Heroic fantasy settings are a given for the majority of multiplayer online games. Heavily influenced by tabletop cult classics like Dungeon and Dragons, countless MMOs build off of the sword and sorcery genre. Wizards, dwarves, paladins, and dragons therefore inhabit the lands of medieval open worlds.
But some titles take a different, more futuristic approach to the formula. Replacing knights with alien species and blades with kinetic weapons, they embark players on massively multiplayer intergalactic or post-apocalyptic adventures. So, we bring you three futuristic MMOs to explore on a spacefaring journey or a dystopian time-traveling trip.
EVE Online
The year is 21,000. After draining Earth of most of its resources, humans have long colonized the Milky Way. This race for expansion led to the discovery of a wormhole giving access to a yet unexplored galaxy, but the collapsing of the wormhole left the colonies of New Eden to decay without any connection to the rest of humankind. Generations later, five distinct societies still emerged from descendants of the surviving colonists of old. Mastering the art of spaceflight, they all gave birth to unique civilizations.
Boasting over 7,000 solar systems ready to explore, EVE Online is undoubtedly the most extensive single-sharded space MMO around. Selecting or creating a character out of four playable races, players set out into a vast interstellar open world. The scale of this fascinating universe allows for tons of multiplayer activities, from piracy to economic competition and warfare aboard hundreds of customizable spaceships. With thousands of active players, EVE Online even broke records for both the largest and the costliest video game battle ever. Adding to that a riveting lore to discover, enriched by the combined history and political scheming of millions of players, and this sci-fi MMO ticks all the right boxes of an epic space expedition.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Many Star Wars games came out throughout the years, but few captured the magic of the legendary franchise like Star Wars: The Old Republic did. A wet dream for die-hard fans of the saga, the game amassed over a million subscribers in its first few days. Set in a galaxy far, far away, this free-to-play MMORPG takes place 3,600 years after the events told in the original trilogy.
In SWTOR, you may wield a lightsaber as a Jedi, side with the Sith, or carve your own path as a self-standing bounty hunter. Several other iconic Star Wars roles are also up for choosing, leaving you to create your own legacy through eight unique storylines. Dozens of expansion packs added new stories and fresh content for players to keep developing their characters. And ten years after its release, a contemporary look outlines why this story-driven and oh-so-cinematic experience has stood the test of time and remains one of the best MMORPGs out there.
Fallout 76
For fans of action RPGs, the Fallout franchise deserves no introduction. But in 2018, the series ventured into multiplayer territory for the first time with a narrative prequel. Set in post-nuclear America, Fallout 76 is an open-world MMORPG boasting a map four times as vast as that of Fallout 4. Familiar locations and mechanics of previous titles, such as the V.A.T.S system, made their way into the game, although modified to suit the purpose of a real-time multiplayer experience. To the disappointment of some hardcore fans, however, popular additions to past entries were left out.
Fallout 76 features no card games like Caravan, played in the Mojave Wasteland of New Vegas. The freshly introduced Legendary Exchange system may verge on gambling, but it arguably lacks the fun of the poker and blackjack minigames in the series’ previous spin-off. Gamers with a knack for casino games may thus turn to other options. Tabletop classics are widely available online, including in regions like Asia, where brick-and-mortar gambling venues are hard to come by. Online betting in Asia is now easier than ever, thus. With the help of expert reviewers, prospective players can find the most profitable and reliable platform in their country. Besides, handy tips by pro gamers and veteran players help newcomers find all the information to get started. As for punters, top websites allow for sports betting, too.
MMOs might lean predominantly toward medieval fantasy. But a futuristic spin also works wonders for players willing to engage in large-scale outer space combat or explore the aftermath of a nuclear catastrophe alongside fellow gamers.
