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The [Free MMO Überlist]
Aldo
Hippo HoorayRegistered User regular
Hippo HoorayRegistered User regular
The Free MMO Überlist
Introduction
Welcome to the new and improved Free MMO Überlist. For years I have been keeping track of free MMOs and this is the place I have decided to collect them. The goal of this thread is to make people aware of these games and to give everyone some sort of clue on what games to avoid and what games might actually be fun. My descriptions of games are often patently wrong, biased, incomplete and ridiculous, this is mostly for my own amusement. If you feel a description is wrong: please let me know and I'll write a slightly less wrong entry.
Now, before one decides to play one of the games on this list one has to realise that these games are not for everyone. It also helps to lower expectations. These games are made as cheaply as possible with one goal in mind: making the game just interesting enough for people to purchase premium services or to attract advertisers. There are exceptions: some games are fan projects or showcases of companies to show what they can do.
Definition (or: what goes on the list)
Free: the game must be accessible without payment. A large part of the content of the game needs to be playable free of charge without any time limits. Additional content may be accessible for payment, but the base game must be free.
M: Massive. The definition of massive is very loose. As long as there is some element of a persistent world and/or the possibility to interact within the game with people you did not explicitly invite to play with you I'm going to add this to the list.
M: Multiplayer. The game must allow you to interact with other players in-game.
O: Online. The game requires an internet connection to play.
Table of contents
01. Introductory post
02 - 06. MMO RPG
07. MMO Shooter
08. MMO Sports
09. MMO MUD
10. MMO Arcade
11. MMO Rhythm
12. MMO Building
13. MMO Racing
14. MMO Strategy
15. DOTA/MOBA & MMO Other
16. MMO In-browser manager
17. Additional Information
18. Aldo's Recommendations
19. Glossary
Aldo on
0
This discussion has been closed.
Posts
MMO RPG is: a role-playing game. A game in which you take direct control of a character or in some cases a small group of characters and you improve them by performing in-game tasks. There is usually an element of leveling, items and skills.
Gates of Andaron http://www.gatesofandaron.com
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A game that looks almost identical to WoW, but slightly uglier. Classes are uninspired, combat is slow and quests are the same old FedEx/grind affair. The only redeeming quality seems to be that there's quite a few other people playing. One thing that saddened me was that you start in a tutorial on max level with all skills and you're killing demons left, right and centre while you're being prepared for becoming a guardian of a deity. And just before you get to that part the screen goes white and you find yourself in a small camp, level one, no skills, weak weapons and a first set of quests that send you to the local NPCs and to kill a few baby boars. Worst.anticlimax.ever.
Avoid? It's cool, man
4th Coming, The
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An extremely dated RPG with hideous graphics, slow and forgiving gameplay. The original is from way back in the 20th century and - unless you're only used to old games you're better off with any other game
Avoid? It's cool, man
9Dragons
http://9dragons.gamescampus.eu
Client
Status: F2P
Info: 3D grind-mmo based around Asian myths. The classes have fairly original backgrounds, but they all boil down to killing loads and loads of mobs. Everything about this game looks a bit dated. You upgrade your skills by using them a lot..and the game allows for macros, meaning that many folks just level their buffs by running a macro for a few days to reach max level.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Adventure Quest
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser 'lunch break mmo'. It's just a whole lot of grinding in ugly flash environments. The game is tailored for young players and has a strong focus on the pay to play aspects. The art is simply hideous and makes you wonder if the artist has ever thought about his life and where it brought him.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Adventure Quest Worlds
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser 'lunch break mmo'. It's just a whole lot of grinding in ugly flash environments. The game is tailored for young players and has a strong focus on the pay to play aspects. This version has real time combat.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Aegis
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser fantasy MMORPG on a site that seems to mostly consist of broken images and JPEG-artefacts.
Avoid? Avoid
Age of Conan
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: Decapitate topless girls and pretend you're Arnold Schwarzenegger [but without the whole hiding a child you got with your housekeeper] in this fast-paced action MMO based on the work of Howard. It kinda failed as a P2P game, but that was mostly because they forgot to put in content and stuff besides the boobies and big swords. Apparently it's pretty decent now. Just hope your mom doesn't walk in to you while you stare at boobies.
Avoid? I dunno
Age of Wushu
Age of Wulin http://en.wulin.gpotato.eu
Client
Status: Freemium/F2P
Info: Pretty slick combat and a sandbox like world where you're not grinding pig tails for gold coins, but are instead acting as a student of one of the martial arts schools. Activities include begging, kidnapping and calligraphy. The game is rather confusing and should be taken as a sandbox instead of a theme park ride.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Akaneiro
Unknown
Status: F2P
Info: Action/Adventure with artsy graphics and set in Edo Japan, making it slightly unique. Needs more info on site. It's developed by Spicy Horse (American McGee's: Alice).
Avoid? I dunno
Albion Online
Unknown
Status: Upcoming title
Info: isometric, stylized game that boasts a fully player-driven economy, a day/night system, PvP corpse looting, territory control, and make-your-own classes. Crossplatform with android, iOS & Linux.
Avoid? I dunno
Alganon
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A small time MMO that didn't cut it as a subscription based game. It's a rather standard in set-up and offers 2 races (order/chaos), 4 classes (with specialisations) that get to duke it out from time to time, most of it is PvE though. The game is unresponsive and laggy, quests are uninspired and graphics do not contain much in the way of charm.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Allods Online
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: Russian cash shop scam based on the first Russian RPG ever: Allods (Rage of Mages). The graphics look very cartoony and colorful. There are a lot of classes. Combat is mostly standard MMO fair but lacking an auto-attack, however, teams of 5 to 25 persons can go on a flying ship and use that for air battle against other players. There's a rather strong focus on PvP.
Avoid this game, the cash shop is very ugly and every time you die your items can get cursed and you have to pay a cash shop item to remove the curse. There is also a cash shop buff that increases your damage by 250%, practically forcing you to keep buying that buff to be able to kill anything.
Avoid? Avoid
Anarchy Online Classic
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: Part of this game is for free, the original game plus three expansions. The rest of the game is only accessible for paying customers. These two groups can play together. Anarchy Online is one of the very few successful MMOs not set in a fantasy theme. It is very complex, even without the extra expansions you can buy. It's also ancient in gameplay and graphics.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Angels Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 2D game with sprites where you control a cute little character and can deploy robots and all sorts of pets to fight with you against an endless stream of cute mobs. The game looks horribly dated and the features it offers hardly make the game unique. See also: Wonderland Online.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Another World
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An old-school 3D RPG on a medieval/science fiction world. Most players appear to be Russian, but the client is in English.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Aranock Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Spiritual successor of Astonia. This old MMO looks terrible and the game seems to be focused on people who do not play games for fun. It's way too old fashioned to be a viable option for us modern age gamers.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Arcane Legends
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A cheap looking in-browser MMO that is made for smartphones. Spin-off from Pocket Legends
Avoid? I dunno
Arcane Saga, aka: Prius Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Clunky and slow grind MMO with a clumsy story attached full of bad voice acting and Engrish.
Avoid? It's cool, man
ArcheAge
Client
Status: Upcoming title
Info: Classless RPG from Korea with a fantasticly slick website, naval combat, rafting down rivers, flying using hanggliders, housing system and more features that is supposed to make the game a bit more like an open world. Trion Worlds is going to launch this game "in the west".
Avoid? I dunno
Archlord
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Game didn't cut it when it was Pay to Play, so they're trying to cut their losses by making it Free to Play. By free MMO standards this game is pretty decent. Game has a strong focus on PvP. Main selling point is the "Archlord": every once in a while there's a massive battle and the winner becomes Archlord. Game still gets support, so that's something.
Avoid? It's cool, man
ARGO
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: A bit like Neosteam, only more gritty. It's Steampunk vs Treehuggers and ridiculously complex costumes are mandatory.
Avoid? I dunno
Armored Legion
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: time combat will come "soon". Basically, you walk around on a featureless plain, click on an enemy and you can choose attack. After that you can use skills such as dodge, shield and power shot. It's just terrible.
Avoid? It's cool, man
ASDA 2
Client
Status: F2P
Info: More of the same, only slightly prettier. Asian grindfest with a focus on playing together with at least one other person (soulmate).
Avoid? I dunno
[]Asda Story
Client
Status: F2P
Info: The quote on their site made me giggle. Besides that: this is a game you should play with someone else. You can be soul mates and share exp between each other. You also gain access to special skills. The game looks painfully cute and is obviously tailored towards girls. If anything, it will be fun to see desperate teenagers asking you to be their soul mate.
Avoid? It's cool, man
]Ashen Empires
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: A rather old game, graphics look dated. Fairly standard by the looks of it. Vile Toxin had the following to say about this: Really fun PvP system(free for all), MANY items to craft, lots of tradeskills to master. Paying members also gain access to two expansions and increased EXP gain. He wrote that years ago. The game is still supported, though.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Atulos Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Ancient MMO that looks like a one-man project with zero funding. Site is very uninformative, but you move around by clicking and attack with RMB... Old schoooool.
Avoid? I dunno
Aurora Blade
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser MMO with four standard classes. The game is very slow and does not explain properly what to do. I had to reload the page a few times just to get to the next screen. The graphics are in pixelart, but don't look very charming at all. After trying for a few minutes I still couldn't figure out how to kill something, so I gave up.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Aurora World, The
Client
Status: Closed beta
Info: Asian grind MMO with a lot of pets that you have to use and there's a Mario Kart mini-game. This one has no unique features and lacks a lot of polish to make it the new go-to grind MMO. There's enough features in there to make it a full-fledged MMO, but it's nothing we haven't seen before and that hasn't been done better before.
Avoid? I dunno
Avabel Online
Mobile-only
Status: F2P
Info: Action RPG from Japan. Dodge and dash your way around big-ass mobs and improve your character Asian RPG style.
Avoid? I dunno
Azuga
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Standard Asian grind MMO. Graphics and character models are ugly. The game has two features that make it slightly more interesting than other games in this setting: giant robots and the fact that there are no classes, only weapons you freely switch between. Not much, but it's something. Game only launches through a website that is only accessible in internet explorer, further reducing any motivation I had to play this thing.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Battle Edge 2
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Ugly in-browser RPG set in a generic fantasy univer. Site refuses to give any other information on account of "see for yourself ahaha!" ... *facepalm*
Avoid? I dunno
Battle of Phantasia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: This is what digital vomit looks like.
Avoid? AVOID AVOID AVOID
Benign
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Site hosted on freewebs, looks hidious and shifty.
Avoid? AVOID AVOID AVOID
Bite Fight
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Vampire vs Werewolf in-browser game. Focus on PvP, but no useful information available on their site.
Avoid? I dunno
[url=]Black Gold[/url]
Client
Status: Upcoming title
Info: A steampunk Asian MMO with fantasy races. Considering it's being distributed by Snail (Age of Wushu) people are hopeful.
Avoid? I dunno
BlackMoon Chronicles
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An ugly 2D MMO from Canada. It seems to be based on a graphic novel, but the game looks so bad that I don't actually believe that. It's your standard point-n-click RPG.
Avoid? I dunno
Book of Heroes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/book-of-heroes/id455999097?mt=8
Mobile-only
Status: F2P
Info: Semi-card game with a strong focus on playing together with others. You can start raids and everyone in it is to kill X mobs within the given time. You don't have to tap your screen for the whole time, because you can just hop in/hop out whenever. Clever dialogue according to Massively.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Bounty Hounds Online
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: Generic sci-fi setting in which you grind mobs in a rather uninspired manner. It does have the benefit of having robots instead of horses, which counts as a plus in today's medieval fantasy saturated MMO-scape.
Avoid? I dunno
Bright Shadow
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A cutesy grind MMO that is exactly like other grind MMOs. The game did nothing wrong, but there is just no reason to pick this over older grind MMOs you might already have characters in. Kudos to the developers to make a decent game, now make a game that is actually interesting please. Game is being rereleased by a European company.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Broken Realm
Client
Status: F2P
Info: 2D RPG straight from Asia. It looks clunky, very outdated and has the graphics I'm more accustomed to seeing in a Chinese takeaway restaurant. There's some cute subclasses and plenty of systems to fiddle with, but it looks far too outdated to enjoy instantly.
Avoid? I dunno
Cabal 2
Client
Status: Upcoming title
Info: Cabal was one of the first fast-paced grindfests that garnered popularity in the west, this successor seems to deliver prettier graphics and shinier character designs.
Avoid? I dunno
CABAL Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Plays like World of Warcraft on speed. Combat is fast paced and good looking. However, that is pretty much all there is to this game: combat. All quests involve ripping through loads of enemies, all levels must be gained by ripping through enemies, all everything else ever has you ripping through loads of enemies. You don't really have to play together with anyone else until very late in the game. At the rate you're leveling this takes months.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Camelot Unchained
Client
Status: Upcoming title
Info: Purely Realm v Realm game with everything you swing at enemies being crafted by players.
Avoid? I dunno
Canaan Online
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A cutesy Asian in-browser MMO with your standard classes, isometric camera and pets. Combat is turn-based and rather fast with your pet functioning as your meatshield.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Cartoon Network Universe: FusionBall
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser 3D MMO for the kids. For an in-browser game it looks surprisingly good and it is being made by a big company. The game has no classes, but you collect "nanos" which give you abilities.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Celestial Destroyer
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An Asian grind MMO with no interesting features.
Avoid? I dunno
Champions Online
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: Super hero MMO which gives free players only limited options to create their own hero. There is a lot more fun to be had if you can unlock the full character creator, but as an introduction to the game the Free characters work OK. This game allows a lot of customization in character builds, but the actual gameplay is relatively straight forward MMO fare, only you're fighting against multiple mobs nearly all the time and it's all pretty fast and action-y.
