The term MMORPG stands for "Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game". Basically, these games give thousands of people the opportunity to play through a similar story while customizing their own avatars with unique weapons and outfits while unlocking more perks the longer they play.
Since the days of dial-up connection, MMORPGs have given people an opportunity to connect with friends, and even complete strangers, in a fictional world where they can just have fun for a few hours and escape from the shipwreck that many call "life". Unfortunately, these 10 games apparently did the opposite for players.
10 Rise of Immortals: Battle for Graxia (54)
This game has often been compared to League Of Legends, although Rise of Immortals doesn't have nearly as much of a reputation as its rival series. Players will select from a variety of magical heroes to fight in wide maps, and will be able to interact with other players in a hub world with their chosen hero. It's not that different from League of Legends, although many players complained about some characters and items being way too strong, while others detested the character designs in general.
Long wait times in between games are also common, since there aren't many players who've gravitated to this series. With online battle games suffering an overall decrease in popularity, this game just lacked the demand necessary for the developers to improve upon its gameplay formula.
9 Dungeon Fighter Live: Fall of Hendon Myre (53)
At first glance, Dungeon Fighter Live looks like a classic arcade game, but in actuality, it can be described as MapleStory combined with the popular 4-player game Castle Crashers.
In Dungeon Fighter Live, players can take the role of up to three warriors in order to defend their world from traditional monsters straight out of any fantasy tale. While it doesn't feel like an MMORPG, players will enjoy being able to play through stages with other players from around the world while customizing their own armor and weapons in order to clear stages, but a game like this is destined to get old in a few weeks, since player interactions are severely limited.
8 Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade (52)
In theory, this game sounds pretty awesome, and at first glance it even looks pretty fun, but it's on this list for a reason! Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade lets players pick from several classes, from Eldars (basically elves) to Space Marines (pretty much Transformers without the ability to change into cars), as they wage war on wide maps against other players online.
Battlefields are chaotic, but poor frame rates and flat settings dull what would otherwise be intense, high-octane combat. Due to weak ranged weapons, battles devolve into a hodgepodge of players slashing away at one another without any real regard for strategy. The races are very unbalanced, with Space Marines possessing more advanced weapon load-outs, and other races having smaller hitboxes, giving them more accurate aim. Too bad they couldn't aim for a Metacritic score higher than 52.
7 Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising (50)
Set in ancient Rome, players can embark on a quest to become a legendary hero favored by the gods. They can choose between devoting themselves to Jupiter (god of thunder and the sky) or Mars (god of war), and can unlock godlike abilities as they level up.
Many players commented on the game's unflattering appearance and poor buddy AI. The quests aren't challenging, which only makes the extremely simple gameplay stand out. After being released in 2011, the game's servers shut down in 2012, never to return again. And judging by this score, hopefully it doesn't.
6 RYL: Path of the Emperor (50)
Similar to the previous entry, this game allows players to choose from 20 classes while interacting with other players in a vast world where they can take on quests that will force them to exterminate powerful monsters and deliver items across vast distances.
Players start out extremely weak, but with each new level, they are able to equip better gear and stronger weapons. Many players complained that there was too little to do, but for what it's worth, it's definitely a good game to keep you busy for a bit as you rise to the top of the food chain through hours of online grinding.
5 Final Fantasy XIV Online (49)
Final Fantasy is a staple in the RPG category, revolutionizing fantasy storytelling since 1987. So why does Final Fantasy XIV Online rank so poorly on this list? On paper, the idea was amazing, promising players the opportunity to create a unique Final Fantasy character from a wide selection of races and journey a vast world filled teeming with powerful creatures, rare treasures, and new skills.
Although there have been updates to add more content, the negative reception that came with the game's initial 2010 release criticized the game's shallow character creation, confusing in-game menus, and the lack of quests outside of anything more than just venturing out to kill an opponent somewhere out in the wilderness.
4 Ben 10 Omniverse: Rise of Heroes (43)
Ben 10 Omniverse: Rise of Heroes is a two-dimensional side scroller that allowed players to take control of their own extraterrestrial hero, and just like the living legend Ben Tennyson, travel throughout the world to take down some evil aliens. Players could collect alien DNA out on the field in order to unlock new powers, and could put those skills to the test in player versus player battles when they weren't tackling missions together.
But don't get too excited to live out your childhood dream just yet! The game didn't last long at all, having been around for a bit just over a year. It didn't even let players get an Omnitrix themselves, restricting them to three types of aliens they could choose from for their own avatar instead of the thousands that Ben has at his disposal. Talk about unfair!
3 ArchLord (42)
ArchLord took place in a fantasy world without offering anything new to the genre in terms of gameplay. The visuals weren't great, and not enough players were ever on to make the game truly feel as massive as it should've. Perhaps the biggest selling point of ArchLord was a unique feature that enabled one player a month to become the "ArchLord", who basically ruled the entire game map. They were given a castle and the ability to manipulate reality.
With the press of a button, they could meteors rain from the sky. Did we also mention that they got a dragon that they could ride around the map? Even with all these perks, players refused to stick around, but look at the bright side: if you find a way to play the game now, your chances of becoming the ArchLord are at 100%!
2 Wild West Online (29)
Released just last year, Wild West Online was an MMORPG that took us to the wild west. Players could ride horses, accept quests in saloons, and wield pistols and shotguns, just like they do in the movies! And while the environments do look great, the poor character customization options along with unnatural character movements make this a game many are definitely holding their horses on.
Players have complained that the world is empty, and that there's no incentive to keep leveling up. Many players felt like so much was offered, but none of it delivered, and unresponsive software developers make no attempt to improve upon anything. If you really want to live out your western fantasy, just stick to Red Dead Redemption like everybody else.
1 Infestation: Survivor Stories (20)
Not only is this game ranked by Metacritic as the worst MMORPG known to man, but many gamers have recognized Infestation: Survivor Stories as the worst game ever created. Players thought they'd be able to live out their Walking Dead fantasies, and when the game was first released, it's page on Steam advertised huge worlds, dozens of skills, and a dynamic survival adventure. What they got was a shell of a survival game.
The frame rate is terrible and the texture is disgusting! Players are forced to endure hours of just running through the wilderness, and after they die, they have to either pay to play immediately or wait four hours to return to a random spot on the map. The melee combat is appalling, and watching a video of someone going to town on a zombie with a brick feels very comical. The flaws can go on and on, but after four years, the plug was finally pulled on this disaster in 2016.