If you believe the reviews, the Free2Play MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic was long the “best MMORPG” on Steam, but in March 2021 it was overtaken by “Old School Runescape.” The strange thing: Both are old games. The “new, current MMORPGs” cannot compete with the reviews. Because Old School Runescape is for its fans like the ex-girlfriend or like heroin in video game form.
By what criteria is it the “best MMORPG?” Players on the PC platform Steam can write reviews about games, and there are only two ratings:
- A “negative” rating – thumbs down
- A “positive” rating – thumbs up
Depending on how many positive reviews a game receives compared to the total reviews, a game on Steam then receives a percentage rating:
- For a long time, “Star Wars: The Old Republic,” released in 2011, was the top-rated MMORPG on Steam with 90% positive reviews from 22,434 total reviews
- Now “Old School Runescape” has taken this place with 94% from 4,362 user reviews
Large current mainstream MMORPGs, which we at MeinMMO like to call “the big 5,” cannot keep up: Final Fantasy XIV (87%), ESO (82%) or Black Desert Online (75%) are far behind. Neither Guild Wars 2 nor WoW are available on Steam.
Two oldies compete for “Top MMORPG” on Steam
What’s strange about the result: Both are old games: SWTOR came out in 2011, Old Runescape in 2013. While Old Runescape is actually even older, as it is the MMORPG Runescape, as it was in 2007.
Why do these two MMORPGs receive such great reviews? Both are “Free2Play” games that arrived on Steam very late in their lifecycle: SWTOR in the summer of 2020, Oldschool Runescape just in recent weeks.
- The expectations for a Free2Play MMORPG are lower than for one that costs 60 euros
- Both games are already “mature” – hardly anyone will complain about lack of content or that during launch they were stuck in a queue for 2 hours
- Both games are likely played mainly by veterans who have a reason to play such a game for years
“Heroin in video game form”
Here’s what the reviews say about Old School Runescape:
Oldschool Runescape received fantastic reviews on Steam in February 2021. And they have also remained strong a month later.
Nostalgia plays a big role in the reviews: One writes, “It’s 2017. You are 13 years old. You are sitting at home in front of your computer, playing Runescape, chatting with your friends on MSN. ‘Paralyzer’ by Finger Eleven is blaring on the radio while your parents are arguing in the background. You think about switching to another game, but you can’t decide between Battlefield 2 or Far Cry 1 when you suddenly realize: Tomorrow is pizza day at school. […] You are happy.”
One calls Old Runescape “heroin in video game form.”
A third says: “Old Runescape is like an ex-girlfriend. You miss her after a while when she’s gone. You like to come back for a short time. Then you remember again why you left her. A cycle that repeats itself endlessly. I’ve been in the loop since 2002.”
For those looking for a new game in March 2021, we recommend checking out our article on MeinMMO about the best MMOs and MMORPGs:
