Runescape 3
The Free-to-Play phenomenon looked unstoppable during the mid-2000s with thousands of players logging in daily. The classified MMORPG involved expansive character creation, a massive world and an array of quests. Skills, levelling and exploration led to hours of non-stop gameplay along with a thriving social aspect. But where did Runescape go wrong?
Despite developers Jagex continually releasing content to Runescape at a consistent level, the number of players began to fall towards the end of the 2000s. Newer games and MMOs attracted their fanbase away along with updates that failed to spark new incentives to play. Runescape is still being updated to this day, but the number of players has diminished drastically.
Runescape 3 was released in 2013, incorporating a range of new game-changing features such as specialised combat and the reduction of game difficulty. With an increased focus on aiding newer players, veterans began to eventually fade out.
Jagex reluctantly released Old School Runescape in 2013, but failed to attract enough player votes to make it Free-to-Play. Old School Runescape provoked massive numbers upon release, competing with Runescape 3, and continues to grow sporadically each month. Runescape 3 is steadily bringing in new and old players with the latest content being more challenging and difficult especially for the high levels. Quests, mini-games and multiplayer events are also appearing more often, promoting social interaction and team work to succeed.
Runescape 3 can be played for free here.
Elder Scrolls Online
It seems strange that Elder Scrolls Online was only released in 2014, and has already diminished in popularity despite months of hype before release. With Bethesda’s success release of Skyrim many players began asking about the possibility of an MMO, but its eventual release came with a lot of criticism.
On top of purchasing the full game, players were forced to pay monthly memberships to access the game. Despite a massive world, hundreds of detailed quests and the ability to visit many familiar places in the Elder Scrolls world, Elder Scrolls Online failed where MMOs normally succeed.
A lack of social interaction, no true community and a huge step back on character content compared to other titles have harmed Elder Scrolls Online. However, with Elder Scrolls Online losing its membership fees in March, and perhaps players will approach the game in a different manner. Elder Scrolls Online has also received a release date for consoles, re-branded as Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, in June. The game will still have to be bought, however membership fees will be dropped with options to pay if the player wants.
Players will be able to access new content and updates free-to-play with an option of premium membership and microtransactions to purchase additional DLC and customization items. The concept of Elder Scrolls Online is ambitious, but after a rocky start as an MMO, maybe it is about time for players to dive back in.
Wildstar
Being released in June 2014 on Microsoft Windows, Wildstar appeared in an MMO-crowded industry with high anticipation from players. Wildstar doesn’t rewrite the MMO genre by any means, but instead attempted to build on common foundations with character creation, exploration, questing and detailed lore.
Despite an exciting combat system, Wildstar struggled to keep its player audience in tact for very long. Quests are long, requiring patience, whilst the story telling also lacked appropriate depth. Players soon struggled with the skill-based game, requiring many hours to level and find appropriate gear to deal with higher level quests and requirements.
However, Wildstar continues to grow where many other MMOs struggle. From a strong community, a massive amount of content, challenging difficulty level and a dynamic combat system, Wildstar is definitely a game worth playing again.
Curious about Wildstar? Check out our official review here.
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