Category: Reviews

Spiral Knights

Spiral Knights is a 3D, top-down action MMORPG that blends hack-and-slash combat with light puzzle rooms and a strong focus on cooperative dungeon runs. It plays a bit like a Diablo-style ARPG filtered through the dungeon sensibilities of classic Zelda, and it is available both as a standalone client and as a browser-based Java game.

Publisher: Sega
Playerbase: Medium
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: April 4, 2011 (NA/EU)
PvP: Arena
Pros: +Distinctive visual style. +Strong dungeon layouts. +Clever action RPG and puzzle pairing. +Robust crafting and upgrades.
Cons: -Progression can feel slow and guided. -Monetization can create advantages. -Overall world scope is compact.

FreeStyle 2: Street Basketball

FreeStyle 2: Street Basketball is a stylish 3D basketball MMO that blends arcade sports with light RPG progression. As the follow-up to FreeStyle: Street Basketball, it keeps the quick half-court format and adds more polish, more ways to build a character, and a stronger focus on skills and customization.

Publisher: GameKiss
Playerbase: Medium
Type: Basketball MMO
Release Date: June 20, 2014 (NA/EU)
Pros: +Deep character styling options. +Large pool of learnable skills. +Outfits are permanent purchases. +Strong soundtrack and overall audio vibe. +Frequent, rewarding events.
Cons: -Limited selection of modes. -Cash shop advantages exist. -Placement matches required before teaming up with friends.

Grand Fantasia

Grand Fantasia is a 3D, anime-styled fantasy MMORPG known for its colorful presentation and straightforward questing. Its defining hook is the Sprite companion system, a set of tiny helpers that can forage materials and craft equipment, taking much of the usual gathering and production busywork off the player’s shoulders.

Publisher: Aeria Games
Playerbase: Medium
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: Dec 1, 2009 (NA/EU)
PvP: Duels, Arenas, Sprite Arenas
Pros: +Excellent Sprite companion and crafting loop. +Questing content is plentiful. +Mount selection is surprisingly broad. +Strong spread of class paths.
Cons: -Visuals show their age. -Familiar anime fantasy setting and tone.

Auto Battle

Auto Battle is a free-to-play mobile MMORPG built around an idle, auto-combat loop. Your character continuously clears enemies in repeatable dungeon runs for experience and drops, while your main input is deciding when to challenge the stage boss to push into the next zone. It is essentially a progression and loot-management game first, with MMO-style systems layered on top.

Developer: Playcomet
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: December 15, 2014
Shut Down: 2016
Platforms: Android, iOS, Amazon
Pros: +Satisfying crafting and gear progression. +Plenty to grind and unlock. +A constant stream of items and materials.
Cons: -Monetization can skew PvP balance. -Limited combat visuals and feedback. -Performance slows noticeably in later progression. -Only three class options.

Auto Battle Shut Down in 2016

Cyphers

Cyphers is a 3D, third-person MOBA-style MMO built around quick, action-heavy matches. Two teams clash across lanes, breaking through towers and defensive barricades on the way to the opposing base, where destroying the main structure seals the win.

Publisher: Nexon
Type: MOBA / AOS
Release Date: May 2011 (Korean CB)
Pros: +A distinctive spin on the MOBA formula. +A deep roster of playable Agents. +Several modes to rotate between. +Flashy, expressive combat animations.
Cons: -No Western release announced.

4Story

4Story, once marketed as Gates of Andaron, is a 3D fantasy MMORPG set in Iveria, a world shaped by ongoing conflict between rival nations. Its core loop leans heavily on traditional questing and leveling, then pivots toward endgame PvP, where territory control and large battles are meant to keep veterans occupied.

Publisher: Zemi Interactive & Gameforge
Playerbase: Medium
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: Oct 20, 2008 (NA/EU)
PvP: Duels, Battle Grounds, Territory Wars, and more
Pros: +Questing-heavy leveling. +Multiple PvP formats for different group sizes. +Skill upgrading encourages build focus.
Cons: -Few character creation choices. -Localization quality can be rough. -Cash shop can tip into pay-to-win.

First Assault

First Assault is a free-to-play competitive first-person shooter set in the Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex universe, built around fast PvP matches and a roster of Section 9 operatives. Each character comes with a signature ability, and the game leans heavily on anime flavor, voice work, and small twists on familiar shooter modes.

Publisher: Nexon
Playerbase: Medium
Type: MMO Shooter
Release Date: July 28, 2016 (NA / EU)
Shut Down Date: December 6, 2017
Pros: +Standout hero abilities. +Skill Sync encourages teamwork. +Weapons can be owned permanently.
Cons: -Core gunplay feels conventional. -Weapon recoil and spread can feel erratic. -Cyberbrain implants expire. -No PvE content (a missed opportunity for the GitS setting!)

Soldier Front 2

Soldier Front 2, known across Asia as Special Forces 2, was a 3D tactical MMO FPS built as the follow-up to the original Soldier Front. In Europe, it also went by the name S.K.I.L.L, and it aimed to deliver a fast, lobby-based shooter with a more grounded tone than the typical arcade F2P FPS of its era.

Publisher: GameForge
Playerbase: Medium
Type: MMO Shooter
Release Date: June 27, 2013
Shut Down: August 4, 2015
Pros: +Permanent weapon purchases. +Snappy, consistent gunplay. +A handful of standout modes. +Solid weapon variety and balance.
Cons: -No meaningful weapon modding. -Population can feel thin.

EVE Valkyrie

EVE Valkyrie is a 3D sci-fi MMO shooter that drops you into a starfighter cockpit for competitive space battles. Taking place in the larger EVE universe, it prioritizes fast, match-based multiplayer where squads collide in hectic dogfights instead of traditional MMO quest loops. It’s also notable as one of the earlier games built with virtual reality in mind, leaning on head tracking and 360-degree awareness to heighten cockpit immersion.

Publisher: CCP Games
Playerbase: Low
Type: Buy to Play Sci-fi Shooter
Release Date: March 28, 2016
Pros: +Designed with VR as a primary way to play. +Fast-paced, skill-focused dogfights. +Lots of ships, weapons, and modules to experiment with. +Strong art direction and visual effects.
Cons: -Small pool of maps.

Seal Online

Seal Online: Blades of Destiny (often shortened to Seal Online) is a 3D, anime-styled fantasy MMORPG built around point-and-click movement and a light combo system. It mixes traditional PvE leveling with raids, collectible pets, several PvP formats, and a notable soulmate feature aimed at social play.

Publisher: Playwith Interactive
Playerbase: Medium
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: Nov 19, 2007 (NA/EU)
PvP: Duels / Guild Wars / Open PKing / Arena
Pros: +Eight classes with meaningful job upgrades later on. +Pets feel useful, not just cosmetic. +Multiple ways to PvP depending on mood.
Cons: -Shows its age visually and in UI. -Cash shop can edge into pay-to-win. -Progression leans heavily on repetitive grinding.