Avoid? It's cool, man
City of Steam
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-brwosers MMORPG in a steampunk setting. It offers Action RPG gameplay and plenty of quests. The game is developed by an indie developer and has received a lot of good press for what they've managed to pull off in a browser window.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Clone Wars Adventures
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: Kid-friendly mmorpg following the same model as Free Realms. So that means loads of mini-games with leader boards and tons of customization to your toon. Just like FR you are pushed pretty aggressively to make use of the cash shop.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Cloud Nine
Unknown
Status: F2P
Info: Cute looking Korean MMORPG with nice graphics. It has a lot of potential and gives you a lot of skills early on. It has it's shortcomings, mostly bugs, engrish and horrible chat-support. It dodged some of the usual pitfalls and that fact alone makes this game something worth checking out. Heir to Holic, a shortlived game that looked exactly the same.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Conquer Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Ridiculous grind MMO set in medieval China. Everything boils down to killing hundreds upon hundreds of identical mobs. It doesn't look very pretty as well. It is somewhat enjoyable for a few hours, though. After that it's time to uninstall it. Ask SkutSkut about it some time, it's kinda funny when he does that thing that makes his head turn red and veins pop out.
Avoid? Avoid
Craft of Gods
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A small-time MMO based on Slavic mythology. You're completely free to pick abilities from 14 different schools, although you have to keep in mind what combinations might work with regard to your stats. The game claims to cater to both PvE and PvP in equal measures. Actual gameplay is very slow and leveling happens at a snail's pace. Graphics look good at first, but there's something about them that screams early 2000s benchmark graphics demo. This is no game for the modern and fast man.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Crazy Tao
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 2D mmo which gives you control to 3 pets at once. Besides that it looks like standard MMO fare. This appears to be a predecessor of Eudemons, also hosted on that 91.com thing.
Avoid? I dunno
CrimeCraft
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Persistent World Next-generation Shooter dubbed "PWNS" by the developer. OK, funny leetspeak joke I guess. Basically shoot mans, level up, unlock more ways to shoot mans. There's also PvE, which is relatively unique for a game like this.
Avoid? I dunno
Cronous
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Grind-based Korean MMO. It has a lot of skills, though. And there's something about controlling castles. It's obviously aimed at boys, what with the bulky characters and ridiculous monsters.
Avoid? I dunno
Crowns of Power
Client
Status: F2P
Info: The closest thing to Ultima Online I've seen in some time. There's PK, you drop [some of] your loot and gold when you die, there are no character classes and instead you can develop in whatever way you like. Graphics are terribad, though.
Avoid? I dunno
Crystal Saga
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Cutesy in-browser grind MMO with automated grinding. You can select how long your char will be automatically doing shit with a special quest/cash shop item. There are no other features worth mentioning
Avoid? It’s cool man
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An open source MMO! You can just play the game, but the main attraction is that you help making it along with other people. This project has been around for a few years already, but it seems they'll need a few more decades to get my interest.
Avoid? I dunno
Dark Ages
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 2D old-school MMO with a strong focus on the community. The site refers to player-run religions and markets along with a complex political system.
Avoid? I dunno
Dark Eden
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Grind-based Korean MMO in a fairly unique, gothic setting. Good ol' vampire vs human, but with sci-fi weapons tossed in the mix. The game has been online for ages in South Korea, but international versions tend to pop up and die every other year. The game looks a bit like Diablo 2, but much slower.
Avoid? I dunno
Dark Legends
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A cheap looking in-browser MMO that is made for smartphones. Spin-off from Pocket Legends
Avoid? I dunno
Dark Swords
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Ugly 2D game claiming to be revolutionary in its social aspects. No idea where they base that on.
Avoid? I dunno
DarkSpace
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Space MMO that recently went F2P. Fly around in a spaceship and blow up other players or NPCs. To get better ships you have to exploit planets
Avoid? I dunno
DC Universe Online
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: Available on PS3 and PC. Action game-y controls and you get to fight alongside practically all DC comics heroes you can think of.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Dead Frontier
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A top-down zombie survival MMO thing. You get to fight in instanced areas and you can decide to go for a single player instance or a multiplayer one. Multiplayer is laggy as fuck and you'll die in a slideshow. The game has a cash shop, but half the game's elements aren't in (yet). If an apocalypse happened and this turned out to be the only game left on earth I might consider playing it.
Avoid? I dunno
Death's Dungeon RPG
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Terrible site, terrible name. I have no idea about the actual game, because they don't bother talking about that on the site. I assume it'd be terrible too. TERRYBULL.
Avoid? I dunno
Deicide
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Generic looking fantasy mmo, they seem to be very proud of their 3D sound. This shit is old.
Avoid? I dunno
Dekaron
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Asian styled fast paced MMO. Main selling points are its original story, nice concept art and raids that end in a free for all death match. Gamehi appears to have taken over and the game has received some new classes and has a much nicer website.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Deliantra
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 2D MMO with a strong focus on exploring and there is a strong focus on playing together. The game is being made by a very small team. At the moment there's only like 10 people playing on an average evening, so it's really unknown/unpopular. The tutorial is very good, so at least try that out and cheer up the developers or something? I don't know, they sound adorable.
Avoid? I dunno
Digimon Masters
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: Shitty game based on the famous Digimon game. Now as a grind MMO with all the pitfalls these games had a decade ago.
Avoid? Avoid
Dino Storm
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: This game has one unique twist: the setting of cowboys riding dinosaurs and shooting lasers. Everything else is the same old grind MMO schtick you'll get bored of very soon.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Dofus
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A French anime MMO that looks cute, but is actually a tough SRPG with a lot of mechanics and ways to improve your character.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Dragon Fable
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser 'lunch break mmo'. It's just a whole lot of grinding in ugly flash environments. The game is tailored for young players and has a strong focus on the pay to play aspects.
Avoid? I dunno
Dragon Knights
Client
Status: F2P
Info: watered down TERA with less cuddly chubby animals.
Avoid? I dunno
Dragon Oath
TLBB
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An Asian fantasy grind MMO with a few interesting sounding classes and dated graphics that still managed to charm me. The tutorial and subsequent quests are presented to you in a clear format and the automove button means you don't have to click much. However, there's no motivation to keep playing: killing more mobs certainly makes you stronger, but there's no "what's behind THAT hill?" feeling and most quests boil down to automoving to a NPC, killing a few mobs and automoving back to a NPC.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Dragon Pals
In-browser
Status: Open beta
Info: Kiddy MMO with dragon pets. Tagline: "unlock them all". Battle is handled turn-based and it's very basic. Like I've come to expect of R2 they hire a good artist to draw stuff and then build a boring game around it.
Avoid? I dunno
Dragon Raja
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 2D Asian MMO that has been alive since 2002-ish. The names of the classes have me cheering: lv91-99 priests are called pope, lv51-60 rogues are called Pilferers and it goes on and on. The actual game is terrible with full on PK, very dated graphics, a very unclear tutorial and you have to hold your mousebutton to continue attacking...which gets old very soon because a lv1 zombie already takes ~15 seconds to kill. I'm willing to cut them some slack for calling a class toreador, but if you ever get to that high a level you're insane.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Dragon's Call
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser MMORPG that seems like a shiftier version of Estiah. Classes are standard mage/warrior/assassin, concept art looks cool, but actual game is more of a spreadsheet with concept art as backgrounds than anything else
Avoid? I dunno
Dragon's Call II
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser MMORPG with Final Fantasy like combat. From gameplay vids it looks super slow, easy and has all the telltale signs of a cheap game imported from Asia. Funny how this is about as sad as the first game
Avoid? I dunno
Dragon's Prophet
Client
Status: Closed beta
Info: Players will be able to capture a large variety of dragons, each with its own statistics and attributes. After a dragon has been captured, players will be granted a stat bonus based on the stats of the dragon. That's all the information we have for now, but jump past the cut for the game's announcement trailer, and stay tuned for more information.
Avoid? I dunno
Drakensang Online
In-browser
Status: Open beta
Info: Based on the single player RPG which was based on the German table top game Das Schwarze Auge. This is in-browser and dumbed down the RPG aspects. There's some rumors floating around about the cash shop being a scam, but I don't have any definitive data.
Avoid? I dunno
Dream of Mirror Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cell shaded graphics, lots of classes and a system that makes teaming up with other people actually interesting. Combat is fast-paced but does not move beyond standard MMO-combat much.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Dungeon Party
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: A game wherein you make and develop a cute character, enter a dungeon map with a few others and try to steal the treasure while not getting murdered by the NPCs trying to protect that treasure. Got some attention in mainstream gaming media and it wasn't all completely negative. The game is rather MMO-lite, though. No insane character development and endless quests.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Dungeons & Dragons Online
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: After charging a monthly fee for a few years they're now going f2p with a cash shop to buy more content from. The game follows the D&D rulebooks up to a level, but instead of the turn-based it's all in real time, there's still dice to be rolled, but it's all behind the scenes. The game is heavily instanced and requires teamplay...pretty much like the source material. It's set in a magic-meets-technology realm providing a fairly unique setting.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Eden Eternal
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cutesy MMO with branching character classes you can swap freely between outside combat. There's a lot of dungeons and the free swapping between classes make it very easy to get groups together - provided you were smart enough to get a healer or tank class in there. This is a solid title with a lot features that are explained properly, plenty of chances to get epics and quests that tie into a big and concise story.
Avoid? I dunno
Eldevin
In-browser
Status: Closed beta
Info: A classless in-browser MMO with plenty of abilities, there's also 14 crafting disciplines and the developers promise a fleshed PvE dungeons. Seems to be a WoW-clone.
Avoid? I dunno
Embers of Caerus
Client
Status: Upcoming title
Info: funded through Kickstarter, this is going to be a sandbox MMO which seems to list all the features Darkfall promised to contain. I'm cynical, but there's people who gave $10k to this, so I guess either someone is going to be very disappointed after a development cycle as long as Darkfall or I'm too cynical.
Avoid? I dunno
Empiriana
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An old-school medieval roleplaying game with the focus on playing your role. There's is some dungeon crawling to be had, which works similar to the old Shin Megami Tensei games.
Avoid? I dunno
Endless Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: piece of crap.
Avoid? AVOID AVOID AVOID
Epic Duel
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An Adventure Quest clone with equally ugly 2D graphics.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Estiah
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In browser MMORPG. The site looks very slick and it seems to offer a sort of Trading Card Game sort of gameplay where your actions are determined by the cards you play. Lezard says you can enjoy this game on as little as 10 minutes per day.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Eternal Lands
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A hobby project that's been on the internet for years. It really doesn't offer much to someone looking for a game to play, but hobbyists make the world go around (provided they found an online guide explaining how).
Avoid? I dunno
Eternum Online
In-browser
Status: Indefinite open beta
Info: An in-browser hideous 2D MMO. It seems to play like Runescape, but it somehow managed to be uglier than that.
Avoid? I dunno
Ether Saga Oddysey
Client
Status: F2P
Info: It looks ridiculously cute with NPCs having fantasic designs. You should play this just to look at the NPCs. Character design is rather bland and the game itself is a complex grind with so many mechanics that I gave up after a while.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Eudemons Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cutesy Asian MMO with 3D isometric view. It seems to offer a smooth experience with a strong focus on community.
Avoid? I dunno
EUO
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An extremely old school mmorpg, they like to compare themselves to the early Ultima games and with that they mean: just as ugly and complex.
Avoid? I dunno
Everlight
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser MMORPG that pretty much plays itself. 4 standard classes, lots of auto-walking through screens and all the "kill X" quests all the time.
Avoid? I dunno
Everquest 2
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: You know, like Everquest, but newer and prettier. They recently made most of the content prior to the latest expansion free, but they're severely limiting the amount of gold, bags, characters, skills and quests you can use, more stuff is unlockable in the cash shop or by paying a monthly fee. Pretty much the same deal as Dungeons & Dragons Online.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Face of Mankind
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A fantastic sci-fi MMO with most of the content generated by your fellow players. The game is run by a bunch of douche bags who delete all negative feedback and demand money from anyone who wants to to generate aforementioned content. This game has been released before by other companies, but they fucked it up too. I can give no other advise than to avoid this game at all costs. At least until the current publisher goes under and a less terrible publisher picks it up in a few years time. Shame on you, Duplex Systems.
Avoid? Avoid
Fallen Earth
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: setting inspired by Mad Max and Fallout, gameplay inspired by early MMOs (no classes, improve skills by using them). Failed hard as P2P and is now freemium. It has received some developer's love and should be easier to enjoy now.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Fiesta
http://fiesta-online.gamigo.com
Client
Status: F2P
Info: One of the bigger Asian grind MMOs. At least it has asdw support and tab-targeting. Graphics score high on the kawaii-scale and are kinda smooth. Classes are standard. Not much to elaborate on, it's kind a grind, but at least there's other people around.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Florensia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A cutesy Japanese grind MMO set in the age of sailing. It's like a cute version of Voyage Century. The website looks rather decent for a free MMO, there's no Engrish on it and the art style has a certain charm to it. The actual game is what you expect from a grind MMO, with the added benefit that you must grind both your toon and your ship.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Fly for Fun
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Don't be fooled by the title! Flying is not fun in this game. It's about as much fun as it is in World of Warcaft; which is to say-- kinda neat for a while, and then you're back to grinding. This game is a grind-MMO from Korea. Everything is pretty basic, grind grind grind level grind grind grind. Et cetera. Probably fun if you can play with friends.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Fonline:2238
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A MMO version of Fallout 1/2. It's hosted on blogspot...Perhaps the actual game does not suck, but I doubt that. You need several files from a Fallout game to even run this game.
Avoid? I dunno
Forsaken World
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A high fantasy MMORPG published by Perfect World International. This one has quite a few races, pretty nice graphics and combat that gets pretty complex with pets and reactive abilities. Nothing ground-breaking and very much WoW-lite, but a decent title anyway. I found the game to be a bit frustrating, because it claims to have an exciting story, yet the nicest way to level up is to grind daily quests.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Fragoria
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser RPG that runs rather slowly and seems to hold no interesting features over any other MMORPG ever. It looks good for something made in Flash, though. Good job there.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Free Realms
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: SOE's free MMO providing all sorts of entertainment for the younger gamer. It looks fairly cute, you can play chess, do races, burn down monsters, dress up your toon and tons of other things. All in all, this seems like some sort of 3D alternative to what Gaia and Neopets do on their websites. Just tons of silly mini-games but with achievements that don't go away after closing the game. The game pushes its cash shop rather aggressively and locks most of their games and challenging missions behind cash shop purchases.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Furcadia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: ...Yup. A MMO for furries. It's almost completely focused on community aspects to boot.
Avoid? Avoid
Gladiatus
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser RPG that puts you in the codpiece of a gladiator who kills everything that looks creepy.
