Do Graphics really matter in MMORPGs?

I’ve been playing MMORPGs since Ultima Online first released in 1998. Lately I’ve been more into free to play games, but I’ve been around the block quite a bit on both the free to play and pay to play neighborhoods. I absolutely loved Ultima Online, which is was by Origins Systems but is now by Electronic Arts. After quitting it I moved onto EverQuest from Sony Online Entertainment and Dark Age of Camelot from Mythic. Two other pay to play titles. It wasn’t until after I quit World of Warcraft that I got into free to play games. The first one I really liked was Ragnarok Online from Gravity, and it certainly did not have good graphics. In fact, I think it’s safe to say Ragnarok Online has much worse graphics than most MMORPGs. It’s a 3D game but with 2D sprites. After playing and enjoying Ragnarok Online I played a bunch of other free to play games.

LaTale from OGPlanet and WonderKing from Ndoors are examples of two other good MMORPGs with low end graphics. These two games naturally have bad graphics because they’re 2D side scrolling MMORPGs. Both of these games are critically acclaimed, but they have really old graphics. On the other hand, gorgeous looking fantasy MMORPGs like Neo Online from PlayOMG and Neo Steam from Atlus Online are okay games at best, even though they have solid graphics. I don’t think there is any correlation between how good a game’s graphics are and how good the actual game is. Of course there are good games with great graphics (think Atlantica Online, Mytheon and Forsaken World for example). I’m just tired of people saying that good graphics are the most important aspect of a game, when gameplay is much more important.

I think far too many games today are focusing more on graphics instead of gameplay, when in reality gameplay is much more important. Look at Battle of the Immortals from Perfect World Entertainment for example. It focuses much more on gameplay than anything else and it succeeds. It’s a really popular free MMORPG and actually one of the best MMORPGs out there. Why you ask? Because the developers care more about gameplay than graphics. The graphics in it are second rate at best, but the gameplay feels a bit like Diablo 2, which is incredibly fun. Maybe I’m just a sucker for action MMORPGs, but I really do like Battle of the Immortals. It has an awesome MMORPG Pet system and a large game world.

MMORPGs and MMOs With Great Graphics

I’ve noticed that free to play MMORPGs over the years have vastly improved their graphics. 8 Years ago the best looking free to play MMORPG was RuneScape from Jagex, but thing have advanced forward quite fast. Nowdays, there are countless MMOs and MMORPGs that look great. The list below looks at the top 5 best looking free to play games in terms of graphics.

#1 Need for Speed World

This one came out in July, 2010 and has easily the best graphics I’ve seen in any free to play game. It’s a 3D racing MMO published by Electronic Arts. It plays a lot like RayCity and Drift City expect with much more awesome graphics. The game has an enormous persistent world where players can drive around and smash into other cars and objects. Players will need a fairly high end graphics card to run Need for Speed World with maximum settings. Graphics aside, Need for Speed World is one of the best racing MMOs ever.

#2 Alliance of Valiant Arms

Alliance of Valiant Arms is a gorgeous MMOFPS game by ijji. It’s actually a “tactical MMOFPS” so it’s not much different than other shooters in terms of core gameplay, but graphically, the game is absolutely stunning. There’s nothing like it. It actually looks as good as Modern Warfare 2, which is a pay to play game!

#3 Martial Empires

This one is also a relatively new MMORPG that launched into open beta in July 2010. The game is by Gamigo and set in a fantasy environment. Gameplay is fast paced, there are plenty of quests, but the game’s strongest aspect is its top notch graphics. The game was developed by CR-Space and is a sequel to Martial Heroes (another game by the same company). Graphically, the game looks a bit like Tales of Fantasy from IGG, except with much crisper graphics. Graphics aside, Martial Empires is a fun game that’s worth playing!

#4 Sword of the New World

This one is a bit of an oldie, as it was released a few years ago. The game is by GamersFirst and has gorgeous 3D graphics and is set in a Victorian era fantasy world. Players control 3 characters at a time, so it’s a bit like Atlantica Online, minus the turn based gameplay. The game received a major update recently and the name of the game technically changed to Sword2.

#5 Aika Online

Aika Online is a PvP MMORPG from gPotato with up to 1000 vs 1000 epic realm vs realm battles. The graphics aren’t “cartoony” like Allods Online and Runes of Magic, but rather realistic fantasy. The game has a good deal of classes and a large enough game world to keep players busy. The exp rate is a bit too low for my taste though.