MMORPGs are constantly being expanded through new updates or larger addons. But what were actually the best MMORPG expansions of all time? We at MeinMMO looked at the ratings on Metacritic and created a ranking from that.
What kind of list is this? This list focuses exclusively on the ratings from the testers at Metacritic. The focus is on the test result for a single expansion, where in the event of a tie, the expansion with more reviews takes precedence. We also only included expansions that have received at least 10 reviews.
It is striking that many MMORPGs’ expansions are not tested as thoroughly and intensely as the release version anymore. As a result, expansions for smaller MMORPGs often simply have no rating on Metacritic.
Anyone interested in which MMORPG convinced testers right at release can find it in this list: The 11 best MMORPGs of all time according to Metacritic – as of 2022.
These are places 11 to 6
- Place 11: Dark Age of Camelot: Shrouded Isles – 10 reviews and a score of 85
- Place 10: The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria – 24 reviews and a score of 85
- Place 9: EverQuest: The Ruins of Kurnak – 11 reviews and a score of 86
- Place 8: Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood – 21 reviews and a score of 87
- Place 7: World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor – 49 reviews and a score of 87
- Place 6: World of Warcraft: Legion – 62 reviews and a score of 88
Place 5: Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Developer: Square Enix | Platform: PC, PS3, PS4 | Release Date: July 2, 2019 | Score on Metacritic: 90 | Number of reviews: 25
What was special about the expansion? In Shadowbringers, players traveled for the first time to another world, the shard world of Hydaelyn. There, players must first turn to the darkness and collaborate with an enemy.
The expansion also brought new jobs, new playable races, and for the first time, the ability to travel between the servers of a data center.
Additionally, Shadowbringers contained the most dialogue and cutscenes of all Final Fantasy XIV expansions up to that point. The tragic story and many plot twists also make the content so popular among players.
What is the best score on Metacritic? Shadowbringers achieved the benchmark of 100 three times. Screen Rank referred to it as the “best MMORPG expansion of recent times – perhaps even of all time”.
Daily Star ruled in the review:
Shadowbringers exceeds everything that has come before. The perfect blend of engaging gameplay and a truly memorable story, able to stand alongside tales that fans have proclaimed for decades. It is time to step out of the shadows and become what Final Fantasy XIV must be: the best MMORPG in the world.
What is the worst score on Metacritic? Cubed3 gave the expansion only 70 points. They criticized high grind and slow pacing. It is said, for example: “It is an entertaining but forgettable pastime that is boring with its lengthy retelling and the dull ‘A to B’ mission style.”
GameSpot also criticized the story:
Although Endwalker suffers from pacing issues and the sheer amount of plot lines, the entire story is carried by a certain seriousness. Endwalker is exuberantly sincere in its treatment of life and death, inevitable failure, and the weaknesses of humanity. It does not shy away from grand proclamations that would seem cheesy in any other game and with any other cast of characters. Endwalker is a fitting, emotional conclusion to a years-long journey for us adventurers, and I can hardly wait to see how it continues.
How do players see the expansion today? Endwalker and Shadowbringers both compete for which is the best expansion of Final Fantasy XIV. Overall, however, Endwalker is well received and receives a lot of praise from core players. After all, Square Enix had to temporarily halt the sale of the expansion due to overwhelming demand.
So Endwalker is rightly in first place on this list.
What about ESO, Guild Wars, and SWTOR?
In the list of the largest and most successful MMORPGs in the West, titles like The Elder Scrolls Online or Guild Wars 2 play an important role. However, their expansions miss the jump into the top 11:
- Guild Wars 2 received a score of 82 for Hearth of Thorns, 83 for Path of Fire, and 81 for End of Dragons.
- ESO received the best rating for Summerset – an 83. Elsweyr with 80 and High Isle with 79 follow behind.
- Guild Wars 1, surprisingly with a score of 91 among the best MMORPGs on Metacritic, only achieved a score of 83 for the expansions Factions and Nightfall.
- For SWTOR, hardly any expansions were even given a detailed review. Shadow of Revan, which many see as the best expansion of the game, does not have its own entry on Metacritic.
What do you think of this ranking? Did you expect WoW and FFXIV to dominate everything? Or do you miss an expansion that you think should have been rated higher?
The currently best MMORPGs can be found in our tier list:
Where do the 50 largest MMORPGs currently stand? The Tier List 2022
Worth Playing rated it only a 75 and wrote:
My overall impression is “somewhat disappointed”. There are quite a number of technical issues, and the lack of new classes is a huge disappointment. Additionally, it is the ever-present feeling that everything remains the same that prevents me from singing praises.
How do players see the expansion today? Burning Crusade remains a favorite among WoW players, even if the expansion gets somewhat overshadowed by our number 2 spot in hype.
