The best MMORPGs are often ambitious endeavors, crafted meticulously over countless gaming sessions. But it is exactly this thing that makes them so special. With each passing year, you can make your characters better by giving them golden greaves and blazing pauldrons, which are highly sought after.
The real draw, though, is the chance to make connections with people from all over the world that will last a lifetime. If you join a friendly guild, you might go on an amazing journey, even if there are sometimes disagreements about how to share raid gear. Each MMO is made for a different type of player, so there are a lot of options for everyone.
Even though they are called “role-playing games,” “massively multiplayer online role-playing games” (MMORPGs) are very different from traditional RPGs. There are a lot of unique things about these virtual realms, like the ability to fight together, trade with others, and learn skills like fishing and blacksmithing. This unique mix is what makes MMORPGs so interesting. Below we have mentioned the best MMORPGs.
Best MMORPGs Comparison Table
| MMORPG | Setting | Free-to-Play Option | Subscription Option | PvP Options | Crafting System | Player Housing | Official Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Lord of the Rings Online | Middle-earth | Yes | Yes | Yes | Extensive | Yes | Visit Website |
| Lost Ark | Fantasy | No | Yes | Yes | Robust | Yes | Visit Website |
| Black Desert Online | Fantasy | No | Yes | Yes | Complex | Yes | Visit Website |
| The Elder Scrolls Online | Fantasy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Extensive | Yes | Visit Website |
| Star Wars: The Old Republic | Science Fiction | Yes | Yes | Yes | Varied | Yes | Visit Website |
| Guild Wars 2 | Fantasy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Deep | Yes | Visit Website |
| Runescape | Fantasy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Vast | Yes | Visit Website |
| EVE Online | Science Fiction/Space Opera | No | Yes | Yes | Complex | Yes | Visit Website |
The Lord Of The Rings Online
Features
- The world is based on Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien.
- You can choose from different classes and races.
- There is a lot of PvE content, like epic quests and hard raids.
- Player systems for housing and making things.
- Beautiful graphics and music that fits the mood.
Fans of Middle Earth should think about The Lord of the Rings Online if they want to try a new MMO. Of course, the best thing about this is that you can put yourself in Tolkien’s world. You can play as a hobbit, fight with Gimli, and face the Witch King in Angmar, just to name a few things. Currently, this is one of the best MMORPGs you can download now.
Lord of the Rings Online is also true to the books, and there are lots of cool little details for people who like the story. It’s an old MMO that came out in 2007, and it was already pretty old-fashioned when it came out, but it still gets updates. The developers at Standing Stone Games have said that they will add new things to classes, crafting, in-game events, treasure hunts, and a lot more. Not only that, but a lot of it is free-to-play, and the Helm’s Deep expansion will take you all the way up to level 95.
Pros
- Immersive world based on the Lord of the Rings series, which is very popular.
- Storytelling and quests with a lot going on.
- Lots of ways to change your character.
Cons
- Compared to newer MMORPGs, the graphics are a little bit old.
- Compared to some other MMOs, there isn’t as much to do at the endgame.
- All features can only be used if you pay for a subscription.
Lost Ark
Features
- The action-packed gameplay is a mix of third-person and isometric views.
- The game world is dynamic and beautiful to look at.
- A lot of different classes with different ways to play.
- PvE dungeons and raids that are hard and have boss fights that are hard.
- Arenas and battlegrounds are examples of PvP content.
- Lots of ways to change your character.
Lost Ark might be the MMO version of grey carpet, but that doesn’t mean that grey carpet doesn’t have a place in the MMO world. It might be for you if you do a lot of fetch quests where you have to beat up monsters like in Diablo. Overall, this is one of the best MMORPGs you can download now.
Fighting is easily one of the best parts of the game, whether you’re going down the road to get lizard tongues for Barry or fighting armoured bears in a severe raid. It moves quickly, has a lot of weight, and is very flashy. There are a lot of classes to choose from and a lot of ways to change your build so that it doesn’t get old.
Pros
- Graphics with a lot of detail and beauty.
- Fast-paced battles where you can choose from different classes.
- PvE content that is varied and challenging.
Cons
- Right now, it’s only available in a few places.
- Some players might find the game’s way of moving forward to be a lot of work.
- Compared to other MMOs, it has less PvP content.
