There are hundreds of MMO’s out there, but only a few of them are actually worth playing! Lets face it, MMO’s likeWorld of Warcraft (WoW), Age of Conan (AoC) EverQuest II (EQ2) and Aion: Tower of Eternity all cost a fair penny, and no one’s got that much free time on their hands. In the end you’ve got to make a decision, which one do you pay to play? In this article we’ll look at a few of the more high profile mainstream MMO’s on the market and offer our thoughts on the matter.
World of Warcraft
What is it?: World of Warcraft, or WoW as it’s come to be called by those who play it regularly is probably the most polished and well defined MMO on the market. Released by Blizzard in 2004, it quickly supplanted the originalas the MMO game of choice for most, eventually becoming something of a household name. It’s played by hardcore and casual alike, by high school kids, forty -somethings, soccer moms and even among families as a sort of bonding exercise.
A new copy will set you back about $20, but you can pick up the World of Warcraft , which contains Classic WoW as well as the first expansion pack, Burning Crusade, for around $30, all in all a pretty good deal for the amount of game you’re getting.
Why is it good for you?: What sets WoW apart is the ease with which relative newcomers to the genre can set up a character and get into the game. Even if you’ve never played a videogame before, let alone an MMO, WoW’s earliest stages will take you by the hand and walk you through the finer points of the various mechanics you’ll need to be familiar with to progress. As with most MMO’s, WoW centers on a questing gameplay mechanic which sees you receiving quests and missions from various Non-Player Characters (NPC’s) throughout the games vast world, called Azeroth. Currency in World of Warcraft is called “gold” or “wow gold” and you’ll often get rewarded for the successful completion of these quests with in-game items of varying degrees of rarity, as well as a decent amount of wow gold.
One reason many players site for coming back to WoW month in, month out, is Blizzard’s terrific customer service and dedication to their fans. Since its original launch in 2004, the Irvine based developer has commendably kept gamers happy with a steady stream of gameplay patches and free content that fixes bugs, tweaks gameplay, and introduces new areas.
Over the past four years there have been three major expansions to the original World of Warcraft. The aforementioned Burning Crusade was released in 2007, followed by last years Wrath of the Lich King, and most recently Blizzard officially announced World of Warcraft: Cataclysm at the companies annual Blizzcon event in Anaheim Texas. Each addition has improved upon the original release and adds substantial content, including new races, new continents, enemies, quests, items, and raises the character level cap higher than what came before.
What are the cons?: Very few, if any at all. WoW will run on just about any machine post-2000. The ease of access will make it a cinch for even the most green of gamers to get the hang of, while the subtle depth of the gameplay and unparalleled variety of things to do and places to see will hold the attention of the most rabid hardcore gamer. The bottom line is that if you’re new to MMO’s, or are simply looking for the one “desert island discs” style game then look no further, World of Warcraft will keep you busy for years.
EverQuest II
What is it? EverQuest II (EQ2) is the direct sequel to what was (prior to World of Warcraft) the most popular and widely known MMO ever, EverQuest, fondly sometimes called “EverCrack” because of the games wildly addictive nature. That said, EverQuest II, while still a great game, never quite saw the same levels of success it’s predecessor enjoyed.
Currency in EQ2 is called Platinum, and much as in World of Warcraft you’ll be paid a certain amount of EQ2 platinum and receive goods and items for the quests you complete. The mechanics of gameplay, while similar to WoW, are perhaps layered with a bit more depth and it will likely take you a little longer to get the hang of things.
Since 2004, EQ2 has seen the release of no less than five full expansion packs, Desert of Flames, Kingdom of Sky, Echoes of Faydwer, Rise of Kunark, and The Shadow of Odyssey, as well as three smaller “adventure packs”, The Bloodline Chronicles, The Splitpaw Saga and The Fallen Dynasty. A sixth expansion pack titled Sentinels Fate, is due to be released in February of 2010.
Why is it good for you: If you’re a bit more of an old school RPG nut, EverQuest II is probably the most polished MMO on the market looking to scratch that itch. Additionally, if you’ve got the machine to handle it EQ2 is still a rather pleasing MMO to look at. Technically, if not aesthetically it runs rings around the aging World of Warcraft.
Tags: Age of Conan, MMO, World of Warcraft
