RPGs that are practically MMOs in disguise

MMOs have fallen out of favor a bit because the 2000s and early 2010s were full of them. Now there are only a handful, like Final Fantasy 14 and World of Warcraft. The idea of ​​MMOs has evolved into live service experiences such as Destiny 2 and Tom Clancy's The Division. There are even some single player games that are MMO-like in quality.

They can have giant open worlds, similar quest structures, a character creator, and even autoplay battles. For anyone looking to get a feel for an MMO, but not invest in a membership, here are some games to check out that players might not even know were MMO-like. Live service games will be left off the table as they are not properly disguised, more like an evolved form, as previously mentioned.

An endless, cold Quest

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has everything an MMO fan wants, minus the multiplayer aspect. They can craft their character and level them up through a staggering array of skill trees, from magical gifts to melee boosts.

While there is plenty of handcrafted content between the main and side quests, there are also some randomly generated quests to make it feel like an eternal game. The sheer scale of the open world should keep players busy, no matter what version of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim they pick up.

Borderlands 4

A non-live looter Shooter

Borderlands 4as the latest addition to Borderlands franchise, changed some things to make it feel like a fresher game. As always, players can explore the world alone, which is now more open than ever before, or they can group up with three other players online.

There is no hub area where players can interact with others, similar to a live service game that Fate 2, which is perhaps the biggest competitor to Borderlands in the looter shooter genre. This can be seen as a positive set Borderlands 4 apart, along with the four classes, which have three branching paths each, the open world design, the wild variety of weapons and the simple design of the fetch missions.

Final Fantasy 12

Learning from MMOs

Final Fantasy 11 was an MMO that featured traditional real-time automated battles, and Final Fantasy 12 was the direct game that followed it. The combat is mostly the same as players, in their party of three, can face monsters in the world and engage them in real time.

However, there are some slight variations as players can choose to pause the game and issue commands, or they can set Gambits in Final Fantasy 12. They are much like a command system that characters will follow automatically if they meet certain conditions. The world isn't seamless, but the areas are large and filled with tons of treasure and monsters, and most side content follows the design philosophy of fetch quests and bounty boards to get the best stuff.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic

Jedi vs Sith

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of the best RPGs BioWare has ever made, and it's also just amazing Star Wars game. The game follows the typical BioWare formula, where players will progress through the story and make small decisions along the way to make their character good, evil, or somewhere in between.

Combat is similar Final Fantasy 12minus the Gambits, and the areas players can explore are much smaller than in an MMO. On the plus side, players can visit a large number of planets to make it feel like a bigger adventure with their growing company of companions.

Monster Hunter Wilds

Keep collaborations live

Mmonster Hunter Wildsand Monster Hunter franchise overall, are meant to be played with others online. While previous entries and this latest are not considered live service games, Capcom does a decent job of releasing updates such as adding new monsters or collaborations with other properties such as Final Fantasy.

The main missions are linear, but there is a whole bounty board of missions that players can replay to grind for specific materials needed to improve their characters with new gear. In the postgame, players can transform their outfits and show them off in the various villages, which are populated by others online, but the world will lack players unless the players specifically group up with three others.

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Building Sci-Fi Momentum

All four matches in Xenoblade Chronicles franchise features MMO-like battles that have characters fight automatically while players wait to use abilities on cooldowns. Xenoblade Chronicles X feels most appropriate to compare to an MMO as it is the only one that allows players to create their character and offers multiplayer.

The world is seamless to explore, and the quest system is very simple without many compelling stories to follow. It's also hard to get the best content, like in an MMO, because players have to spend about twenty hours to unlock their mount in the form of a mech called a Skell. Once unlocked, the game will change significantly from a good RPG to a great one, but it can be daunting for some to stick with.

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning

World Of Warcraft's action-based spiritual spinoff

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was released as the starter game in what was planned to lead to an MMO. Given the shape of the world, dialogue trees, and quest system, this made sense, along with the overall design looking like it was inspired by the king of all MMOs, World of Warcraft.

Plans for the MMO fell through, but thankfully, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is good as a stand-alone game, where the combat is the best feature. It's an action RPG where players can equip a wide variety of weapons and skills, each of which will drastically change gameplay, making every encounter feel refreshing.

Dragon's Dogma 2

Collect peasants

Dragon's Dogma 2 has some MMO qualities, even though it is an action game. There is no group-based multiplayer, but players can design their main character along with their sidekick, who is called a pawn. Players can then share their pawn online to create and find a party, and sometimes they can get lucky and find a very powerful pawn for hire.

Players are free to explore the world, which is huge but more challenging than most, as enemies are strong and often come in large numbers. There isn't much in the way of a compelling story or quirky NPCs, as this game is more about getting lost in the game.