2005 Reader's Choice Awards

We nominated them in so many categories, we could not ignore them as the best overall game. Nor can we separate them into two different titles. Like it or not, City of Heroes and City of Villains rise and fall together. With their super-hero PvP, addictive and fast PvE, brilliant character customization and solid story, the kings of the MMORPG Comic-Hero genre are our first nominee.

Dark Age of Camelot the game has begun to show its age, but do not tell Mythic Entertainment that. The originators of RvR in MMORPGs continue to grow and expand. Recently the company brought in the quest/story-centric "Darkness Rising" expansion and plans more content in the new year. The game offers a good PvE experience, consistently updated graphics and arguably one of the best PvP systems in any MMORPG.

The kings of space, those who love EVE Online live it. While it is not always for everyone, the achievements of this game are hard to ignore. Its graphics remain among the best despite being released in 2003 and the single-shard universe continues to break simultaneous connection records without showing signs of a ceiling. In the game itself, players enjoy combat, gathering and a rich universe to explore. At the time of this article, EVE Online tops are fan-voted game rankings.

Is it an MMORPG? I'm sure we'll hear all about it in the comments thread, but suffice it to say that we think it is. This 2005-release carries no subscription fee, instanced missions and areas, a focus on PvP combat, pretty graphics and much more. Since its launch, it has received critical praise and legions of loyal players as it heads towards its first retail expansion.

World of WarCraft snuck onto shelves in late 2004 and spent 2005 smashing sales and subscription records around the world. The game is polished, stylized and fun. It doesn't hurt that the Blizzard name is on the box either. Our most nominated game, World of WarCraft has to be a favorite in this category.