Top 10 Best Free to Play MMOs of 2010
Another year is coming to a close. 2010 has been a great year for free to play gaming. We’ve seen the launch of dozens of high quality titles, and the conversion of previously pay to play MMORPGs to the free to play model. There are far too many to name here, but lets take a look at some of my favorites. This list will only include games that were released or were converted to F2P this year.
Now without further ado, here are MMOHut’s Favorite MMOs of 2010.
Developer: Relic Entertainment
Publisher: THQ
Like several other games that made this list, Company of Heroes Online didn’t technically come out in 2010. Its a slightly upgraded version of the WW2 themed real time strategy (RTS) game that originally released in 2006. The game earned great ratings here, but when THQ wanted to release the game in Asia they had to contend with the fact that practically every video game over there uses to f2p model. With the help of Shanda, an MMO version was tailored for the Asian audience. That MMO version received further updates and is now publicly available here in the USA. Like the Warhammer 40k RTS, Company of Heroes Online focuses more on getting straight to the action, and less on resource/building management. There’s still a pretty steep learning curve involved, especially when playing against other players. Luckily, the original single-player campaign missions are included which gives beginners a chance to train against the AI before facing off against veterans.
Developer: Flying Lab Software
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
Free to play games tend to be simple. They usually a very linear progression path, both in terms of geography and character development. For its depth alone, Pirates of the Burning Sea is a welcome addition to the F2P market. It started life as a subscription game, but made the switch on November 22, 2010. Set in the 18th century Caribbean, Pirates of the Burning Sea includes hand-to-hand swashbuckling combat and naval battles. But its most original feature is the deep, player-driven economy. The only game I’ve played that rivals PotBS in terms of economic depth is EVE Online. Anyone looking for an immersive MMORPG that they can invest months into should check out Pirates of the Burning Sea.
8. Genesis A.D
Developer: Queen’s Soft
Publisher: IJJI
IJJI publishes a lot of shooters, and Genesis A.D is their latest. Unlike their previous games, this isn’t a modern era tactical shooter. Genesis A.D has a sci-fi theme and a variety of original features like the ability to boost around on jet packs, and perform wall jumps. The guns are also futuristic which is a breath of fresh air. The interface and controls are very similar to those in Alliance of Valiant Arms. That makes this MMOFPS both easily accessible and original. That’s difficult to pull off in the crowded FPS genre.
Developer: Perfect World Entertainment
Publisher: Perfect World Entertainment
Perfect World released several games this year, and it has several in the pipeline that are currently in closed beta. Many of PWE’s games have been faulted for being too similar to one another, but that’s not the case with Battle of the Immortals. BOI plays like one of those old school action-RPGs with an isometric camera view. Its point-and-click, but combat is fast paced. Battle of the Immortals has a pretty linear progression path, and auto-navigation makes finding quests & monsters very easy. That makes the game casual-friendly, and very accessible. Some key features include instanced dungeons, an in-depth pet system, and a unique equipment system.
6. Iris Online
Developer: Eyasoft
Publisher: gPotato
Eyasoft is a prolific Korean MMORPG developer, and many of their games have hit US shores in 2010. The best of the bunch in my humble opinion is Iris Online. It’s a 3D fantasy MMORPG with anime inspired graphics, but with a slight twist. It has a Gypsy theme! Plenty of free MMORPGs have added monster transformation features, but Iris Online incorporates them in a more innovative way — through Tarot Cards! The game world will feel familiar to gaming veterans, but the Tarot card themed dungeons and other small touches help it feel a bit distinct. The game has three playable races, each with two base classes to chose from. The varied class and skill specialization features help make Iris Online a solid MMORPG that’s well worth checking out.
