WoW – World of Warcraft – is likely one of the most important games of all time and probably the most famous MMO currently in the market, with thousands of users connected daily. Despite not being the first title of the MMO genre – that’s Neverwinter Nights – WoW built the foundations of the RPG genre and even changed its rules.

The relevance of WoW is so evident that many further games took a lot from WoW to build their fantasy worlds and mechanics.

This article is a tribute to these games, titles that mostly are at the same level as the Blizzard Entertainment classic but offer a different experience and also add much to the genre. If you haven’t played WoW yet or you want to play a new MMO title, then check out the following games.

• Release Date: November 23, 2004

• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

• Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X

• Metascore: 93

In the introduction, we touched on the pivotal relevance of World of Warcraft in the history of video games. Still, it would be beneficial to elaborate on why WoW holds such importance.

World of Warcraft is an expansion of the Warcraft fantasy universe; thus, it meant a consolidation of the three previous installments of the franchise. It occurs four years after the events of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. As such, the game continues with the events we can play in previous installments of the franchise, but it also goes beyond.

WoW is set in the Warcraft fantasy world but in the Azeroth realm, a unique region with several races, landscapes, biomes, and dangers that really expand the possibilities of the original titles. Besides, regarding the MMO experience, WoW meant never-before gameplay and storytelling, with intricate stories told from a completely different perspective, full of immersive situations, visual representations, and stunning cinematics.

WoW also gave a lot to the video game narrative, building a story rich in many senses, from dialog to background situations. Most interactions in WoW have a lot of fun or provide extra information to the gamer. This way, the WoW writers construct a world that feels really alive, and more so if you think about expansions that delve into everything happening in Azeroth.

WoW also established the cities as questing centers to improve the quest system and the UX. It also created the Instances and Raids that, over time, became mandatory in the genre. 

I could continue talking about the importance of WoW for MMOs for many more paragraphs, but I guess you’ve gotten an idea of its relevance. Just to mention that playing WoW is an experience that every gamer should try, even if you are not a regular of Massive Multiplayer Online games.

Let’s go straight to the subject. Six games, six great adventures that more seasoned gamers and novices of the genre will enjoy no matter what! These six titles directly compete with the perfect World of Warcraft and its universe.

• Release Date: August 27, 2013

• Developer: Square Enix

• Publisher: Square Enix

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, macOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S

• Metascore: 86

Nowadays, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and all its expansions dispute the throne of the best MMO with WoW. What’s more, currently, FFXIV has more daily users, which is an impressive achievement.

FFXIV is based on the legendary Final Fantasy franchise. It’s the second MMO of the saga and probably one of the most popular and successful titles of the series. It is set in the world of Eorzea, a vast realm within the world of Hydaelyn.

One of the notable points of FFXIV is that it perfectly mixes the classic aspects of the Final Fantasy franchise with MMO features and mechanics, such as the option of freely wandering for scenarios and doing practically everything you want. 

Eorzea feels very alive and is incredibly well-connected. Consequently, the adventure flows smoothly, so the main and side quests you complete will lead through the entire land almost without noticing it.

FFXIV also allows you to select seven races, over ten classes, and hundreds of aspects and cosmetics when creating your character. You can also choose the original city of your character, which gives this fantasy game one of the best beginnings of any MMO out there. 

FFXIV: A Realm Reborn also offers an intuitive battle system with multiple options for attacking, defending, and improving stats. It also integrates epic battles against classic invocations and monsters of the franchise, like Ifrit or Molbol.

The fourteenth title of the Final Fantasy franchise also stands out due to its crafting and materia system through which you can improve your gear and opportunities when facing powerful enemies. Characters like Y’shtola, Thancred, and others also turn this game into one of the richest according to personalities, plots, leitmotivs, and intentions. 

Undoubtedly, FFXIV is one of the best MMOs you can currently play in the MMO world and a title that will satisfy all the WoW fans. Not for nothing, it has been over a decade at the top of rankings.

Key Features:

• Several races and classes to build the character you always have desired.

