What We Liked..
Simple to learn
Great for casual gaming
Lovely cartoon style
.. and what we didn't
Lacks some depth
Probably more suited for a mobile audience
Hero Wars is a browser-based RPG adventure game by Nexters, also available on mobile devices.
It's a casual free-to-play game with over 100 million downloads in the Android and iOS App Store, and also one of the most popular Facebook games in 2023.
But why is it so popular?
One thing we appreciated about Hero Wars is its easy-to-learn gameplay.
You simply follow the storyline or campaign and get to battle with unique and strong heroes: most of the combat will happen automatically, but the player can make a difference by using each character's special skills at the right moment.
The game has pretty good graphics: playful, colorful and eye-catching.
The artworks of the characters are quite different from other similar casual games, and the skill effects used by each character were relatively impressive.
In Hero Wars, you collect over 50 unique heroes to make your team strong. You can obtain these characters by playing the campaign, where you will be rewarded heroes at certain stages. However, you can only use the five strongest heroes in battle.
There are 13 campaigns with 190 missions, and the farther you go, the stronger the enemies become. But don't worry, as you complete each mission, you will receive good and rare loot equipment.
In addition, you can equip each hero with suitable equipment for your class, and level up your heroes by giving them XP brews or sacrificing 10 weaker heroes. The higher the grade of the heroes, the higher their level can be.
Each stage/mission has three stages inside, and the last stage is where you will face the boss. You can also join a guild and start guild battles with your friends.
What We Liked..
Plenty of popular heroes to collect
Very accessible
Decent graphics
.. and what we didn't
Cash shop reliant to bypass grinds
Dark Genesis is a free to play browser-based idle MMORPG which lets you collect popular demigods as heroes. You'll form a party of these heroes and challenge opponents in PvE and PvP battles through a series of map stages. Outside of battle mode, the sky castle map is your home base which unlocks new features as you level up, letting you get access to new buildings and infrastructure that progresses your heroes' equipment skills and more. There's a charm to the game with its decent graphics and easy accessibility. Dark Genesis has plenty of currencies that can be earned via battle victories, but cash shop shortcuts are everywhere to speed up progression and access to better heroes.
What We Liked..
Turn-based combat
Family friendly
Good story
Immersive atmosphere
.. and what we didn't
Dated graphics
Arbritrary side quests
F2P restrictions
Wizard101 is a free to play and family friendly MMO that puts players in the shoes of a wizard. In the graphically pleasing world of Spiral, players will use magic that's determined by their school of choice in turn-based combat using a deck of cards which provides for a fun and strategic combat experience.
Questing in Wizard101 feels like a grand adventure that will be familiar to Harry Potter fans, and the game's story is funny and well written with voice acting to boot.
It may be free to play, but the game does have restrictions on the amount of play areas, so players will have to front some money monthly if they want to access to areas and advance the stories.
As a whole, Wizard101 is great MMO that is suitable for kids and adults, providing a lot of magical fun through it's gameplay and story.
What We Liked..
Great classic MMORPG experience fans of old-school MMOs
Good class system
Unique gameplay features
.. and what we didn't
Old graphics
Dwindling playerbase
Watch the trailer:
RIFT is a free to play MMORPG that's considered a classic game and a great alternative to games like WoW Classic. It features tab-targeting combat, an in-depth class building system that supports the MMO trinity archetypes, and full PvE campaigns and stories for its two factions, The Guardians and The Defiants. RIFT in today's market has evolved by offering some unique gameplay experiences like its dynamic open-world rift events, excellent housing system, quick leveling adventures and of course, PvP battlegrounds for those that want some competitiveness.
What We Liked..
The Foundry
Battle system
Exploring the Forgotten Realms
.. and what we didn't
Questing can get a tad bit boring
Its technical side
Watch the trailer:
Neverwinter is a new free-to-play MMORPG based off the classic table-top RPG, Dungeons and Dragons. The game immerses the player into the Forgotten Realms, the world in which Dungeons and Dragons takes place.
As usual, at the beginning of the game you create your own personal character, choosing their race, class and even their "faith" and back story. The battle system is rather fluid and is controlled by the player in real time, allowing the rhythm of the game to keep steady.
Neverwinter gives the players even more control of the game with its online quest creation system. Appropriately called the "Foundry", it allows you to make your own personalized adventures which all players are able to play.
Neverwinter is a great MMORPG thanks to the originality of its combat system and quest creator all while still holding to its classical RPG roots. If you've played Dungeons and Dragons, there's no excuse not to try Neverwinter.
What We Liked..
It's Star Trek!