Developer: Astrum Nival
Publisher: gPotato
The graphic style and user interface in Allods Online is undoubtedly inspired by WoW, but the addition of steampunk elements, an original game world, and the overall high production value help it stand out from the typical f2p grindfest. Allods is developed by a Russian studio, and perhaps that explains the some of its uniqueness. The game has slower, but more steady pacing than most Asian developed games. Allods has two warring factions, but the action isn’t limited to terrestrial combat. Players can take to the air and fight it out on air ships. When the game was first launched in North America, it caused a scene with its cash shop. Most of those problems have been ironed out by successive patches, so anyone whose held off on the game should use their holiday downtime to give it a spin.
4. EverQuest 2: Extended
Developer: Sony Online Entertainment
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
in 2010 SOE has followed Turbine’s move into the free to play market. First with animated games like Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures, but most importantly, with a total f2p conversion of their EverQuest 2 title. EverQuest 2: Extended exists in parallel to the subscription based service which is still up and running. This arrangement means current subscribers are kept happy while a whole mass of new gamers are allowed to experience the world of Norrath with no up-front costs. EQ2 has years of development behind it, and is truly ‘massive.’ There’s a huge world to explore, plenty of races and classes to chose from, and deep character customization options to tinker with. Expect many other MMORPGs in SOE’s portfolio to make the F2P switch in 2011.
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Many of the games on this list are MMORPGs, but Need for Speed World didn’t make the list simply for diversity’s sake. It offers top-notch graphics comparable with what you’d find in retail games today. Its also easily accessible and is part of EA’s larger push into the free to play market. As a well known racing franchise, Need for Speed World has broad appeal, and gameplay that gamers of all ages are familiar with. It doesn’t have as many RPG elements as a game like Drift City, but it still has a large persistent-world city to explore combined with instanced races. Customize cars, race on urban tracks, and experience the future of PC gaming.
2. The Lord of the Rings Online
Developer: Turbine
Publisher: Turbine
With the success of Dungeons and Dragons Online F2P conversion, we here at MMOHut suspected that it was only a matter of time before many other subscription based games made the switch. Still, LOTRO was in much better shape than the distressed DDO. Turbine decided to make the switch purely to boost revenue, it wasn’t an act of desperation. Their second bet on F2P paid off and now The Lord of the Rings Online is more popular than ever. But LOTRO isn’t just notable for its p2p-f2p conversion, it also has the advantage of being tied to a very popular franchise. There’s a lot of lore to draw from, and Turbine has a done a great job making LOTRO more immersive and story-driven than most other MMORPGs.
1. Vindictus
Developer: Nexon
Publisher: Nexon
Vindictus was originally known as Mabinogi Heroes since it was set in the same Celtic themed world as Mabinogi. But the name change made sense since the two games are vastly different. Vindictus is powered by the Source engine and has high end graphics, realistic physics, and fast paced action oriented gameplay. The game has persistent world towns, but players head off into instanced adventures via longboat. Vindictus stands out both for its quality, and originality. Its a fun game and well worth checking out, especially for gamers looking for something different.
December 29, 2010
#
Vindictus wouldnt even be near my top 10 list.. Sure its pretty but it bores me to tears.
I also wouldnt even label LoTRO and EQ2:E as F2P considering the ridiculous limitations. I already put hundreds of dollars on LoTRO but they still expect me to fork out money again for content I already paid for 50x over. The only content I got to ” keep ” was 1-20 and what comes with the expansions I already had.
EQ2:E..Dont evenget me started on that. Its a complete ripoff.
Get some higher standards people. Please.
December 30, 2010
#1
Agree 1000%
January 12, 2011
#2
only good mmo’s to play are p2p .i spent $1500 on last chaos and it got me no where.the glitches to the hacking really put a damper on it to.so now i play conan online and i only pay $15 a month and its fun to play and easy to get hooked lol
December 31, 2010
#3
Whats ya top 10 List for 2010
December 31, 2010
#4
Agreed, although you forgot to mention physics for Vindictus.
March 8, 2011
#5
agree -10000%
March 8, 2011
#6
I disagree. Like KP above, I disagree a lot. I played Vindictus ever since it came out, and it is NOT boring. With all the different oaths and careers to choose from, and the missions getting updated every month, it is my favorite game.
