Category: Reviews

Granblue Fantasy

Granblue Fantasy is a free-to-play 2D turn-based MMORPG that runs in a browser and on mobile devices, mixing classic JRPG party combat with a long-running character collection loop. You travel across the skies with a growing crew of allies, chasing the legendary island of “Estalucia” while tackling story quests, events, and raid battles built around elemental matchups and big, flashy abilities.

Publisher: Cygames
Playerbase: High
Type: Mobile/Browser MMORPG
Release Date: March 10, 2014
Pros: +Very active community. +Excellent soundtrack and standout 2D art. +Large class selection (40+). +Campaign is fully voiced. +Gacha feels relatively generous.
Cons: -Core loop can feel grindy and repetitive.

Throne: Kingdom At War

Throne: Kingdom At War is a free-to-play strategy MMO you can play in a web browser or on mobile devices. Set in the medieval Kingdom of Amaria after the king’s death, it asks players to grow a stronghold, raise armies, and compete with rival lords for dominance, often through large Order (clan) conflicts where coordination matters as much as raw power.

Publisher: Plarium
Playerbase: High
Type: Browser/Mobile Strategy
Release Date: August 25, 2016
Pros: +Playable on both browser and mobile. +Strong presentation for the genre. +Active community and plenty of opponents.
Cons: -Familiar, formula-driven structure. -Monetization can create power gaps. -Progression can feel drawn out.

Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire

Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire is a free-to-play mobile MMO strategy title that borrows its setting and familiar faces from Final Fantasy XV. You expand a kingdom, train armies, coordinate with other players, and compete for control of the Crystal while juggling real-time map fights and the typical upgrade driven pacing of modern mobile war games.

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Publisher: Epic Action LLC
Playerbase: High
Type: Mobile Strategy
Release Date: June 28, 2017
PvP: World
Pros: +Satisfying hero growth. +Very active community. +FFXV theme and characters. +Extra side activities.
Cons: -Familiar, template-like strategy loop. -Strong pay-to-win pressure.

Mabinogi Mobile

Mabinogi Mobile is an upcoming anime styled MMORPG made specifically for smartphones. Like the long-running PC MMORPG that inspired it, the mobile edition plans to emphasize social gameplay and an expansive set of life skills—gathering, crafting, hunting, and even writing and performing your own music.

Publisher: Nexon
Playerbase: TBD
Type: Anime MMORPG
PvP: TBD
Release Date: 2018
Pros: +Keeps the original’s charming look and soundtrack. +Deep set of life skills and player focused social activities. +A true MMORPG scope with dungeons, bosses, and other cooperative content.
Cons: -Still short on concrete details. -No confirmed Western release. -Portrait orientation can leave unused space on the display.

Black Squad

Black Squad is a modern military, lobby-driven tactical FPS that leans on classic round-based gunplay, then spices it up with multiple modes that go beyond simple team deathmatch, including VIP-style objective defense.

Publisher: Neowiz Games
Playerbase: Medium
Type: Tactical Shooter
Release Date: Summer, 2017 (NA Early Access)
Pros: +Fluid shooting and movement. +Punchy, satisfying audio. +Many weapons can be kept permanently.
Cons: -Smaller weapon pool than many competitors. -Limited options for personalization.

Argo

Argo is a free to play tactical shooter from Bohemia Interactive that runs on the same technology behind ARMA 3. It focuses on small, competitive firefights (usually 5v5) between the Clouds and Flames on the detailed Mediterranean setting of Malden, where positioning, communication, and careful shots matter more than twitchy run and gun reflexes.

Publisher: Bohemia Interactive
Playerbase: Shut Down
Type: Tactical Shooter
Release Date: June 22, 2017
Pros: +Tense, grounded gunfights that reward teamwork. +Built-in editor for custom scenarios. +Plenty of weapons and equipment to earn.
Cons: -Challenging for new players. -Performance and interface rough edges. -No jumping, which can feel restrictive. -Population declined quickly.

Fractured

Fractured is an in-development open world sandbox MMORPG that aims to blend skill-based, action-oriented combat with a persistent world where players can meaningfully change the environment. The pitch focuses on player-driven progression through exploration, gathering, crafting, trade, and settlement building, whether you prefer to carve out a home with a guild or strike out alone.

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Publisher: Dynamight Studios
Playerbase: TBD
Type: Sandbox MMORPG
PvP: TBD
Release Date: TBA
Pros: +Highly interactive world systems. +Robust gathering, crafting, and trading focus. +Action-first combat built around player execution.
Cons: -Details are still limited while the game remains in development.

Logres: Japanese RPG

Logres: Japanese RPG is a 2D mobile MMORPG built around JRPG-flavored party battles and a flexible job system. It lets you create a personalized anime-style avatar, then experiment with up to 15 different jobs, each with its own skill focus and equipment options, which makes it easy to switch roles depending on the quest or group needs.

Publisher: Marvelous Entertainment
Type: Mobile MMORPG
Release Date: May 25, 2017
Shut Down: March 27, 2019
Pros: +Large selection of jobs to try. +Party-focused co-op quests. +Bright, anime-inspired presentation.
Cons: -Controls can feel sluggish. -Interface is fairly plain. -Questing loop becomes repetitive.

Logres: Japanese RPG Shut Down on March 27, 2019

Sword Art Online: Memory Defrag

Sword Art Online: Memory Defrag was a free-to-play 2D mobile action MMORPG that translated the Sword Art Online anime and manga into quick, touch-driven combat and character collecting. Instead of building a single avatar, you assembled a party of familiar faces from the series, each bringing different weapons, skills, and stats, then took them through story quests and event battles that leaned heavily on flashy special attacks and well-timed defensive play.

Publisher: Bandai Namco
Type: Mobile MMORPG
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Shut Down Date: August 30, 2021
Pros: +Strong visual presentation for mobile. +Faithful use of the SAO setting and cast. +Large roster of recruitable characters.
Cons: -Monetization can feel pay-to-win. -You control one fighter at a time in battle. -Gacha-based recruiting can be frustrating.

Sword Art Online: Memory Defrag Shut Down on August 30, 2021

Caravan Stories

Caravan Stories is a Japanese, cross-platform fantasy MMORPG with an anime-inspired art style. Pick from six playable races, build a party by recruiting allies and taming monsters, then take your caravan across a wide world filled with bosses, dungeons, and arena-style PvP.

Publisher: Aiming
Playerbase: Medium
Type: Anime MMORPG
PvP: Colosseum PvP
Release Date: September 10, 2019 (NA/EU), 2017 (JP)
Pros: +Striking anime visuals with a colorful world. +Play across PC and mobile on supported versions. +Monster capturing and party-building depth.
Cons: -PvP leans on asynchronous matchups.