Since 2018, some MMORPGs have come to market that many of you may not have (anymore) on your radar. We take a look at the gems of the last 5 years of MMORPGs on Steam and explain where they currently stand.
How was this list created? The following titles are MMORPGs that have been released in the last 5 years. They must also be playable via Steam and have had a full release. Early access titles are therefore deliberately omitted from this listing.
The titles were selected by our MMORPG expert Mark Sellner, who has been involved in the genre for over 15 years and has played some of them for more than a hundred hours.
Albion Online
Setting: Fantasy | Developer: Sandbox Interactive | Platform: PC, Android, iOS | Release Date: July 17, 2017 | Model: Free2Play
What kind of game is this? Okay, before you say anything, 2017 was a bit longer ago than 5 years. However, the game only received its Steam release in May 2018, and we’ll let that slide with good will.
Albion Online is a fantasy MMORPG from an isometric perspective, similar to Lost Ark. However, the graphics lean more towards a comic style. Additionally, Albion scores points with a large sandbox and many options for your character.
There are no fixed classes, and you are always whatever you are currently wearing. To handle this flexibly, crafting and gathering play a major role in the world of Albion Online.
What makes it special? Albion impresses primarily with its realization of a sandbox world, where you can really do a lot of things. But the system of your equipment also makes the MMORPG interesting.
Your gear is sacred in many games, and everything you have farmed for the last thousand hours is valuable, but in Albion, it’s much more of a resource. You can and will lose your equipment in various ways, and you will need to reinvent yourself.
What sounds discouraging at first works great in the gameplay loop. It creates a similar feeling to classics like EVE Online, where your spaceships are also more like consumables, much like your armors in Albion.
Furthermore, the game offers endgame territorial wars between guilds and open-world PvP that is actually fun rather than frustrating. Our MMORPG author Mark Sellner even calls the title “the best sandbox MMORPG you’ve never played”.
How has it been since the release? Nothing less than excellent. Albion Online has managed to steadily increase its player base since its release. With new content updates and the recent release in the Asian region, the MMORPG now has 9 times more players than at launch.
Just in May, Albion received its last major update “Knightfall” and has since also become playable with WASD, which is quite untypical for isometric games but has been received excellently. Beyond that, regular new content is also added so players don’t get bored.
Since you can play Albion through Steam, the own launcher, and on mobile devices, don’t be deterred by the comparatively low player numbers on Steam. Albion is full of players, and it’s clear to everyone, especially in the first city.
Who is it interesting for? Albion Online is interesting for all players who are not bothered by open-world PvP and can live with the comic-like graphics. You get a solid MMORPG with a large heap of content, most of which is accessible for Free2Play.
However, if you really want to dive into the game, you’ll need at least the optional subscription that gives you various advantages for around 10 euros. If that’s not a problem and you generally enjoy sandbox MMORPGs, you can gladly try Albion.
Is starting in 2023 worthwhile? Yes, absolutely. In MMORPGs, one often wonders whether one can somehow catch up 5 years later. Albion is one of those games where this is hardly a problem.
In just a few days, you can have a usable endgame gear together and enough silver to get by. Since the game is a sandbox, you will set your own goals from there on. But content will not be denied to you. Theoretically, you can quickly join veterans or even defeat them in PvP.
Tower of Fantasy
Setting: Anime/Sci-Fi | Developer: Hotta Studio | Platform: PC, Android, iOS, Xbox, PlayStation | Release Date: December 16, 2021 | Model: Free2Play
What kind of game is this? Tower of Fantasy had an exciting development period. Initially announced, the MMORPG in the style of Genshin Impact was supposed to be released globally but was initially only available on the Asian market. Later, the developers revised this statement, and a western release was no longer planned.
Then the big turn, Tower of Fantasy is indeed coming to us. And with a big bang, at release in December 2021, the MMORPG indeed made quite an impact with us. Shortly after its release, it was even the largest MMORPG on Twitch, ahead of World of Warcraft or Lost Ark.
The game itself is, as colleague Alexander Leitsch says after playing: “The MMORPG that Genshin should have been”. It relies on a very similar look, a colorful world with a sci-fi setting instead of fantasy, and various characters that you obtain through a Gacha system.
What makes it special? For an MMORPG, it’s rather unusual that you play many different characters somewhat simultaneously. It relies on a concept very similar to Genshin Impact.
Also in Tower of Fantasy, you draw different equipment and new characters from Gacha packs, which you can either buy with in-game currency or real money.
Besides that, the game features a large, open world and a lot of exploration. Especially at the beginning of the MMORPG, you can expect a lot of story content and relatively little multiplayer. But that changes at the latest when it comes to the action-packed battles.
These play a bit faster and are equipped with significantly more action than in the template Genshin Impact. You need to specifically dodge with perfect timing to create a dome that freezes enemies. So the whole group benefits greatly from real skill.
How has it been since the release? That is difficult to answer. Tower of Fantasy was released several months after its original release on Steam, where trackable numbers are available. It was even later released on consoles.
How many people are currently playing Tower of Fantasy is known only to the developers. Nevertheless, since the release, there has been a noticeable decline in fans on Twitch and Steam.
On the positive side, it must be mentioned that the MMORPG continuously receives content updates. New areas, characters, and features are added at very regular intervals. Moreover, the story of the game is continued with each major update.
Who is it interesting for? Tower of Fantasy is exciting for all fans of the anime look. Especially now, while we have to wait until 2024 for Blue Protocol. The MMORPG offers a successful and fast combat system and can score points mainly with PvE and story.
It is not suitable for people who have a problem with the Gacha system. It is, as in the template Genshin Impact, basically unavoidable. For PvP fans, the MMORPG offers the so-called Apex-League, according to some reports on reddit, it is not in the best condition.
However, since Tower of Fantasy is Free2Play and available on virtually every platform, you lose nothing if you simply take a look at the MMORPG and decide whether it’s something for you or not.
Is starting in 2023 worthwhile? If the game itself appeals to you and you don’t mind lagging behind a bit, then yes, absolutely. However, Tower of Fantasy largely dispenses with catch-up mechanics that allow you to catch up to veterans.
You can draw legendary equipment and heroes from the currently active banner and are then theoretically at a similar level to people who have played since release, but the appearance is deceptive.
Because Tower of Fantasy relies heavily on weekly time gates, particularly for essential currency and upgrade materials. Currently, there is no catch-up mechanic, so if you start today, you will be many weeks behind veterans.
On the next page, we continue with places 3, 2, and 1
