If you’re a fan of the series, but have yet to dabble in MMORPGs, give XIV a shot.
Lo and behold, eight years, a complete relaunch, a console port, and two expansions later, Final Fantasy XIV sits as one of the most popular MMORPGs in current times, despite the fact that it is pay-to-play.ĭespite it being an MMO, Final Fantasy XIV still very much feels like part of the long-running JRPG franchise, with a lengthy and gripping main scenario, and the ability to swap between a whole host of different jobs on a single character.Ī Realm Reborn’s combat overhaul makes it less like its predecessor, Final Fantasy XI, and more similar to something like World of Warcraft.įinal Fantasy XIV is constantly growing, with new patches adding substantial content every few months, highly justifying the pay-to-play model. It didn’t take long for the population to plummet.
It was bug-ridden, had a world that was confusing to navigate, and a terrible UI. Final Fantasy XIV’s initial PC-only launch in 2010 gave us one of the lowest reviewed MMORPGs of all time. If this sounds like something you’d like to partake in, the game just released its sixth expansion in 2017, so it doesn’t seem like it’s slowing down quite yet.Ī comeback story for the ages. The Lord of the Rings Online lets many of us live out the fantasy that we’ve always dreamed of: just chilling in Middle-Earth. Players have held mini-concerts in the past, and the music system was even the subject of a Harvard anthropological study. After reaching level 5, you can learn to play one of many musical instruments. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth, The Lord of the Rings Online lets players choose between several different races, including Hobbit, Dwarf (restricted to males), Elf, and Man.Īs well as embarking on epic quests, or taking part in PvP modes, The Lord of the Rings Online also features an in-depth music system. Its shift to free-to-play can definitely be attributed to drawing in many more players. The Lord of the Rings Online is another of these MMORPGs that has been around for quite some time now, releasing all the way back in 2007, yet it still retains a rather sizable and dedicated fan base. Eve Online has also featured on our list of most popular MMORPGs, ranked by peak concurrent players. For example, players of one alliance spent eight months building the game’s biggest starship. The game has been inducted into the Museum of Modern Art, celebrating its accomplishments of the player base. The game’s player base saw a rise after going free-to-play, as it is now available to anyone with a PC.
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However, free accounts are limited to the number of skill points that they can allocate, as well as lacking access to some advanced ship types. Playing with a free account (known as an alpha account) allows you access to most of EVE Online. However, due to the decline in popularity, the game added a free-to-play version in 2016. In 2013, EVE Online managed to reach over 500,000 subscribers. It follows games like Star Wars: The Old Republic and Star Trek Online, taking the genre to outer space for a sci-fi setting. Many MMORPGs opt for a high fantasy setting, which makes EVE Online a standout entry on this list.