I remember when The Elder Scrolls Online was announced and how excited the prospect of multiplayer-Skyrim made me. Back then I was just starting my career in games journalism, working for a podcast network that produced a Skyrim-turned-ESO podcast, and while my MMO experience then was lacking compared to some of my friends, I did spend a ton of time in single-player worlds.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is my favorite single-player RPG to this day, as it was incredibly transformative for me growing up, but there are others that stick out as well. Fable 2, TESIV: Oblivion, Baldur's Gate 2 and others really solidified the RPG genre as one of my favorites as a teen and young adult. The Lord of the Rings Online changed my view of multiplayer games, even after years of RuneScape and watching my friends succumb to World of Warcraft-addiction.
I've often fantasized about the next great single-player RPG world to get the MMORPG treatment, as well as wondered what form it might take. One game I would to see is a Fable Online, where players can influence the outcome of stories based on the choices they make, as well as choose which side of the good/evil coin they fall on at a moments notice. Star Wars: The Old Republic would be a good benchmark for this system in an MMO, but I'd love to explore the world of Albion (pre-Fable 3) with my friends, taking on quests and buying up all of Bowerstone's homes and businesses.
What about you? Is there a single player RPG world or franchise you'd love see get the same kind of treatment The Elder Scrolls did? Let us know in the comments below.
