Lineage 1 + 2
Release: September 3, 1998 / October 1, 2003 | Platform: PC, macOS | Setting: Fantasy | Developer, Publisher: NCSoft | Here is the download of Lineage Remastered | Here is the official website of Lineage 2 Classic
The first million-seller of the MMORPG genre may have been the Korean game Nexus: Kingdom of the Winds from 1996, but Lineage and Lineage 2 left even bigger footprints in the following years, with billions of dollars in revenue for NCSoft, modernized clients and mobile adaptations.
Unlike many other genre representatives, the first Lineage revolves a lot around the communal conquest and management of territories. For example, if someone conquers a castle, they can set the tax rates of the surrounding regions. The development of your character, which you control from an isometric perspective, is less important.
The successor offers significantly more classes and even more options for hearty PvP brawls – such as the permanent PvP event Olympics for experienced characters and a duel mode where virtual death is not punished.
Dark Age of Camelot
Release: August 29, 2001 | Platform: PC | Setting: Fantasy | Developer, Publisher: Broadsword, Electronic Arts | Here is the official website of Dark Age of Camelot
With its three realms Albion, Hibernia, and Midgard, which were in a three-front war, Dark Age of Camelot was able to make a statement at the time. Fans from the early days still report with shining eyes about lively PvP battles and well-organized phone chains to be able to repel enemy attacks even at uncivilized hours.
The choice of races, classes, and professions is vast, and there are also housing and PvE challenges. However, no extensive expansions have been released since February 2007. However, you can play a Free2Play version of Dark Age of Camelot since 2019.
Operator Broadsword continues to provide regular updates and events on the official servers to this day.
Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
Release: December 5, 2003 | Platform: PC | Setting: Fantasy | Developer, Publisher: Virtrium | Here is the official website of Istaria
This MMORPG oldie was originally released under the name Horizons: Empire of Istaria and brings a nice special feature: You can slip into the skin of a real dragon! And by that, we mean not any humanoid variations like the Au Ra from Final Fantasy XIV or the Drakthyr from WoW.
In Istaria, you play a dragon, with four legs, wide wings, deadly dragon breath, and a suitable dragon cave that supports housing features. Sounds too crazy to you? Well, you can also choose more classic races like elves, dwarves, and humans.
On the official website, the operators lure potential interested parties to the live servers with three catchy slogans:
- Are you looking for a game where the community counts?
- Are you looking for a game where you can build your own city from hundreds of buildings?
- Are you looking for a game where exploring the game world leads to great adventures?
In all three cases, Istaria is still supposed to be the game of your choice today. After all, there was a content update in February 2024 after a two-year break. You can start the download of the online adventure for free.