Avoid? I dunno
Gods and Heroes
Client
Status: Closed beta
Info: MMORPG where you get followed by a small army. Gameplay vids show a slow grind with clunky combat and no interesting features in the starting areas. Used to be P2P and is going F2P soon.
Avoid? I dunno
GodsWar
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cutesy isometric MMO in a faux ancient Greek setting (with medieval styled buildings here and there :P). Nothing sets it apart from other MMOs. You can set up an in-game bot that plays the game for you and quite frankly there's no reason not to use that, because you gain exp just as fast and the bot cannot make mistakes.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Golemizer
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser MMO in which you are a mad scientist and create a golem to do your laundry and fighting.
Avoid? I dunno
Graal Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Hideous 2D MMO with a strong focus on the community. No idea why anyone would play it.
Avoid? I dunno
Grand Fantasia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A cutesy Asian MMO with a strong focus on pets. The classes and graphics aren't very interesting and it's a huge grind at heart.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Hailan Rising
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: PvP-centered level-less skill-based MMORPG sporting outdated graphics.
Avoid? I dunno
Hellgate
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Remember Hellgate London? Yeah it's back now as F2P only it looks uglier and less userfriendly somehow.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Hero Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Asian fantasy 3D MMORPG with old-fashioned graphics. Plays like diablo, but doesn't reallly have any skills and is very slow. Huge grind-fest.
Avoid? I dunno
Holy Beast
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A cutesy grind MMO. Like a lot of these games pets play a big role, this time they evolve (gotta catc---ah never mind) from cute pups to fearsome beasts (Magicarp is evolv--I'm terribly sorry) provided your grind enough. Your toon can also fight by way of standard MMO combat with classes divided in clans based on animals.
Avoid? I dunno
Illarion
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An old 2D MMORPG that sells itself as the game in which you don't have to fight. Strong focus on roleplaying. Graphics are terribly dated. Controls are terrible, client is feeble, in-game directions are non-existent
Avoid? I dunno
Illutia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Formerly known as Aspereta. It's a 2D cutesy grind MMO in a fantasy setting. Looks very dated.
Avoid? I dunno
Iris Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A cutesy Asian MMO with a bit more instances and quests than most Asian grind MMOs. The game has one unique feature: tarot cards. Mobs drop cards you bring to a fortune teller, she will "predict your future" which results in buffs for your character or gear. It seems like these buffs are permanent ones, but they are kind of vague on this point.
Avoid? I dunno
RPG IRUNA Online
Mobile-only
Status: F2P
Info: 3D RPG from Japan with standard cutesy graphics and standard combat as in WoW. Apparently very popular in Japan.
Avoid? I dunno
Istaria
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An ugly looking fantasy MMO with a strong focus on the community, building your own towns and exploring the wilds.
Avoid? I dunno
Jade Dynasty
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A standard Asian mythology based grind MMO, it has pretty graphics and an interesting story. EXP is easy to get: you get it from meditating or by setting up a script so you can do other things while your toon levels. Game gets boring very fast if you do that, though. On the other hand: maybe the other things you'd do would be a lot more fun. Win/win?
Avoid? I dunno
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Game looks generic. Site is full of Engrish and lies about being the first 3D mmo set in Asian mythology. Try at your own risk, I suppose.
Avoid? I dunno
Kartuga
In-browser
Status: Closed beta
Info: A game where you control a ship and in hack-n-slash fashion tear through the seven seas and all kinds of ships and stuff. Comparable to Drakensang Online, like that game the list of features is limited and the challenges mostly come from PvP. Decent game as a "baby's first MMO"
Avoid? I dunno
Kingdom Heroes
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Another MMO based on Chinese mythology, this one's unique feature is that you can lead between 2 and 6 soldier into battle. You also get to tweak them to your preference, so that's something. Site also lists ship to ship battle and catapults to take down keeps. The focus is on PvP, I'm not sure how much grinding you have to do before you can join in the fun.
Avoid? I dunno
Kingdom of Drakkar
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A very old school 2D RPG with some seriously dated graphics that will be sure to brighten your great-grandfather's heart. I have no idea how old this one is, but they appear to be proud that their shark mobs are animated.
Avoid? I dunno
Kingdom of Loathing
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Hilarious in-browser MMO. The graphics are amusing, the fact that there is a haiku chat channel makes the game awesome. You only get a limited amount of actions per day and you navigate the world from screen to screen.
Avoid? It's cool, man
KingsRoad
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: It's a diablo-clone without any of the nifty stuff and bogged down by an oppresively expensive and in-your-face cash shop. It has no defining features that sets it apart from its competitors. If you are looking for an in-browser diablo-clone you should play Drakensang Online instead.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Knight Age
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cutesy Asian MMO with one interesting feature: mounted combat.
Avoid? I dunno
Knight online world
Client
Status: F2P
Info: MMO with a focus on PvP. No idea about actual gameplay.
Avoid? I dunno
Kultan
In-browser
Status: Open beta
Info: A grindy MMO wherein you are a ship. For a browser game it looks stunning and there's a lot of detail in monsters and the environment. Actual gameplay is rather clunky and quests are totally uninspired.
Avoid? I dunno
Land of Magic
Client
Status: F2P
Info: This game has been live since 1994. Players from way back when are now NPCs in the game. Actual gameplay, however, appears to be hidden away on their site. It is clear that a MMO from 1994 is not going to be easy on new players. News section has not been updated since 2009.
Avoid? I dunno
Lands of Hope
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser MMORPG developed by one guy. It appears to offer a full range of functions usually reserved for bigger titles. Sounds strangely hopeful.
Avoid? I dunno
Last Chaos
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Fantasy grind MMO with a strong focus on playing in personal dungeons. Unfortunately the game has you grinding from the moment you step out of the tutorial dungeon and half an hour in the only redeeming quality remaining is the promise that there might be another personal dungeon open for you soon. Said dungeon does open up, but you'll die in it unless you grind some more levels. Combat feels unresponsive, graphics are glitchy, game text is hard to read and there's only a few skills for your character to employ.
Avoid? It's cool, man
LaTale
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A game like Maple Story but with more fluid combat, also just as ridiculously cute. Probably still going to be an evergrind.
Avoid? I dunno
Legend of Edda:Vengeance
Client
Status: Closed beta
Info: A cutesy MMO with a focus on PvP. Marketing dept. promises 10k hair/face combinations, so I'm going to assume it's an Asian grind MMO.
Avoid? I dunno
Legend of Mir 3
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Standard Asian fantasy grind MMO. Unique features are weapons that you can level, it's dark outside so you need to bring torches and you can get extra loot by clicking the attack button a few times while standing over dead animals. Not impressive at all.
Avoid? I dunno
Life is Magic
Mobile-only
Status: F2P
Info: A game that uses your GPS position to place you on a fantasy-infused map of our world. You get to kill monsters as in the old Final Fantasy games.
Avoid? I dunno
Loong
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Generic Asian fantasy MMO with pretty graphics, a very thorough and clear tutorial and a lot of rewards early on. It is certainly fun for a few days, but I got frustrated by the inventory limit (at 10c a slot in the cash shop it's quite expensive to fix this) and ultimately the grind was just too much to hold my interest. Certainly not a bad game and a good example of the quality available in free MMOs.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Lord of the Rings Online
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: LotrO's goal is to put the whole of Middle Earth as described in Tolkien's books online. That world is being brought alive with a lot of quests, including epic quests with lots of scripted elements.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Lost Titans, The
In-browser
Status: Open beta
Info: In-browser MMORPG offering no interesting features, besides the mythological setting. Developers claim that the graphics are super good, but that's compared to the earliest in-browser MMOs.
Avoid? I dunno
Luminary: Rise of the Goonzu
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Fantasy anime MMO with a heavy focus on economy and politics. According to froggy it is nice. According to Mith it is as exciting as Progress Quest (which is to say: no it is not exciting).
Avoid? I dunno
Luna Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Standard Korean grind MMO, this one has some extra classes to evolve to and you can build a farm with your in-game family. Everything else? Just another cutesy grind MMO.
Avoid? I dunno
Lunaria Story
In-browser
Status: Open beta
Info: Clunky Maple Story clone. There is no twist, no special features no nothing to set this apart from Maple Story besides being newer and in-browser.
Avoid? I dunno
Luvinia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Another boring grind MMO looking exactly like all the damned others.
Avoid? I dunno
Luvinia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Bloody hideous grindtastic piece of shit from Outspark. You know? The publisher with all those shitty grindtastic shitfests. They also have a ridiculously annoying cash shop and every item you buy is only temporary until you buy another cash shop item to make it permanent.
Avoid? I dunno
Mabinogi
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Celshaded graphics, fast paced combat. Graphics are scoring high on "cute" and "kawaii". You can react to what the mob you're fighting does with counterattacks or defences, besides that it plays like a normal MMO. Quests are standard, but there are some dungeons you can run in with a challenging boss at the end of the ride. Unless you're coughing up money you can only create one character. Recently a lot of features went from cash shop to free.
Avoid? I dunno
Maestia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Another game hosted by Bigpoint, there's been a lot of commercials and ads appearing for this one, which is odd because the game is as mundane as they can come. This one is a rather standard high fantasy game with 2 factions and 4 classes. The game's defining feature seems to be the fact that you can further develop your character after hitting max level. The actual game is slow, quests are uninspiring and boring with your character's lines being terrible and nothing like you'd want your character to react to an archangel appearing in front of you. This is one of the better boring Asian grindfests: quests are delivered to you by aforementioned angel, meaning you don't have to run up and down the same road every time you kill X mobs. The quest guide points you towards the right location and the first few quests slowly introduce you to the relevant mechanics one by one. It is still a boring grindfest though.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Magic World Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: It's a new game, but already looks dated: Isometric camera, site looks incredibly cheesy and the art direction seems to love glow sticks and Asian mythology. The game seems to offer everything you expect out of a MMORPG, but adds player housing and marriage. All in all it doesn't stand out in any way. Front page also mentions it's the first game with "Legal BOT{s}". I...you...wha...?
Avoid? I dunno
Maple Story
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Extremely popular for no particular reason. Only play this if you hate yourself. It's a 2D sidescrolling MMO where you will be grinding monsters for an eternity to gain a level, then you repeat the process. This is not my idea of "fun". At least there's other players around.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Martial Empires
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Asian grind MMO set in a fantasy Asian universe full of martial arts.
Avoid? I dunno
Marvel Heroes
Client
Status: Closed beta
Info: Kinda Diablo-like with the heroes from Marvel. It's got a big enough budget to make a big splash…
Avoid? I dunno
Mech Quest
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser 'lunch break mmo'. It's just a whole lot of grinding in ugly flash environments. The game is tailored for young players and has a strong focus on the pay to play aspects.
Avoid? I dunno
Metin 2
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Asian Fantasy MMO with fast paced combat. And the possibility to fight while mounted. The game is in 3D but looks very dated. Classes are uninspired, text is hard to read, quests are vague and exp gain is slow.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Midgard Rising
Mobile-only
Status: Open beta
Info: Said to be a hardcore old-school MMO with pets.
Avoid? I dunno
Milmo
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A cutesy in-browser game for kids with the generic MMO quests. Seems to try and ride the "social gaming" wave. Runs on unity web player.
Avoid? I dunno
Minions of Mirth
Client
Status: F2P
Info: From the old thread: Notes (from Philthy): Basically, an EQ clone. And a decent one, at that. It has a few twists. Instead of controlling one player, you can control up to 6. An entire party. You can then play on the multiplayer server and group up with other players parties and do raids this way. The game also can run in server mode, and you can basically run your own server. You can edit everything within the server, add your own mobs and zones, edit items and quests, stats and models. You can also submit these to the devs to be included on the actual live server as well.
Avoid? I dunno
Mo Siang Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A Chinese MMO with very fast combat and very pretty spell effects. The website and game made me very confused, everything seems to move at 2x speed or something. The client is only 450MB so I guess that is nice.
Avoid? I dunno
Monato Esprit
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cutesy Asian grind MMO. All dungeons in game have been bugged out for nearly two months, meaning I can't even finish the tutorial. Probably best to ignore this title in favour of one of the kazillion other cutesy asian grind MMOs. Latest news post dates from 2010.
Avoid? Avoid
Monster and Me
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A MMO that takes its influences from neopets and pokémon. Art looks horrible. There should be no reason one would play this game. Images on website are all broken.
Avoid? I dunno
Moonlight Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Game wherein you play as a vampire. There are no special features that set it apart from other MMORPGs.
Avoid? I dunno
MU Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Game is tailored for boys, lots of muscled characters and gritty looks. Everything looks horribly bland and uninteresting. No idea about the combat, but it advertises itself as "easy to get in to". Maybe fun for a few hours.
Avoid? I dunno
Mystic Realms
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A very ugly 2D game with a very ugly website that hasn't been updated since 2005. They seem to be proud of their combat not being 'hack n slash' and that there's a lot of options for races and classes. But seriously, this shit's so old it should have died 5 years ago.
Avoid? I dunno
Myth War 2
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 2D MMO with hand-painted models. The game only runs in 800x600 so everything looks blurry. Combat is a mix of real-time with turn based, think JRPG. There's also a strong social aspect to this game, players can get in a position of power through politics or can fabricate rumours that might turn out to be true (???). Kasanagi tells you to avoid this outdated POS. This is a slightly updated version of the original, which was closed Feb 13th, 2009.
Avoid? I dunno
Mytheon
Client
Status: F2P
Info: MMORPG by Petroglyph (Star Wars: Empire at war; Universe at War: Earth Assault). You take on the role of a commander who leads his armies against the ancient Gods themselves. Greek, Egyptian and Roman myths confirmed. Besides the fairly original setting the unique selling point is the use of stones that allow you to summon aid and cast spells. After that the stone gets replaced randomly by another stone in your deck. Besides that it has the usual leveling/armour/skills to further finetune your character with.
Avoid? I dunno
Nadirim
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A 2D turn-based MMO in a very 1001 Arabian Nights setting. It runs in-browser and features detailed backgrounds to move around in and battles that are on a honeycomb grid, so you actually get a bit of tactics to dick around with.
Avoid? I dunno
Neo Steam
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A Steampunk setting alone is not enough to make a game attractive. It's a slow and boring grindfest.
