It might seem counterintuitive to look for 2D MMORPGs in 2021 when even our phones are more than capable of rendering beautiful 3D games. But you can’t deny that even though technically 2D is a downgrade, some games more than make up for it with their aesthetically pleasing art style and deep, complex mechanics that … Read more
Mabinogi is a Korean MMORPG developed by Nexon and released in 2004. Being an almost twenty-year-old game, the market for MMORPGs was very different and experimental at the time. The game had a unique take on the genre; instead of limiting stats to certain races or classes, players were free to level up and invest … Read more
Baldur’s Gate is a well known ARPG, Dark Alliance is a spin-off released in 2001, and it went on to becoming an instant hit and winning a lot of awards for the various platforms it was released on. Like previous entries of the series Dark Alliance was based on Dungeons & Dragons rules, specifically the … Read more
Kingdom Hearts is a franchise that has been around since the 2000s. The games feature various Disney characters and various characters from Square Enix’s IPs like Final Fantasy. So far, the franchise has thirteen titles, most of which were received favorably and has a loyal and dedicated fanbase always waiting for the next title in … Read more
In 1993 id Software released Doom, the game that started the FPS genre and resulted in a slew of games entering the market featuring similar graphics and running on the identical engine; these games were labelled Doom clones. That’s what people called FPS games before the genre was able to define itself apart from Doom. … Read more
Salt and Sanctuary is a 2D souls-like platformer that was developed by Ska Studios and released in 2016. The game was favorably received by both critics and fans alike, praising the translation of the souls genre to a 2D platformer. The game is heavily inspired by dark souls, no doubt, with mechanics like resting on … Read more
When I think of MMOs, a few names come to mind. Of course, World of Warcraft is among the best. However, it doesn’t hold a candle to Guild Wars 2 which might be the single best f2p game on the market right now. Guild Wars 2 has some of the best combat you’ll find in … Read more
Battle Brothers is one of those engaging tactical puzzles that revels in the brutality and sheer difficulty it offers. Games like Battle Brothers appeal to the hardcore audience that wishes to exercise the most important muscle of all – the brain. Now I don’t want to sound pretentious when I say something like Doom doesn’t … Read more
Limbo is a game that I played way back in the day, but it left a lasting impression on my mind. It’s a game that my friend in college showed me one evening, and I was immediately hooked by the visual style. Limbo had no lengthy cinematic cutscenes and it was essentially a 2D platformer. … Read more
Neverwinter is a successful MMORPG released in 2013 and developed by Cryptic Studios. Of course, hardcore fans of the ARPG genre know of Neverwinter Nights – an isometric ARPG series created by the legendary Bioware and Obsidian Entertainment based on Dungeons & Dragons rules. However, the Neverwinter MMORPG has detached from its predecessors and ditches … Read more
Warframe has a fascinating history; the developer Digital Extremes had worked on the classic Unreal games; the work was good enough that Epic tried to bring them into their umbrella. This, of course, didn’t work out. Then, in 2008, Digital Extremes released Dark Sector. Although it was a good enough title, it was released when … Read more
Space Station 13 is an online RPG experience that was one of a kind upon its release in 2003. One developer created the game – Exadv1, who in 2006 released the code to the public, allowing them to work on it while he retired. The community has since tried to remake the game in a … Read more
God-sims aren’t exactly the most popular genre. The gameplay usually consists of the players ensuring the survival and success of a tribe or civilization, thus playing God. Black and White is a God-sim that was developed by Lionhead Studios and released in 2001. Both gamers and critics praised it for its visuals and, for the … Read more
Enter the Gungeon is a unique hybrid between bullet hell and roguelike developed by Dodge Roll and released in 2016. The game is regarded as one of the finest examples of roguelikes, and with good reason, the game takes the concept of bullet hells and pushes it to 11. Games like Enter the Gungeon are … Read more
I can bet you’ve never played anything like Gang Beasts before. Well, unless you are familiar with Human: Fall Flat. Gang Beasts is simply ridiculous and one of the most enjoyable games you’ll ever play with a group of friends. But is Gang Beasts cross-platform? The official Twitter account for Gang Beasts posted an update … Read more
Since Warface is a free-to-play shooter available on both console and PC, you might be thinking “is Warface cross platform?”. The answer to that question is YES… if you’re on console. PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch players can hook up with each other on the same server in both PvP and PvE game modes. … Read more
There was a time before Xbox and PlayStation dominated the console market. A time before, the internet was a standard tool for connectivity, a time when 2D graphics and 16-bit was the bar. Forget Sony or Microsoft; they didn’t have a stake in the race yet. Instead, the industry was lead by bigshots like Atari, … Read more
Our culture has a strong influence on our preferences in almost every aspect, including tastes in entertainment. Korea, for example, has a particular niche it caters to, specifically free to play 2D MMORPGs; they seem to be all the rage in Korea. Some titles were released in the early 2000s that developers actively support with … Read more
When it comes to replayability, nothing beats a good old fashioned rogue-like. Games like FTL pack a whole lot of content and wrap it up in a procedurally generated world full of random quests and events that may be so rare that you’d witness them once in playtime of 20 hours. FTL or Faster Than … Read more
Developed by Hazelight Studios and published by EA, A Way Out is strictly a co-op experience. The game is a story-driven affair first and foremost; the game was marketed as an emotional adventure and released in 2018. Gameplay is the most crucial aspect for games like A Way Out, but the game manages to deliver an … Read more
