2) Ultima Online
To this day, Ultima Online is still regarded as one of the greatest achievements in gaming history. While EverQuest got a lot of the glory for taking the genre mainstream and had the fancy 3D graphics, UO is the true granddaddy of our beloved genre. For those unaware, Ultima pioneered the art of freeform game design and sandbox gameplay. It allowed its players to do and be whatever they wanted, murder whoever they wanted, and leave their mark on the world.
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Essentially, take Darkfall, make it an old-school 2D isometric game with more stability, balance, and fun, and you have Ultima Online when it was in its prime. Its isometric visuals are probably foreign to a lot of modern gamers that have grown up staring at their avatar’s backs, but this is the real gold standard of hardcore gameplay. Over 15 years later and the game is still running strong, albeit in a quite different state as compared to its peak in the early days.
1) EVE Online
Now, all this praise for older games aside, if you’re looking for the ultimate hardcore MMO experience in today’s world, look no further than EVE Online. This game truly defines what it means to be a hardcore, epic, sandbox MMO experience. Make no mistake – this game is far from being a game for everyone. In fact, I am positive that the developers and players pride themselves on their membership in an elite club of people that share a common desire to make each other’s lives as miserable as possible, but have fun while doing so.
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If you’re unaware, EVE Online is often the focus of many internet stories, ranging from criminal masterminds embezzling funds to thousands of people engaging in all-out war simultaneously. The real beauty of EVE isn’t just in the fact that it’s a near entirely player-driven ecosystem, but the dedication that the community shows for the game. In-game politics rival some of the better political dramas on television and the game has a rich background of conflict over the years. If you’re even passively interested in sci-fi or hardcore sandbox gaming, you owe it to yourself to give EVE a try. You’ll probably get destroyed and rage quit the game, but you might find a thrill unlike anything you’ve experienced before.
Conclusion
Fundamentally, we have experienced an overt transition in what the MMO gaming community as a whole desires in a game. Back during the days of Ultima and early EverQuest, MMOs were roleplaying games first and foremost. They were intense, hardcore, and immersive experiences where you interacted with others – this has largely changed nowadays. Instead of encouraging player interaction in a brutal world, the multiplayer is slowly seeping out of our MMOs with each new release. If you still seek the excitement of playing a great hardcore MMO, then there are still some great options here on this list!
