Today's “always online” gaming industry would be unrecognizable without the influence of MMORPGs. But at the same time, the true definition of an MMORPG is becoming increasingly elusive in the era of shared-world shooters and battle royales.
While there is debate over whether or not MMORPGs are dead, it's hard to deny that the genre's peak will forever be tied to the 2000s. So let's go back to the days of cartoony graphics, free forefathers, and endless grinding to see which games did it best.
10 Lord of the rings online
With one of the best graphics of its generation (especially in the scenery), The Lord of the Rings Online has understood what it means to immerse players in the world of Middle Earth. This required not an exact replication of the action-packed swordplay of the films, but rather the rich and deep world-building of Tolkien's books.
The Lord of the Rings Online knows that it caters to book lovers, so it's true that there is a lot of text reading in the game's quests. But as the game approaches its 20th anniversary, it's clear that The Lord of the Rings Online is giving players who want to explore the Mines of Moria, the Shire, and Mordor exactly what they're looking for.
9 Toontown online
If you watched the Disney Channel in the early 2000s, you probably remember the Toontown commercials. Throw pies at robots who only care about boring things? It's not the best.
In keeping with its “cartoon” theme, the fights revolved around gags such as a water selter to the face or an anvil dropped on the head. But what really set Toontown apart (and made it so family-friendly) was its emphasis on non-combat activities like go-kart racing, golf, and fishing.
8 Silkroad online
If you think some of today's platinum trophy requirements and achievements are ridiculous, you probably wouldn't like Silkroad Online quests. The game was notorious for having quests that required players to kill over 1,000 enemies at once. It also had a freemium structure that would have even defenders of the game shaking their heads.
But all was forgiven once you got to know the Silkroad trading system. Players choose to be merchants, traders, or thieves. Back then, merchants protected merchants from thieves, which resulted in many allied trade caravans being ambushed by roving thieves. There have been consistent wins and upsets, and few games have been able to make a trade feel so high-stakes.
7 Aion
Aion (or Aion: The Tower of Eternity) boasts a robust character creator, impressive graphics, and a beautiful soundtrack. The game is certainly hard, but what MMORPG isn't? And Aion's grind offers enough challenge that high levels feel possible, but still rewarding when you manage to achieve them.
Created by South Korean publisher NCSoft, Aion's oriental art style has been refreshing for many players who are more used to western aesthetics. But even if you have no intention of playing Aion, do yourself a favor and check out its soundtrack.
6 Magician 101
Another game with memorable ads, Wizard101 has been around for almost 20 years and still has a steady stream of players. With MMORPGs aimed at a younger audience, Wizard101 had a lot more going for it than a game like Toontown.
The combat system is relatively unique to an MMORPG, where players cast spells in a turn-based combat system similar to TCGs such as Magic: The Gathering. The game also had interesting celebrity tie-ins, such as a quest where players could get a statue and portrait of Selena Gomez. Nick Jonas even lent his musical talents to the game, creating seven tracks for the Wintertusk expansion.
5 Star wars galaxy
Like many of the games on this list, there was a time when Star Wars Galaxies was awesome, and then it wasn't. Let's focus on his heyday, before the game was seriously overhauled (twice). With the beloved skill system and the ability to be pretty much anything, this was a game that really lived up to its promise of making you feel like you were living in the world of Star Wars.
You weren't limited to being a Jedi or a soldier. You can be a mechanic droid, a politician, an artist and many more. After several updates that hurt the game more than it helped, Star Wars Galaxies was shut down in 2011 to make way for Star Wars: The Old Republic.
4 RuneScape
There are a lot of mixed feelings about the current state of RuneScape, but often that's because people remember the game when it was better. The original version of RuneScape was so popular that publisher Jagex even created Old School RuneScape to give players the game they remember.
And what led to such popularity? Maybe it's because RuneScape is free to play, or because it offers a wide variety of skills and quests for players. But the most likely answer is that RuneScape offered the perfect middle ground between silly, frivolous games like ToonTown and the scarier MMORPGs like EVE Online. It was easy to start and just as fun to come back to years later.
3 EVE online
Many games have deep lore, but far fewer have entire stories based on what the players did, rather than what the game's creators wrote. EVE Online was even exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York with a video detailing key historical events.
New Eden is a rich world full of mining, trade, piracy and community. Sure, you can take part in epic space battles, but you can also be a space truck. And if you can play as Han Solo, an accountant, and a business tycoon in the same game, you're probably playing EVE Online.
2 World of Warcraft
The best name in MMORPG gaming, World of Warcraft, has come on the scene with some fresh takes on the genre that have helped it grow in popularity. This included faster health regeneration in classes, a relatively merciful death system, and a “rest bonus” that allowed new players to level up and join their friends more quickly.
All of this made World of Warcraft feel like a really accessible MMORPG for a mainstream audience. It didn't punish you for wanting to play alone, its cartoony design was attractive, and the challenges were accurate.
1 EverQuest
There is socialization in the defining factor of MMORPGs, and it's what EverQuest excelled at. While some MMORPGs make it easy to play alone, having fun in EverQuest requires teamwork. In fact, some people disliked EverQuest for this very “forced merge” reason.
However, the socialization helped EverQuest feel like a true self-contained world in which the player could get lost. The game didn't hold your hand and certainly punished you for making a mistake. When MMORPGs peaked in the 2000s, they might have peaked with EverQuest.