It’s no secret that we here at Overclockers UK are big into our gaming. We live for new game hype and love to replay our old favourites. Over 2024, we’ll be sharing our own top fives across a spicy selection of genres. This month we’re looking at Liam’s Top 5 MMOs.
I’ve been into MMOs for as long as I can remember. I started on Runescape in 2007, my main account is even older than some of my colleagues. I was enthralled by the World of Warcraft adverts during Mists of Pandaria, mainly due to Chuck Norris and Mr T. Seems, I can’t just stick to one. I want to play them all! Even though, I definitely don’t have the time to do that.
5. Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 could potentially have the smoothest movement out of all the MMOs I have played. So much so, that it actually incorporates this into waypoints that you can find in each location.
Plus, Guild Wars 2 has some of the most dynamic quests I have seen in a more traditional MMO. Getting these dynamic world quests alongside the regular ones really does make the world feel more alive and shifting. The races and classes are so unique, with three starting professions and so many different specialisations. There are many ways to easily change your play style, and quickly!
4. Star Wars: The Old Republic
While Old School Runescape has some of the goofiest and funniest quests for MMOs, Star Wars: The Old Republic is simply the best of any MMO that I have played. The overarching story for each class spans at least 23 hours of gameplay, with brilliant writing and voice acting.
I have completed three or four now, and at least once a year I jump back into the game to put in a good 12-hour shift of playing through the next story. Currently, I have a Sith Warrior on the go, and the writing, betrayals, and backstabbing rivals that of pre-season 7 Game of Thrones.
The gameplay is very similar to that of World of Warcraft, this time with lightsabers and blasters! Melting someone with lightning after leaping in on them will always be cool as will nuking an enemy with a wrist-mounted rocket.
3. The Elder Scrolls Online
I have been playing The Elder Scrolls Online since the beta, back when I was running it on my grandparent’s Dell workstation on the lowest settings. Somehow, it still managed to have some of the most picturesque landscapes I’ve seen from any game, period. The number of hours that I have spent simply roaming around finding remote fishing spots, stunning waterfalls, and cosy campsites – I don’t want to count!
On top of this, I love creating these comfortable places with the player housing which allow me to decorate in so many styles, provided I can afford to. The player house also lets your friends create massive parkour maps, so they can watch you and your other friends race and fight to the top. But that’s not my main draw to the game.
The main reason I love this game is because it is an Elder Scrolls game. You can go and visit your beloved locations from games, like Oblivion, Skyrim, and Morrowind, while you’re getting even more context and story about why the land has become how it is. All this, and I haven’t even mentioned the extent of the class choices or the depth of the dungeons because, to me, they’re almost an afterthought.
2. World of Warcraft
This is it, when you think of an MMO, you think of World of Warcraft. There is a reason for that. This game has created so many fond memories for millions of people – everyone and their mother has a story about playing World of Warcraft! Whether I’m playing retail or classic, this game simply captures me and, just like that, my weekend is gone.
Despite all of the monsters and villains, I can’t help but get lost in the adventure and magic of the world. This is all without mentioning the music, which takes you away to a special place, no matter the expansion. The music team always creates such wonderfully beautiful soundscapes, as the perfect background for your exploring. Add on top of this some of the most satisfying combat from any game, let alone an MMO, and you’ve got something that is rightly so one of the most famous games of all time.
Honourable Mentions
I have two honourable mentions, Lord of the Rings Online and Ashes of Creation. As a lifelong Tolkien fan, Lord of the Rings Online has been on my need-to-play list for years. I’ve started it several times but only reached level 10 at the most. But I can see myself getting into this game and sinking so many hours into it, purely for the joy of travelling across Middle Earth.
Ashes of Creation is not even released yet, but I want more people to have this on their radar! Their development vlogs give me more hope for the future of MMOs. I only hope that this game doesn’t die before I’m able to drop hundreds of hours into it.
1. Old School Runescape
Old School Runescape could quite possibly be my favourite game of all time, and the worst thing is I absolutely suck at it. I’ve not killed many bosses, I’ve never maxed an account, and yet I just can’t get enough. I started playing this game at seven and haven’t stopped playing it since! The clunky combat, that can be so smooth when mastered, just hasn’t gotten old to me. Whilst I’m writing this, I have the game on in the background and I’m killing ghouls on my low-level ironman. The game has some of the most amazing progression, each level unlocks new things like materials to gather, weapons to use, or spells to cast. You really can’t top this, in my opinion.
Finally, coming to the quests. Truly, they are some of the most goofy and unique. The writing for them is always hilarious. They even give you useful things for completing them, not just experience, which is always a plus.
Best Gaming PC for MMOs
MMOs cover a variety of genres and spec requirements. These are enjoyed on Liam’s gaming PC featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 3950X, NVIDIA RTX 3070, and 16GB DDR4 RAM. (A far cry from the Dell workstation!) At Overclockers UK, we have an incredible range of gaming PCs and laptops that are perfect for MMOs – whether you’re trying to dominate in battle or find the cosiest corner to explore. We’ve picked out a of couple faves here, but our full selection is just waiting to be perused.
Refract Gaming Azure Gaming PC
The Refract Gaming Azure is one of our pre-built gaming PCs, engineered for 1440p gaming. The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU can effortlessly handle all your favourite MMOs, thanks to the eight cores, sixteen threads, and innovative 3D V-Cache. Bringing the majestic scenery to life is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti GPU, equipped with Ada Lovelace architecture and AI-enhanced features. Enjoy beautiful detail and smooth frame rates, whether you’re traversing Tamriel or conducting battle in a galaxy far, far away.
Better yet, the Refract Azure is fully assembled and tested, making it ready to ship and jump straight into gaming! Plus, it is covered by our three years parts and labour warranty, for that extra peace of mind.
MSI Pulse 17 Gaming Laptop
Take your MMO adventures on the go with the MSI Pulse 17. This gaming laptop harnesses the power of hybrid core architecture, with an Intel Core i9-13900H and Intel Thread Director intelligently managing all your workflows. The best core is on the job! The 17” FHD 144Hz display and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU will render your favourite MMOs in stunning detail, vibrant colour, and silky-smooth frame rates. Enjoy these expansive worlds like never before!
To keep the MSI Pulse 17 cool in the heat of battle, this gaming laptop features Cooler Boost 5 thermal technology. This cooling solution features up to five heat pipes with an enlarged internal diameter, ensuring optimal heat transfer for both the CPU and GPU.
Let Us Know Your Favourites
Which are your go-to MMOs? Any of them make our list? Let us know in the comments below!
PC specs are subject to change.
- 8 min read
OcUK Guest Writer
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From hardware news, and upcoming games, to handy guides, these articles are written by guest writers, journalists, tech professionals, or gaming enthusiasts.
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RuneScape rocks I love it yes. I think the younger generation seems to like wow more however I’m old school and completely agree 💯.