Your Ultimate Guide to Today's MMOs on Smartphones

Your Ultimate Guide to Today’s MMOs on Smartphones

MMOs can be one of the greatest genres you’ll ever play if you enjoy time-intensive games that you have to commit to a little. Playing an MMO on your mobile device can be a great way of maintaining progress on your in-game characters. It will also give you something else to focus on when you’re waiting around somewhere with time to kill.

There are plenty of mobile MMO games that are well worth playing. Let’s take a look at seven of the best.

1. Black Desert Mobile

A Korean fantasy MMO with heavy sandbox elements, Black Desert Mobile allows you to keep up with your journey across the world. Black Desert Online (the name of the ‘main’ version of the game) features in-depth character creation, impressive combat mechanics, and plenty of activities.

While the main version of Black Desert features much more active combat and skilling, you’ll find a lot of activities in the mobile version can be automated. The mobile version suits players who lead busy lifestyles but are interested in an expansive MMO that caters to lots of different play styles.

Download: Black Desert Mobile for iOS |Android (Free, in-app purchases)

2. Hero of Aetheric

Hero of Aetheric is a 2D MMORPG that leans on classic RPG games, with turn-based combat combining weapons and skills. If you’re a fan of older MMOs then you will likely find Hero of Aetheric to be a great title with lots of replayability.

Unlike a lot of the other mobile MMOs, Hero of Aetheric was designed with mobile in mind first, so you won’t have to worry about any features being missing on the mobile experience.

Download: Hero of Aethric for iOS |Android (Free, in-app purchases)

3. Albion Online

If you prefer your MMO games to be more fantasy-medieval based, then Albion Online is a great pick for you. You’ve got the usual PVP and PVE activities to do as well as a lot of “life skilling” activities such as fishing, crafting, farming, and animal breeding.

Despite being quite a dated MMO, Albion Online has maintained a consistent, steady player base that remain as engaged as they were when the game was released. The mobile is crossplayed to the PC version, with pretty much exactly the same functionality between the platforms.

Download: Albion Online for iOS |Android (Free, in-app purchases)

4. Diablo Immortal

While surrounded by a fair amount of controversy throughout its release over its microtransactions, Diablo Immortal has proven to be a popular mobile MMO with a surprising amount of content offered to players for free.

If you play Diablo Immortal without any expectation of competing without spending real-world money, you’ll likely find the experience visually pleasing and engaging enough to play for a while. If you want an authentically progressive experience without spending money, you may run into some trouble, as the game is still by all accounts fairly cash-grabby.

Download: Diablo Immortal for iOS |Android (Free, in-app purchases)

5. Lineage 2: Revolution

Lineage 2: Revolution is packed full of content, with the choice of different play styles that match your gaming preferences. With the different classes that the game offers, you can enjoy multiple playthroughs, giving the game a lot of replayability.

The community praised the mobile version for being an authentic port and one that players can still have a full experience on. An underrated MMO that has a more niche player base, Lineage 2 is a great choice for gamers who are interested in MMOs with a fantasy setting.

Download: Lineage 2 for iOS |Android (Free, in-app purchases)

6. SimpleMMO

If you’re less interested in flashy graphics, comprehensive combat mechanics, and a well-thought-out crafting system, SimpleMMO may disappoint you. If you just want to play a text-based MMO game reminiscent of titles from the earlier days of gaming, then SimpleMMO is perfect.

A lightweight experience where you’ll never need to worry about specs, you can expect a simpler MMO experience that passes the time throughout the day while you’re killing time. The mobile version of the game bases the activities you can do on an energy level, so bare that in mind if energy-level type mobile games tend to put you off. Microtransactions are plentiful and there is an argument to be made that the game is quite pay-to-win.

Download: SimpleMMO for iOS |Android (Free, in-app purchases)

7. RuneScape/ Old School RuneScape

A better example of a mobile version of a popular MMO game, RuneScape is one of the oldest MMO games around. Whether it’s the RuneScape 3 version or the Old School version, you can enjoy an immersive experience in the world of Gielinor without the need for microtranscations.

You will have to pay the members fee to unlock the full world and activities you can do, but it has a reasonable price tag and will appeal to PVP, PVE, and non-combat MMO players. RuneScape has more turn-based combat, but there is plenty to do. If you’re a gamer who simply wants something to play for the long term and isn’t as bothered about combat, you’ll enjoy the charming experience both versions of RuneScape have to offer.

Download: Old School RuneScape for iOS |Android (Free, subscription available)

Download: RuneScape for iOS |Android (Free, subscription available)

MMO Games: An Overview

MMO games have long been a popular genre, flittering in and out of the mainstream across the years. Perfect for gamers who prefer a longer-term commitment to their gaming experiences, MMOs can have beautiful, drawn-out worlds with intricate, skill-requiring combat systems.

The topic of what MMOs are and how they have changed is an interesting one for any gamer, even if you don’t play MMO titles yourself. Their changes over the years have led to a focus on intricate crafting, life skilling, and combat systems with beautiful visuals as a prerequisite. The MMOs of today are a far cry from the text-based MUD games of old, but are still just as fun.

Enjoy MMO Games From Anywhere

MMO games offer an expansive, constantly progressing experience that goes beyond the traditional 10-20 hour mark of most mainstream AAA titles. When choosing an MMO to play, you’re essentially committing to a long-haul project with nearly endless content. So long as the MMO you choose has a consistent player base and no signs of shutting down, you’ll have a great, interactive gaming experience that other genres can’t quite match.

A mobile MMO may initially be off-putting due to the smaller screen and the tendency from developers to litter mobile games with microtransactions. While microtransactions and restricted content are a big part of mobile games and mobile versions of games on PC, there are still plenty of mobile MMO titles for you to enjoy from anywhere.

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