MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls Online or Final Fantasy 14 are a few years old. Indibet sign up but they still inspire tens of thousands of fans of the genre with their vast virtual worlds every day. In our big review, we bring you a selection of the currently best MMORPGs for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Whether it’s a free-to-play sandbox or an entertaining theme park, whether it’s exciting PvP battles or challenging raids: we’ll tell you which online role-playing games are worth playing right now.
What is an MMORPG?
MMORPG stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game and refers to a genre of games played entirely over the Internet, in which several thousand players simultaneously inhabit a permanent world with their characters. For more general information on the online role-playing game genre, see our special issue of The Most Influential Computer Games: Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games .
World of Warcraft – the best MMORPG for PC
Whether in terms of player numbers or revenue, World of Warcraft has dominated the online role-playing game genre in the Western market for over thirteen years. After the weakening of the Warlords of Draenor add-on, developers Blizzard managed to turn things around with Legion and break into better territory with the fun WoW tanker. This is in part because those in charge played significantly more content on the servers during the expansion, and the story of fighting the Blazing Legion from the pre-Event to the final battle at Antorus was told in a compelling and beautifully staged manner. Now it’s up to Blizzard to continue in the same direction as the recently released Battle for Azeroth add-on. If it succeeds, WoW will remain the measure of all things MMORPG.
Final Fantasy 14 is a great subscription MMORPG for PC and PS4
As bumpy as the launch of Final Fantasy 14 was on 30 September 2010, thanks to a fresh start with A Realm Reborn three years later, numerous packaged content updates that have been released since then, and two really good expansions Heavensward and Stormblood. The online role-playing game from Square Enix has rightfully established itself amongst fans of the genre as the second paid MMORPG alongside World of Warcraft. Eorzea is huge and perfect, the main story is one of the most engaging in the genre, and on top of that there are plenty of things to do during the leveling up phase and at the end of the game. Then a few weaknesses like tedious flickering or a moderate PvP area hardly matter.
The Elder Scrolls Online is a feast for story lovers on PC, PS4 and Xbox One
If you’re looking for an online role-playing game that doesn’t require a monthly subscription, try The Elder Scrolls Online! Zenimax’s MMORPG offers some of the best stories and quests in the genre, a beautiful, atmospheric game world and a flexible character system. thanks to which you can even dive into the areas of the May 2018 Summerset chapter from level one. However, the MMO part remains a bit of a weakness: in the absence of sensible instancing, other players can become atmosphere killers, and when it comes to group challenges, World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14 are ahead of the curve.
Guild Wars 2 is a great hybrid of a free-to-play MMORPG and an MMORPG with purchase for two for the PC
Guild Wars 2 is one of the most beautiful online role-playing games out there. The art design looks as if Tyria emerged from a painting. Even the interface elements fit seamlessly into this style. Guild Wars 2 is also a feast for explorers and collectors. You can spend weeks and months just playing the free main game. If you also purchase the paid expansions Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire, you will be stunned by the content. At the same time, Guild Wars 2 is also a great MMORPG for casual players. The story of the living world is presented in small chunks, there is no endless spiral of items like in World of Warcraft.
Black Desert – A modern sandbox MMORPG for the PC
Character restrictions, expensive pearl shop, grind mechanics, a difficult start – Black Desert has many characteristics that some fans of Western MMORPGs don’t like very much. It’s a shame, however, because Korean online role-playing games can generate a fascination rarely experienced these days. The world is beautiful and alive, the brutal combat system is enjoyable, and the complex crafting system is one of the best in the genre. Yes, Black Desert is unique, but it’s also very special and worth a look, especially for veteran MMORPGs.
Blade & Soul – MMORPG Wuxia for PC
Many western players probably won’t like Blade & Soul at first: the same Japanese anime style with bulging eyes and deep cutouts is a matter of taste, level stages are very linear, and crafting has little to offer. But because of the combat system alone, the Free2Play MMORPG deserves a few views. Confronting, dodging and spectacular combo chains are just plain fun. In addition, NCSoft’s Wuxia customisation is well implemented. And since the developers have brought an incredible amount of supplies to the main server since release, newcomers won’t have to get bored anytime soon.
Star Wars: The Old Republic – MMORPG from Bioware for PC
The cool stories of Star Wars: The Old Republic are great, and Bioware continues to tell an entertaining story with expansions since release. We also love the dynamic combat system with massive lightsaber duels and the Star Wars atmosphere that emerges again and again despite the old engine. It’s just a shame that the final part doesn’t particularly want to keep us engrossed. The mix of space battles, dungeons, raids and PvP battles is fun, but only for a certain amount of time. If you want to play more than just a short game, you should subscribe. The restrictions for free accounts are strict
Rift – MMORPG Oldie but Goldie for PC
When Rift was released in 2011, publisher and developer Trion Worlds brought out the big guns: “We’re not in Azeroth anymore” was written on billboards and in advertisements. Well, in terms of gameplay, Rift was certainly a very obvious WoW clone (or at least the ‘best game mechanics’ of the online role-playing games that have been released so far) – just in a different setting and with a much more complex talent tree. Rift has been Free2Play since 2013, and it’s free to play. If you want, you can also experience the original Rift on Prime server, released in March – with a subscription fee.
Neverwinter is a good Free2Play MMORPG for PC, PS4 and Xbox One
While there are better online role-playing games for the PC that are free to play (such as the aforementioned Guild Wars 2 and Blade & Soul), budget hunters who have a console in their living room should try Neverwinter. In addition to the main programme, amateur heroes can expect a total of ten add-ons, which will increase the playtime to more than 200 hours. The scope is enormous and, in addition to the main story, offers additional campaigns limited to minimum levels, as well as multiplayer raids and a relatively unassuming PvP mode.
Tera is an action MMORPG for PC, PS4 and Xbox One with a great combat system
It’s been over six years since Tera was released on PC in Europe. A release for current consoles followed in May. Unfortunately, while the action-packed battles look even better with the controller on console, the developers have failed to technically port Tera to consoles. Textures don’t look very detailed, and constant pop-ups or performance crashes spoil the fun of the game. They look like the often boring quests that await you on your way to the max level. There’s also a generic endgame with dungeons, battlefields, daily quests and item level grind – other online role-playing games have more meat on the ribs in this age. Because of the fantastic combat system alone, every MMORPG fan should have tried Tera at least once.
Perspectives: Online role-playing games 2018/2019
Without a doubt, the heyday of online role-playing games is over. Hype trains are standing in their car parks, and instead of top hits that make you drool, European conversions of already released Asian MMORPGs, niche Kickstarter projects and daring genre mixes are waiting to be released for the foreseeable future. Bless Online has been in early access on Steam since May. A proper release should take place within a year, according to first impressions from colleagues at buffed , the developers still have a lot of work to do.
A lot of work also awaits Mark Jacobs (Dark Age of Camelot), who wants to release Camelot Unchained 2019 with his team. Particularly exciting here is the “Tri-Realm” system, in which Arturians, Vikings and Tuatha De Danann will fight over a fantasy world broken up into small pieces, as well as a class system with 30 different ways to play. there’s also an exciting mix of Eve Online and Minecraft Dual Universe.