Avoid? I dunno
NEStalgia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A nostalgia trip to old RPG games, but now you're online so you can play with other people. The game uses the BYOND engine so it's kind of a bitch to set up, but with a 2MB client you can't really go wrong with checking it out yourself.
Avoid? I dunno
Neverland
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser RPG with turn based combat. Graphics score high on cute and hard to make out anything. The game - in essence - works, though. If you're looking for in-browser MMOs this is seems to offer the complete package.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Nodiatis
Client
Status: F2P
Info: And old-skool MMO that starts with the reassuring message that it contains no spyware or malware. Glad to know. The next thing you see is a halfnaked girl chained to a wall. Well, that's all we need to know, I suppose. Unfortunately the game itself is too old-school. Your character is reduced to a simple portray that moves from tile to tile and encounters enemies that are nothing more than a fancy picture with numbers appearing above it when you hit it with auto-attack or with skills. This is all very boring and does not contain enough female bodies to keep my attention. The lev2 drunken fisherman did nothing to cheer me up either.
Avoid? Avoid
NosTale
Client
Status: F2P
Info: 2.5D cutesy grind MMO in which you can capture monsters to do your laundry and fighting. It has a decent tutorial and you'll have a clear idea on what you're supposed to do from the get-go. Client does not support large screen resolutions and it's a big grind at heart.
Avoid? I dunno
Nowhere Else and Beyond
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser MMO with 2D graphics. You move around from screen to screen with the arrow buttons. It doesn't look half bad, but there seems to be little reason to play this game. You can check it out without having to register, which is nice.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Oberin
Client
Status: F2P
Info: MAC ONLY MMO! It's been going for 8 years. But seriously guys, it's Mac only. Amusingly it won't work on Lion and only on Snow Leopard through Rosetta.
Avoid? I dunno
Ogre Island
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Flash-based MMO. Looks fun for 30 minutes or something? At least it doesn't pretend to be something it is not. Does anyone know more about this?
Avoid? I dunno
Origins of Malu
Client
Status: Closed Beta
Info: A sandbox-esque Canadian MMO set in a sci-fi/fantasy setting that steers away from the standard settings. It is a very indie project with all that entails. It offers a class-less system with a big focus on giving players the tools to shape the world and make it come alive. The developers do provide an overarching story. Will have to wait and see.
Avoid? I dunno
Otherland
Client
Status: Closed beta
Info: Play a character in Tad Williams' Otherland universe. You get to dick around in different worlds ranging from medieval to sci-fi.
Avoid? I dunno
Oz
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Community MMO based around cute characters. Appears to cater to teenage girls, features include fishing and making out with members of the opposite gender. For everyone's sake it's best to keep this game away from humanity as best as we can.
Avoid? Avoid
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Asian 3D MMO with the standard classes, a bunch of races including dwarves and standard gameplay. It's all rather standard fair, but the site looks decent and it doesn't look very ugly, so I guess it can't be too bad. Strong focus on PvP
Avoid? I dunno
Parallel Kingdom
Mobile-only
Status: F2P
Info: A game that uses your GPS position and overlays the map around your location with dungeons, castles, dragons and secret groves. You get to claim territory, explore places and kill beasts in pure rogue-like RPG fashion.
Avoid? I dunno
Parallel Mafia
Mobile-only
Status: F2P
Info: See: Parallel Kingdom. Map has gangster stuff on it.
Avoid? I dunno
Parallel Zombies
Mobile-only
Status: F2P
Info: See: Parallel Kingdom. Map has zombie stuff on it.
Avoid? I dunno
Particle's Custom RPG
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Ancient MMO where only roughly 10 people can be on a server. Setting is standard fantasy stuff. Eventually everyone is either cheating or grieving. Nerdtendo seems to like it.
Avoid? I dunno
Path of Exile
Client
Status: F2P
Info: The spiritual heir to Diablo 2: gritty graphics, a lot of options on how to build your character, so much loot and a publisher that intends to support the game for years to come.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Perfect World
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Fantasy MMO with a very elaborate character customizer. The game looks a lot like World of Warcaft, but without the unpopular parts such as ugly races and small swords. What it does have? Huge swords and wings and wings made out of huge swords. The game does look very nice and it has some quality. It's still a huge grindfest, but it's a decent one.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Pirates of Caribbean Online
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: Customize your pirate, get a pirate ship, recruit a crew and do what pirates do. Game looks pretty, it's published by Disney and it has Jack Sparrow. Alas, the Free to Play is a money-making scheme, according to korodullin you have to pay a fee to complete a quest or to level up. Try again later, Disney.
Avoid? Avoid
Pirates of the Burning Sea
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: A pirate game that didn't cut it as P2P and is now F2P/Freemium. The game offers a hefty dose of economics to keep the nerds amongst us interested, while there's also some other shit to keep everyone else happy.
Avoid? I dunno
PlaneShift
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An MMO in development by an Italian company, it looks fairly original for a fantasy-mmo and they're trying to stay away from the common mmo-traps like grinding. Quite an odd bird.
Avoid?
Pocket Legends
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A cheap looking in-browser MMO that is made for smartphones. No unique features, but hey you can play it on your phone and it is super easy to just hop in and play a few levels with other people.
Avoid? I dunno
Queville
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Small MMORPG being developed by two people. It's set in a fantasy world and you are a hero, that's pretty much the jest of it. It looks hideous and the site seems to be made in the 1990s.
Avoid? I dunno
Ragnarok Online
http://www.playragnarok.com/
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: The mother of all cheap grind-MMOs. If you're looking for someone or something to blame for half the titles on this list...look no further. This game is enjoyable if you can play with others. The broad range of classes and the years of post-release updates have turned the game in a confusing, but huge game.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Ragnarok Online 2
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Remember Ragnarok Online? The game that inspired a thousand other Asian grind MMOs to do the exact same thing? Well, part 2 is a thing now. The game is old-fashioned, it is simply lagging behind what other games are delivering to us. This makes RO2 a largely forgettable title.
Avoid? It's cool, man
RAGNAROK: Valkyrie Uprising
Mobile-only
Status: F2P
Info: A simplified Ragnarok Online for phones. There's only 3 classes, but it offers the complete package of Ragnarok Online. Which means: grind till you drop and cute graphics.
Avoid? I dunno
Ran Online
http://ran.myrosso.com/en/
Client
Status: F2P
Info: 3D MMO placing your standard classes in a more modern and urban setting. Seems to be standard grindfest.
Avoid? I dunno
Rappelz
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Uninspired boring grindfest. Huge grind and you don't *need* anyone else to play with, everyone else is just getting in the way between you and your next level.
Avoid? I dunno
Realm of the Mad God
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser rogue-like with cute retro graphics. You get dropped in a world at level one, you hit stuff with your left mouse button and launch spells with shift+LMB. Go apeshit on the wildlife or rather: the wildlife will go apeshit on you. Death is permanent, but a new char is rerolled in 2 seconds. Try to survive for 20 levels, find the best gear possible and take on the mad gods of the realm. You will die. You will die a lot. You will die some more. But you'll come back for more anyway, because it's simple, yet challenging.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Realms of Loria
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser old-skool RPG in a standard fantasy setting. The game has been out since 2003, but the makers still say it is far from finished. Gotta love the small projects.
Avoid? I dunno
Realms Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A poor WoW clone with outdated graphics, shitty gameplay and end-game that just exists of PvP (read: there is no end-game, but you can try to kill the other high level players)
Avoid? Avoid
Red Stone
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Game looks like Diablo2, has a ton of classes that can - if you have the right level - transform into something else. Like a mage can turn into a werewolf as to stand a chance against magic resistant mobs etc. It's dated, but still playable and has some depth to it.
Avoid? I dunno
Regnum
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A standard fantasy MMORPG with a few localized clients to appease the masses. The game seems to focus on PvP but offers no refreshing features besides this.
Avoid? I dunno
Requiem
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A horror MMO, if you love blood, slime and sharp teeth, you might like this game. It has asdw-controls and ragdolls. Actual gameplay is grinding those scaaaary monsters till the cows come home.
Avoid? I dunno
RF Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: The game is a Korean grindfest, but one of the factions consists of robots. The site also points out that there's Realm vs Realm combat to be had, which can be pretty fun. Recently changed hands and had exp gain increased by 300%.
Avoid? I dunno
Risk Your Life Part 2: Incomplete Union
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: Malaysian RPG with dated graphics and seemingly offering the same gameplay as oh so many other grind MMOs. It does offer territory wars for some sort of benefit for the winners or whatever. I think the name is the most awesome part of this title.
Avoid? I dunno
RODE
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A standard Asian grindfest kind of game. Unique feature appears to be riding dragons, but it seems to mostly revolve around PvP by way of end-game. Doesn't look very pretty either.
Avoid? I dunno
Rohan
Client
Status: F2P
Info: High-fantasy grind MMO with unique classes and nice character models and combat effects. There is a lot of missed potential here, less downtime between fights, less glitches and a more optimized game code would do wonders for this unpolished gem. The game still gets active support, so maybe they will enhance it one day.
Avoid? I dunno
ROSE Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: The only real heir of Ragnarok Online. The gameplay has hardly changed, but it is slightly more forgiving to mistakes, it's in 3D and it is just more structured all together. If you are looking for a mindless grind MMO this is one of the sturdiest.
Avoid? I dunno
ROSH Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Malaysian game with an English client. This one appears to have no interesting features. There's pets… that's something.
Avoid? I dunno
ROSH Online
Karos
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Standard Asian Grind MMO with decent graphics. There is plenty to do with crafting and quests and the world is nice to look at, but it is a grindfest at heart.
Avoid? I dunno
Runes of Magic
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A game with a class system like Guild Wars and graphics like World of Warcraft. It has all the standard functions of modern MMOs including PvP, player housing and fashion armour slots. It also has a smartphone version. So it's a MMO with an active developer behind it looking for more ways to attract new players.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Runescape
Client
Status: F2P
Info: One of the most popular early free MMOs.It's a Java Based Fantasy MMO: good lunchtime game with decent questing, there is enough to do to keep you occupied for a while. Combat is decent if a bit repetitive, quests are entertaining, there are many different skills to train and a lot of variation in how they are trained. With new updates the graphics and game keeps on improving.
Avoid? I dunno
Ryzom
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: An old 3D MMO set in a kind of alien future with lots of weird nature masks and melee weapons. The game's main selling point is the option to create and share your own missions and maps. The actual gameplay is rather clunky and slow and to get anything done you'll have to grind quite a bit. I didn't like it much, but the original art style was quite charming.
Avoid? I dunno
Scions of Fate
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A prime example of everything you can do wrong with an Asian grind MMO. There is no starter tutorial, you can only start the game from a website that only opens in Internet Explorer, mobs below your level die in 1 hit and net little exp, mobs one level above you take 20 hits and net just as little exp, classes are uninspired tank/healer/ranged dps/melee dps, graphics are dated, setting is stereotypical Asia with the same god damned Chinese restaurant tunes on repeat, if a mob moved since you moved into range, you will not start attacking, you only get your first skill at level 10.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Seal Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A MMO based around clubbing baby seals (and various other cute animals)! It's standard MMO fare, only hardly anyone plays this game. It has a fairly original combo-system and offers tons of customizing for your character's battle prowess. However, it's a huge grind and it doesn't help that you move very slowly.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Secondhand Lands
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A hiiiiiiiilariiiiiiiious RPG where you play as a wolf, sheep, scrapper or catgirl and dick around in a world where every fairytale ever is a target for the hiiiiiilariiiiious wit of the developer. Actually, there's not a single funny thing on their website and the 'satire' sales pitch seems to be based solely on the fact that fairytale figures have turned violent. Oh that jester. Last news post from 2009
Avoid? I dunno
Secrets of Mirage
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An extreeeeeemely small and veeeeery old RPG with 2D graphics. The original version of this game was made in 2002 with a toolset that's even older. At the moment there's only a few people playing and the servers break down every few weeks due to lack of funding and hardware failure. This is clearly an amateur project and as such deserves a tip of the hat for trying.
Avoid? I dunno
Seyken
Client
Status: Closed beta
Info: Amateur project based on old school RPG classics such as Final Fantasy and Secret of Mana. It looks like a copyright infringment, but because it's just one guy running the show I think homage is the word we're looking for.
Avoid? I dunno
Shadow World
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An extremely small 2D MMO from Germany. No screenshots on their site and only 10 people online at a Sunday evening. Game is so bad that JamesDM almost gave up before reaching the first waypoint of his first quest. Let us let this game die in peace.
Avoid? I dunno
Shadowtale
In-browser
Status: Indefinite open beta
Info: In-browser fantasy RPG with ugly Flash graphics.
Avoid? I dunno
Shaiya
Client
Status: F2P
Info: This one gets hailed for its pretty graphics and they hail themselves for their Realm v Realm combat, meaningful PvP and everything else you expect out of a MMORPG these days. Interesting is that there are various difficulties to play the game at and you unlock more as you level up. Depending on your difficulty you will gain more stat-points per level. Not sure if it isn't just an excuse to make people grind more.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Sherwood Dungeon
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Ugly in-browser RPG set in a generic fantasy version of the tale of Robin Hood. It looks extremely dorky, but it's not bad or anything. Just looks bloody dorky.
Avoid? I dunno
Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Game based on the JRPG Shin Megami Tensei. There are dozens of mechanics, ways to improve your character and the demons that fight for you and you can simply break the game by grinding specific skills or fight specific mobs. This game is something you just have to give a shake. Try to join a guild, get a group together and work towards a specific build. This game has no mercy on you: you either win or you die a lot. If you like Persona/Digital Devil Saga/Shin Megami Tensei you have to try this.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Sho Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A generic Asian fantasy MMORPG with a focus on PvP. Ugly graphics, slow and unresponsive combat, uninspired quests, no other players around. All the ingredients for a game you should not want to play.
Avoid? I dunno
Silkroad Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A grindy Asian fantasy Mmo with the slightly unique setting of the whole of the silkroad to explore. Unfortunately they are mostly focusing on the Chinese bit. Gameplay is grindy, slow and uninspired.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Skyforge (no site yet)
Client
Upcoming
Info: From the makers of Allods online and with the help of a lot of talent from Eastern Europe/Russia. Fantasy game with a lot of unique classes, action-based combat, very bright and colorful graphics and it's taking a big step away from a lot of the MMORPG tropes. More info will come soon I hope.