December 29, 2010
#7
Vindictus is lame. The game has no depth. Simple iphone games have a higher replay value.
Graphics are awesome but that’s about it. Once you are over the graphics there is nothing else.
December 31, 2010
#8
man vindictus would be gud if it is out in asia-.-
January 14, 2011
#9
vindictus is out in asia the name is mabinogi heros they changed the name in america and eropue
December 31, 2010
#10
yeah yeah, Vindictus is all pretty and original.
but damn, the game gets boring quick.
playing in the same setting against similar monsters, similar bosses, and similar structure just doesn’t fly too well. It’d be a stretch for top 10, but definitely ain’t my first choice.
January 1, 2011
#11
how can you forget LOCO replace LOTRO with LOCO
January 4, 2011
#12
dude Vindictus is good…until u played all the classes and get bored…then its just another MMORPG…
January 5, 2011
#13
I like cheese and corn chips when im in my basement playing runescape
January 9, 2011
#14
runescapes alrite but i dont like runes as much as classes i like it tho it shouldent be on the top 10.
January 6, 2011
#15
i think vindictus can be 8. or .7 because vindctus dont havo lots of pvp and why there are no Runes of magic?? one of the most best mmorpgs?
January 6, 2011
#16
Vindictus was fun for awhile then i found out there was no pvp… mmo – the pvp= fail
January 7, 2011
#17
@Ridge I dont agree with u on pvp i dont play pvp ever on PC Too many Hackers that never get Caught ….Which ruin the Gameplay. And everyone else stop hating on games that went F2P be lucky they did or else we lose some good games forever.
January 8, 2011
#18
Vindictus has no pvp yet. It will have it in a few months sometime this year.
July 11, 2011
#19
thats not true, vindictus has had a pvp system, although very limited. Its restricted to 1v1 duels that you can engage in dungeons or on the boats with other players. and like YouMadBro said all mmo’s are repetitive. but at least vindictus unlike others has a realy story line and beses EVERYTHING in the game around that, you hadly have to do any grinding compared to other games. Sure the bosses may be a bit repetitive in the beginning levels but once you get to higher levels there are various raid bosses that make that game challenging
January 7, 2011
#20
i agree with most but a couple of things i think company of heroes shouldnt be number 10 and ithink lotro isnt that good but nice choices anyway
January 7, 2011
#21
Being once a PTP game, does Pirates of the Burning Sea have major restrictions for players that arn’t willing to pay, or is it fully free?
January 8, 2011
#22
Hey, Vindictus is doing pretty well, considering it IS a new game; it came out in August. If you look at the Korean videos of it, they do have a pvp system, but it’s not here in the West yet. Sure there’s a lot of grinding for now, but with all the new content coming, it looks extremely promising.
January 8, 2011
#23
Need for speed word IMO is a little old.
If you guys play any other need for speed, you should be able to compare the maps, music, cars and instances to the other Need For Speed games. The game play is half repetitive, and the new players always get owned by the high levels.
Police chase, for example, is exactly the same as the old need for speed games, the crashing, evading and hiding. Disconnection is another problem for a few people.
The damage output on your car isn’t good either. I tried ramming my car at 198 Kph into a building. all I got was a scratch. The game isn’t all that realistic either. You can’t crash into other players except in races and unless you crash into police cars, the ‘police’ won’t even care if you drive at 200 Kph past them.
My verdict: Just a PC version of a 2007 Need for speed game without the story.
January 8, 2011
#24
I would, however, put Alliance of Valiant Arms onto my list because of the realistic element and the graphics. I also like it how you can keep the weapons forever.
