10 best online MMORPG games

Review of the best according to the editorial board. About selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Among the incredible variety of computer games that have earned at least some recognition over the past decades, there is a whole genre segment that can be considered special. This is an MMORPG – Massively Multiplayer Online RPG Games. This unique combination of role-playing and massive online games has actually gained incomparable popularity since its inception. The secret of this success is explained by many reasons, but the main factor is considered to be that MMORPGs are able to immerse the player in the virtual world as much as possible, to give him the opportunity to almost literally live a 'parallel' life in fantasy worlds, interacting with the most real living players.

Today's rating review is devoted to MMORPGs, which in the entire history of the genre have received the greatest recognition and popularity – this is the criterion our experts were guided by, compiling a selection of the top ten online games in this mega-genre. Of course, it is impossible to fit all popular games into such a list, so only the “best” were selected by specialists, and only those that received recognition from our compatriots.

Eight out of ten submitted MMORPGs embody fantasy worlds with corresponding creatures. This percentage of fantasy is, of course, not the personal preferences of our experts. It so happened historically that it is the magical worlds with the conditional Middle Ages, magic, heroes, knights, dragons and fairy-tale characters that are closest to the hearts of gamers.

Rating of the best online MMORPG games

Nomination	a place	game name	rating
Rating of the best online MMORPG games	1	Ultima Online	4.9
	2	Lineage ii	4.8
	3	World of warcraft	4.8
	4	RF Online	4.7
	5	Dungeons & dragons online	4.7
	6	The Lord of the Rings Online	4.7
	7	The Elder Scrolls Online	4.6
	8	Allods Online	4.6
	9	EVE Online	4.5
	10	World of Tanks	4.5

Ultima Online

Rating: 4.9

Let's start with the game, which actually became the ancestor of a whole genre. This is truly the world's first MMORPG, which started it all. If she had competitors at that time, they did not manage to gain even a fraction of a percent of the popularity in the whole world that Ultima Online deserved.

The very first final version of the game was developed within the walls of Origin Systems and released back in 1997. The fantasy setting was developed by the American programmer and businessman Richard Garriott, who is considered the founding father of Ultima Online. In the future, the well-known studios Electronic Arts, Mythic Entertainment (bought the day before by Electronic Arts) and Broadsword joined the release of new versions.

In the 20+ years since Ultima Online was released, a huge number of other MMORPGs have appeared, but few of them have managed to achieve such a motley game variety.

Events take place in a fictional world on a fragment of a distant planet, where society is structured in many ways similar to 'our' Middle Ages. The game world itself is very large, and the player's opportunities, comparable to life in real life, are also the widest range. The character you play is capable of both simple actions like making a fire or cooking, and much more ambitious ones – building houses, traveling through the 'upper' world and the underground, fighting monsters and other real players.

Much attention in the game is paid to the sphere of weapons for attack and means of defense – this side of Ultima Online is extremely multifaceted and complex. Although there are relatively few central weapons, each type can have additional options and bonuses that expand its capabilities. So, for example, a sword made of a special material will have increased power in terms of damage through magic, or it will have increased properties of resistance to damage.

Over the entire period of their development, the development studios have released quite a few add-ons to the main game – these are The Second Age, The Second Age, Third Dawn and a few more, up to the big High Seas booster in 2010.

With almost every expansion, Ultima Online has acquired new game worlds that simulate an alternative life. From 2014 to the present, the game is under the patronage of Broadsword studio. Since the spring of 2018, free access has been opened on official servers, but with the restriction of some functions – home ownership, veteran awards, auction and GM events.

Advantages

• large game world (many worlds);
• a lot of opportunities for the character;
• balanced gameplay;
• maximum immersion in alternative life;
• low system requirements in the context of modern hardware.

disadvantages

• morally outdated in terms of graphics.

Lineage ii

Rating: 4.8

The rating of the best MMORPG online games of all time continues according to another legend game. This is the famous 'line-up' that has won the hearts of millions of players around the world in record time. It is a de facto sequel with all the technical and conceptual improvements of the original 2D MMORPG Lineage, but in the story is its prequel. Created by the Korean studio NCsoft, the first release was released in 2003.

The game takes place in an alternative fantasy world one and a half hundred years before the events of the original Lineage. The game provides a wide variety of unique races and professions, each with their own pros and cons, just like in the real world. In choosing a character, the player is not limited in any way and is not obligated to anything – belonging to a particular race does not automatically imply belonging to a global in-game conflict, as is the case in many other MMORPGs.

