Will These New MMORPGs Succeed or Flop?
I remember the first MMO I ever played was Runescape, back when MMOs were still a small blip in the gaming industry. Since that time, MMOs have come a long way from the simple virtual worlds they began as. MMOs have evolved into expansive and sprawling digital universes where people can actually make a real-world living (Take that mom! Who said playing games wouldn't make me any money?). With the release of the insanely popular World of Warcraft in 2004, many gaming companies hopped on the MMO wagon, thus ushering in something of a golden age for MMOs. Now, with just a few clicks of the mouse, we can be hunting down monsters with our friends, trading goods in an online bazaar, or even be going to high class parties in a world based on the works of Jane Austen.
Now, MMOs are bigger and better than ever. That being said, the sheer number of titles on the market can make picking the right MMO to ruin your social life a pretty difficult choice. With that in mind, gather your party because we are going to take a look at 10 new MMOs that are worth investing some time in.
10) Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues
Let's play video
Set in a medieval world that is recovering from a great Cataclysm 400 years ago, Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues is the latest brain child of Ultima series creator Richard Garriott. Notably for an MMO, the game has an emphasis on a single player story mode, where you take on the role of the fabled Avatar and must fulfill the paths of Truth, Love, or Courage. Get together with your friends or go it solo in this massive fantasy world, full of quests to complete, dungeons to explore, and tough moral decisions to make.
The game has a classless character progression system, so players are encouraged to explore with different skills and play styles. In addition, the game features a fully interactive and persistent world, complete with PvP zones and an in-game player driven economy.
Craft your own style with your choice of weapons and armor
Official artwork from the game
9) Worlds Adrift
Let's play video
Ever wanted to be a sky pirate? Own your own airship, gather a crew, and explore the secrets of a mysterious world? Well now, in Bossa Studios’ new MMORPG Worlds Adrift, you can fulfill those wishes. Explore an ancient fractured world in an airship of your own making, complete with a vast open world of islands to explore and a real-time physics engine. Fly around the sky and explore numerous floating isles, each filled with treasure or adventure.
Worlds Adrift puts a heavy emphasis on player crafted stories. There is little exposition, so it is up to you to decide whether you take on the role of a noble explorer, or dastardly sky pirate. In addition, the inclusion of a real time physics engine makes the player have to consider the design of their own airship, as poorly designed ships will be inefficient, fragile, or otherwise deficient.
Create your own unique ship
A character using their grappling hook to get around
8) World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth
Beta let's play
Ok, so technically this game has not come out yet, but given that it is the 7th official expansion for the ridiculously popular MMO World of Warcraft, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Battle for Azeroth will add 2 brand new continents Kul Tiras and Zandalar, 4 new playable races for both the Alliance and the Horde, “warfronts’ which is a 20 person PvE mode against opposite faction NPCs, uncharted islands to explore, and all new dungeons and raids. Just when you thought WoW couldn’t get any bigger, Blizzard walks in and says “hold my beer.”
According to Blizzard, pre-order sales for Battle for Azeroth are ahead of plan, so it looks like a lot of people are excited for this one. With good reason too; since its release in 2004, World of Warcraft has received critical acclaim and absolutely dominated in sales, with a peak player count of 12 million in 2010. Good thing Blizzard is not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Promotional artwork for the game
A screenshot from an area of the game
7) Defiance: 2050
Let's play video
Defiance: 2050 is actually an updated re-release of the 2013 MMO Defiance. Set on Earth in the future after a race of alien creatures immigrate to the planet, Defiance see the player take control of an “ark hunter”, scavengers and mercenaries who scour the land looking for advanced alien technology. Players can choose their class and join other players in events known as “Arkfalls” which are essentially the game's version of raids. The game is known for its mixture of traditional RPG elements with a third-person shooter scheme.
Defiance also had a tie-in TV series on the Syfy network, although the show was canceled in 2015. Despite this, developers continue to support the game, and the remake of Defiance: 2050 serves as a sort of closing to the TV show. Even better, the game will be free-to-play when it launches on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC July 10th.
An Ark Hunter
Team up with other players to take down enemies
6) Albion Online
Let's play video
Albion Online is sandbox MMO, with an emphasis on player freedom. Albion Online takes place in an open world fantasy kingdom, where it is up to you to decide how to make your mark on history. Fight for your life in intense PvP action, explore a dynamic interactive world, craft armor and weapons for your character, or take a break from the adventuring and start up your own farm. If you’re looking for a medieval life simulator to waste countless hours on, then this one is for you.
