When it comes to dedicated MMORPG players, mobile is often considered a dirty word, especially among gamers in Western societies. Most strictly mobile MMORPGs are typically shunned by certain communities, and good luck discussing a mobile game on r/MMORPG without being downvoted to oblivion. With such strong disdain towards the sub-genre, is it possible that mobile MMORPGs will ever find their place among their PC brethren?
In order to properly answer the question, it’s important to identify current problems with mobile MMORPGs. There are nearly countless to choose from and they mostly follow the same formula, which is part of the issue but also makes diagnosing it that much easier.
The Problem
If I search for ‘MMORPG’ on Google Play, dozens upon dozens of games pop up. Of course, there are lots of copycats with generic titles, such as Starfall Fantasy, but there are plenty of games from beloved franchises to choose from as well like Ragnarok Online, Lineage, MapleStory, Perfect World, Ys, Mu Origin, and even Ni No Kuni.
This is where the problem begins. Even the MMORPGs from the aforementioned legacy titles are nearly indistinguishable from the generic ones. The same foundation and gameplay formulas are reused by a handful of companies with a different coat of paint for each IP. Sure, you’ll have sprites of some recognizable characters and there might be a unique mechanic or two, but the gameplay loop hardly changes.
Of course, it could be argued that most MMORPGs, regardless of platform, utilize the same gameplay loop; create a character, follow the main story quest or grind for about a hundred levels then do dungeons, raids, and other ‘endgame’ dailies/weeklies until the next major patch or expansion comes out to start it all over again. There are, however, a couple of major differences.
The first key difference is that playing MMORPGs on PC, or even console, is more fun than on mobile. While fun is inherently subjective, there is objectively more diversity when it comes to things like combat or control schemes on PC MMORPGs. Nearly all mobile MMORPGs have a couple of slightly different movement or camera options and boil down to tapping the attack and/or skill buttons (usually located in the bottom right or left corners). On its own, this isn’t inherently a bad way to play games, but when there are 100 MMORPGs that follow a similar formula with nearly identical combat and control schemes then things get derivative rather quickly.
The second major issue tends to be the one that gets mobile MMORPGs instantly branded as inferior, which is that they usually just play themselves. In nearly all mobile MMORPGs, players can simply click on the current quest and their character will walk exactly where they need to go. Some games take that even further and continue the quest chain on their own until there’s a cutscene, dialogue choice or something else that stops the action. Most also include auto-battle features that will kill quest enemies or allow the character to grind until they run out of stamina, potions, or some other arbitrary item that needs to be stocked up on. Regardless of what system any particular game chooses to uses, the idea of not playing the game you’re supposed to be playing is somewhat insulting to a lot of MMORPG players.
To add insult to injury, these games are often filled to the brim with microtransactions and in-game mini-events in order to extract as much money and time from potential players as possible. Then, once the game has become less profitable, they’re either put on life support or shutdown altogether.
The Exception
On a positive note, there are a few that can be considered the best mobile MMORPGs available to be played on mobile devices, but don’t really help the reputation of the mobile sub-genre. A handful of PC MMORPGs have been ported to mobile, which allows players to access their accounts and progress on the go.
The most popular of these games are RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, but Albion Online also released a mobile client a few years after its PC version launched. While RuneScape is well-suited for mobile devices, mainly due to its point-to-click gameplay and grindy nature, Albion Online can struggle in certain situations due to the more skill-intense combat system and large-scale battles that require a lot of processing power and a stable internet connection.
That being said, I know people who play all of these games entirely on mobile devices despite any minor disadvantages that might bring them. The key takeaway, however, is that these games demonstrate how mobile devices can support full-fledged MMORPGs that don’t exist simply to be auto-questing, lootbox machines.
The Solution
I’ve personally played a lot of mobile MMORPGs and keep hoping that one will turn the tide. The biggest letdown by far was Lineage 2: Revolution. Previously, I felt that mobile might be a good medium to recreate portable versions of older PC MMORPGs, such as Lineage and Lineage II. Unfortunately, Lineage 2: Revolution was nothing like the original and once again followed the cookie-cutter, auto-quest/battle formula that the genre is known for. Since then, I have mostly given up on being impressed with anything coming out strictly for mobile devices.
That being said, there is hope. There have been a handful of excellent hybrid MMORPGs and MMO-lite titles developed with Mobile, PC, and even Console in mind. One of the best mobile games to come out in recent years is definitely Genshin Impact.
Its beautiful graphics, deep story, and massive open world blow most other mobile games out of the water. While the monetary system is questionable, it also isn’t necessary to spend any real money unless you really want a specific character, which won’t be required to complete any of the main content. That being said, the online content is limited to 4-player co-op, but it is crossplay between Android, iOS, PlayStation, and PC, which is an impressive feat on its own.
There are also other solid, albeit less epic, MMORPGs that have been developed for mobile and PC simultaneously without succumbing to the mobile tropes. For example, AdventureQuest 3D has modernized the old 2D browser RPG AdventureQuest and Tales of Yore is a charming pixel 2D MMORPG that is currently in early access with no pay-to-win mechanics.
Despite the limited options for a truly great mobile MMORPG experience at the moment, the positive examples show that it’s not the platform at fault. While mobile devices might have some limitations in regards to control schemes and raw power, although this is quickly becoming less of an issue, the real problem is the mindset of developers who are going for the quick cash grab instead of an immersive experience. Once developers stop treating mobile like a cash cow and more like a creative medium, it’s entirely possible that MMORPG players will start to take it seriously as well.