Black Desert Online
Features
- Graphics that are both beautiful and very detailed.
- The game is a sandbox with an open world that is big and flows together.
- Active combat with combos and skills that look cool.
- Character creation and customization options that are in-depth.
- Strong systems for trading and making things.
- Large-scale battles and sieges between players.
Black Desert Online might be one of the best-looking MMOs out there. It has a huge, beautiful world that puts a lot of other games in the genre to shame. It’s worth getting just to play with the beautiful character maker. Currently, this is one of the best MMORPGs you can download now.
You can also fight quickly, with a focus on aiming, dodging, and blocking in real time. However, Black Desert Online’s main focus is on building empires and civilizations. Yes, you can play this as an action-RPG or an MMO, but if you want to play it like Age of Empires, there is a lot of depth. You can hire people to work for you, set up production chains, and even run full businesses, like this one that makes beer.
Pros
- Amazing graphics and well-thought-out characters.
- Sandbox with an open world where you can do things like fishing, farming, and trading.
- Combat that is intense and full of action.
Cons
- A lot to learn and systems that are hard to understand.
- Can be very focused on grinding and doing the same things over and over.
- To move forward, you have to spend a lot of time.
The Elder Scrolls Online
Features
- Based on the popular Elder Scrolls series, this game has a huge open world.
- You can go wherever you want and do quests at your own pace.
- There are different skill lines and abilities that can change as the character grows.
- There are interesting quests and stories that draw you in.
- PvE content like dungeons, trials, and world bosses are plentiful.
- The economy and trading system are run by the players.
I think you might like The Elder Scrolls Online if you can’t get enough of Skyrim or Oblivion. It brings together different settings from different versions of Bethesda’s single-player RPGs, so you can explore places like Tamriel, the High Elf realm of Summerset, and the Khajit homeland of Elsweyr. Still, this is one of the best MMORPGs you can download now.
The Elder Scrolls Online does a good job of balancing being both an MMO and a good single-player game, as if it knew its audience. It doesn’t matter if you want to play alone or with a lot of other people, and if anything, it’s getting more and more focused on the former. Plus, it keeps some Elder Scrolls rules, like the fact that every NPC can be pickpocketed.
Pros
- Based on the popular Elder Scrolls series, this game has a huge world that pulls you in.
- Character development is flexible, and there are many ways to get skills.
- Rich PvP and PvE content, like raids and dungeons that are hard to complete.
Cons
- Some players might find the way battles work less interesting than in other MMOs.
- The game’s crafting and economy systems can be hard to figure out.
- Some DLC content can only be accessed with a subscription or by buying it in-game.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Features
- Taking place in the well-known Star Wars universe, with a focus on telling stories.
- Storylines for each class that are cinematic and interesting.
- Choices made by the player affect the story and the alignment system.
- Different classes and an advanced companion system.
- There are different kinds of PvE content, like flashpoints and operations.
- There are PvP battles and warzones with famous Star Wars settings.
Storytelling is one of the best things about Star Wars: The Old Republic. This is one of the few MMOs where your character doesn’t just change by making your numbers go up. Instead, it changes by how you interact with other people. NPCs aren’t just there to give you quests; you can befriend and betray them, kill them, or tell them you love them forever. Currently, this is one of the best MMORPGs you can download now.
Like the people who made ESO, the people who made TOR know that a lot of people are coming to it because they liked Knights of the Old Republic. Once you get to the expansions, you are hit with an episodic structure that’s more like a single-player game than an MMO. You are put into your own instance and given the freedom to make many hard choices that will only affect your story and not anyone else’s. This is without a doubt one of the best Star Wars games.
Pros
- The quests and choices are interesting and add to the story.
- Each class is different and has its own storyline.
- An interesting and cinematic show.
Cons
- Compared to other MMOs, there isn’t as much to do at the end.
- The free-to-play model limits what features and content you can use.
- Can sometimes feel like a single-player game because there isn’t much interaction between players.
Guild Wars 2
Features
- The world of the game changes depending on what the player does.
- Combat is handled in a unique and fluid way, with active dodging and skill combos.
- Storylines and choices made by the player that change how the story goes.
- There is no monthly fee, and you buy what you need to play.
- There is a lot of PvP content, like organized PvP and big World vs. World battles.
- Beautiful art style and design for the world.
