An Overview of the Best MMORPGs

Anarchy Online

Release Date: June 26, 2001

Overview: Set in the "very distant future", Anarchy Online takes place during a war between the Clans and the Omni-Tek factions who are fighting over a mineral used for creating nanotechnology. You can choose from any of four breeds and 14 professions as well as three factions to make up a great array of character types and abilities. Anarchy Online uses dungeons and missions to create constant and diverse gameplay. There are also various areas for role-playing within nightclubs and other social gathering places. Levels are gained through experience and "Improvement Points" are assigned to be used to raise any skills you may wish to raise.

Dark Age of Camelot

Release Date: September 1, 2001

Overview: Dark Age of Camelot takes place after the death of the infamous King Arthur. This online role-playing game contains three different realms, each with different characters, which are constantly in tension. A big part of this game is PvP and encourages teamwork between realm members to overcome the opposition. You can gain experience and level your character by going on quests and killing monsters. It will be to your benefit to get into a good group of other online gamers so you can level quickly. The frame rate is smooth in all cases, even when there are lots of players and action. This is a time consuming game once you get involved, so put down the TV remote and stock the fridge with lots of soda and pizza.

Eve Online

Release Date: November 17, 2004

Overview: Eve online won Best Graphics, Best PvP, Favorite Company and Best Game in the 2005 Reader's Choice Awards, and is said by many to be the best MMORPG ever. Eve takes place tens of thousands of years in the future in star-filled galaxies. You can choose a number of different professions from commodities trader to mercenary, industrial entrepreneur to pirate or mining engineer to battle fleet commander. The virtual galaxy is supported by a player-run economy. You can explore uncharted heavens in search of the promised land, engage in futuristic battles and enjoy the riches, glory and adventure that come with this emotion-filled game-Eve.

EverQuest II

Release Date: November 8, 2004

Overview: The original EverQuest was released in 1999. EverQuest II incorporates the similar time consuming "grind" style of play. You start your adventure by choosing one of four different career paths and as you increase your leveling, you can become more specialized. The game takes place in an enchanted world with monsters and sorcerers. EverQuest II requires a fast system to run well and even then, there are some delayed frame rates. The graphics are superb and will draw you into the game for hours at a time.

Final Fantasy XI

Release Date: October 28, 2003

Overview: Final Fantasy XI is an MMORPG that gets better every day as more and more characters join in and the game evolves. Final Fantasy XI will give you an experience that will be difficult to find elsewhere. The game doesn't require some of the tedious tasks of other MMORPGs like eating to gain strength. Instead, you can get right to the interesting aspects of the game, the voyages, trading and battles. The game encourages grouping into parties in order to achieve higher levels. Final Fantasy XI takes place in a fantastic mid-evil world with warriors and monsters. This game requires more start-up money than most; however, if you're a fan of the series, you'll love Final Fantasy XI.

Guild Wars Factions

Release Date: April 28, 2006

Overview: Explore the battlegrounds of an enchanted world in an online role-playing game or stretch your strategies while engaging in PvP action packed battles. This game offers something for everyone. Build your character with more-than-human abilities so you can defeat the digital creatures. With more than 150 skills for each profession, the possibilities are almost limitless. The graphics are awesome but the game still boots up and loads quickly for quick gaming sessions.

Lineage 2

Release Date: April 27, 2004

Overview: Lineage II probably isn't an MMORPG for everyone, it widely incorporates the grind for which MMORPGs are known. You'll have to battle countless monsters and collect valuable Adena to survive in the mystical world. The game involves quests, PvP combat, clan against clan and even huge battles that involve laying siege to castles to gain political power. Everyone starts out as either a mage or a fighter. As you advance, you can gain powers, weapons and armor. At a higher level, you can specialize in a career path and become a completely different character. The core of this game is PvP that makes the game unpredictable and ever-changing.

Lord of the Rings Online

Release Date: April 24, 2007

Overview: Based in the world of J.R.R. Tolkiens Middle-earth, Lord of the Rings Online takes the award winning books and movies and throws you into the fight for control of Middle-earth. You can be any of four races: Man, Elf, Dwarf or Hobbit. You also have seven options for which class you would like to be with two additional classes being released in the Mines of Moria expansion. Classes currently available are Captain, Champion, Guardian, Hunter, Lore-Master and Minstrel, with Warden and Rune-Keeper coming in the expansion. There are currently 12 story lines, referred to as books within the game. There are currently plans to release two more books in the summer of 2008.

Star Wars Galaxies

Release Date: November 17, 2005

Overview: Patterned after the blockbuster series this online adventure was one of the more anticipated MMORPG's of the early and mid 2000's. Star Wars Galaxies has a very similar play to other multi-player online games. You can choose between eight different characters, then develop and specialize your character. You're highly dependent on other players. There are no real stores in the game so you have to buy and trade from other gamers. Star Wars Galaxies is very time consuming and won't accommodate a rigid schedule. The interface will take some time to learn, but there is a tutorial to teach you to use all of the features.

Ultima Online

Release Date: September 30, 1997

Overview: While not the oldest MMORPG around, Ultima Online is most certainly the most popular of the last decade. It includes one of the largest communities of any current MMORPG while being spread over nearly a dozen server clusters worldwide. It's virtual world, based on the popular 80's/90's gaming empire of the Ultima series, is huge and offers the possibilities of building and decorating your own house, crafting weapons and armor, taming monsters and animals, or simply hacking and slashing your way through the dozens of dungeons and other nasty places. Through the years, Ultima Online has been upgraded and expanded many times with the latest of the expansions being Kingdom Reborn. Kingdom Reborn takes the Ultima Online MMORPG from the realm of 2D graphics and effects to the beauty that is modern 3D. The Kingdom Reborn client offers players an entire new look at the world they built over the last 11 years while offering them updated graphics and play style.

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

Release Date: June 10, 2008

Overview: Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is what is known as a Realm versus Realm game. There are two factions within the game: Order and Destruction. Within each faction there are three armies that contain your career choices for your characters. Order contains 3 races: Dwarfs, Humans (known as the Empire), and High Elves. Destruction is made up of the Greenskins (goblins and orcs), Chaos (more humans), and Dark Elves. Between all armies and all races, there are 24 career paths to go down. These fall under four standard types of characters: Tank, Melee Damage, Ranged Damage, Support. Tank, Melee Damage, and Ranged Damage are all geared towards direct damage using melee and ranged weapons. Support is magic based.

World of Warcraft

Release Date: November 23, 2004

Overview: Based in the epic world of Azeroth, World of Warcraft is the first MMORPG in the Warcraft series. Since its release, it has become wildly popular with old and new gamers alike. With the game based heavily around player interaction, Blizzard has developed a new type of MMORPG. Missions and quests within the game can be done alone, but most of the major raids within the game can take as many as 40 players to be successful. Beyond simple fighting, characters within WoW can be anything from a blacksmith to a mage and many things between the two. At this time, the current level cap for characters is level 70. There is an expansion to the game that has been announced that will raise the cap to level 80. If you were a fan of the first three Warcraft games, you will love this MMORPG.


References

MMORPG.com, (2008). Retrieved Mar. 28, 2008, from MMORPG.com.
Gamespot.com, (2006). Retrieved Jan. 27, 2006, from gamespot.com.