The main part of Lineage II is made in the concept of PvE – “player versus environment”, which implies the opposition of the game character and monsters controlled by the game engine. In the course of the game, the character is pumped by completing tasks, gaining experience, getting more advanced equipment. By re-developing the character, the player can challenge an increasingly powerful opponent, up to the bosses, of which there is a truly impressive number in the game.

The game also includes a PvP aspect in which players can fight each other through their characters. Battles can take place both 'in the open field' and during the assault on fortresses and castles.

The gameplay goes from the third and from the first person. The camera is tied to the character and directed at him, allowing him to zoom in, move away and turn around. A mouse and keyboard are enough for control. Each new character entering the game is offered training in the basics of control. In-game chat is used to communicate with other real players.

Lineage II provides the player with a separate toolbox from a set of special commands, having studied which, the player can create and save their own macros. They can be used at the right time to automate the sequence of actions.

The second 'line' is significantly more advanced in terms of graphics than the above-described Ultima Online. It is based on the Unreal Engine 2.0 3D engine. The system requirements as of the beginning of 2019 look more than acceptable: enough 30GB of disk space, a processor comparable in power to Intel Core 2 Duo 6300 (better up to i7), 4GB of RAM, video cards not lower Geforce 7600 GT or Radeon x1800.

Advantages

• Big world;
• many original races and professions;
• high social aspect;
• deep immersion in an alternative reality;
• relatively low system requirements;
• management training for a new character by default;
• using macros.

disadvantages

• a small percentage of negative reviews about new versions of the game in the style of 'used to be better'.

World of warcraft

Rating: 4.8

The third MMORPG in our ranking is practically the same legendary classics as the previous two. Developed within the walls of Blizzard, the game was first released in 2004 and quickly gained popularity. This success was dictated by three factors – the minimum of competing games at the time of release, its own advantages and innovations, a powerful background in the form of a huge number of fans of the Warcraft universe.

This MMORPG also offers the player a fantasy world with a huge number of locations. It is especially pleasant to immerse yourself in a familiar atmosphere for those who are familiar with it from the original Warcraft strategy. Only here is no longer a strategy, but a more fascinating concept that allows you to experience indescribable emotions. The action takes place 4 years after the events that ended the Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne series.

Immersed in the game world, through his character, the player can do anything. As in real life, everyone chooses the meanings and goals for himself. So, you can explore the world by traveling to different places; improve skills in any profession; fight monsters and other players; act as part of guilds with other players to achieve their goals; execute orders; comprehensively pump your character up to the maximum level. For each successful completion of the task, the character receives experience, items and play money. For a victory over another player – the so-called 'honor points', which can be easily converted into the same money or things.

Once the character reaches the maximum level, the game does not end at all. Blizzard is quite sensitive to its mega-successful brainchild, regularly developing new features for high-level players.

World of Warcraft has received a number of prestigious awards and even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the most popular online MMORPG game in the world.

Advantages

• huge game world;
• balanced (albeit long) pumping;
• stylish, albeit slightly rough graphics;
• relatively good Russian localization;
• high detail of items;
• unique musical design for each location;
• built-in scripting language for creating macros;
• a lot of 'Easter eggs';
• there is no direct donation – almost all achievements must really be earned.

disadvantages

• completely paid, both basic and add-ons.

RF Online

Rating: 4.7

Next in our ranking is a special MMORPG, which is in many ways unlike other popular games in this genre. This is RF Online, and if the abbreviation will seem unfamiliar to many non-gamers, then the full name – Rising Force Online – has certainly been and remains on hearing. Developer – Korean studio CCR Inc.

Perhaps the most important fundamental difference between this game and most other MMORPGs is the logic of character development. Skill leveling in the usual sense is not provided here. The player needs to buy spells from a 'special' NPC, install them in slots and – most importantly – actively use them. The more often you use a spell, the faster its power grows. In addition to combat skills, passive skills are also available that increase defense.

The game's plot revolves around three warring races, and in general, the setting is a rather unexpected combination of fantasy and science fiction. Here there is a place for both mysticism and magic of different elements, and technological advances like firearms, lasers, cyborgs and robots. Events take place on the planet Novus.

The new account is created completely empty, and it seems boring, since there are practically no spells, and the quests are predictable and monotonous. However, as the character develops, the course of the game becomes more and more interesting, and at high levels it becomes extremely exciting. Locations and monsters are bright and beautiful by default.

Characters of different races are hostile to each other by default, to the extent that the language of one race is completely incomprehensible to the other. By default, conflicts within a race are impossible, but if you have a special item (different for different races), you can fight with 'compatriots'. The main thing that causes all the fuss is an electronic chip that makes it possible to launch drilling rigs and equipment for resource extraction.