Soul Captor
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: Cutesy grind MMO from Asia, has some nice character design, but looks dull and outdated.
Avoid? I dunno
Soul Captor
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: Cutesy MMO in a Near-East fantasy setting. Main selling points is the collection of souls from dead monsters which you use to create buffs, mounts and whatever else strikes the developers as an interesting feature. Seems to be grind-heavy.
Avoid? I dunno
Spiral Knights
In-browser
Status: Freemium
Info: Made by the dudes who made Puzzle Pirates and published by Sega. It's Zelda-like but with cute robots and in space. Free accounts are pretty limited with the amount of stuff they can do per day
Avoid? I dunno
Spirit Tales
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: Teeth-shattering cute game with cell-shaded graphics. Gameplay is same old same old, but it has some quality of life features such as auto-loot and binding a spell to RMB that show that some thought has gone into this title.
Avoid? I dunno
Star Legends
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A cheap looking in-browser MMO that is made for smartphones. Spin-off from Pocket Legends
Avoid? I dunno
Star Wars Combine
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A Star Wars game not published by LucasArt. In this hideous in-browser game you play a person living in the Star Wars universe during the movies. You can join in the battles or just play some no-no. Oh, there's also a chance you get to be a jedi. Did LucasArt not sue these folks on account of their game being too shitty or something?
Avoid? I dunno
Star Wars: The Old Republic
SWTOR
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: Not as thoroughly enjoyable as Baldur's Gate II, less impressive characters than Mass Effect and none of the tactical depth of Neverwinter Nights. Still, a truly amazing feat for a free MMO to deliver fully voiced dialogues and a class story that keeps you occupied until you reach max level and moral choices for every quest you undertake. The game was apparently not lucrative enough to maintain as a subscription based game, so I am afraid they will nickle-n-dime you now.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Starlight Story
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: cutesy MMO from Aeria which seems to offer not interesting features. You have pets and you can morph into defeated foes.
Avoid? I dunno
SUN
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Asian MMO with a strong focus on instanced play (including solo) and you get to set up your own mission maps. Game looks very detailed and pretty, but is a boring grind at heart.
Avoid? I dunno
Supreme Destiny
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An full-bred Asian grind MMO with 3D graphics and some shit about PvP. There's no interesting features to this one. At all.
Avoid? I dunno
Granado Espada
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A baroque MMO with some unique features: you control a family, of which you select three characters to fight. You assume full control of all 3 of them and fight your way through maps with tons of maps. There are dozens of other systems and doodads to improve your family with and more min-maxing than you want to think of. Unfortunately the game has been mismanaged by a conga line of different publishers. Every last one of them has "re-released" the game with a new title or new pretty pictures, while taking away or adding a feature without second thought. This could have been a fantastic game, but instead it is now a dreadful experience I cannot recommend to anyone.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Syrnia
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Flash-based game in a generic fantasy world. Players get to construct a lot of stuff including houses and shops for other players. It's a very small project, so don't expect too much from them.
Avoid? I dunno
Tagoria
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser RPG in a generic fantasy world. Their "special features" are so completely uninteresting I can only imagine the rest of their game is even more uninteresting.
Avoid? I dunno
Tales of Fantasy
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Generic Asian MMO with wings and combat with mounts. Sounds rather generic, which would fit with the rest of IGG's portfolio.
Avoid? I dunno
Tales of Pirates
Pirate King http://www.piratekingonline.com/
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Generic cute grind MMO. This game is ridiculous, it's not pirate-y at all and most fun is to be had on land. You can get ships early on to sail to different islands, but this is not really exciting. You can make a lot of profit by putting a mechanical arm on your ship and loot crates from sea. You can sell those at harbours to make enough profit to always have the best gear available. And that is really the only interesting thing I have to say about this game.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Tales Weaver
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: This game was released 7 years ago in Asia, but it's now getting an international version through Game&Game. It's a cute little 2D game with an actual story line and characters you can tell apart. Combat is slow, resolution doesn't go above 1024x768 and after the intro movie the storyline angle falls flat.
Avoid? I dunno
Talisman Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 3D MMO based on Random Asian Mythology, game looks like a badly executed version of WoW with the settings on "my pc is a wet cereal box". The game kind of forces you to work together with other players to get anything done. There's also a "Talisman system" which boils down to a system where you can upgrade your weapon and your skills are dependent on what stuff you have equipped.
Avoid? I dunno
Tanoth
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser mmorpg based on the game 'Legend - Hand of God'.
Avoid? I dunno
TerraWorld
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Very small 2D cutesy MMO. Site doesn't offer much information. I would avoid this.
Avoid? Avoid
Tibia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: 2D, sprites, weird perspective. Looks extremely dated. This game has been going strong for ten (10!) years now and it shows.
Avoid? I dunno
TibiaME
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Old-school top-down MMORPG developed mostly for phones. Controls are as simple as running into mobs to do damage.
Avoid? I dunno
Traveller AR
Client
Status: Upcoming title
Info: iPhone game based on a PnP game involving space exploration. Website informs us the game is on-hold until further notice.
Avoid? I dunno
Trickster Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Extremely cute MMORPG. It emits rays of cuteness, really. This is a game like Ragnarok Online, so you do need a group of friends to level with, or rather...talk with while in a group so you all get massive exp bonuses. When you're in a group you can earn up to twice as much exp per mob, so everyone is just grouped up, without really having to work together or anything. Besides that it has some funny classes based on the zodiac animals.
Avoid? I dunno
Twelve Sky 2
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Pretty graphics, Asian setting. Very strong focus on PvP, but to play with the big guys you have to grind a lot of mobs. Although the combat looks flashy and your character looks cool, it's slow and boring after you've seen all the animations once.
Avoid? I dunno
Uncharted Waters
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A game situated in the Age of Exploration. Players get to own ships, houses and islands. There's PvP stuff and enough content to last you for three years...at the speed you're going at this sounds very likely. This game is old school, it has countless sytems to keep in mind and the tutorial alone takes hours. It's a rare game and it's amazing to see how much work it takes to even get to England from Holland. Halfway through the trip my crew even got homesick! And that's before being chased by pirates.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Voyage Century
Client
Status: F2P
Info: The better alternative to Bounty Bay Online. Beautiful MMORPG set in the Age of Sailing. It offers naval combat and trading. Less lag, more fun than BBO. Too bad about their attempts to make it look like Pirates of the Carribean, makes the whole game look cheap.
Avoid? I dunno
Wakfu
Unknown
Status: Open beta
Info: The successor of the immensely popular Dofus. Story moved for a thousand years.
Avoid? I dunno
War of Angels
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 3D Asian grind MMO with uninspired graphics, classes, quests and storytelling. There are no features that sets this one apart from the rest of the grind MMO pack. It claims it has combat on land, underwater and in the air, but this is hardly a selling point in this millennium.
Avoid? I dunno
War of Titans
Gladius 2
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Providing fancier graphics and more options, War of the Titans seems to be some sort of RPG set in the classical world. Their site is confusing, but I think it's all in-browser and there are gladiators involved.
Avoid? I dunno
Waren Story
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: Used to be with Aeria, is now relaunching with a new publisher
Avoid? I dunno
Warspear Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cute retro MMORPG developed mostly for mobile platforms, but also works fine on PC. It's ridiculously old-school, fair warning.
Avoid? I dunno
Wartune
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser,seems like a Final Fantasy kind of game, only with crazy Asian MMO tropes sprinkled on top. Will have to delve into this soon.
Avoid? I dunno
Water Margin Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Absurdly cute looking Asian fantasy MMO. Support seems to be focused on Malaysia.
Avoid? I dunno
Well of Souls
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cheap looking MMO with the special feature that you can create your own quests, maps, player skins, music and servers.
Avoid? I dunno
Witcher Versus, The
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A sort of in-browser card game where you spend your time fighting others and progress your deck/character. The site unfortunately lacks clear information, but it is published by CD Projekt Red so it is kosher.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Wizardry Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Based on the 30 years old game based on the even old boardgame, this game promises a hardcore RPG experience, with *drumroll* perma-death. This is a very rogue-like experience.
Avoid? I dunno
Wonder King
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cutesy 2D sidescrolling grind game with 4 base classes and 4 subclasses for each base. It is a lot like Maple Story, but with none of the fame.
Avoid? I dunno
Wonderland Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A cutesy 2D game with sprites. It seems to focus mostly on community things and fighting is just one of the things you can do. Fighting is done in some sort of 2D plane kind of way. The game looks very dated in all aspects they show on their website. Game looks extremely similar to Angels Online.
Avoid? I dunno
World of Kung Fu
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Based on Chinese mythology. The game tries to break away from standard mmo fair by introducing complex economic and social aspects, you can start your own family (with drama! according to their website) or martial arts school and there's a lot of interaction with GMs and other players. Actual combat is a rather uninspiring grindfest, though.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Xen Online
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: Very much a Ragnarok Clone. From character design to 2D graphics to spell effects. Copy-mofuckin-paste.
Avoid? I dunno
Yitien
In-browser
Status: Open beta
Info: 2.5D RPG with automated turn-based combat. This is actually not a game: as long as you keep your equipment and skills up to date your characters will defeat everything. The cash shop has some extremely obvious pay to win buttons.
Avoid? avoid
Zero online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A grind MMORPG set in space with mechs and pew pew! The game looks fairly nice, but there's little in the way of help for new players. After a short tutorial about how to move and equip items you get thrown in a big space station and you get bombarded with pop-up screens. After accepting one I leveled from 2 to 25 which was...kinda unsettling. Combat is point and click and weapons need ammo forcing you to head back to camp every now and again. Game's clearly trying to get you to a high level to participate in new features. You fight against 10 mobs at a time most of the time.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Zodiac
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cutesy Asian grind MMO with classes based on the animals of the zodiac. This means there's a lot more classes than you're used to, but you get to distribute your skill points yourself and you need to invest heavily in one stat to unlock best skills of a type. Combat is turn-based Final Fantasy style. Resolution locked at 640x480. In-game help is vague and lots of text.
Avoid? It's cool, man
zOMG (gaia online)
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: MMO from the social networking/forums site Gaia Online. The game is tailored towards people who are on Gaia, so if you don't feel like joining their site it is not worth it to make an account just for this game. It is a full blown MMORPG, but it's just not worth grinding for if you don't care about the rest of the site.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Zu Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cel-shaded graphics, fastpaced combat. Looks pretty enough and it has asdw-support. There are a lot of quests, but to get new skills you have to grind a lot. Like a prohibitive amount of the same few missions over and over. Fun for a week or two.
Avoid? It's cool, man
MMO Shooter is: a game in which you get to aim at enemies and pull the trigger. The MMO aspect comes from the fact that these games have a character that will not evaporate the moment you log out. Normally you can improve your character by buying gear and weapons and/or by gaining EXP from shooting dudes.
Client
Status: F2P
Info: MMOFPS (military setting) with pretty graphics, some fun mechanics and HarshLanguage recommends it.
Avoid? I dunno
Blitz 1941
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A MMO tank simulator set in the tank clashes between Soviet Russia and the Third Reich. So there's the bad guys and the .. and the communists. Hmm. Anyway, 3D graphics, focus on PvP, option to occupy towns and plenty of ways to deck out your tank to become an unstoppable force of nature.
Avoid? I dunno
C21
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Prequel to Cosmic Break. Pretty old game. Cute graphics
Avoid? I dunno
Combat Arms
http://combatarms.nexoneu.com/
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A MMOFPS in a modern war setting. Score your headshots and rule supreme. Fleck0 said it sucked and that he'd rather play American Army or War Rock.
Avoid? I dunno
Cosmic Break
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Anime shooter thing. Looks a bit like S4 League, only this time you're in mechas.
Avoid? I dunno
Dark Orbit
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser space shooter with a strong focus on winning IRL cash. Looks pretty neat for in-browser.
Avoid? I dunno
Dark Space
Unknown
Status: F2P
Info: Space MMO that recently went F2P. Fly around in a spaceship and blow up other players or NPCs. To get better ships you have to exploit planets
Avoid? I dunno
DDTank
http://ddt.game321.com/ http://www.yoogames.com/ddt/
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Think Gunbound, only up-to-date. Take turns flinging deadly weapons at each others on a 2D field. Playing games nets you experience and money you can use to upgrade your toon. The game is bright and cute and if you know how to aim you'll be successful quickly. Really not all that bad to play for an hour. Game does suffer from a big cash shop that will most likely fuck up any resemblance of balance there was.
Avoid? I dunno
Distric 187
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Team-based shooter where you join games through a lobby. It's set in roughly the same setting as All Points Bulletin: an urban wasteland with lots of guns. Female avatars wear the skimpiest outfits and it appears to look about as good as a game from 10 years ago.
Avoid? I dunno
Earth and Beyond
Client
Status: F2P
Info: This private server is all that remains of the glorious Earth & Beyond. It's a space MMO with real time combat focusing on space battles and trading. The original game never came out of beta, despite a big fanbase. Some of the biggest fans have now started a private server and have been hosting the game for a while now. It seems EA Games isn't interested in shutting them down.
Avoid? I dunno
Firefall
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: Shooter offering a world with 100s of players working together/against each other. Kinda comes off as a lovechild between Halo and Tribes. The game is F2P with microtransitions, it is unclear how free this game will actually be. Time shall tell.
Avoid? I dunno
Global Agenda
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A futuristic shooter in which you can develop your own special agent and blow up mans to unlocks stuff to kill more mans.
Avoid? I dunno
Gunz
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Asian FPS with some MMO elements sprinkled on top.
Avoid? I dunno
Gunz 2
Gunz the Duel 2
Client
Status: Upcoming title
Info: See Gunz. This time: prettier graphics, more diverse features, more fleshed out PvE stuff and smoother gameplay.
Avoid? I dunno
Hedone
Parabellum;Bullet Run http://www.bulletrunthegame.com/
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: Arena shooter where you gain experience and levels by wooing the crowd with your taunts, looks and killing streaks. Nearly everything you need is in the cash shop, with the base game being just a regular shooter.
Avoid? I dunno
Heroes in the Sky
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A World War 2 flight sim wherein you join fights through a lobby and duke it out against other players or the computer for loot and exp. Graphics are ugly and controls are very limited, but it's actually one of the better free MMO flying games... which is mostly an indication of how terrible the rest of the pack is.
