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Which games offered the best 'player vs. environment' experience in 2005?
"Player vs. Environment" (PvE) combat is defined as players fighting alone or cooperatively against a computer-controlled enemy. It is the backbone of most MMORPGs on the market and as such this is a competitive category. This year, for the most part, the old-guard garnered most the nominations as up-and-comers failed to unseat games like EverQuest and Anarchy Online. Read up on our five nominees and then vote below:
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Anarchy Online, Funcom
An oldie that has only gotten better with age. Funcom's Anarchy Online hit shelves in 2001 and suffered through a troubled launch. Since that time the game has continued to gain momentum and at the time of this article is on the front page of our highest fan-rated games. As such, the sci-fi world which recently introduced in-game advertising in exchange for free - old version - play has garnered a nomination through its solid PvE gameplay.
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EverQuest, Sony Online Entertainment
Until recently, it still held the crown as most popular game in North America. EverQuest continues to enjoy hoards of loyal fans, many of whom find their way back to the game over and over. It is known for its team-based raid gameplay and dating from 1999 it inspired much of the PvE in the current crop of MMORPGs.
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EverQuest II, Sony Online Entertainment
With EverQuest II Sony tried to improve on the original formula with mixed success. By standards other than those of its predecessor, EQII remains a major hit and like the original it focuses in on PvE combat. This is not the same game as the original and is among the best games of it type. As such, it garnered a separate nomination from its predecessor.
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Final Fantasy XI, Square Enix
The Final Fantasy series is among the most popular game franchises globally. Thus, Square Enix had a massive hit on it on its hands when it released Final Fantasy XI in October of 2003. The game quietly marched to global success and remains one of the most popular MMORPGs on the market. The game offers missions, quests, crisp graphics and a rich world with a pack of rabid fans. It's PvE-bent earned it a nomination in this category.
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World of WarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment
The current king of the hill gets another nod in the PvE category. As mentioned before, Blizzard refined what came before to a science when they created World of WarCraft - the most popular MMORPG, by far, in North America. The game offers intuitive gameplay, clever and enjoyable quests and solid PvE combat, among other things.
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