It is typical for massively multiplayer games to have free access for a trial period or through the first piece of content. Typically, MMO games are later paid through subscriptions.
For these free-to-play MMO games and MMO games with free-to-play trials, first impressions are everything. If there is one fan, there will be more as they invite their friends to play with them. Every player is a possibility to bring on more players. If the games do not make good first impressions and have few players, then it's a dead world. No one will play just because it lacks quality, but also because it lacks other players. So here, chosen through their Metacritic scores, are five of the best and worst free-to-play games in the MMO game genre.
Updated March 14, 2022 by Allison Stalberg: Since 2020, MMO games have gotten more popular due to millions of people isolating themselves amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a way to fun way to socialize with others without leaving the house. Today, it is not usual for an MMO to have over 10 million players with thousands of thousands currently active. However, not every MMO is a gem, especially when they are free-to-play. Luckily, there are plenty of reviews online to refer to when it comes to choosing the best free MMOs to play with friends.
12 Best – Old School RuneScape - User Score 8.2
While Old School RuneScape has not gotten an official Metascore by critics, it has by players, and the overall score is very favorable. The MMORPG was originally a remake of the 2001 to 2007 version of RuneScape but due to its popularity, it got quality updates such as new content and engine improvements. The game is quite nostalgic, but it seems to be a little more than just that since it has garnered new players every year.
The original game had over 200 million accounts and was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-updated and large MMORPG. According to Steam charts, that number has drastically dropped, but that's the cost of age and competition.
11 Worst – Vanguard: Saga Of Heroes - Score 68
This high fantasy MMORPG came out in 2007 and won the "Biggest Disappointment" award from GameSpy. In other publications, it won "Least Fun, "Lamest Launch, and "Most Desolate." While the game sold about two hundred thousand copies, active subscriptions fell to just 40 thousand within months.
PC Zone UK called the game, "hollow" and Game Almighty wrote not to buy the game unless "you are a glutton for punishment." The game was free-to-play as of 2012 but two years later it was officially shut down.
10 Best – Guild Wars 2 - Score 90
Guild Wars 2 is one of those MMO games with limited free play. Players who use the free version have fewer character slots, fewer bag slots, can only send mail to mutual friends, and so on.
However, it is worth both the free version and the paid version. Guild Wars 2 stands as one of the best MMORPG games both to critics and fans. It surpasses its predecessor and has all the elements of a good MMO game from a huge world, tons of characters, and content. It's not perfect, but it is still one of the best and most popular MMO game choices out there.
9 Worst – Firefall - Score 60
Released in 2014 and shut down just three years later in 2017, Firefall was a troubled MMO. It was ambitious and tried to make for an interesting sci-fi third-person shooter MMO game.
The final product seemed to just be the tip of the iceberg in terms of the drama that happened behind the scenes in making this title. Before the games' launch, there were apparently a lot of layoffs. It also wasn't originally free-to-play at first, that whole free-to-play thing occurred because Firefall wasn't doing well.
8 Best – World Of Warcraft - Score 93
Even non-gamers have heard of World of Warcraft. It has existed since 2004 and still has a ton of players and community to this day. It is an influencer of the MMO industry and has survived the test of time to be still considered one of the best MMORPG games. You can play for free up to level 20, and that's certainly worth a shot just to know what the whole hype is about.
The only reason some players leave the game is because of its age. The graphics certainly are not the best anymore. However, many have called this game a near-perfect MMO game as it is friendly for both social and solo players.
7 Worst – APB: Reloaded - Score 56
In this MMO game, you can either be a criminal or an enforcer. It is a unique idea: cops and robbers in an open-world environment. However, it fell sort of flat. There are some dedicated fans out there though who have claimed to put hundreds of hours into this game. It certainly looks like it would only be fun with friends to play with.
Complaints by users and critics include that the combat (while fast) is not smooth, the community can be pretty toxic, there are errors that players exploit, and matchmaking can be very unequal.
6 Best – Lord Of The Rings Online - Score 86
Set in Middle-earth, this game already attracted the attention of Lord of the Rings fans. However, it does not use that trait as a crutch to lure players into a poorly made game. The game is well-reviewed by both critics and users. Some even say it's better than World of Warcraft.
One complaint critics have is the world is somewhat smaller than typical MMO games. However, that does allow the game to go more in-depth rather than be spread thin. The game came out in 2012 and has garnered two million subscribers with about 20 thousand active daily.
5 Worst – Final Fantasy 14 Online - Score 49
This game is a ghost. It did so poorly that it was basically destroyed and remade (which will be discussed further down this list).
It came out in 2010 and had a lot of wrong with its design and mechanics. There was a lot of lag, copy-pasted-looking dungeons, and was just not fun. It was only bought by gamers due to the "Final Fantasy" part of the title. Apparently, just opening your characters' own inventory would make the player have to sit back and wait. Of course, this failure is what would later create A Realm Reborn, which is one of the best MMORPG games out there now.
4 Best – Star Wars: The Old Republic - Score 85
Like Lord of the Rings Online, The Old Republic doesn't use its popular brand as a crutch. It has great mechanics, gameplay, and writing. Some players may even be tempted to quit World of Warcraft for this title as a nice change of pace. The free-to-play version does have some limitations, though, but fans can still find plenty of activity to occupy their time.
Today, critics say that the game is worth playing more for the solo storyline rather than any social MMO elements. The game is still pretty active with one million active players, though, so the adventure won't feel lonely.
3 Worst – Defiance 2050 - Score 48
This title is the first of this list to not have any Metacritic reviews in the green. It stands alone with yellow to angry red reviews.
Originally, it was just Defiance. When it did poorly, 2050 was slapped onto the title along with some fixes. The fixes were far too minor to make a difference though. Fans and critics alike found it to just be the exact same game with lag, errors, clunky movement, and repetitive gameplay.
2 Best – Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn - Score 86
Like Defiance 2050, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn truly was reborn. There is a free-to-play version, but it is worth noting that the ratings get higher and higher with each non-free expansion. It has gone nowhere but up with each piece of new content.
Even the free-to-play version can consume a gamers' life. There are a ton of combat as well as crafting classes. There is a ton of story, dungeons, and other bits of content to get addicted to. It is one of those games many eventually subscribe to after playing all the free content, especially since every expansion has gotten better and better reviews.
1 Worst – Infestation: Survivor Stories (The War Z) - Score 20
Here it is, rock bottom. This game came out in 2012 as an MMO zombie survival game. It was not just picked on by some picky reviewers, about four thousand people rated this game to give it its 1.7/10 user score. You are better off with any other zombie game you can find (and there are a lot of them).