The Absolute Best MMOs To Jump Into Right Now

Some people prefer single player games. These games are definitely not for those people. We've curated a list of "the best" massively multiplayer online games to jump into right now for those that just don't know. Featuring staples of the industry, this list includes some lesser known power-players and even some games that the average gamer just wouldn't expect.

Elder Scrolls Online

ESO is based around the Elder Scrolls universe. Games like Skyrim, Oblivion, and Morrowind work into the online version because the game serves as a full prequel to all of the main series. With the more recent expansion of Morrowind, the game has plenty of room to grow and fill in the hundreds of years prior to the numbered games.

ESO is known for its incredible story-telling and ease on newcomers with its tutorials and easy play, but challenge to master the game after. With the console versions available, the controls are even simpler, taking on similar form to the single-player entries of the series. This is helpful for those that just want to explore, because the game feels just like its predecessors.

Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 has a simple edge against the rest of this list. This is a “purchase once, play forever” game, which is what made the first entry to the series so popular against the more powerful World of Warcraft, when it came out.

GW2 may not be the newest item on the list, coming out in 2012, but the fanbase is still as solid as it was when it released and expansions are still coming out to this day. This game is thought of as one of the easiest games to start out with on this list due to the avid-but-helpful community and developer support.

World of Warcraft

Out of everything on this list, World of Warcraft is probably the most famous, due to Blizzard’s marketing, ease of play, and cartoonish appearance. Coming out of the ashes of the old Warcraft games of the 1990s and early 2000s, WoW is not only the oldest on our list, but it’s also the most likely to outlive the rest of the list.

Giving players the ability to start the game for free, the $15 per month subscription racks up, not even including the paid expansions that happen every so often. But, if you’re looking for a community or guild to play in, WoW is by far the most tolerable and newbie-friendly. With a new expansion, Battle for Azeroth, on the horizon and the official return of "vanilla" servers (which bring the game back to the original settings and events prior to any expansions), now is a good a time as any to give this a go.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Born originally as the third entry to the cherished Knights of the Old Republic games, SWTOR is considered more of a sequel with its own story. Elements and characters of the prior games remain to tie it together, but with the more recent expansions, an entirely new story sets the stage for new characters and themes.

The game started out with $15 subscriptions, but has since moved to freemium, offering subscriptions for unlimited sprinting ability, special currency called Cartel Coins, and other ease-of-use features. The game is often likened to World of Warcraft due to its gameplay style, but is definitely worth playing due to the fact that players can enjoy it multiplayer in a guild or even go off on their own. It’s worth trying out for any Star Wars fan.

World of Tanks

This one is strange on our list due to how it’s designed. There’s no exploring and it’s set up similar to just any match-based games, yet it’s widely considered an MMO (and a good one at that). With the freemium model in place, players can earn or purchase better equipment and upgrades.

World of Tanks is known for being realistic, using real tanks that have existed, prototypes that never went into production, and even taking designs that could be real, but are not. There are multiple game modes and all tanks can be customized in some way, making this free-to-play game a great option to try out for anyone looking for vehicle combat.

Black Desert Online

Black Desert Online got famous quickly for having absolutely insane, incredibly detailed character customization options. With so much detail, the idea was that almost no one would look identical.

Players can go on an adventure, build a home, and live their lives in this warn torn country. This Korean high-fantasy game would be right at home with fans of Dungeons and Dragons or Elder Scrolls fans.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

This is Final Fantasy doing what Final Fantasy does. After the failure of Final Fantasy XIV taught them everything they needed to know after a very tepid and problematic launch in 2010, Square Enix came in with all the right tools and necessary features to make FFXIV: A Realm Reborn a great game.

Taking place five years after the initial game, players can jump in at any time and never feel like they missed anything from the original launch. With the launch of Stormblood, the second expansion, this year, the game is still going strong on PC and Playstation 4 to this day.

Neverwinter

This free-to-play game is great for the hack and slash aspect, but is all about quests. Neverwinter takes place in the Dungeons and Dragons setting “Forgotten Realms” in the Neverwinter region made famous by the old Neverwinter Nights game. As for free-to-play games, it’s not a terrible thing to get into, completely outclassing the single-player Sword Coast Legends.

Be prepared to be stacked up against whales that utilize bots to farm gear and dealing with several types of currency for different shops, most of which are unique to that particular shop and have the be purchased with real money. But, such is the life of free-to-play.

Runescape

No, seriously, there’s a reason for this one. This is the same Runescape you remember that one kid used to play back when you were in high school (or perhaps you were that kid). The game has been enhanced over the years and the graphics have improved quite a bit, but it’s essentially the same as it’s always been. The community, however, just won’t back down, which is why it was able to make this list. The Twitch following was much higher than I ever expected, writing this, as well.

Ignoring the low resolution graphics, the game offers tutorials for newcomers and the other players tend to be very helpful with learning new mechanics. They want to keep the game alive, so they offer support. It’s no World of Warcraft, but it’s definitely one that someone can jump into today and understand.