The system requirements of the game in 2019 seem to be incredibly minimal: processor with a frequency of 2 GHz; RAM – from 1GB; hard disk space – from 4.5GB; Internet connection – from 1Mbps; video subsystem – 6800GT or Radeon X1600. Such minimalism does not mean that the game is limited, but only that it is perfectly optimized. Even the graphics with such modest requirements in the game looks pretty decent – the developers have made a serious bias in drawing the environment and the characters themselves.

Advantages

• minimum system requirements;
• excellent optimization;
• original approach to character development;
• beautiful locations and monsters;
• original style (fantasy + Sci-Fi).

disadvantages

• gamers' claims to a limited and ill-conceived interface;
• you need to swing the character for a long time before the game becomes truly fun.

Dungeons & dragons online

Rating: 4.7

Continuing the rating of the best online MMORPG games of all time according to the version of the game that went online 'straight from the table' – it was originally a board role-playing game of the same name. Developer – American studio Turbine, Inc. The first version was released in February 2006.

As with almost all fantasy MMORPGs, the action takes place in a fictional fairytale world named Eberron. In the first version of the game, the main setting for events was the large-scale city of Stormrich, but the action could also take place far beyond its walls throughout the fantastic continent of Xen'Drik.

The gameplay in this MMORPG implies a lot of opportunities for the player to have fun and experience complex unforgettable emotions. Here you can travel to your heart's content across the huge game world, fight monsters, and complete simple and complex tasks. The big advantage of the game is that, unlike many other MMORPGs, there is no need for a long and tedious skill of the character to pump before he becomes capable of at least something worthwhile.

However, this is still not one hundred percent action, and in order to defeat certain monsters, the character will still need to be developed, including by completing monotonous and boring tasks. But with the right approach, this will take a few hours, which is quite acceptable. A notable feature of this MMORPG is the ability to play alone, but you can still get the maximum of emotions and pleasure in cooperation with at least one partner.

The game is monetized for the publisher on the free-to-play system, and this is a clear advantage for those who want to try to play without spending money. But if the game 'comes in', you will have to pay – for subscriptions and packages of hard or elite, otherwise the possibilities will be extremely limited, and the game will lose all its advantages.

Advantages

• free-to-play;
• fascinating plot;
• can be played alone;
• atmosphere;
• minimum time to level up the character.

disadvantages

• full-fledged game only through paid subscriptions and packages.

The Lord of the Rings Online

Rating: 4.7

Continues the MMORPG rating, which is partly related to the above game. This connection is dictated by the fact that both games were developed by the same studio – Turbine, Inc., and on both worked almost entirely by the same team of specialists. This could not but leave its mark both on the idea and on a number of practical aspects. LOTRO came out right after DDO – in spring 2007.

The full consonance of the name of the game with the legendary book is not at all for aggressive PR – the plot of the game and the concept of the game world are really created in accordance with the epic fantasy work of Tolkien. This is a real gift for fans – the player has access to four 'good' races of the 'Lord of the Rings' world – Humans, Hobbits, Elves and Dwarves, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. It will be even more pleasant for admirers of the 'Lord' to meet in the game the very main characters and even fight with them against the forces of evil. In exactly the same way, the player can take the side of the dark forces, and fight the forces of Middle-earth on the side of Sauron in PvMP mode (player versus player-monster).

The epic game line is divided into volumes, volumes are divided into books, and the developers supply all this as part of free add-ons and expansions. Exciting adventures are balanced interspersed with quests, puzzles and tasks. If you want to feel yourself in the body of another creature, you can switch to session mode and choose any type of temporary character. You cannot pump and save such a character.

Initially, access to this MMORPG was provided only with a monthly paid subscription. Then it was decided to switch to a free-to-play system with the addition of a game store, where you can 'get some money' for the internal game currency. Points can be obtained for certain merits in the game or bought for real money. The free game has a number of fundamental limitations, but you can fully feel the atmosphere and 'try on' it this way.

LOTRO has enjoyed impressive worldwide success, prompting its Russian publisher Mail.ru Group to officially localize. However, in 2015, the publisher decided not to renew the license, and the Russian servers were shut down. Western servers continue to work, and the developer regularly delivers updates. The freshest came out at the end of 2018.

Advantages

• epic story and background;
• fascinating plot;
• regular additions and updates;
• session mode for trying out another character;
• free-to-play.

disadvantages

• Russian localization has been discontinued.

The Elder Scrolls Online

Rating: 4.6

The next position in our rating is very important – here we will get acquainted with a game that is part of a whole game 'series' with the same name only without the Online prefix, since games in different genres were released in a large series, not only MMORPGs. You can explain for a long time why our experts did not ignore this game, but suffice it to say that the fifth part of the large series of The Elder Scrolls is the super popular and insanely successful Skyrim, which even people who are completely indifferent to video games have heard about a hundred times. The game was released in 2014, developed by ZeniMax Online Studios.