Guild Wars 2 is not like most MMOs because it doesn’t have a lot of boring fetch quests. Instead, it has a lot of live events that you can find while exploring the world. These are made up on the fly by the game’s systems, and they let you fight with hordes of other players. Fighting is also more dynamic than in most MMOs because you can dodge enemy attacks and aim your own, instead of being stuck in an animation.
People like Guild Wars 2 because it doesn’t have any grinds. Almost everything you do, from making things to going on adventures to fighting, gives you experience. Even if someone else has already killed a big monster, you will still get EXP for helping them. Guild Wars 2 wants you to have a good time and see its world and story without putting in thousands of hours of work. Currently, this is one of the best MMORPGs you can download now.
Pros
- Events that change over time and encourage players to work together and explore.
- There are different ways to build and play each class.
- There is no fee to subscribe, and the free-to-play model is fair.
Cons
- Some players might find it less interesting to level up than in other MMOs.
- End-game progression and gear grinding are limited.
- The economy in a game can be unstable and cause prices to go up.
Runescape
Features
- Huge open world with a deep and complex story.
- Skill-based gameplay with a lot of different jobs and things to do.
- A lot of quests with different storylines.
- The economy is controlled by the players, who can trade, craft, and gather resources.
- PvP content, such as duels, clan wars, and random encounters in the wilderness.
- There are regular updates and a strong community of players.
Runescape is not only free to play, but it’s also an MMO with a lot of skills to learn. I’m talking about things like fishing, farming, divination, and going into dungeons. Each class has a lot of depth, and you can make money on the market or by standing in front of banks and shouting “Iron bars for sale!!!” over and over again. Currently, this is one of the best MMORPGs you can download now.
Runescape also has a good variety of quests. Instead of the usual flood of fetch quests, you’ll find real stories with interesting conversations, fights, and puzzles. There are even long-running quest lines and penguin plots. Seriously, the game has some of the most creative quests in MMOs. Instead of big fights and explosions, the quests make you think on your feet and solve brain teasers.
Pros
- Long-running MMORPG with a nostalgic feel and a strong community.
- Combat, quests, skilling, and player trading are just some of the different ways to play.
- You can play for free or pay for a subscription.
Cons
- Compared to modern MMOs, the graphics and interface are old.
- Some games have a lot of grinding, which takes a lot of time.
- Characters can’t be changed as much as they can in newer MMORPGs.
EVE Online
Features
- A huge, space-based sandbox game where the players decide what to do.
- The economy and market are run by the players.
- The political landscape is complicated, and corporations and alliances are run by the players.
- Spaceship battles and fleet battles are based on strategy.
- In a persistent universe, you have the freedom to look around, mine for resources, and trade.
- Wide range of skills and character growth.
EVE Online has a reputation for being a cold, cruel world full of players who take advantage of each other, which is fair. This is a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) where war, betrayal, and espionage between real players are the norm. The results are exciting for those who take part and interesting to read about for everyone else. Currently, this is one of the best MMORPGs you can download now.
When you first start out in space, you might be surprised by how kind people are. Player-run corporations need new people to join, and strangers are often willing to help you get started by giving you ships, blueprints, and in-game money. Some players even set up a university inside the game to teach you how to stay alive. EVE Online is one of the deepest games ever made if you play it for a long time. It is a space game with real politics and council meetings that are run by real people. However, the game has gotten better for new users every year.
Pros
- The economy and politics are controlled by the players, which makes the game unique and immersive.
- A huge and persistent world with a deep and complicated way to play.
- PvP fights with high stakes and strategic gameplay.
Cons
- The game is hard to learn and has complicated rules, which can be confusing for new players.
- To make real progress, you have to spend a lot of time on it.
- Some people might not like games that put a lot of emphasis on player interactions and politics.
FAQs
MMORPGs are a type of online video game in which a lot of people play together in a virtual world. In the game, players take on the roles of different characters and go on quests, go on adventures, and do other things.
Some MMORPGs are free to play, while others need to be bought or come with a monthly fee. Free-to-play MMORPGs usually have in-game purchases you can choose to make or premium memberships that give you extra benefits.
Yes, you can play many MMORPGs on consoles like the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Final Fantasy XIV, The Elder Scrolls Online, and Phantasy Star Online 2 are all examples of games like this.
