide (2 million of them in Europe), MapleStory has just announced its biggest update ever with Knights of Cygnus this August! As well as being able to share powers and skill points between your newly created character and your main profile, the Knights of Cygnus addition is also great for newbies, as it offers a number of level up options which enable players to progress through the game easier with striking skill features that take away the typical burden of leveling up, common in most hack & slash MMORPGs
Currently in MapleStory, there are four job levels of Warrior, Magician, Thief and Bowman. The Knights of Cygnus update provides five new job classes that are new to MapleStory offering a stronger skill set to existing players and a quicker progression of levels for new users. Knights of Cygnus can use elemental abilities to their advantage, possess unique skills compared to standard job classes and can enjoy exclusive maps and quests. With upgrades to the interface system, new functions and more the Knights of Cygnus is one to look out for!
Check out the trailer HERE