January 8, 2011
#25
Oh, and Genesis AD’s jumps may look cool, but in my opinion, they are fail. I jumped around for 1 game and I got 7 kills 0 deaths…
January 10, 2011
#26
Not much love for Vindictus! As someone who spent a good deal of my childhood smashing pots in various Zelda games, Vindictus has made my day. (Though I may be easily amused) =P
January 10, 2011
#27
Vindictus is good for free but if it was PTP it would have like 2 people playing it. Just be happy that these games are free! I mean you don’t get a game like Allods Online FTP normally do you? Morale: enjoy that there are EVEN FTP games in this world!
January 11, 2011
#28
Vindictus is so rad!
A lot of people bash it, but once everything the Korean version (Mabinogi Heroes) has comes to USA and Canada, I bet It will win 1st place again next year.
Nothing beats the hack-n-slash physics, kicking in an enemy’s rib cage, or grabbing almost ANYTHING and using it as a weapon.
January 12, 2011
#29
Vindictus nr1. Nobody could ever have guessed that. For some people Vindictus is a part of 2010. I dont really know if I want Vindictus on 1st, because Im european and my computer sucks. I do agree that LOTRO is on 2nd, because I really like the game
January 12, 2011
#30
Vidictus 1st place …i AGREE 100%..but… the shiity thing that are only Canadian and USA servers
i’m from Spain and i dowlandet it..i were so happy that i found a cool game that work on my computer..when i tried to log in it says “CAnnot logind to server” them i read on the website.and i saw its only for USA/Canada i were soo saad that day:(
January 12, 2011
#31
oh and plz seend me a mesage if victirus release on Europe..
and i’m Romanian and i live in Spain..sorry for the bad english
January 13, 2011
#32
this is 2011 games are real
January 13, 2011
#33
guys dont complain. EVERYONE has diffrent tastes in games. these just happen to be to more peoples liking. i LOVE MAPLESTORY, Battle of Immortals, and WoW (wish it was free
i need a job) but alot of people dont like maplestory. BUT!! DONT JUDGE MAPLESTORY ANYMORE untill you play the big bang patch. because it used to take like 100000 orange mushrooms for like 19-20 now its only like 100. seriously the EXP is really fast now. i think a little to fast but hey thats me.
January 14, 2011
#34
Meh, The exp is A LOT faster. But I’d rather do quests to gain EXP…
January 14, 2011
#35
Vindictus is a FANTASTIC game. Fast-paced and action-packed, interactive environment, gorgeous visuals and lots of customization options. Definitely the best MMO I’ve ever played, and I’ve played a LOT. It’s better than WoW, hands down.
January 14, 2011
#36
I LOL’d at this list. Where’s League of Legends ? It’s really a cool game. It isnt a Dota clone at all, its totally a new game. I am sure Lol is much better than some MMOs in this list. Moreover, why is Vindictus nr1 ? That game got me bored quickly with same combo over and over again. No pvp, getting tired with monsters.
January 15, 2011
#37
Allods shouldn’t even be in the list, CBT was amazing, but when they made the game turn from F2P to PAY TO WIN, it lost 70% of it’s playerbase and never got it back despite all those fake patches that they made to calm people down.
Many can argue that daily quests now give decent Cash shop items, but hey, that’s only good for low levels, get to level 42, try to raid and tell me if you can win without paying 20-30 bucks/month on the game.
Conclusion: If you can afford the Allods Cash Shop, go play WoW.
EQ2:E and LOTRO should also be removed from the list, i don’t even need to justify myself on this one.
Vindictus is a horrible game, they basically put every effort on graphics and sacrificed everything else, no wonder it is Free to play now.
Need for Speed World is also a rip off, 70% of the content is purely useless, why the hell did they make some big ass city when there’s nothing to do in it ?
Company of Heroes Online copy pasted Age of Empires Interface and style, doesn’t even deserve respect.
Add Leagues of Legend, MapleStory, and some other games that actually are successful and no cash trap in them.
January 16, 2011
#38
Dude Stop Bashing Games…..Thats all u did in your Post. Go back to playing YOUR Games and Stop Bashing Other People Games and Be More Greatful for The Games that Were P2P and That Are Now F2P. Be lucky they did that or we would lose so great games.
