Best Free To Play MMO Games

Summary: he great thing about the Internet is that you are able to access a multitude of information for free.

The great thing about the Internet is that you are able to access a multitude of information for free. While conventional video game business models require you to purchase the software, more and more titles are shifting to a different way to engage players. In fact, there are many free-to-play MMO games out there that do not require any piracy or other illegal activities.

If you're looking for a great massively multiplayer online game to play and don't want to spend any money, you've come to the right place. Here are ten of the best free MMO games available today.

War Rock

If you're a fan of games like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty, you'll feel right at home with War Rock. This first-person shooter is massively online and it offers a "dynamic combat experience like no other." Expect a huge range of weapons and field gear, as well as armored vehicles like Blackhawk helicopters and K1 tanks.

Other features include an in-game shop to purchase additional items, frequent updates for new gear, a clan system for fierce competition, and premium access for extra goods.

CrimeCraft

Instead of using a conventional first-person shooter configuration with set matches and battles, CrimeCraft offers a persistent world not unlike the one found in World of Warcraft. In this way, it takes some of the best elements from a MMORPG and combines them with FPS elements.

Set in the near future where gangs have replaced governments, CrimeCraft was developed by Vogster Entertainment and published by THQ. As can be expected, the core gameplay is largely based on gang warfare. In this way, you'll need to cooperate with some player in order to defeat others. The city is persistent, so it will change for you in between gaming sessions.

World of Tanks (beta)

Currently only available on a beta mode basis, World of Tanks is an online action game that is team-based in nature. Instead of engaging in the battles on foot as you would with most first-person shooters, this title puts you in the middle of "the epic tank battles of World War II."

Over the course of your online battles, you will have the opportunity to pilot over 150 different armored vehicles from several countries around the world. These include USA, Germany, and the Soviet Union, and all the tanks have been carefully detailed to ensure historic accuracy.

Captains of DarkTide

Don't have the most powerful computer in the world? Don't worry, because Captains of DarkTide is completely browser-based. This means that the game is played from within your web browser, requiring minimal horsepower on the part of your personal computer.

The free-to-play 3D MMORPG takes place inside the SAGA fantasy universe. In this fantasy world, you'll be faced with elven longboats, flying fortresses, and formidable mythical beasts. The beta signup process started in May 2010, giving players the first glimpse into a fantasy-style pirate game.

Free Realms

Developed by Sony Online Entertainment, Free Realms is an online adventure game with plenty of massively multiplayer elements. Other games in this realm may appear inappropriate for younger audiences, but Free Realms was designed from the ground up as family friendly fare.

This means that the combat is minimal, at best, and the focus is more on engagement with other players and participation in a variety of tasks. In this way, it could be likened to games like Animal Crossing on Nintendo's consoles. In fact, there are mini-games inside Free Realms too.

Runes of Magic

This massively multiplayer online role-playing game was developed by Runewaker Entertainment of Taiwan and it was adapted for foreign markets by Frogster Interactive. While the game client and monthly subscription are free, real money transactions are a part of the in-game shop.

Players can choose between humans and elves. There are eight classes of each and each individual character can be a part of two such classes. This is quite unique to the MMORPG realm, as most games only allow for one class.

Lost Saga

An online fighting game with MMO elements, Lost Saga allows gamers to choose from "hero" characters which are purchased from the in-game shop. The game was developed by Korean company IO Entertainment and it was launched in North America in November 2009 by OGPlanet.

BattleForge

Electronic Arts is a giant in the video game industry and free-to-play MMO games is no exception. Fans of card-based battle games will enjoy this card-based real-time strategy (RTS) title. As with other games in this genre, players trade cards which are then used in battle.

The game itself is free, but buying additional cards comes in the form of micro-transactions. This is not necessary, but most players who want to stay competitive will continue to buy more and more cards.

Battlefield Heroes

While the main Battlefield series from EA is quite serious and realistic in nature, Battlefield Heroes has a much lighter feel to it. The graphics are similar to those of Team Fortress, offering cartoon-like characters and arcade-like physics.

This is a first-person shooter, but it also has some context-specific third-person shooter areas too. To date, Battlefield Heroes has three million registered users and counting.

By: Kwayne
Posted Jun 22, 2010