The world of gaming has developed into one that is so diverse and complex there is literally something for everyone. From racing in the seat of your favourite F1 car to fighting battles against space aliens deep in a distant galaxy, gaming has reached a point of beauty. Not only can we enjoy this level of gaming on our own, but we can share our experiences with our friends with the addition of online gaming, now we never have to be alone working our way through quests and missions. If you're a fan of fantasy and don't know about MMORPG games, then hold onto your socks, because I'm about to blow them off.
What is an MMORPG?
Firstly, if you've never heard of these kinds of games, then the acronym MMORPG is going to be pretty confusing. It stands for Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game and it's as exciting as it sounds. The worlds are enormous and the sheer volume of things to do is mesmerizing, meeting up with your friends and battle enemies or trying to save villages from being burnt to the ground, fighting dragons, and teaming up with imaginary beasts. The possibilities are endless depending on the game you choose.
Runescape
This game could be considered as one of the originals when it comes to its unprecedented popularity over the years. Released in 2001, Runescape hit the scene with venom releasing its game for free to any user that wanted to play. It's a medieval game developed by Jagex Game Studios and is still running to this day. Runescape is a game that takes place in a mythical fantasy realm that is divided into kingdoms, regions, and cities. There is no real linear storyline, which means players can create their own destiny by slaying monsters, crafting and trading with others in an enormous open world.
The good thing about Runescape is that it's completely skill-based and there are no limitations on what each character can do, so the more you grind and work on your character, the better he becomes. When you're starting out, using a service like this can really help you get off the ground because gaining gold within the game can be difficult. Starting any role-playing game is difficult, especially when you're coming up against people that have been playing the game for 19 years so you might as well give yourself a little boost.
World Of Warcraft
3 years after Runescape was released, WoW hit the shelves and it came ready for a fight. This game is one of the premier subscription games and helped widen the love of the genre across the globe. In WoW you start by entering the world of Azeroth which is a fantasy realm containing all sorts of swords, sorcery, races, creatures, adventure, and war. It's not a huge multiplayer world in which you can raid dungeons, fight computer monsters, go to war with other players, and much more.
This game includes a class system, so when you create your character at the beginning make sure you choose wisely. This will impact what you can do within the game, unlike Runescapes classless skill system. The benefit, however, of WoW is that you can create up to 50 characters to really explore the game.
The Elder Scrolls Online
This came after quite the timeline of the games from Bethesda Softworks spanning the continent of Tamriel. You choose between nine races and four classes and these all have effects on how your game is going to play out. To pique your interest, the classes are Dragonknight, Templar, Sorcerer, and Nightblade. These will determine your abilities and then you choose your race, which will state your alliance. The skill system is open-ended and in line with its previous games, so if you've played the franchise before you'll already know where you want to head.
Decisions within the game will change the outcome of your storyline, test your moral compass, and allow villages to thrive or be kept under tight control by monsters or ghouls. Not only this but you can act outside the law, but be careful, you'll end up with a bounty on top of your head.
These are three of the most noteworthy games within the MMORPG genre and should be seriously considered if you're thinking of getting into it. Be prepared for hundreds of hours of gameplay and many all-nighters because that's how addictive these games can be. A lot of fun, a lot to do while staying out of trouble, what's there not to like about these fantastic fantasy games?
