We select the best MMORPGs ever developed – chosen by the MeinMMO community. We accompany the top 20 with personal anecdotes and assessments from editors, authors and guests. Where does the big favorite, World of Warcraft, rank?
On the last day of our theme week on the genre of online role-playing games, we have prepared a very special treat for you: the evaluation of the big community vote for the best MMORPG of all time.
We accompany the top 20 you have chosen with personal anecdotes and assessments from editors, authors and guests. On the last page you will also find out what the list would have looked like if those same editors, authors and guests had had to throw their respective top 5 into the ring (with five points for first place, four points for second place and so on).
Who narrowly missed the top 20?
The following genre representatives narrowly missed out on the list of the best 20 MMORPGs of all time:
20th place: Age of Conan
developer: Funcom | platform: PC | Release date: 20 May 2008 | Model: Free2Play
MeinMMO editor Karsten knows what drives a world savior: “To fight the enemy, to pursue and destroy them and to enjoy the screams of the women!” Oh, wait, we’re in the wrong film, or rather medium. But of course that’s exactly what made Age of Conan 2008 so incredibly exciting.
After all, this harsh world called Hyboria had left a lasting impression in the Schwarzenegger films. Now being able to follow in the footsteps of Conan the Cimmerian in a grown-up MMORPG – this sexy thought was able to lure me away from Azeroth for a short time.
Age of Conan: Unchained Trailer
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However, Funcom did not release a game, but rather a construction site. With content holes during the leveling phase that were as large as the list of bugs. In addition, basic systems such as PvP and crafting did not work properly.
That was an alpha for which you had to buy a ticket and take out a subscription. Man, I was so disappointed. I quickly went back to WoW, which already had several years of content and fine-tuning.
Funcom manages to turn things around, but …
However, the developers stuck to the ball, gradually eliminated the problems and eventually turned the Age of Conan construction site into a good MMORPG, which I particularly liked for its unique combat system, bloody finishers and atmospheric game world.
The problem: Very few players were willing to give an MMORPG a second chance after a failed first encounter. Even with the switch to free2play and the release of the Unchained version, the number of players remained manageable. It’s a real shame, as the potential for a much bigger role within the genre was there.