Avoid? I dunno
Mars War
Client
Status: F2P
Info: The English version of Welkin 4591, the first Chinese MMOFPS and wildly hailed as the game that comes closest to Planetside. That means huge battles with tanks and lots strategic occupation of areas and shit.
Avoid? I dunno
Mechwarrior Online
Client
Status: Closed beta
Info: Mech fighting game with a lobby for 8v8 multiplayer matches. Your character is persistent.
Avoid? I dunno
Pawn
Client
Status: F2P
Info: 2D MMOFPS. Looks horrible. Best to avoid
Avoid? Avoid
Pirate Galaxy
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A game that doesn't require a client download. You can play through their website. You are controlling a spacecraft and going pew pew on other spacecrafts. For an in-browser game it looks awesome, really. Actual gameplay is a boring point-n-click affair.
Avoid? I dunno
Quake Live
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser version of Quake. Since you gain new weaponry/stuff by fighting a lot it kind of plays like an MMO. Make your own character, shoot some dudes, gain access to better weapons to shoot some more dudes etcetera.
Avoid? I dunno
S4 League
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: A MMO shooter. You gain levels to unlock weaponry and armour. The graphics reminded Elimination of Jet Grind Radio and Gungrave, omega71 says it's just fun to run around and shoot shit. And lets be honest, what more can you demand out of a shooter? The game is very unfair, however: you buy items that last a few days of real time (so not time you you play the game) so it's pretty much a subscription based game, only you pay a subscription to wear pants instead of log in. =/
Avoid? It's cool, man
SD Gundam
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 3rd person shooter with chibi gundams. It's got the a-ok of Bandai, so at least it's not going to be pulled offline for copyright infringment.
Avoid? I dunno
Soldier Front
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Boring and dated MMOFPS. Military setting, dated graphics.
Avoid? I dunno
Star Conflict
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: space shooter with focus on pvp. Compare it to World of Tanks
Avoid? It's cool, man
Star Sonata
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Fly around in space ships and pew pew or do some trading. You can also trade slaves, woohoo.
Avoid? I dunno
Sudden Attack
Client
Status: F2P
Info: FPS with MMO tendencies. It's basically a Counterstrike clone, but you get to keep stuff between maps. It feels dated and is boring.
Avoid? I dunno
Survarium
Client
Status: Upcoming title
Info: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. like survivor FPS set in Chernobyl.
Avoid? I dunno
Taikodom
Client
Status: F2P
Info: 3D space sim from Brazil. It's like MMO Freespace. Graphics are up to par with EVE, but cartoony. At the moment it's full of spelling errors and it's still in development, but it's already pretty awesome.
Avoid? I dunno
War Inc
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Realistic-ish shooter. Session based. Customizable characters.Hasn't had its news section updated as of August 7 2012.
Avoid? I dunno
War Rock
Client
Status: F2P
Info: MMOFPS. Basically free Korean version of Battlefield 1942. Horrible cesspit full of hackers and spammers.
Avoid? AVOID AVOID AVOID
War Thunder
Client
Status: Closed beta
Info: War simulator wherein you can take part in both aerial, land and sea battle during WWII and the Korean War. Offers both PvP and PvE actions and controls can be simplified/made more complex for different kinds of players.
Avoid? I dunno
WarpFire
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser 2D space shooter.
Avoid? I dunno
Wolf Team
Client
Status: F2P
Info: MMOFPS. Basically a free Korean version of Battlefield 1942...with werewolves.
Avoid? I dunno
World of Tanks
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A team-based WWII shooter with tanks. Their trailer is funny and they want to do 30v30 tank battles. There's also something about leveling your tank and conquering territory. Seems like there's some quality behind this project.
Avoid? It's cool, man
World of Tanks Blitz
Mobile-only
Status: Upcoming title
Info: World of tanks for iOS and Android! It's basically the same game, only with smaller battles and less complex controls. They're thinking about tying this directly to their other 'World of ---" one way or another.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Xblaster
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Mech fighting game. Equip your mechs with good equipment, then start fighting (with) other players in a top-down battle map. Earn exp/gold/stuff to further upgrade your mechs. Apparently there are also cash prices involved, so I'd trust this game as far as I can throw it.
Avoid? I dunno
MMO Sports are: games in which you play a sport that exists in the real world. How the real world gets translated to the virtual one differs from game to game. Usually these games depend heavily on your personal skill with the buttons, but there are usually also elements of leveling, items and skills. Most of these games are not similar to the real world sport.
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Simple tennis game with the added feature that you can pick up power-ups to hurt your opponent or protect yourself. Cutesy graphics, too. It's about a fantasy universe where they fight each other with tennis instead of the more traditional bullets and swords.
Avoid? I dunno
Football Superstars
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A football (soccer) game where you play as 1 player and you get to level him starting from a young age until you're in the Premium League. You can make your own team with other players and NPCs and compete in competitions. Additional features include gear and dressing up in a tux and hanging around virtual clubs.
Avoid? I dunno
Freestyle
Client
Status: F2P
Info: a MMO street basketball game. Graphics are cell-shaded and hip-hop-esque. It seems to be set up like Project Snow, which means you start out with a toon that only knows some moves, but as you play more you'll unlock more moves. The problem is that it doesn't look bad, but the site makes it look like something I can't take quite serious.
Avoid? I dunno
MLB Dugout Heroes
Client
Status: F2P
Info: MMO baseball game, it's officially licensed, so it won't be complete shit. You create a team, play games with them against NPCs or other players, your team gains exp and you can upgrade them. It has a comic art style and very low system requirements. If you like baseball you might like this, just don't come in expecting a EA Sports title.
Avoid? I dunno
Pangya
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Cute golf game. From their site: "This is the game for those who didn't fit in with the "gaming" crowd. However, this is not just a simple game. As you play, you find more and more things to do, and you will find yourself deeply submerged in the PangYa." Veeeery casual.
Avoid? I dunno
Quick Hit
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser game running on adobe AIR wherein you take the role of the coach. For those who have ever played Madden, citizen059 said that it plays like "coach mode". Playing games earns you points which you can use to level up your coach, which allows him to make his players better and give them more and better skills.
Avoid? I dunno
Shot Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Anime-style golf game. With equipment to buff your character and what not. Looks pretty fun, really.
Avoid? I dunno
Tiger Woods Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Put balls in holes for free in ten golf courses. Give EA money to put more balls in more holes and to get access to gear and other stuff.
Avoid? I dunno
MMO MUD is: Multi-User Dungeon. It is the predecessor of the MMO. These games do not have graphics, but only text. You type in what you want your character to do and if the game engine allows for it you perform that action. Interaction with other players goes like this as well. Practically all games on this list enforce role-playing: you have to act out the character you created. So if you made an Irish girl with magical powers you are not allowed to talk about your raging erection and that you just ordered pizza.
Creativity is a must.
Client
Status: F2P
Info: MUD in a fantasy setting. Many unique races (half-griffons for example). They don't have original artwork, it's mostly copy/paste'd from other fantasy works.
Avoid? I dunno
Achaea
Client
Status: F2P
Info: MUD in a fantasy setting. Has been live since 2000 and is still receiving support and updates.
Avoid? I dunno
Arctic MUD
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A MUD that started back up in 1992. It has PK'ing, full loot and certain items are literally unique, so if someone has a specific shield, no one else can have it, unless they murder that person. If you are nostalgic and old, you might enjoy this.
Avoid? I dunno
ConQUEST
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A fantasy MUD with all the crazy elaborate mechanics you can think of. It is classless, levelless and there's a focus on combat. You improve your character through magical items and character traits. You can re-choose your character skills as many times as you like.
Avoid? I dunno
Discworld MUD
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A MUD based on the glorious books of Terry Pratchett. Various classes and subclasses, shops, houses, newspapers etc.
Avoid? I dunno
Fallen Sword
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser fantasy RPG with tons of levels to obtain. Actual game is played on a 100x100px screen with a topdown view where you move from square to square. Every square might hold stuff for you to examine or fight with. Fighting is done by selecting "fight" and watch the numbers tick down for a few seconds. It's pretty much a MUD with rudimentary graphics.
Avoid? I dunno
HellMOO
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Promoted as a text based MMO Fallout. This MUD says it gives you absolute freedom, meaning you can rape and abuse women to your liking, fuck dead dogs oh and maybe kill some mutants while you're there anyway. This game can best be described as "way fucking old skool, dude!" Check out the PA thread if you feel like raping some dead babies.
Avoid? I dunno
Lost Souls
Client
Status: F2P
Info: a MUD that started in 1990 and is still supported by the developers and is still in development. It's extremely complex, it has a steep learning curve and it's absolutely not for some quick fun. I suppose people who get a raging boner from D&D rulebook will appreciate it.
Avoid? I dunno
Star Conquest: Catalyst
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An old MUD that got revived a while back. Fly spaceships, trade cargo, act like you go pew pew pew. RP-enforced, you don't get to use all features until you make a detailed profile. That'll teach your lazy ass.
Avoid? I dunno
Treshold
Client
Status: F2P
Info: The game enforces role playing, if you're not acting in character you'll get warned. If you don't need graphics and don't mind putting a lot of time into coming up with stories of your own, this might be for you.
Avoid? I dunno
MMO Arcade is: a game that draws on the arcade games of yore. In this genre I have placed beat-em-ups, vertical and horizontal scrolling fighters and games like Asteroids.
AirRivals http://www.airrivals.net/
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Space Cowboy restarted, this game is a hybrid between a space shooter and a MMORPG. The game has been going strong for a few years with gpotato, but they recently shut it down. Now someone else is going to host it. And deliver a patch for it.
Avoid? I dunno
Armada Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Loosely based on the DC game Armada. This is Asteroids the MMO. With giant bio-mechanical enemy crabs. Six races split into two factions. The game is based around several different zones. All zones are semi-instanced, a maximum of 16 players can be in a zone, if you try and join a zone that's full a new instance will start and any other players who join will join that zone. (shamelessly copy/paste'd from Alistair Hutton)
Avoid? I dunno
Battle of Destiny
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 2D beat-em-up-MMO with a fantasy setting. There's four uninteresting classes (fighter, mage, archer and "fighter" (aka rogue), but the fast-paced combat in which you can make combo attacks should outweigh that.
Avoid? I dunno
Continent of the Ninth Seal
C9
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Think Vindictus, but with less running around town and more skin showing. Combat is decently paced and there's enough buttons to smash to reduce auto-attacking to a minimum. It's not as smooth as similar titles, but it does a decent job mimicking earlier titles.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Dragon Nest
Client
Status: F2P
Info: arcade fighter, very similar to Vindictus, only with cuter graphics. Solo-friendly early on and plenty of gear upgrades to keep you interested.
Avoid? It's cool, man
[url=]Dragon Nest 2[/url]
Client
Status: Upcoming title
Info: arcade fighter, very similar to Vindictus, only with cuter graphics. Solo-friendly early on and plenty of gear upgrades to keep you interested.
Avoid? I dunno
Dragonica
Dragon Saga http://en.dragonica.gpotato.eu/
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 3D sidescrolling arcade fighter with adorable graphics. Quick gameplay, slaughtering mobs by the dozen, strong focus on teamplay, good graphics, easy to pick up, hard to master. It's being mismanaged into oblivion, but the base game is pretty decent.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Dynasty Warriors Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A MMO rehash of Dynasty Warriors. Make your own warrior and hack and slash your way through whole armies of soldiers. All fighting is instanced on battlefields and you're often on a timer of max 15 minutes. There is a bit of variety in the quest objectives, but most of the times it boils down to killing lots of soldiers. The localisation and tutorial are well done and you will understand what you're supposed to do sooner rather than later.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Elsword
Client
Status: F2P: NA only
Info: A sidescrolling beat-em-up in a fantasy setting. Gameplay is quick and there's enough classes and skills to make it interesting.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Get Amped 2
Client
Status: F2P
Info: 3D beat-em-up with focus on PvP but also some fights against bots. The graphics look horrible, but you get to edit your own model through the in-game designer. Not that that makes the game prettier, but maybe it does become more enjoyable. The site is full of Engrish, but the main gist seems to be that you play the game like a beat-em-up in arenas, but you can get some better items in the shops when you're done.
Avoid? I dunno
GhostX
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A cell-shaded MMO beat-em-up set in a futuristic setting. This game sets itself further apart from the mainstream by using nano-bots: weapons that you can personalize to your liking, or something. Hit detection is off and combat manages to get boring by having all enemies fall to the ground in 3-4 hits.
Avoid? I dunno
Grand Chase
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Some sort of MMO adaption of Super Smash Bros. You play against up to 5 opponents, you gain experience and levels which allow you to customize your character and gain extra skills/stats/whateveros. In the graphical department it has 3D characters on a 2D background, which looks good enough for the genre, I guess.
Avoid? I dunno
Lost Saga
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 3D multiplayer version of Power Stone. It provides fast beat-em-up action, a lot of different characters and graphics that bring a smile to my face. It's rather outdated and we're dealing with a re-launch years after release.
Avoid? I dunno
Lunia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A hybrid between an MMO and a beat-em-up. No auto-attack, no automatic anything. You attack by hitting the attack buttons, you dodge by jumping out of the way. The combat in this game is fantastic, there are a lot of items to improve your character with and there's enough content to keep you busy for weeks. Unfortunately the game has been dumbed down considerably with the last few reboots and patches, which has taken a lot of the charm away.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Neverwinter
Client
Status: Open beta
Info: Started out as a MMO RPG, but has been changed to an action arcade-y game comparable to Vindictus and TERA. It offers traditional D&D classes and the classical Forgotten Realms setting filled to the brim with both dungeons and dragons. The game comes with a level editor where you can make your own dungeons and let other players play in them.
Avoid? It's cool, man
ourWorld
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A game with a bunch of mini-games, you gain levels, batches and clothing for playing these. Games include all the usual suspects that used to be on sites like Newgrounds.
Avoid? I dunno
Rakion
Client
Status: F2P
Info: From the old list: Fantasy action deathmatch. Shoot arrows, spells and stab people, or play co-op and stab monsters. Based on the Serious Sam game-engine, and remarkably good.
Avoid? I dunno
Rusty Hearts
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Pretty much the same game as Dungeon Fighter Online and Dragonica, but with nicer graphics, better music and some genuinely witty quest texts. However, combat is simplified to a point where you're just hitting X a lot and aim your toon in the right direction.
