Looking for a new online game to invest your time in? Metacritic has ranked the best MMORPGs ever made, and one of them might just be your new fave.
News about World of Warcraft: Dragonflight as well as games such as Lost Ark and New World bringing new life into the genre has made 2022 a great year for MMORPG fans so far. Dozens of companies have attempted to make the next big MMORPG, trying to capture the magic and adventure that major titles like Runescape and World of Warcraft have offered.
Fans have spent countless hours grinding on these games to improve their characters, with different games appealing to different niches. Metacritic’s scores offer an aggregate review of games, making it a reliable source for both fan and critic judgement.
The Elder Scrolls Online was major news for fans of the genre, as the tangentially popular The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was considered one of the best RPG games ever. Fans were hoping that the MMORPG version would pretty much just be Skyrim online, but many fans thought it did not meet that expectation.
The game still appealed to an MMORPG fan base, if not the dedicated Skyrim lovers who specifically wanted more of the same. Since its release in 2014, the game has had multiple major expansions with tons of content to explore as well as unique player vs player experiences.
Rift is one of the MMORPGs that appeals to a smaller audience, despite being one of the most visually appealing games for its 2011 release. Rift is a free to play game available on Steam, though its lower reviews are likely due to certain features being behind an in game paywall.
Achieving popularity as a fantasy based MMORPG is difficult, given the competition there, particularly for a franchise with no prior existence in any form of media. With that having been said, Rift achieving the audience and score it has is very impressive.
A Star Wars MMORPG is something that was bound to be epic, as there are few fantasy or science fiction worlds with as large of a fan base. The game offers a ton of customization for Star Wars fans, including a morality scale that allows players to float on whatever side of the force they’d like to be.
The game has been out for over a decade and has a highly dedicated fan base, as after some time it adapted to a free to play system with paid in-game services. For fans of Star Wars that are comfortable with an older style of graphics, The Old Republic can be the galactic adventure one might be seeking.
One of the oldest MMORPG games available was Everquest, which released all the way back in 1999 and is still running today with consistent updates and a highly dedicated fan base. For fans of retro games and MMORPGs, Everquest is a must try. Like many games in the genre, it’s free to play on their website and on Steam.
Everquest is worth exploring if not only as a testament to its long standing community but also its list of 28 expansions of content to explore. The game has more playable classes than most, with a total of fourteen options for MMO players who enjoy making and leveling a variety of alts.
An MMORPG like Elder Scrolls or Warcraft that had a fanbase before its MMORPG was even made is Warhammer Online. The Warhammer tabletop game was invented in the ’80s, with a growing fanbase engaging after video game forms as well as the Total War: Warhammer series bringing its world to real time strategy games.
Like World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online offers a very colorful high magic fantasy world that released in 2008. Like with many MMORPGs, the game dropped off in subscribers months after its launch, and despite positive reviews, eventually shut down in 2013. The game still has an attentive fanbase, playing on a player-run private server which is still up.
One of the longest-running MMORPGs from 2003 is EVE Online, which is free to play on Steam for fans of both the MMORPG genre as well as science fiction. The game has a massive intergalactic world to explore that involves character as well as spaceship development and customization.
The game recently launched a browser feature, which will allow its players to participate in the game from a browser on any device. There are few games in general that offer such an immersive space exploration experience, especially not with a large-scale multiplayer experience.
One of the most deserving fantasy worlds of an MMORPG is Middle Earth and The Lord of the Rings. Luckily, The Lord of the Rings Online is a solid choice for someone looking to dive into the world of their favorite books or movies ahead of the release of the Amazon TV series.
The base game has four races and seven classes to choose from, offering gameplay that will make the player similar to any of their favorite characters in the series. Even though the graphics are dated, the game still offers the most exploration of Middle Earth than any other game available and is a must-play for fans.
Guild Wars 2 is a terrifically made game and offers an incredible experience to MMORPG players. The title offers multiple races and classes, as even further customization with different selections of weapons in-game. Guild Wars 2 modernized the way questing in MMORPGs works with its region-based questing and completion.
The game has had three major paid expansions to top off its free base game, which offer character boosts to the max level for MMORPG pros to expedite their experience and jump into the late game. Guild Wars 2 is one of the largest MMORPGs available, still pulling in massive numbers in 2022 after its most recent expansion release in February.
Final Fantasy has the second most players of any MMORPG, due to its great quality and built-up fanbase from over three decades of video games. The Japanese franchise has a unique style with beautiful art, characters, and world design, which have earned it a whopping 92 on Metacritic. The Final Fantasy franchise also has some of the best video game soundtracks.
The most recent expansion, Endwalker, released in December of 2021, raising the game’s score to what it is. Unlike many MMORPGs, Final Fantasy Online is not free to play. The base game is available on Steam along with its expansion packs, and for MMORPG lovers, it’s well worth the cost.
World of Warcraft wasn’t the first MMORPG, but it defined the genre as a cultural phenomenon in the 2000s, with a player base of millions. The game has been more controversial in recent years, with the latest expansion, Shadowlands, failing to impress long-term fans. However, the trailer and anticipated features for Dragonflight as well as new Blizzard management has caused a new hope among players and caused many to re-subscribe.
The game still has tons of active players and still reigns over the genre, despite its monthly subscription cost and base fee. Due to the expensive cost of playing, the game typically has an older audience of players, filled mostly with people who have played the game since its early expansions. This allowed for the popularity of World of Warcraft Classic, a version of the game that is revisiting old content.
Charlie is a recent graduate from SUNY Purchase College, working as a freelance writer in Brooklyn, NY. He specializes for ScreenRant in writing Lists about TV and movies, both contemporary and old. Charlie is an avid movie lover, with his favorites being Magnolia, Mulholland Drive, Blade Runner, and Once Upon a Time in the West. His favorite shows are Twin Peaks, The Wire, and Peaky Blinders. He loves all genres, but mostly crime, mystery and comedy. He runs a personal movie blog on Instagram at @streamguidance where he writes about new movies and shows he watches.