January 16, 2011
#39
dude no mapetory???
i get other games but no maple?
btw ur website is awsome
January 16, 2011
#40
MapleStory was not released in 2010. It was released YEARS ago. This list is ONLY for games RELEASED in 2010.
January 16, 2011
#41
WOOT! Vindictus my FAVORITE game/MMO of all time made it to Number 1! why the hate on vindictus? cause you suck at playing? LOL@that, this game has great gameplay, great graphics, the PvP Oh you so mad about will be here so CHILLOUT & stop B*tching about one little thing -.-, the combos and attacks/skills are sooo smooth i agree with this 100%…all but Burning sea Gensis A.D <.<…theres Jade Dynasty Vengeance for one & requiem memento mori….Other then that i agree 100%
January 16, 2011
#42
Lol the game is out for like 3-4 months and you all jumped on how lame is Vindictus… See you in 1-2 years when they finish all that is in their heads to add 2 the game and when you hurry to click that big DOWNLOAD button on their website
January 16, 2011
#43
10. CoH
-I thinks it took a lot of courage to put the game f2p. I played it online even before they have putted it as a f2p game, and really it’s a game that requires a lot of tactical knowlage… And as it is really realistic, you can use that as an advantage
9.PotBS
-never played it so won’t comment
8.Genesis A.D.
-you have a thousand ways to bug the system and make like 10 kills, 1 death… And not even a pro
7.BOTI
-I’m planning on testing it, my friend played it and he said that no mmo player should try it out… I’m guessing it’s a great game
6.Iris online
-Don’t really like anime mmo so won’t comment
5.Allods online
-Russia invested i think 12,000,000 dollars into the game, and congrats for that ^_^, and I really liked the beginning, but I am looking for something different, so it’s a no for me, but yet again, it is a really good game… if you miss it you will regret it
4.EQ2
-First part is always better than the others
3.NFS:W
-I was surprised when i saw the game on the list, but then when i gave it a thought, i saw that it really does deserve 3rd place… I mean it’s EA made a F2P NFS online game… Really unexpected… BUT… The city is some kind of combination of most wanted and carbon… I understand why ppl can’t hit each other, except when racing (cars would fly everywhere), the police system is HORRIBLE, but who knows, EA is a famous company, maybe they will improve things
2.LOTRO
not really my type, but it is really popular, so it can’t be that bad
1.Vindictus
-NOT LIKE WOW (a huge plus), I am lvl 36 and still love the game… I am aware that it doesn’t have pvp, but the korean version does so it’s only a matter of time before they add it. The game is still young (like 3-4 months), so a LOT of stuff is to be added. In a year or 2 everyone will run to their computers clicking that DOWNLOAD button on Vindictus webiste
January 25, 2011
#44
this is a pretty shitty ass bunch of mmo’s
I agree with 1 & 10
but can you call an extended version a new mmo? 4 = major fail!!
January 29, 2011
#45
Next first list : Dragon Nest
January 29, 2011
#46
just recently trying to get back into mmos, due to certain other franchises neglecting the pc community, and must say, your site has helped a lot. I def. keep in mind this is all subjective (what kind of review isn’t?), but seeing the first looks, at least reading about the facts (xp speed, customization etc.) is great.
regarding this list, been playing vindictus for a bit, and just started iris online. those who are bashing vindictus, I def. see your point, but the others have a point too…it JUST came out, and the content released in korea is well beyond what they’ve sent over here. and everything they released overthere will come in due time. and like someone said, as a childhood zelda fanatic, it’s a good throwback XD
February 13, 2011
#47
Company of Heroes is not even FREE TO PLAY. It is on its open beta phase right now and will shut down at 31 march. It was just temporarly availble.