At first, player and critical reviews of this MMORPG were mixed, but after the rebranding and the release of the updated version of Tamriel Unlimited, opinions became more unanimous for the better. At the same time in 2015, the mandatory paid subscription was canceled. In the same year, the game became multiplatform – compatibility with PlayStation 4 and Xbox One was ensured.

The game takes place in the same setting as the other parts of the series – on the fabulous mainland of Tamriel, and in terms of the storyline, the game is directly related to other parts. The time of action is 1000 years before the events of Skyrim, in the Interregnum with all the then internal contradictions, civil strife and all other phenomena, without which there would be no actual game.

The player can play for one of three main factions – the Aldmeri Dominion, the Ebonheart Pact, or the Daggerfall Covenant (Accord). There are four factions in total, and they are all hostile to each other. The struggle is for power in the empire.

For the player, events begin according to a long tradition in the dungeon of Coldharbour, from where a blind prophet helps him escape. Further, MMORPGs provide a wide variety of opportunities for an exciting pastime: traveling through a huge and colorful game world, completing tasks, quests, battles in cooperation with other players or direct battles with them in PvP arenas.

In theory, this MMORPG can be played alone and even have a lot of fun. However, it is enough to take at least one partner with you, and the game will sparkle with new impressions. There will be less boredom due to the acceleration of fiddling with passing monsters, it will be much easier to destroy an enemy even five levels older, especially since it is simply impossible to kill some bosses alone. In addition, only a team can properly master the dungeons and control the anchor gates through which any unwanted 'living creatures' enter Nirn.

Advantages

• multi-platform;
• well balanced;
• great detailed graphics;
• beautiful and varied game world;
• many locations;
• exciting plot;
• a 'home' world for fans of Skyrim and other games in the series.

disadvantages

• a full-fledged paid game is expensive.

Allods Online

Rating: 4.6

Completing the 'fantasy eight' in our rating is another MMORPG game in this genre, which stands out in a number of ways and differs sharply from any of the above. This is a continuation of the game series 'Allods', but in the form factor of the MMORPG universe. The game was first released in 2010. This is a completely domestic development – it was created by the Nival Online studio, and then Allods Team, a subsidiary of Mail.ru Games.

The striking difference of the game is its style. This is an insane combination of fantasy, Sci-Fi, space, mysticism, and through all this they run like a red thread … Russian history and culture – this is clearly seen in the appearance of the characters, architecture features, scenario moments, dialogues. At the same time, the Russian aesthetics is presented correctly and elegantly – after all, a domestic studio worked on the game, otherwise the 'spreading cranberry' would have been inevitable. But there are also funny moments like an archetypal yellow iron Soviet barrel with the inscription 'Kvass' and a red five-pointed Soviet star in a magical forest among fairy-tale characters.

Another stylistic and plot feature of the game stems from the very first 'Allods'. Locations are located on separate allods, which, in turn, float like in the ocean in a mystical and mysterious substance – Astral. In the first versions, it was really possible to move between the allods only through the portals, which were created in ancient times by the Great Magicians. In the MMORPG version, people have mastered traveling between allods on special astral ships.

An MMORPG is impossible without a central conflict. Here he is present in the form of an irreconcilable confrontation between two factions – the totalitarian Empire and the freedom-loving Democratic League. Each side consists of three allied races within the faction: the Canian humans, gibberlings, and elves represent the League; the Hadagan people, orcs and the Rebels (Zem people) – the Empire. The player will have to choose the side of the conflict and the race within the faction for his character. After that, he will have exciting travels around the game world, battles, completing tasks, leveling the character and much more.

The central conflict is not the only game component of Allods Online. An important aspect is the travel on astral ships themselves, and before that – the construction of these very ships. Each such ship is a complex structure, which has on board both quite ordinary weapons like cannons and torpedo tubes, and high-tech – energy shields to protect against enemy attacks, as well as completely mystical equipment – an astral reactor, sail-accumulators of astral energy, a mana reactor – draws energy directly from the Astral and provides the entire ship. This whole exciting theme with ships becomes available from level 35, and really doable from level 38.

Advantages

• bright, colorful graphics;
• original plot and style;
• combined gameplay;
• musical arrangement.

disadvantages

• too intrusive donation, without which it is difficult to develop a new character.

