Over the years we have seen gaming go from safe single-player experiences into the wide open MMO world. Whether these transitions have been good for games or something you have enjoyed is another story. We have seen games like The Elder Scrolls, Old Republic and a failed Kindoms of Amalur MMO among this list. But I know we’re not alone at MMOGames in hoping for other games to make a transition from single-player experience to one we can share together, as long as it is done in the right way. We have put together a list of eight single-player fantasy games that we want to see as MMOs.
Even if this is something based on a series of novels, it is still a game series that really can be made into a great MMO. Seeing how popular The Witcher 3 became after its release in 2015, and on what grounds it became popular, the transition into an MMO could be something truly great. This vast and dark world filled with grey choices could be an MMO out of the ordinary. It is easy to see this as a sandbox game where you can either play as a Witcher or obtain the role of Witcher through in-game interactions. Or you could spend the time growing a farm and paying other players for help when some sort of beast attacks your land. A true sandbox experience in the world of The Witcher would deliver a unique experience.
Bioware has already turned one of its franchises into an MMO, and seeing how Star Wars: The Old Republic is going strong now that it is free-to-play, there is a great potential for Dragon Age to create an MMO universe. Dragon Age Online would build upon the world it created with Dragon Age Inquisition and create unique stories similar to SWTOR. Imagine exploring more of that world and the deep lore contained in it, but also having a chance to explore new territories that we have only heard mentioned before. The game already has great factions with their own unique story lines.
While the Dark Souls games already have some great multiplayer aspects and in some cases can be seen as a sort of instanced MMO. Making a fully fledged MMO might be an impossible task given that the feeling of being alone in the harshest of worlds can be broken by hundreds of players running around. But if it is done with the right type of world, the core concepts and difficulty that make up the series would be a unique and exciting MMO experience. Based on how hard the boss fights are in Dark Souls, imagine how much more amped up they would be to fit group content.
We have talked about Pokémon as an MMO here before and how it might not be possible. But the idea of having an MMO where you can catch em all together with friends is something that is hard to not think about. The world of Pokémon is something that would fit great into an open world hosting thousands of players wanting to be the champion. Imagine yourself going deep into a dungeon with four friends to a legendary Pokémon with the hope of someone catching it. Or exploring the whole world of Pokémon and filling up you index with all those great animals out there. At the top of it all we have the gyms which could work either as a dungeon style of gameplay or as something that is player driven where people compete for the spot as a gym trainer.
This might be a game that passed many when it first came out, and it might also be a game that the younger generations have missed due to its age. But the world of Arcanum is really great and something that few AAA MMOs have even touched upon. Combining a dark steampunk world with magic would be a great setting for an MMO. This would give you the choice of either having bad ass old guns, magical skills, or combining the two for an awesome flow in battle. The world itself could be seen as either a fantasy world or a science fiction world, which could gather friends who enjoy either of the settings.
Whether you have played Planescape: Torment before or not, it is probably a game you have at least heard about. Being a game that is on many “best games ever” lists, the opportunity to explore this dark and freighting world together with friends would be amazing. The game would be built on the same core mechanics as the original where fighting wasn’t really necessary and the opportunity to talk your way out of stiff situations would exist. Having this MMO would also let people explore the madness in the world even further, something that probably would be one of the darkest MMOs on the market.
We have no shortage of anime-style MMOs and seeing how both Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest have made it to the world of MMOs, it is not impossible to see the Tales series appear as well. Being the biggest franchise when it comes to anime-style RPGs and having the opportunity to create a new world with similar monsters like Final Fantasy does with every new game, this could be a coming of age MMO. A Tales MMO would be a massive, great looking anime world using the same classes and weapons found in the single-player experience, one that is already made for group content seeing as how you play through the single player games with a party.
As a franchise that is locked to Nintendo at this moment, it might be a game series that you have completely missed out on, but they are games that would be well suited for an awesome MMO experience. At the game’s core you have battles with big monsters who in some cases are dinosaur-like while wearing a huge mechsuit. Mechs in MMOs is something that we are not spoiled with, and Xenoblade could be seen as a science fiction game due to its space setting. However, all the monsters are very similar to fantasy game monsters and the heavy use of sword fighting rather mixes the genres.
These eight games are a few of the single-player experience with a fantasy setting that we would like to see as MMOs. Even if many of them might not work in the classic MMO sense, we can still hope for a similar experience in the future.
Have your own ideas about potential fantasy MMOs? We want to know what single-player fantasy games you would like to see made into MMOs.
WoW Wednesday: Starting Over Again in World of Warcraft .
Harper Bard Giveaway for Neverwinter on Xbox One .
Rift: Sneak Peek at the Empyreal Assault
Games Like: World of Warcraft .
Eorzean Evening Post: Gold Saucer First Impressions .