February 27, 2011
#48
To all the haters that say Vindictus, LOTRO and other games suck i have one thing to say to you. GO F*CK YOURSELVES.You think making mmo’s is easy work?! If you do, THEN GO MAKE YOUR OWN GAMES AND SEE IF SOMEWONE WILL PLAY THEM!(I DOUBT IT..) SO INSTEAD OF BASHING GAMES SHUT THE F’*K UP AND PLAY SOMETHING ELSE I HATE PEOPLE LIKE YOU.Have a nice day
XD
March 7, 2011
#49
okay first thing vindictus sucks ass and shouldnt even be on this list, might be fun in beginning and might have good graphics but gameplay is repetive and it gets old very quick and KAT nothing is better than WoW only thing that comes close to WoW is Warhammer online if you werent so broke and actually could pay for WoW you wouldnt say that. I bet your like that fat dude from Southpark in WoW episode and thats why your still a virgin and the closest thing to sex that you had was when you were taking a shit and your finger slipped yhrough the toilet paper when you were wiping your ass and Allods is a bad copy of WoW.
March 11, 2011
#50
all i can say is,i guess i reached the age that most games are for little kids now..with their content being cheap and to eazy,or am just to good or just too Old dont know..but all these games i would have to say should not be on this list..
i played 10000′s of free mmo’s and most of the p2p ones i think most by now played wow p2p or on the free servers but so far i would have to say,the game is boring and pvp is be a mage or priest or dont Qup…lol but its combat and movement was the best i have seen in any game and it was made in what 05?
as for FPS the list is just as long and again most are so crusty should not be on the list cause the whole 500 people who play most them,should not have the right to vote…Battlefeild and COD by far have been the best fps titles in history and you have to buy the box and free play all day..
i still have not came across a free game MMO or fps thats not a POS. and i cant belive that most these games have a fan base..if they do,were?
March 19, 2011
#51
Wow Vindictus is getting bashed a bit isn’t it? I think it’s absolutely amazing for an F2P game and is really fun. Though it can get a bit repetitive, all the new content coming will make it just that much better. Also..where is Atlantica Online? That game is probably my all time favorite MMORPG. Though I don’t play MMO’s anymore, if I were to go back to them, I’d go back to AO for sure. I’d probably kick LOTRO off the list and plug in AO either there or in #1
. LOTRO was fun for a bit, then it became tiresome and more of a chore to play than anything.
March 26, 2011
#52
All the haters for vindictus keep parroting one thing; “it gets repetitive”. Oh really FOOL?! All MMORPGs get repetitive. Level up, get gear, PVP or PK. That’s all there is to mmorpgs. Vindictus is no different. Sounds like some of you need to take your heads out of your arses and evaluate the game for what it is; a fast-paced hack and slash online game with high end graphics (for a free game) with quality physics. No, PVP is not in the NA version yet but the game hasn’t even been out a year and you rail on it as if it’s a game some kid coded in his basement in flash. Grow up! Unless you can personally do something better, just shut up. No one forces you to play Vindictus and hating on it just because you figure you’re so “cool” by doing it proves that you only have a narrow mind. Vindictus is great for some, not so great for others but by no means is it garbage. It stands out as one of the highest quality F2P mmos available at this current time. Just cause it isn’t your WoW with all your phat l00t and night elves does not quantify your “it’s crap” argument in any way. Deal with it.
April 12, 2011
#53
Some people don’t realize that this is a list of games that came in 2010. If you know better games that have been published in 2010 than those in the list than name them or STFU.
April 12, 2011
#54
Truth ^
April 24, 2011
#55
i’ve been thinking about playing vindictus, but i’m not sure if it’s worth it, and the game videos don’t show much, could someone direct me to somewhere with alot of information on it?
July 1, 2011
#56
I don’t mind Vindictus not having PVP. The thing I hate most about PVP is the fact that there are so many whiners complaining about how one class is overpowered or whatnot. Right now the Korean version has PVP, but I swear that once NA version gets it, the forums will turn into a board of complaints.
January 23, 2012
#57
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