Avoid? It's cool, man
TERA
http://tera-europe.com/en/home.html
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: The ultimate brawler-MMO with stunning graphics, very slick gameplay, a big and active community and a big world with huge bosses. It started out as P2P but quickly moved to Freemium with much success. It is very much an Asian game, but the gameplay makes the inevitable grind a lot easier to stomach.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Vindictus
http://vindictus.nexoneu.com/
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A fast-paced Korean beat-em-up MMO with very direct control over your character, including manual dodging and aiming and the like. It looks beautiful.
Avoid? It's cool, man
MMO Rhythm is: a MMO that requires you to have rhythm. Think Guitar Hero.
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A dancing game with a strong focus on the community and tons of adorable/rad/ridiculous outfits to wear. Plenty of different genres of music and it's got dancehalls where you'll be dancing with max 30 other players.
Avoid? I dunno
Audition
Client
Status: F2P
Info: This is a rhythm game: some music plays and you have to push the right buttons at the right time. Graphics look horrible and they somehow managed to get grinding into a bust a move/bust a groove clone. I am shocked and amazed.
Avoid? I dunno
R2Beat
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Skate down tracks while tapping the arrow buttons on the beat of the music. Looks ridiculously cute and not really massive, it's mostly clothing you get with races. Anyway, free games wherein rhythm plays a big role are rare so I suppose this might fill the gap in a way.
Avoid? I dunno
MMO Building is: a game type where you get to create your own content. In some cases there is no context and people just make whatever they fancy, in other cases there is a context that limits what you can make and how things can look. The gaming element comes on the second plane in these games: it's more about creating things than anything else.
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Kinda like Second Life, but a little bit more structured. So basically: the internet in 3D.
Avoid? I dunno
Archeville
Mobile-only
Status: Upcoming title
Info: Mobile subgame for ArcheAge (see MMORPG category). It's like Farmville and I'm only mentioning it here because it is connected to a big title.
Avoid? I dunno
Blue Mars
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: A Second World like game, using the Crytek engine. Most likely a scam, but it looks funny to walk around in for a second or two.
Avoid? Avoid
Entropia Universe
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: in game currency<-->RL money system
This game tries to market itself as a sort of reality 2.0, but without a crazy AI trying to kill you. No idea what the fun in this game would be, but it had a turnover of 360$M in 2006. They also took a license on the CRY-engine 2. The point seems to be that you live a second life (get it?) and you invest real life money into it and try to make profit by selling your products to other players/business partners.
Avoid? Avoid
Planet Calypso
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: in game currency<-->RL money system
Uses the same engine and business model as Entropia Universe. This time you get to launder your money on an alien planet.
Avoid? Avoid
Roblox
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Build stuff out of blocks and when people visit/use them you earn rewards.
Avoid? I dunno
Second Life
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: The internet in 3D. Not much more to say about this that you didn't already know.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Wurm Online
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: This game...wow. This is probably the most hardcore thing I have ever played. If you die in here and can't find your corpse, you should reroll. This game is based around surviving in a harsh environment through working together with others. Everything you see in the game is crafted by other players. From a compass, to the food you're eating to the castle you stand in front of. Although the game doesn't look stellar, the system requirements are high because it runs in java.
Avoid? It's cool, man
MMO Racing is: Games in which you get behind some sort of wheel or have to move superfast in some other way.
Unknown
Status: F2P
Info: Shiny looking racing game where you get to drive around in supercars.
Avoid? I dunno
Crazy Combi Turbo
Unknown
Status: F2P
Info: Korean racing game with MMO-lite stuff to keep you playing. Kinda plays like Audiosurf, only without the abstract graphics.
Avoid? I dunno
Drift City
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A driving MMO. Drive around a big city, fulfil quests to become better and better. Looks pretty fun, but the grinding might get on your nerves sooner or later.
Avoid? I dunno
Free Jack
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A cool urban looking MMO inspired by parkour. Gameplay consists of timing your jumps and tricks properly and loads button tapping to climb poles and stuff. Races are joined through a lobby. Not as much fun as Project Powder.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Hovorun
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A cheap looking online version of Mario Kart with none of the charming characters and all of the bright colours.
Avoid? I dunno
Level R
Heat Online http://heatonline.com/
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Previously known as Project Torque.
A MMO racing game with very shiny graphics. Drive some races, raise to e-fame and get the coolest car, basically. The game has been out for a while and seems to pretty popular among the MMO-less people who had no place to go after the other "car"-MMOs closed down.
Avoid? I dunno
Need for Speed: World
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: A persistent online racing game made by the NFS B-team, it appears that most content is locked away behind the cash shop, but there is enough of a game left to casually drive a few races. Also: yes EA is really making a game with a F2P model. Critics shit on this game, it's no where near as good as other NFS titles. Sales are so low that EA has decided to remove all restrictions for non-paying customers, you can now only get faster cars from the cash shop. The grind has not been shortened, however.
Avoid? I dunno
Racing Star
Come on Baby
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A simplistic racing game in which you play as a baby. Words fail me and I fear I may have gone a little funny in the head just by gazing at the website.
Avoid? I dunno
Tales Runner
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A MMO racing game in which you control a character and ...well, race. The camera faces your character and then you run as fast as you can without crashing into exotic objects. It looks hideously cute and the oldest character you can play is 21. Probably aims for a young crowd.
Avoid? I dunno
MMO Strategy is: war-game. You take on the role of a commander and order an army or group of characters around a battlefield. Most MMO Strategy games have a strong management aspect: besides the actual combat you also get to equip your soldiers, buy new ones, control cities and/or make deals with other players.
Client
Status: Freemium
Info: Take Age of Empires, but add in a bit of WoW and a bit of Farmville. You've got a consistent capital which you can upgrade with items you loot and that will generate resources you need to further upgrade your capital. The actual gameplay is very much AoE. The graphics are cartoony, which looks pretty much like Warcraft 3 only with less green skin and more Greeks.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Anno Online
In-browser
Status: Open beta
Info: An attempt to turn Anno into a MMO. They've gone for the medieval setting and you're spending a lot of time building your city. Can't gather much info from their website.
Avoid? I dunno
Artifact
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A MMORTS with 2D sprites. This game has been out since 1999 and it still has some people playing it. They recently opened up the game for custom made maps. Probably not the game for folks looking for accessible entertainment.
Avoid? I dunno
Atlantica Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A stunning looking TBS offering a persistent world in which guilds can control cities. You can control up to 27 characters on the battlefield whom you can tune just like you want to. However, they age and lose power when they get older. That makes it important to keep attracting young blood to fight for you. The game becomes a huge grind on the higher levels, but it's a very neat grind with a lot of depth in the gameplay.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Bang! Howdy
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A fast-paced RTS game set in a Wild West setting. It has robots wearing cowboy hats so it can't be bad. It's from the same company as Puzzle Pirates, so there's some serious talent involved.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Battle Forge
Client
Status: F2P
Info: 3D RTS with a trading card system. You get a starters pack for free, you can earn extra cards by doing PvE battles and can trade cards on the market, or you can buy extra packs for cash. Battles are very epic and look pretty.
Avoid? I dunno
Battle Star Galactica Online
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser game with good looking graphics, adjustable avatar, ships, two factions and quests. This game is marketed as the next generation of in-browser MMOs and it sure looks pretty. Unfortunately it kinda lacks enjoyable content in favour of the same old management shit we're used to in in-browser games
Avoid? It's cool, man
Boundless Planet
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Some sort of futuristic RTS with dated graphics and a site that contains hardly any information about wtf it is. I'm going to try this one some time...
Avoid? I dunno
Castle Empire
Settlers Online
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Remember Settlers? Now there's an in-browser strategy version of it. The main draw of the original game was the cute-factor and the complex medieval economy you had to manage, this is now combined with all the annoying bits of an in-browser strategy game.
Avoid? I dunno
Castle of Heroes
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A flash version of Heroes of Might & Magic in a massive world (you are the owner of a kingdom and you expand your kingdom, explore your surroundings, exploit natural resources and exterminate other players and monsters). Time progresses slowly and instead of turns it just takes a lot of time for things to move. The game looks pretty nice and the tutorial and first few tasks make you a bit familiar with what you can do. The utter slowness is kind of a let down, you mostly play this by logging in once in a while to make sure everything is going according to plan. Combat is starts of ridiculously simple and if you have enough units you can just auto-battle through them. All in all this is not a bad game at all, just a bit slow and with a severe lack of immediate enjoyment.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Cosmic Supremacy
Client
Status: F2P
Info: 4X game with procedurally created galaxies.
Avoid? I dunno
Dark Elf
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A hideous Czech MMORTS in 2D set in some sort of Lord o/t Rings setting. Strong focus on PvP.
Avoid? I dunno
Deepolis
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser 2D submarine game in which you trade, re-enact Das Boot and try to reduce other ships to canned tuna.
Avoid? I dunno
Dofus-Arena
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Whereas you only control one character in Dofus, Dofus-Arena gives you control over a group of characters, making it into some sort of FF Tactics MMO. There are no levels to grind, and is mostly focused on PvP.
Avoid? I dunno
Drop Shock
Tiny Warz http://tinywarz.com/
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Turn-based strategy game where you have a commander unit who you earn exp for and unlock more skills/options with. You also have to buy your own units, salvage them from won battles or buy them from other players. There's persistent PvP, PvE and regular updates by the developers. Sounds pretty big for a tiny war.
Avoid? I dunno
Ecol Tactics
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: Inspired by the old-school TBS titles of yore. It promises a big story, a huge world and plenty of tactical options.
Avoid? I dunno
End of Nations
Client
Status: Closed beta
Info: The latest in MMORTSing, it seems to be what other games aspired to be.
Avoid? I dunno
Gunbound
Gunbound Classic http://gunbound.ca/
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Worms with tanks, very popular. Blow your friends to pieces in cute tanks. It's popular for a reason, it's easy to understand, funny to play and looks cute. PA prefers the classic version, as it is less dependent on the cash shop and overall more old skool fun.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Heroes of Gaia
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A flash-based semi-turnbased game that seems to play like Heroes of Might & Magic and similar titles. The descriptions on their site are a bit full of it, but as far as browser games go this does sound like a good title. They just gotta drop the attitude a little, bunch of self-satisfied wankers.
Avoid? I dunno
Ironfell
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A slow RTS where your units move around a hexagonal map and you collect resources and expand your army and base. The game offers no mission objectives or anything and encourages you to do whatever. The game is very clunky on Android, but runs fine in-browser. Still early in development and full of flaws, but it looks cute and it's original.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Iron Grip: Marauders
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser 3D turn based strategy game where you take on the role of an air pirate out to plunder the rich countryside of a continent divided by war between two factions.
Avoid? I dunno
Kingdom of Drakkar
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Old and ugly 2D MMORTS in a generic fantasy setting. Not much in the way of information.
Avoid? I dunno
Lords of Ultima
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser strategy game ran by EA, set in the good ol' Ultima setting from the beginning days of MMOs. This one puts you in the gold-laced boots of a freshly minted king and you get to fuck around a fantasy universe expanding your town, sending your heroes on quests and stealing the riches of other players and NPCs.
Avoid? I dunno
Navy Field
Client
Status: F2P
Info: In this game you control a ship in WWII. You gain levels by winning battles against other opponents. It is quite popular.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Navy Field 2
Client
Status: Upcoming title
Info: See Navy Field. Published by Nexon, so there's a chance they'll shut this down all of a sudden.
Avoid? I dunno
Operation-B
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser TBS in a comic setting. It looks ugly, and they have a suicide bomber called Khalid Kaboomaz. It made me groan.
Avoid? Avoid
Pokemon World Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: MMO Pokemon, with active people behind it.
Avoid? I dunno
Saga
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A 3D MMORTS offering all classical fantasy races. Build your own town and country, conquer others etc. The free version offers most features the subscribers have, but some of them are unavailable. It looks pretty enough.
Avoid? I dunno
Seafight
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser tactical game where you control a 17th century pirate ship and play games against other players. Graphics are fairly decent for an in-browser game, I have no idea about the actual gameplay.
Avoid? I dunno
Shattered Galaxy
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Stolen from old list: Really quite neat. A bit like Starcraft, with each player on the battlefield controlling a squad of units in capture-and-hold missions, and occasional dungeon crawls against alien armies.
Avoid? I dunno
Skylancer: Battle for Horizon
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: stategy game with a unique twist in that the game world is an actual globe you spin around. The art style is very vibrant, but besides that it falls in the same pitfalls as every other in-browser MMORTS: slow, repetitive, hardly rewarding.
Avoid? I dunno
Starport: Galactic Empires
Client
Status: F2P
Info: They market themselves as "the best free MMO game on the internet!" Which makes me rise an eyebrow. The game is a 2D 4X space game that resets every few weeks as to appoint a winner.
Avoid? I dunno
Stronghold Kingdoms
Client
Status: F2P
Info: It's MMO Stronghold! Build your castle, man the walls and watch as your soldiers and traps take care of thousands of attackers. Or try and destroy someone else's castle. Build the perfect army to counter all traps and get your army on their walls to set fire to the town centre. Considering the last few games in the Stronghold series, this is probably going to suck.
Avoid? I dunno
Tanadu
http://www.kongregate.com/games/cantstopgames/tanadu
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser strategy game that kinda works like King's Bounty and Heroes of Might and Magic. The focus is on PvE which is a nice break from the usual "oh lets have everyone play against other players so we don't have to bother implementing difficult opponents."
Avoid?
Terra Militaris
Ministry of War http://www.ministryofwar.com/
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser MMORTS wherein you take control of an empire and conquer the whole planet. Although the game has real-time combat wherein you take direct control of your soldiers, there's quite a bit of managing to be had as well. Will have to try this to see how much of an in-browser management sim it actually is.
Avoid? I dunno
TPPC
In-browser
Status: Freemium
Info: Text based in-browser online Pokemon game. Cross-breed between Urban Death and Pokemon.
Avoid? I dunno
War of Conquest
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Management game in which your rule a country. The game offers all sort of cash rewards for playing, yet claims to be completely free to play. I do not trust this at all.
Avoid? AVOID AVOID AVOID
War Online
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Combat is played out in turns, but there's an overhead world where you manage your town, train your armies and move around that is persistent. It's clearly a very small project and there were only 10 people online on a Saturday night.
