Do you know this? You’re playing a game and looking for an alternative but can’t find anything that even comes close? MeinMMO presents you with seven MMOs and multiplayer games that are absolutely unique in what they do and offer.
What kind of games are these? In our list you will find seven games that have mechanics and gameplay that cannot be found a second time. It’s not just a small detail that sets them apart from competitors, but rather completely different approaches.
Each of these games caters to a very special need that is difficult to satisfy with other games. It’s not just about being the “best” in its genre and therefore “indispensable”, but about actually distinctive features.
The list includes seven popular MMOs and multiplayer games, but it is neither complete nor ordered. Therefore, this is not a ranking but an overview of games that we believe are absolutely unique.
EVE Online
What kind of game is this? The space MMO EVE Online has been on the market since 2003 and has held its ground since then. It is a sandbox in space where players can do what they want.
What makes it so special? One of the biggest features of the game is the ships that players can build, customize, or purchase themselves. With different categories, they can decide whether they want to pilot a nimble little interceptor, a large freighter, or a massive battleship.
Many players have joined together into large communities, the alliances, which regularly engage in massive battles for which EVE is known. Since each ship has a value, thousands of euros are frequently lost in these battles. The developers do not intervene, even if one of the latest battles was decided by server errors.
Another fascination of EVE Online is the free economy. Players control the market through supply and demand, where real monopolies can sometimes develop.
Moreover, the world of EVE is simply huge. The galaxy offers countless planets, and some players enjoy exploring everything. One of them took an impressive 10 years to explore the entire galaxy.
Which games come closest to EVE? There is no other sandbox game of this magnitude like EVE. Anyone who generally enjoys space and sci-fi visuals might also find something in:
- Star Wars: The Old Republic
- Star Trek Online
- Elite Dangerous
For fans of sandbox gameplay, Minecraft or ArcheAge are options, although neither has nearly as developed an economic component as EVE. So, there is really no alternative.
Escape from Tarkov
What kind of game is this? Escape from Tarkov mixes survival with military simulations and a dash of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. You continuously scour areas for useful supplies, weapons, and items while encountering hostile players and NPCs who want to take your loot.
What makes it so special? The gameplay of EFT appeals to similar needs that the popular battle royale genre explores. You start anew in each round, trying to make the best of it and then escape. There’s just no circle that shrinks the area.
This intensifies the urge to survive, which is characteristic of survival games. Because upon death, you lose everything unless you have a costly insurance policy. Escape from Tarkov thus creates enormous tension in every round.
The entry point is very tough, and mistakes are not forgiven. One wrong move and everything can be lost – a certain thrill that no other game offers. The loot can be used to upgrade your hideout.
This is one of the reasons why permanent players are so captivated. The ambition to retain and expand what has been achieved keeps many engaged and constantly attracts players as well as viewers on Twitch.
Which games come closest to EFT? Escape from Tarkov is most closely related to the survival genre, though it shares little with the representatives of that category aside from the thrill of survival.
A possible alternative is thus the survival MMO Rust, which is currently very popular. Rust promises a similar thrill because everything can be taken from you at any time. However, even Rust cannot truly reach what EFT offers.
GTA Online
What kind of game is this? GTA Online is the multiplayer mode of GTA 5, the latest installment in the popular series about thieves and small crooks. You play together with several players in the world of GTA, completing smaller (illegal) missions or robbing big banks and co. The world is constantly expanded with free DLCs.
What makes it so special? GTA Online connects the popular story from the single-player modes of GTA with a multiplayer experience where players can have their own apartment and even their own business. This ranges from offices with a position as CEO to biker gangs that deal in coke, weed, and counterfeit money.
The excitement comes from exploring this large world together with friends and strangers, causing mischief, or standing on the other side of the law. An experience that is hardly possible in other games.
Moreover, role-playing in GTA Online has become extremely popular. Players take on various roles, from janitors to drug dealers to company executives, to collectively write their own story.
Which games come closest to GTA Online? In terms of the pure structure of the world and the interplay of single and multiplayer, GTA Online likely comes closest to Red Dead Online, the multiplayer of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Both games are by Rockstar and are known for their top-notch single-player campaign. In RDO, you also play with other players, but in the Wild West and not in modern times.
Alternatively, Payday also lets you slip into the roles of criminals aiming for quick cash through planned heists. However, Payday is much more strategic and focuses purely on robberies, not on interaction in the large world. Here you choose missions from the menu instead of moving freely in the city for planning and heists.
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