Do you spend most of your time in MMOs camping for rare mounts or picking up old school transmog items? If so, you’d probably fall into the category of completionist.
MMORPGs are the ideal game genre for collectors and completionists, as the majority of them come packed to the brim with additional game elements like cool armor and weapons, mounts and pets, and achievements, too. Some MMOs are simply better than others when it comes to scratching the completionist itch, though.
Below, you’ll find the 5 best MMOs to play if you’re a completionist, ranked in no particular order. This list is based purely off of how much content there is for collectors and how good that content is - not how high quality the overall game is.
Rift
Rift might not be everyone’s first thought when it comes to completionist content in MMOs, but this free-to-play fantasy title has a wide variety of interesting mounts and a very comprehensive transmog system, too.
While there might not be as many mounts in Rift as in other titles like Final Fantasy XIV or World of Warcraft, for example, there are still many interesting models and color variations for players to pick from. Models include giant squirrels and spiders, huge celestial mechs and four-legged sharks, and even different kinds of dinosaurs.
There are plenty of ways to obtain mounts, too. You can buy them or earn them by completing in-game events or quests. There’s also an in-game shop if that’s your vibe.
The Wardrobe feature in Rift is essentially an automatic transmog collection system. Items are collected and added automatically when picked up, and players can decide to change the appearance of their character’s armor or costume at any time by using the Wardrobe.
Rift also has a mountain of Artifacts dotted throughout the world, which can be combined and turned into collections, then turned over to vendors for rewards. It can get a little grindy in places, but it is fun to hunt Artifacts as a completionist.
Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 has an interesting mount collection system focusing on collecting mount skins instead of mount models. There are a set amount of mount models (including jackals and raptors) and a wide range of mount skins.
There are also additional mount-related skills and pieces of equipment that can be unlocked.
Mount skins are purchased through the in-game Gem Store. The majority of GW2 mount skins can be dyed, meaning that players can change their main color schemes. If you’ve never played GW2 before, the Gem Store is a microtransaction store. Farming up Gold to exchange for Gems is possible if you don’t want to spend real money.
It’s not all microtransactions, either. Unlocking the mount models requires some time investment and for players to complete set pieces of content, making them fun targets for completionists and achievement hunters.
GW2 also has a decent transmogrification system. The system works similarly to the mounts mentioned above, with skins and dyes. You can access this through the Wardrobe function, and it’s worth looking at. As with the mount skins, there are plenty of paid skins for armor but many other ways to get cool armor, like achievements.
The Gem Store may be off-putting for players who don’t like microtransactions, but it’s worth looking at if you’re willing to grind out gold. Some of the armor designs and mount skins are incredibly cool.
Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV has a huge collectors community - and with good reason.
FFXIV has a gorgeous array of mounts and armor sets. There are tons of mounts to pick up, which can be obtained through a number of means, such as PVP or in-game events. The models all look and feel unique.
The Glamour system in the game allows players to change the appearance of their armor without changing the stats. The armor designs in FFXIV are beautiful and come in a wide variety of styles, and they often look a lot higher quality than the gear in other completionist-friendly MMO titles.
Achievement hunting in FFXIV is popular with some players, but not all. Most diehard completionists will enjoy trying to obtain all the in-game achievements (there are a lot of them), but some may find them a little too repetitive after a while.
The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online has some fun options for collectors, especially for those who like games with player housing.
Interestingly, mount collection isn’t much of a thing in The Elder Scrolls Online, especially if you want to play without spending real money. Some mounts can be obtained in the game, and others are purchased through the store with Crowns.
One of the best things for collectors in this game is Motifs. Motifs are collectibles that allow players to craft items in specific styles. Some of them are rarer than others, with sources ranging from quest unlocks to specific treasure chests.
Pets and furnishings for player houses are equally popular with the collector community. Furnishings are particularly interesting, as they add a real sense of personality to a player’s house and can also be used to show off achievements that have been earned during play.
World of Warcraft
Last but certainly not least, World of Warcraft is an absolute dream to play as a collector.
While some of the newer items can feel out of reach for players who purely focus on collecting things and ignore other forms of content (like raiding or PVP), there’s plenty to check out as a solo player who wants to pad out their mount stable and achievement roster.
The recent introduction of Dragonriding into WoW with the Dragonflight expansion made riding mounts much more fun and dynamic. There are tons of mounts to collect in the game, with sources ranging from tricky raids or battleground achievements to costly vendors or mind-numbing reputation grinds.
Some MMORPG players enjoy chasing mounts with long respawn timers or extreme costs. If you fall into that niche and haven’t tried World of Warcraft, you’re missing out.
While WoW has its issues, it has a comprehensive transmog system, a Pokémon-esque battle pet system, countless mounts, and plenty of other collectibles like toys, titles, and recipes, too.
There are also lots of intricate, community-sourced add-ons that make collecting and rare-hunting in World of Warcraft much more fun.
Final Thoughts
The completionist niche in the wider MMORPG community seems to be growing every year. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, finding an ultra rare spawn after days of camping or picking up the final piece for a transmog set can be an absolute joy as an MMO player.
If you’re a fan of any of the games listed above, why not check the others out? Lots of modern MMOs offer free trials so you can get a taste of the content and it’s worth doing so. Just remember to cancel your free trial before it’s over if you’re not keen on the game.