Avoid? I dunno
World of Battles
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Good looking free RTS game set in a generic fantasy setting. The game is rather simple and does not require much strategic thinking at all. A more damning error seems to be the cash shop scheme: people with big bags of money can make stronger armies than anyone else.
Avoid? I dunno
Wherein you control one character in a multiplayer match against another team. You gain levels and your character can be customized and is saved after matched. Compare to online shooters, only with different mechanics.
Client
Status: F2P
Info: There are tons of different types of arenas. There is also a PvE part which plays a bit like Diablo and you can further upgrade your character through it. The focus is very much on PvP and character upgrades appear to be a small part of the actual game.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Battle for Graxia
Client
Status: F2P
Info: The follow-up of Rise of Immortals. It's the standard Dota/MOBA gameplay, only you unlock a talent tree (discipline) and items with bonuses for your character that carry over between games.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Bloodline Champions
Client
Status: F2P
Info: DotA/League of Legends clone by Funcom. More freemium than f2p. 3D. Nice concept art. Still dota-clone.
Avoid? I dunno
Heroes of Newerth
Client
Status: F2P
Info: The second most famous dota/moba game ever. Big roster; 2 factions duking it out.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Inifinite Crisis
Client
Status: F2P
Info: DC Comics heroes and villains duke it out in this MOBA. There's a lot of famous ones, but they also got a lot of the lesser known characters on the roster. The unique twist is that you get to use some elements of the environment in your fights, although this is not as elaborate as one would dream of.
Avoid? It's cool, man
League of Legends
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Arguably the most famous dota/moba game ever. Big roster.
Avoid? It's cool, man
LOCO
Client
Status: F2P
Info: fast paced DotA-clone MMO with anime-esque graphics. Small roster.
Avoid? I dunno
SMITE
Client
Status: F2P
Info: This time all characters are gods, the camera stays behind characters and makes running backwards slower than forwards. Small roster.
Avoid? I dunno
MMO Other
Basically anything I couldn't put in a different category. There's a few card games, social games, puzzle games, educational games and survival games on here.
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A game situated in post-apoc Syberia. Gameplay is of the realistic kind and there's a thing where you can exchange in-game money for real life money, placing this firmly in the 'don't give these fuckers your creditcard' category.
Avoid? Avoid
Alteil
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser trading card game. Cards are made by Japanese artists. Demo made my brain hurt. Gay J-pop tune did not help with that. Arfort tells us the game is a huge money sink and it's only fun if you feel like staring at some manga for a while. In which case, you're on the internet, what's wrong with you?
Avoid? Avoid
AnnihilationX
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser trading card game. This time with a sci-fi theme.
Avoid? I dunno
Dizzywood
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A social MMO focused at 8 to 12 year olds. Loads of mini-games, loads of moderators. Clear and honest information for parents and adorable graphics. I would let my imaginary daughters play this, I think.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Elements
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser card game in which you take on the role of an elemental with 100hp and a deck of cards to summon creatures, cast spells and equip permanent buffs/stuff. First to reach 0 hp loses. There's all kinds of tournaments going on and there's team vs team play along side the normal 1v1.
Avoid? I dunno
Eredan
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser card game with cards that level up as you play more games. You also get points for every game you win, lose or ace, with more points for acing it. You can sell and buy cards and compete in tournaments.
Avoid? I dunno
Ingress
Mobile-only
Status: Closed beta
Info: Experiment by Google in overlay maps with crazy outerworld events, that emit from artworks and statues. It's crazy and I don't know how it works, but if you live in an urban area, it should be a fun way to go exploring.
Avoid? I dunno
Migo Land
Spineworld
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A social MMO for young children. It looks extremely cute.
Avoid? I dunno
Myst Online: Uru Live again
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Remember the impossible point-n-click adventures of Myst? They made a MMO version of it a while back. It absolutely tanked commercially, because it was very complex and slow. Now it has been resurrected as a free game. It's main selling point is exploration: there's a wild world out there and slowly but surely you (and friends if you like) can uncover it, uncover the secrets and have a blast. I mean, if you're into complex serious adventure games, otherwise you'll probably be bored.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Neverdaunt:8bit
Client
Status: F2P
Info: An 8bit game that is a bit like Second Life, only there's some PvE content hidden away somewhere. It's still in beta and it is very much an indie project. The way everything looks has a certain charm over it that I can't quite place. I guess it's the dorky graphics that tickle my fancy.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Oh My Dollz
My Diva Doll
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A game aimed at young girls wanting to dress up a doll and doing things young girls imagine older girls do: work an awesome job in fashion, flirt with cute guys and dressing all cute like. My previous entry mentioned the complete lack of moderation and information for parents, things appear to be better now.
Avoid? I dunno
Pony Vallée
Pony Stars
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: My Little Pony copyright infringement game. Best to avoid.
Avoid? Avoid
PowerUp
Client
Status: F2P
Info: A free educational MMO game aimed at teenagers. Learn how to save the planet, play some sort of racing game with your friends/strangers and do some other shit as well. Game looks pretty enough and is developed by IBM. I guess it's decent enough if you're looking for something completely different.
Avoid? I dunno
Puzzle Pirates
Client
Status: F2P
Info: Tycho and Gabe liked this game. What else is there to know? Oh right. This is a game build around mini-games. You're on pirate ships and you pillage other ships (both PvE and PvP). All of this is done in the form of mini-games like Bejeweled et cetera. Insanely cute and very popular. The game runs in java and does so surprisingly well.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Quarantine 2019
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser zombie survival game. It's the modern Urban Death.
Avoid? It's cool, man
Sleuth
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: An in-browser detective game where you get to find clues, interrogate suspects and solve cases. This nets you experience you can use to make your detective better at what s/he does. Interaction with other players is limited to sharing items and chatting.
Avoid? I dunno
Smoo Online
Unknown
Status: Upcoming title
Info: Cheap-looking mini-games MMO where you play games to unlock goodies and more games. Strong focus of playing against others. I don't expect this game to get anywhere. Front page mentions that what you're playing now will give you stuff for "when the MMO[..] comes out"
Avoid? Avoid
Star Corsairs
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A 2D space sim where you get to build and upgrade your own spaceships and explore a vast universe. It's developed by the same one-man studio who made Golemizer, giving this game an instant +10 to likeability.
Avoid? I dunno
Urban Dead
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser zombie survival game. No graphics, just text.
Avoid? I dunno
Urban Rivals
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser trading card game situated in a futuristic metropolis full of factions that fight each other. You have a starter deck, can trade cards for free, earn more cards by leveling or fighting other players. All cards can be leveled up.
Avoid? I dunno
World of Trinketz
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: A 3D facebook MMO where you manage a bunch of little critters who maintain a garden and house for you. You gotta keep them happy, hydrated and well-fed or they'll become angry and refuse to work. Your character can also walk around the game world and gain levels and gear and everything. For facebook, this is elaborate.
Avoid? I dunno
Zombie Pandemic
In-browser
Status: F2P
Info: In-browser zombie survival game in NYC.
Avoid? I dunno
MMO In-browser management is: a game that can be played in your browser. You are taking on the role of some sort of manager, ruler or god and take control of some sort of object. It can be practically anything and most of it is terribly boring. Sometimes you get to lead a nation, other times a sports team. Usually these games revolve around spreadsheets: you have to calculate what the best course of action is and that's it. Some of these games work in 'games', after a month or longer the game is ended and a winner declared. Good in-browser managers make sure there's more to the game, like Ikariam that offered a strong political dimension.
Most of these games are utter shit. They are boring, uninspired and require you to wait a lot just to do another small adjustment to your spreadsheet. I first wanted to list all these games here, but there are simply too many and they all fuck up in the same way: their homepage offers zero information, most games are exactly the same... except for the setting. So I'm going to say 'fuck you' and just not list them. If you still feel like playing them: god speed.
Actually: if you are so fucking desperate to play a game like this, go and browse through this blog here: http://bestbrowsergameslist.blogspot.com/ The writer sucks at ABC, spelling, grammar and providing any information, but it's not like I'm going to outdo him and write thoughtful descriptions of these games.
I also can't believe I wasted an afternoon in an attempt to list all these games. At least I stopped at the letter D.
Anti-cheating software
Big developers put their anti-cheating software in the game software itself. Small developers usually do not have the resources for this and buy a license on existing software. It's par of the course for most games and it can be quite annoying as this software can take a long time to load, can soak up more resources than strictly needed and can sometimes block perfectly legal actions. Sometimes the software does not get deleted when you uninstall the game, it can lay dormant in your PC for ages and god knows what it's up to.
Pando Media Booster/Downloaders
Because you often need to download at least 1GB of data to install a game, publisher look for ways to lessen the strain on their servers. Often they offer a .torrent file or host the client to mirror sites, but some publishers prefer to use downloaders. You download a .exe from the website that's only a few MB, you install it and then that bit of software will download and install the actual game for you. One 3rd party solution many publishers have taken to is Pando Media Booster. It works roughly the same as downloading a torrent, only the servers of the publisher are one of the peers to provide the game if no consumers are available to download stuff from. Although it is an elegant solution, the options within Pando allow the software to keep acting as a peer long after you are done with downloading the game and will not automatically tell you about this. My advice is to always uninstall Pando Media Booster after you are done downloading.
Like a game? Make a thread!
This thread is for all free MMOs, but it's not for in-depth discussions and [lets plays]. If you like a game and want others to play with you the best way is to make a new thread and tell everyone in more detail why the game is fun and why they should play with you. Successful threads have been made in the past for Path of Exile, Smite, Dragonica, Ikariam, Lunia, SMT: Imagine, Urban Dead, Perfect World, Vindictus, Dungeons & Dragons Online (see SE++) and Atlantica.
These are games I personally enjoyed for more than 2 weeks and can recommend to you. Although there is plenty wrong with these games, they have provided me with an enjoyable experience and I think you will like it too.
Lord of the Rings Online
Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine
Puzzle Pirates
Realm of the Mad God
Dynasty Warriors Online
Spiral Knights
Eden Eternal
DC Universe Online
Champions Online
TERA
Vindictus
Path of Exile
Avoid: these are games I believe to be bad for you and/or your computer.
AVOID AVOID AVOID : These are games I am certain will be bad for you and/or your computer. If you still bother to check them out I have the right to say "told you so" at least once.
F2P: The game can be played without paying money from level 1 to eternity. Generally there is a cash shop where you can buy stuff that either makes your progress quicker, easier, more fun or makes your stuff more fun to look at.
Cash Shop Scam: a game that tries to hook you in the early levels, but then demands more and more money from you to continue getting the same level of enjoyment out of it.
Freemium: although a large part of the game can be played for free, the general assumption is that you will pay a premium fee (either a monthly subscription or a larger amount of cash) once you get deeper into the game.
Pay to Win: When the only way to compete against other players is to buy stuff from the cash shop.
Our game is not "Pay to Win": Something every developer says.
Manga/anime style: although Asian comics can look very different from each other, a lot of it can be spotted as typical from a mile away. The big eyes, the big hair styles and ridiculous school girls are the clearest signs.
Western style: Super hero comics, European comics, Disney, everything in between... Although it can look very different from each other, a lot of it can be spotted as typical from a mile away. Super heroes, small eyes, Disney-inspired characters are the clearest signs.
Cute/kawaii/cutesy: these games give me tooth-rot. They are full of bright colours, cute animals, giggling girls and lollipops.
2D.: the game only has two dimensions
3D.: the game has three dimensions
2.5D.: the game has two dimensions, but you can change the camera angle to look at objects from a different direction
RTS: real time strategy (ex: starcraft, red alert)
TBS: turn based strategy (ex: board games)
FPS: first person shooter (ex: Doom, Call of Duty)
DOTA: Defense of the Ancients. Started as a custom campaign map for multiplayer Warcraft 3 but has transformed into a genre of its own. See the description above for what it entails
MOBA: Multiplayer online battle arena. A description of DOTA-style games. The name is mostly used as to not have to call everything "it's like DOTA".
It's good.
--
For those keeping track: I removed the category "free trials", because I just couldn't keep that updated with new titles and new obscure trial procedures.
Also, I just downloaded Eden Eternal. This will be interesting.
This economic viability thing of the F2P model means I'm only adding new titles to the list, so I figured I'd leave some moving room.
While so far it appears to be the only fully voice acted part of the game, I've been enjoying myself outside of Tortage so far.
Is it worth free? Yes, as long as you have nothing better to do with your time. Its pretty, has alot to do, and the melee combat is neat.
The biggest drawback of the free version is the classses. The free classes are all sort of boring. If you think you are going to play for a long while, I would do a bit of research and spend a few bucks on the class you want. You only get one jab at Tortage (the opening area) before it becomes repetitive and dull, so use it wisely.
Prolly going to make an evil race caster of some type. Maybe a Fury, I remember them being pretty cool. Or a Necromancer. Decisions, decisions.
Edit: BTW, Aldo, kickass job on the thread again. Your dedication to Free gaming is admirable. And probably really, really time consuming.
Battletag: Kain#1658
It's pretty wacky.
They're conducting limited-time beta testing right now. I see no mention of an NDA nor did I have to agree to one prior to getting in.
I received an email to join up earlier today. Current test is open through Friday.
I'll post some more impressions once I've had a little more time with it.
http://blackprophecy.gamigo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15732
Shall be checking this out...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
“The trouble with Communism is the Communists, just as the trouble with Christianity is the Christians.”
― H.L. Mencken
“This Snow Crash thing--is it a virus, a drug, or a religion?”
Juanita shrugs. “What's the difference?”
― Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash
Sounds like a regular MMO to me.
My concern would only be if those high levels camping are able to do so because its "pay to win" in the f2p model.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I like the skill system. It's very EVE-like, in that you simply choose which skill you want to learn, and wait X amount of time for it to finish. Higher level skills take longer and learning them depends on meeting prerequisites.
You also don't have to be in the game world to learn skills. If you visit your profile page via the site, you can choose a skill to learn while you're offline and it'll just go.
I'm focusing on cooking right now. I'm a sucker for a good cooking system in an online game. Have been since Asheron's Call.
Also, I have a hat:
I know that Vindictus has some maintenance downtime for today. Maybe it is a Nexon wide deal?