This week’s list is going to be all about the games we here at MMORPG.com want to get our grubby little hands on the most before the year is out. Granted there may be more than these five coming out in the final half of the year, but few others really get us curious, excited, or eager for launch day. Will they wind up ultimately pleasing or disappointing? That’s still way high up in the ether, but we can definitely say we’re anxious to find out if the promises of each game’s studio can be met. Without further ado, here are MMORPG.com’s Most Wanted MMOs of 2013.
5.) Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Of course, right? Who doesn’t want to find out if Square Enix can turn around the mega-disappointment that was the original launch of Final Fantasy XIV? The entire game has been overhauled from the ground up. Heck, they even took the time to add jumping, because Square knows how much we MMO gamers love to idly hop along the beaten path. When A Realm Reborn launches in just a couple of short months, you can bet we’ll be there with bells on writing a lengthy review of everything that’s been changed for the good or the bad.
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4.) ArcheAge
It’s still up in the air if XLGames’ ArcheAge will hit shelves in the US at the end of 2013 or the beginning of 2014, but we’d be lying if we said we didn’t hope for the former. Yes there are plenty of other AAA titles on deck for the remainder of the year, but none of them is ArcheAge. This open world sandbox where trees are planted and grown, buildings and fortresses brought up and torn down, and where players shape the way the world grows and evolves is just about the most interesting MMO to come out of Asia in a good long while. It’ll likely be both a crafter’s and a PVP-er’s dream, and we can’t wait to find out how it’s coming along at this year’s E3.
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3.) Elder Scrolls Online
No brainer. Good or bad, we’re all waiting to see what becomes of Zenimax’ Elder Scrolls Online. While there’s a skeptic for every devout fan, we’re pretty sure there will at least be a handful of things to love about ESO: the combat, the progression, the exploration, and the potential for the AvA come to mind. We’re likely only a few months away from a wider beta process, and an eventual release. The real question on our minds though is: what will the revenue model be?
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2.) WildStar Online
Personally, the next two are a tie for me. I’m a fan of both the sandbox ideals and a good solid theme park (even if the latter often has limited long term appeal for my habits). Carbine’s WildStar Online is a mix of both sandbox and theme park, though it certainly leans towards the latter. The tongue-in-cheek sci-fi fantasy setting reminds me of a hybrid between Firefly and Titan AE. The team behind the project has some of Vanilla WoW’s visionaries, along with developers from all over the industry trying to make a game that quite literally has something for everyone. The action-oriented combat, ambitious PVP Warplots, Housing, Path system, and so much more have all of our interests piqued. The only downside for me personally is the focus on raiding, but there seems to be plenty of other content on offer to keep a non-raider busy.
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1.) EverQuest Next
John Smedley’s been talking this one up for months now. SOE Live in August is when we’ll all get our hands on the project for the very first time, and see if Smed’s words that EQN will be the largest sandbox ever hold any amount of truth. SOE’s been on a roll lately with the success of Planetside 2, and we’re anxious to see if the company’s plans to change the MMO landscape with the EverQuest franchise can come to fruition. What’s more is that Smedley has also stated we won’t have to wait long after SOE to all get our hands on EQ Next. Could a fall release be right around the corner? Could we be building and telling our own tales in Norrath by Christmas? We really hope so, and we pray that our anticipation doesn’t falter when the game is fully unveiled at SOE Live.
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What about you? What games are you most looking forward to learning more about or playing in the rest of this year? Leave us your thoughts in the comments.
Bill Murphy / Bill Murphy is the Managing Editor of MMORPG.com, RTSGuru.com, and lover of all things gaming. He's been playing and writing about MMOs and geekery since 2002, and you can harass him and his views on Twitter @thebillmurphy.
- Read more of The List - Best MMOs of 2013... so far and The Worst MMOs of 2013... so far.
