MMOs, short for massively multiplayer online games, have a special place on the gaming landscape because it draws in people who don't usually play video games. MMOs tend to be quite grand by nature, creating vast worlds for its equally vast number of users to explore.
The 2010s saw a plethora of MMOs hit the scene, with some of the best in the genre being released this past decade. Of course, with the good, also comes the bad. Let's take a look at the 5 best MMOs of the decade, as well as the 5 worst, according to Metacritic.
10 Worst: APB Reloaded (56)
Starting off the list of worst MMOs of the decade is APB: Reloaded, released at the start of the decade. To say that APB had a turbulent development is an understatement. It was planned to be released as early as 2005 but suffered from constant delays until finally released in 2010. To make matters worse, the game was shutdown just a few months after release and was not re-released until the following year.
Boiled down, APB: Reloaded is just a huge game of cops and robbers. Unfortunately, any hype the game may have had soon plummeted, as critics and players were incredibly underwhelmed. The main criticism for the game was that it felt unfinished and underdeveloped.
9 Best: Planetside 2 (84)
Planetside 2 may very well be the most ambitious title on this list just from the sheer amount of players allowed in a match at one time. This sci-fi first-person shooter, MMO allows for thousands of players in battle on a single map, and even holds the world record for biggest first-person shooter battle with a 1158 player record in a single battle.
Even discounting the amount of players possible at once, Planetside 2 is not a game to sleep on. There's a wide range of customization for players and it has all the good things first-person shooters have to offer.
8 Worst: Final Fantasy XIV Online (49)
It's pretty fair to say that no other entry on this list has had more ups and downs than Final Fantasy XIV. To be clear, this entry will be taking a look at the lowest of the lows, the original Final Fantasy XIV Online and not A Realm Reborn, its replacement and one of the most popular MMOs out there right now.
Square Enix stumbled at the first hurdle for this one, releasing a game that felt dated and unpolished, and played more like MMOs of old rather than what MMOs at the time were becoming. To its credit, FFXIV was able to use the poor reception in the favor and utilizing it in the story of A Realm Reborn.
7 Best: Rift (84)
Rift isn't an MMO that reinvents the wheel in terms of mechanics, it has MMORPG elements that will feel familiar to anyone who has ever played MMOs, but what it does, it does amazingly well. And with the original mechanics it has thrown in, Rift is a game that stands out among other MMOs.
The whole game revolves around the opening of rifts, and the events following can actually change in size and severity depending on the number of players in a given region. But not only that, rift invasions can have serious consequences on the game because key NPCs and quest givers can be killed. It's a mechanic not seen in many games but it gives players a true sense of agency over the world.
6 Worst: Defiance 2050 (48)
Defiance had a rough time of it from the get-go. Based on the TV series of the same name, Defiance wanted to bring shooter RPGs to the MMO landscape, and failed miserably. Somehow, it got a remake/sequel with Defiance 2050, which suffered from "same but worse" syndrome.
Defiance 2050 didn't bring anything new to the table. It didn't improve on anything from its predecessor. There weren't any graphic or animation improvements or any bug fixes. Really the only significant changes it made were changing or replacing weapons and taking some cosmetics out altogether.
5 Best: Star Wars: The Old Republic (85)
Fans have been clamoring for a third entry in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series for years, and they finally received it (sort of) in 2011 with Star Wars: The Old Republic. Even though it didn't have a great start, The Old Republic is now one of the best MMOs on the market.
Oddly, what makes The Old Republic such a great MMO is how much it doesn't feel like an MMO. Fans love the game's story-driven content where their choices actually have an impact. Between that and its challenging but rewarding gameplay, The Old Republic is a must play.
4 Worst: Wild West Online (29)
Wild West Online is a tragic case of wasted potential, perhaps the most tragic in recent memory. With the astronomical success of the Red Dead Redemption games, it seemed only natural to have an MMO set in the Old West. What could go wrong? Everything apparently.
Wild West Online has been universally panned for being an empty, lifeless husk of an MMO, with unpolished mechanics and no rewards in its progression system. To make matters worse, the game is full of micro-transactions, and players have labeled the game a scam.
3 Best: Guild Wars 2 (90)
Guild Wars 2 is an MMO that made a name for itself by veering away from typical MMO mechanics in favor of more unique ideas. Combat in Guild Wars 2 is much more fast-paced and action-oriented than your typical MMO, making for a refreshing change of pace in the genre.
Guild Wars 2 also deserves credit for basically pioneering the MMO progression system. Instead of the unending grinding that was found in most MMOs at the time of its release, progression in Guild Wars 2 involves completing dynamic events in the world, something just about every other MMO is now doing.
2 Worst: Infestation: Survivor Stories (20)
Undoubtedly the worst MMO of the decade, maybe even of all time, is Infestation: Survivor Stories, formerly known as The War Z. Even though the gaming landscape has become oversaturated with zombie games, Infestation showed at least some promise. Then the game was released, and players learned it was all lies.
Almost none of the features that were promised, like large maps, skill leveling, and PvE, just weren't in the game when it launched. To make matters worse, Infestation used a pay-to-play model and still inserted a slew of micro-transactions in the game itself.
1 Best: Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (91)
Finally, the best MMO of the decade, according to Metacritic, is Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, the latest expansion in FFXIV: A Realm Reborn. With a score of 91, Shadowbringers is the only game on this list, and only MMO in general to make Metacritic's "Best Games of the Decade" list.
As we mentioned earlier, Final Fantasy XIV didn't have the best of starts, but it has since had a tremendous turnaround with its re-release, A Realm Reborn. One of FFXIV's biggest strength's is its deep lore. It's one of the most story-rich games on the market, and it's on full display in Shadowbringers. Between it's story, soundtrack, characters, and fixes, Shadowbringers has more than earned best MMO of the decade.