Honorable Mention: Guild Wars 2
Setting: Fantasy | Developer: ArenaNet | Platform: PC | Release Date: August 28, 2012 | Model: Free2Play
What kind of game is this? Sharp-eyed individuals may have noticed that the MMORPG Guild Wars 2 is already a solid 11 years old. So what is it doing on this list? Although the game has long been one of the top titles in the genre, it only made its debut on Steam on August 23, 2022.
There, the fantasy MMORPG was once again able to excite many players and currently counts about 4,450 daily (via steamdb). This is mainly due to the fact that old accounts cannot be linked to Steam. This means that almost exclusively new people are playing here. This is impressive for such an old MMORPG.
However, even though the game’s age is graphically evident, it remains one of the best MMORPGs to this day. It offers an open game world, a grand story, exciting PvP, challenging raids, and much more.
You can customize your character in incredibly many ways, both visually and through skills and abilities. You even have the time to experiment because the endgame of Guild Wars 2 is particularly accommodating for the genre.
What makes it special? Guild Wars 2 focuses primarily on vertical progression in the endgame. You can relatively quickly reach the best armor in the game. There’s no gear score or an increase in maximum levels.
Afterward, you have the time to specialize your character in various ways and learn new abilities across your account. This makes Guild Wars 2 perfect as an MMORPG for the typical casual player. After all, you can leave the game for months and still catch up on the latest content.
On top of that, Guild Wars 2 is celebrated by many PvP fans, especially for the “World versus World” mode. Different servers compete against each other in matches that last a week. These span across 4 different maps and revolve around the capturing and defending of buildings. For fans of mass PvP, it’s an absolute must.
How has it been since the release? Very well, although there have been some downs along the way. After the 2012 release, ArenaNet relatively late brought the first expansion Heart of Thorns in 2015. Two years later, the second, Path of Fire, followed. It then remained quiet for a long time, even too long for many fans. Here, the MMORPG lost players.
In the meantime, although new content trickled in through the episodes of the Icebrood Saga, the third major expansion was long overdue. End of Dragons was released only in February 2022, about 4.5 years after Path of Fire.
However, now the game is making a full comeback. The next expansion, Secrets of the Obscure, is already set for August 2023. This brings many old fans back and attracts new ones. Currently, Guild Wars 2 is doing very well, according to the developers even better than ever before.
Who is it interesting for? Guild Wars 2 is an MMORPG that can actually be recommended to everyone. The base game is now completely free, while you have to pay for the expansions. There is no trace of Pay2Win in this MMORPG.
Only the group of players who have no interest in vertical progression will likely not find fun in Guild Wars 2. After all, the typical grind or loot spiral does not exist here.
All this makes Guild Wars 2 one of the best MMORPGs for people with little time. Or it presents an optimal second MMORPG that doesn’t require too much investment or grind to be at the forefront.
Is starting in 2023 worthwhile? In short: Yes. The catch-up is easy due to the absence of gear scores. You’re in for a wealth of content that you can quickly enjoy with your friends, even if they may have been playing since the launch.
If you want to get a detailed answer to this question, you can read our article on this very subject: Is it still worth starting with Guild Wars 2 in 2023?
Honorable Mention: Zenith: The Last City
Setting: Sci-Fi | Developer: Ramen VR | Platform: PC, PlayStation 4 & 5, Meta Quest 2, Oculus Quest | Release Date: December 18, 2021 | Model: Buy2Play
What kind of game is this? Zenith violates one rule, just like Guild Wars 2, but it has still earned a spot as an honorable mention on the list. Because it has not yet received a final release.
Nevertheless, the project is so exciting that we decided to include it here. Compared to other MMORPGs, Zenith may not be immediately convincing. However, it represents the first successful adaptation of the genre into virtual reality.
The MMORPG features unusual classes and an open world. This is filled with PvE and PvP content. Currently, the title is still in early access and is continually expanded with new content.
What makes it special? The special thing about Zenith is simply the VR experience itself. Even those who have taken first steps in virtual environments will be impressed by Zenith.
Many fans describe it as the first “real” MMORPG for VR headsets. This allows the game to build a much deeper immersion than is normally common. However, Zenith is not perfect. Currently, players especially criticize the combat system and frequently the technical state of the game.
When Zenith will finally be released is still unclear. Nevertheless, the MMORPG is already expanding with content and is regularly patched.
How has it been since the release? Zenith: The Last City had a very good launch. A little over 4,000 players played simultaneously, which is a strong number for a VR-only game. However, this peak quickly subsided.
Although Zenith delivers updates, new areas, and new classes, player numbers are falling on Steam. Currently, only 45 people play Zenith on Valve’s game platform simultaneously (via steamcharts.com).
However, it should be noted that the game also runs on various other platforms, and Steam does not give a complete insight into how the MMORPG is currently performing.
Who is it interesting for? For anyone who has a VR headset at home and wants to experience this adventure. However, it is not worth buying a headset just for Zenith. The MMORPG currently lacks too much polish.
Those who want to take the plunge must also be aware that what awaits them here are “Early Access titles in the true sense.” Zenith is not yet a finished game, which becomes apparent more often than not in many areas.
Nevertheless, it is worth experiencing an MMORPG in virtual reality, and that is why it made the list.
We intentionally leave out the question of whether the game is still worth it in 2023, as Zenith has not yet had a full release.
Outlook for the Future – Blue Protocol and Throne and Liberty
What can we expect in the coming years? The two bright spots of the coming years are both with Amazon. With Throne and Liberty and Blue Protocol, the publisher is bringing two good MMORPGs to the West.
Blue Protocol is not coming to us until 2024, but it launched in Japan on June 14 and is doing really well there. Our editor Alexander Leitsch even considers it the best MMORPG of the last 9 years.
Whether it will be just as well received by the masses remains to be seen. Similar to Tower of Fantasy, Blue Protocol relies on an anime setting. Instead of huge battles, there are only 30 players per map, but world bosses are still present.
Aside from that, Blue Protocol focuses on crafting, dungeons, and a lot of grind. By the way, there is no PvP in this anime MMORPG. So if you’re looking for a PvE adventure, you might find it in Blue Protocol next year.
What if I want PvP? For all PvP fans, Throne and Liberty is launching in 2023. This MMORPG has a more realistic graphic than Blue Protocol and scores with gigantic battles. While PvP is partially allowed in the open world, conquests of castles and such are also on the feature list.
It is led by a comprehensive weather system that is supposed to actively change the world. Heavy rain, for example, influences lightning magic, how fast arrows fly, or floods entire regions, making them impassable.
However, there is also increasing criticism that has recently been voiced about the title. The initial experiences of beta players have been rather sobering.
Whether the title can ultimately live up to the great expectations, or fails to deliver on its hype, we cannot say yet. Nevertheless, with NCSoft and Amazon backing it, there are two big names in the genre that have the potential to deliver a real hit with Throne and Liberty.
These were for us the best MMORPGs that have been released on Steam since 2018. Do you know any other titles that are missing from this list? Are you unhappy with one of the titles here? Or do you generally have something to say about our selection? Feel free to write it to us in the comments here on MeinMMO; we look forward to your opinion.
Apart from new MMORPGs, our author Mark Sellner is also looking forward to Palworld: In my Game of the Year, you arm cute Pokémon with machine guns before you heartlessly make them toil in the mines
