10 MMOs You Need to Play in 2022
Are you into raiding, roleplaying, and leveling? Then, you certainly know about the Massively multiplayer online roleplaying games, also known as MMORPGs or MMOs. If not, MMOs are very engaging games filled with exciting tasks ranging from slaying a dragon, sporting fiery pauldrons, and stealing loot to collecting gems and getting paid in weaponry. There are numerous MMOs that can give you this exhilarating experience, but all have different game designs. Some are mainly fantasy, full sci-fi, and others shift to the TRPG side. In this post, we have carefully designed a list of the Top MMOs for you to try out in 2022.
10. Guild Wars 2
Available at: Steam, Direct
Payment Mode: It is a free-to-play game but requires you to pay for game expansions.
Unlike traditional MMOs, Guild Wars 2 substitutes the common fetch tasks with real-live quests as you explore the world on your own. The game allows you to fight battles alongside thousands of other gamers. Moreover, the system is dynamically generated to make sure that the fights are more dynamic, and you can easily dodge enemy attacks instead of being restricted to an animation.
9. Planetside 2
Available at: Direct, Steam
Payment Mode: It is a free-to-play game with microtransactions.
Planetside 2 is an FPS that mostly focuses on huge battles between thousands of gamers. The game allows you to pilot on the ground or simply run over obstacles with an assault rifle during wars for interplanetary supremacy. It is all about a fairly straightforward shooter capturing and terrorizing bases in single mode, but the game becomes more exciting when played with other players.
8. The Elder Scrolls Online
Available at: Direct, Steam
Payment Mode: It is a free-to-play game with microtransactions.
The Elder Scrolls Online is designed to include multiple game settings from the several iterations of Bethesda’s single-player mode, allowing you to explore the High Elf realm of Summerset, Tamriel, and the Khajiit homeland; Elsweyr. It is undoubtedly a decent balance of an MMO and a single-player game.
7. The Lord of the Rings Online
Available at: Direct, Steam
Payment Mode: It is a free-to-play game with microtransactions.
The Lord of the Rings Online is arguably the best game choice for beginner MMO players. The game mainly revolves around Tolkien’s world, where you have the option of playing as a hobbit, fighting alongside Gimli. The main objective is to defeat the Witch King in Angmar, along with other villains. Moreover, The Lord of the Rings Online is due for a visual update this year, which will be an excellent treat for Middle Earth fans.
6. Black Desert Online
Available at: Direct, Steam
Payment Mode: The game goes for approximately £8.99 with microtransactions.
Black Desert Online is one of the few MMOs that focus on civilizations and building empires, as well as a vast, exciting world for you to explore. In addition to its fantastic character’s creator, the game is filled with a fast-paced combat experience that focuses on dodging, blocking, and aiming in real-action time.
5. Star Wars: The Old Republic
Available at: Direct, Steam
Payment Mode: The game is free-to-play until level 60, where you are required to pay a monthly subscription of around £9 to enjoy the full-game experience.
One of the Star Wars game modes, The Old Republic, is one of the few MMO s where your character’s development is all about the relationships you make with others and not about increasing numbers. In the game, you can betray, murder, befriend, or confess your true love to the NPCs, who are more than static quest-givers. Star Wars: The Old Republic can be generally described as less than an MMO and more of a single-player game.
4. Runescape
Available at: Steam, Direct
Payment Mode: Most of the game’s content is free, but you can opt to pay a monthly membership fee of £5.25 for a 12-month period that will unlock all the game’s quests along with other exciting features.
Runescape is a free-to-play MMO with tons of skills for you to try out, all ranging from farming and fishing to dungeoneering and divination. Although you won’t find the ordinary fetch quests, Runescape comes with a unique depth to each class, where you can easily make money by standing in the banks and repeatedly shouting “Iron bars for sale!” or from transactions on the marketplace.
3. World of Warcraft
Available at: Battle.net
Payment Mode: The game is free-to-play up to level 20. Thereafter, you are required to pay a monthly subscription fee of £8.69 to get unrestricted access to the game’s recent expansion.
World of Warcraft can be described as one of those unique MMOs that are difficult not to notice. Thanks to the recent expansions added to the game, Shadowlands now has a gorgeous world for you to explore. There is also an almost frictionless gameplay control for you to enjoy.
2. EVE Online
Available at: Steam, Direct
Payment Mode: The game is fairly a free-to-play model, as you are required to pay a monthly subscription fee of £8.33 for a 1-year period to unlock all the game’s features.
EVE Online is a popular MMO known for its cold universe where war, espionage, and betrayal among exploitative players are the norm. This space game mainly revolves around actual politics and council meetings that are led by real people. In a recent interview, EVE Online’s CEO, Hilmar Petursson, described the game as the deepest and most fascinating games ever made and said that the game “will never die.”
1. Final Fantasy XIV
Available at: Direct, Steam
Payment Mode: The game is free-to-play up to level 60. You can pay £7.69 for a 3-month game time to unlock the full game experience. You can also purchase the “Complete Edition,” which has all expansions.
Unlike other MMOs, Final Fantasy XIV is considered a favorite as it ensures that you are not hemmed in by any of your choices. It gives you a sense of freedom with its diverse range of activities for you to try out. For example, through one character, you can move from one job to another, in what will become complex roles as your level increases.
Final Thoughts
With the launch of huge titles like World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Classic, Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker, and New World, 2021 was generally a good year for MMO gamers. Luckily, 2022 promises even more new and exciting Top MMOs, such as Starborne: Frontiers, Pioneer, Rulers of the Sea, Embers Adrift, Lost Ark, and Ashes of Creation.