Character progression is classless, so there are no restrictions on what kinds of builds a player can make. Players can also build there own house, and even progress to founding entire cities. In addition, Albion Online is cross-platform across Android, Windows, Linux and Mac, so no matter what device your friends have, they can join in on the fun.
In the middle of a battle
The game offers many different environments to explore
5) Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset
Let's play video
I cannot believe that it took Bethesda so long to create an Elder Scrolls MMO, but it was well worth the wait. Summerset is the 2nd official expansion to ESO and it brings the player to the Summerset Isles, an area of Tamriel that has not been explored since the first main series game, Elder Scrolls Arena.
As is standard in the series, players begin by choosing their character’s race where each race grants different bonuses or effects. Gameplay is non-linear, with a mixture of quests, random events, and free-roaming exploration. Summerset adds new quests, abilities, and the new political faction the Psijic Order. Summerset is perfect for those who are burnt out on Skyrim, but still need some Elder Scrolls action before the release of ESVI.
The elven city of Lillandril
A dark elf (dunmer) player character
4) FFXIV: Stormblood
Let's play video
FFXIV marks Square Enix’s second foray in MMOs, the first being FFXI for the PS2. Stormblood is the second expansion pack to the title, the first being 2015’s Heavensward. Stormblood extends the world of FFXIV far to the east, and chronicles the story of the Warriors of Light and their conflict with the Garlean Empire.
Stormblood adds a bunch of new content, including several new cities and towns, the red mage and samurai job classes, an increase of the level cap from 60 to 70, new dungeons to explore, and even the ability to swim and dive. Updates to the battle system and various quality-of-life improvements make this one a must have for fans of the Final Fantasy series.
The cities of Stormblood are beautiful and full of light
A screenshot of a samurai, the new job class available in Stormblood. The look seems to be based on the character Auron from FFX.
3) Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire
Let's play video
Path of Fire is the second official expansion to Guild Wars 2, and this expansion ups the ante a lot. Set in a region known as the Crystal Desert, the goal of the expansion is to stop the deposed God of war Balthazar from killing the last remaining elder dragons and upsetting the balance of magic in the world.
Path of Fire adds new character specializations, a new bounty system, new housing for guilds, and the introduction of new animal mounts for travel and exploration. Explore the haunting landscape that is the Crystal Desert, grab some friends and take out a bounty on a nearby monster, or spend time building up your relationship with the mount of your choice. With all of the new stuff to do, just don’t forget about, you know, saving the world from evil and all that jazz.
One of the mounts you can tame
A shot of the Crystal Desert
2) Bless Online
Let's play video
Created by Korean company Neowiz Games, Bless Online puts the player in the middle of a decades long war between two factions. The character’s choice of race and class determines which faction they are a part of, and they must work to solve this conflict. Announced back in 2011, Bless Online has had a long development history but was finally released in 2018.
Filled with detailed environments and absolutely beautiful architecture, the game had an initially rocky start due to server issues, but has since settled in as a solid MMO with impressive visuals and fast paced combat. A detailed character customization allows players to tweak almost every aspect of your avatars appearance, and the title has a “siege mode”, in which players can partake in massive 100v100 battles.
A water elf player character using her powers of ice
Magic mounts to tame in the wilderness
1) Conan Exiles
Let's play video
Conan Exiles is a MMO with a unique emphasis on survival in hostile environments. Set in the universe of Conan the Barbarian, players explore an area known as the Exiled Lands, after they have been exiled as a result of crimes they have committed. As with most MMOs, players have many options to customize their character and can choose their race, appearance, voice, and character religion, which plays an important role in the game’s story. Incidentally, there was some controversey after the initial launch due to the game giving you the option to increase your character's er... "endowment" at the customization screen.
The game puts a focus on survival, including mechanics such as a hunger and thirst meter that must be replenished by eating and drinking regularly. Various threats populate the gameworld too, whether they be enraged prehistoric animals, hostile NPC encampments, or even the actions of other players. Survival is harsh in the wasteland so you must use every ounce of wit to survive. A recent update has also added a new environment, the icy Frozen North, and cold weather survival elements.
The Exiled Lands are a dangerous place
One of the many cities you can visit
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