EVE Online

Rating: 4.5

The penultimate position in our ranking is the 'king and god' MMORPG in the Sci-Fi subgenre in a space style. This is not the only space MMORPG, but even its closest competitors cannot be compared with this game – neither in terms of gaming capabilities, nor in terms of the scale of the world, nor in terms of graphics quality, nor in terms of overall popularity. The game was developed by the studio CCP Games, Iceland. The first version was released in 2003.

In addition to the multiplayer component, which implies joining in a coalition, conducting joint planned space battles and the full range of possibilities that a full-fledged MMORPG provides, 'Eve' also contains a significant component of a space simulator.

The events of the game take place in an alternative universe of the distant future, where interstellar travel is the usual norm, and pure capitalism reigns in the structure of society. A very high-quality projection of our real world into a virtual one with the inheritance of all the specifics of the influence of the human factor on the course of events. Here, as in real life, everything depends on you, your abilities, diligence, talents and involvement – the economy of the game is extremely sensitive to the actions of everyone, without exception, the inhabitant of the fantastic universe.

The game world has a truly gigantic scale – more than seven thousand star systems with more than 60 thousand planets. Of these, 2,000 are not visible on the main map, and you can get on them only through unstable formations in space-time – the so-called 'wormholes'. Most of the star systems are available to players for independent development.

Observation for the player in this MMORPG is carried out in two modes. Initial – view from the outside when the virtual camera is tied to a spaceship commanded by the player-captain. The camera can also be snapped to any other object in sight. In 2016, the first-person mode was added.

When creating a new character, the player is offered a choice of four main races, representing the superpowers of the fantastic world of the distant future. There are also other races besides these, but they are not playable.

The EVE Online game client is provided free of charge, players only need to pay for a subscription once a month (omega status). All Subscriber Add-ons are free. There is also a free game mode (alpha status), which implies a number of restrictions in terms of character leveling and equipment use. All subscribers use one server with the exception of China – players in the Middle Kingdom use a separate server, as required by law.

Advantages

• a gigantic game universe (there are no analogues among other MMORPGs);
• impressive realistic graphics;
• high-quality sound and musical design, emphasizing the atmosphere;
• one of the best (if not the best) realizations of the game world economy;
• complete freedom of action for the player;
• infinity of the gameplay (deadlock, when all tasks are completed and all skills are developed, does not exist in principle);
• single server;
• large community;
• continuous development of the game and improvement by the developers.

disadvantages

• lags are the biggest pain point in EVE Online.

World of Tanks

Rating: 4.5

And the rating of the best online MMORPG games according to the version is completed by an unconditional hit, especially for residents of the post-Soviet space – those same 'tanks', that is, World of Tanks. The specifics of this game leaves its mark on the classification, to the point that many do not consider it an MMORPG at all, but call it 'action', 'tactical shooter', 'simulator' and whatever else. But all the signs of an MMORPG are still there, and although other components are present, they do not interfere with this status in any way. In the end, our experts simply could not ignore this game precisely because of the crazy popularity among our compatriots. The game developer is the Belarusian company Wargaming.net. First released in 2010.

World of Tanks is made in the historical setting and style of the Second World War. The main game component is large-scale team-mode tank battles based on the PvP principle. A standard battle involves two teams of up to 15 players each. Players can communicate via internal chat. The condition for victory is one of two things: complete destruction of the enemy and his equipment; capture of the enemy base.

At the very beginning, the game reflected the technical achievements of three schools of tank building – Soviet, German and American. Later the 'assortment' was expanded with tanks from France, Italy, Japan, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Great Britain. The number of tanks and artillery vehicles is in the hundreds. Not only game analogues of real tanks can participate in battles, but also experimental models that exist only in the form of prototypes or even on paper in drawings. Full coverage of the history of tank building – from 1930 to 1954.

The game uses a free-to-play business model, when the game client and the entrance to the game are provided free of charge, and many more opportunities can be obtained already during the game for play money. In-game currency can be purchased for real money or 'earned' in the game itself – you can start earning almost from the first minutes by entering the game on a free tank.

2018 has become a landmark transition point for WoT. All game maps have been updated to high quality HD graphics, scaled up, and the landscape has been improved. All graphics of the client side now work on their own engine.

Since the release of the first version, the game has received many prestigious awards, and critics and experts are almost unanimous in defining WoT as the “best tank battle simulator in history.”

Advantages

• high historical reliability of technology;
• a successful combination of different genres – MMORPG, tactical shooter, simulator, action, etc .;
• exciting gameplay;
• fair free-to-play without obvious bias towards paying players;
• some of the most stable servers compared to other popular MMORPGs;
• a huge active and caring community;
• continuous development of the game and distant prospects.

disadvantages

• balance issues are the weakest point of the game.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.