Wandering through space is a joy
Good representation of galactic battles
Great character customization system
.. and what we didn't
Some repetitive quest types
Unworthy animation
Star Trek Online is an MMO developed by Cryptic Studios and inspired the eponymous television series.
Chronologically, it is set thirty years after the conclusion of the events of Star Trek: Nemesis and drops us in the middle of the rekindled conflict between the Federation and the Klingons, without forgetting about the Borg, always lurking in the background.
Character customization is very good and allows you to choose between three different factions, with numerous races for each, and three distinct classes between them.
Customization also extends to physical appearance and choice of skills.
During the game we will have the opportunity to complete assignments on foot or aboard our personal spaceship.
On foot, the game seems like an action/RPG hybrid where we directly control our character through a third-person view.
Aboard the ship, however, we will have the opportunity to fight and to explore the surrounding area.
Graphically the game is very good but is lacking in some technical fields, one of which is the animation in the third-person sections.
All in all, it's a good game for fans of the genre and a great game for avid fans of Star Trek.
What We Liked..
Modern graphics
More diverse gameplay offerings
Improved UI
Voice acting
.. and what we didn't
Only 3 classes
Watered-down progression
League of Angels - Heaven's Fury is the latest iteration in the League of Angels MMORPG franchise, a series of browser-based free to play titles. The game offers improvements in plenty of areas like gameplay, graphics and progression systems over its predecessor. Where the game shines is in its content offering, where there are new ways to enjoy PvE like server time-based events that adds more options instead of just grinding monsters and dungeons. Under the hood, the UI and graphics makes the game more enjoyable, and overall Heaven's Fury is one of the best browser-based MMOs released in 2020, and marks a successful return of the franchise for both new and returning players.
What We Liked..
A hack'n'slash done well in the comfort of a browser
Proven and fun gameplay
Graphically fantastic
Lots of action and a vast gaming world
.. and what we didn't
At high levels solo players will have a tough time...
... just like PvP lovers who don't plan to spend real money
Watch the trailer:
UPDATE: since June 2017, the game isn't easily playable via browser anymore. Only a few combinations of browsers and java versions will keep working, but everyone will still be able to play the game after downloading its client.
Drakensang Online is an excellent free hack & slash, published by BigPoint, based on a famous and popular series of role-playing games.
The game has many typical features of a MMORPG (such as skills, level-ups, crafting, etc...), with the welcome addition of a combat system based on combos and dodges, just like a typical third-person action game (anyone who knows the Diablo saga will certainly find it all very familiar).
As well as the ability to carry out the plot quest (either alone or in the company), there are also different PvP modes (including an original "Storm the fortress 6vs6") for those who prefer a competitive game.
The various available classes are well diversified from each other, and ensure a different gameplay depending on which is used, thus ensuring also a great replay value.
One of the highlights of the game is its impressive graphics, capable of displaying a great number of details in a simple web page.
Drakensang Online is really a well-done game: varied, entertaining, technically clean and able to keep the player glued to the PC for hours.
A title that should not be missing in any “free” gamer’s collection.
What We Liked..
Graphically beautiful presentation
Imaginative and vibrant locations
Huge variety of items to find and skills to learn
.. and what we didn't
Repetitive gameplay
NPC's seem "wooden" and lack personality
Combat can be frustrating
Runes of Magic has everything you might expect from an old-style MMORPG.
It is captivating, extremely varied and rather vast; offering a fun and challenging experience to new and veteran RPG players alike.
The game's strengths undeniably rest with its variety, as there are hundreds (if not thousands) of objects to find, collect and / or create.
Whilst the graphics may appear dated by modern standards, Runes of Magic is a perfectly good title for anyone who wants a decent MMORPG without having to spend a fortune.
What We Liked..
Huge open sandbox world
Non-linear progression
Can earn real life money
.. and what we didn't
Real money for faster advancement
Complicated for new players
Entropia Universe is a free to play, open world sandbox MMORPG that is unlike most games in the genre. Entropia Universe utilizes a simulation-driven gameplay where players are encouraged to explore their new home world planets and progress their characters through activities such as hunting, mining and crafting. There are no traditional quests and a main story, but players can instead take part in a real cash economy, and invest real money within the game to make profit over time.
From a graphic's standpoint, Entropia Universe does look decent for a game made in 2003, and has had it's engine upgraded. However, players who've played modern MMORPG's may find the graphics to be below par, and may struggle with the complicated UI system. Overall, Entropia Universe offers an alternative way to have fun in an MMORPG that doesn't rely on traditional theme park mechanics.