• Eorzea is a continent full of biomes, corners, and incredible scenarios.

• An incredible plot that will take you until the end of the world and beyond. 

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 60 Days US Prepaid CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.

• Release Date: April 4, 2014

• Developer: ZeniMax Online Studios

• Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

• Metascore: 71

Similar to Final Fantasy XIV, Elder Scrolls Online drew inspiration from its predecessors. It emerged from the lineage of five Elder Scrolls titles released earlier, starting with Arena (1994) and leading up to Skyrim (2011).

However, like most MMOs, the Elder Scrolls Online expanded the original universe of the saga and gave multiple layers to the gameplay. But do not be fooled, The Elder Scrolls Online happens one thousand years before the last installment of the Elder Scrolls franchise, Skyrim.

The Elder Scrolls Online, also known as TESO, is one of the best multiplayer games of the recent decade and a massively acclaimed title that surprises most gamers today. It entails a fresh story taking place in Tamriel, the classic continent of the saga, where two parallel conflicts occur. In this vast land, you can move freely and build your own non-linear story by completing a series of quests.

Tamriel feels pretty alive with hundreds of corners, individual disputes, and regions ruled by different lords or creatures, making the entire map a good source of adventures, raids, and secrets.

Like in WoW and Final Fantasy XIV, you can choose between several races and classes to create your fighting style. Just keep in mind that in TESO, your choice of class or race doesn’t directly determine the type of weapon and gear you can use and the performance of your movements. 

TESO is very organic, allowing you to interact with almost everything in the surroundings. TESO also has a flat learning curve, so when you learn your unique abilities, you can explore the entire map without the need to play together with other friends.

Regarding graphics, TESO boasts great artwork and aesthetics. Each part of the map has a unique grace, color, enemies, and style. So, every time you arrive in a new zone, you feel as if you are playing in a different land, which invites you to explore, and explore, and explore!

Finally, to say that most of the Elder Scrolls games are good recommendations for WoW fans. Still, The Elder Scrolls Online makes the most sense for most experienced ones. 

Key Features:

• One of the greatest adventures of the MMORPG genre, with multiple classic gameplay elements.

• A huge continent that, like World of Warcraft’s, will drive you through multiple adventures in several scenarios.

• One of the best WoW alternatives due to the quality of regions, races, classes, combat, and plot.

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• Release Date: December 20, 2011

• Developers: Bioware | Broadsword Online Games 

• Publisher: Electronic Arts

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows

• Metascore: 85

The most important franchise in the entertainment industry can’t be missing from this list. In a few words, Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMORPG set in the Star Wars universe, but several centuries before the canon you see in the movies and TV shows.

Just like WoW, in Star Wars: The Old Republic, you select your allegiance or faction, i.e., the light or the dark side of the force. You should also select your class, Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Smuggler or Trooper, for the light side, and Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor, Bounty Hunter, or Imperial Agent, for the dark side. However, regardless of your choice, you may possess a morality at any part of the force spectrum.

A big difference between SWTOR and WoW is that the Star Wars MMO is not a completely “free-roam” game. Of course, you can complete different quests and visit different zones, but the general plot is strictly linear. It does not mean that its virtual world is not full of life or lacks a certain charm. What’s more, SWTOR is a good reflection and representation of the Star Wars universe, presenting many planets you can see in the movies or other video games, like Dantooine, Coruscant, and Alderaan.

When playing SWTOR, you really feel like you are on a Jedi adventure since your first steps are like a Padawan, and you can finish your journey through the galaxy as a master of the force. You can permanently open and close storylines that affect general events of the galaxy and the plot of NPC characters.

Missions are a mix of exploration, collecting resources and data, and defeating enemies with your lightsaber or blaster. Like WoW, you can level up your characters and learn new abilities to advance through new scenarios. Every time you discover a new world, you will have to face new enemies and threats.

Unlike WoW, SWTOR offers a hybrid business model, mixing a free-to-play alternative and a subscription option. It facilitates access to the game. So, there is no excuse for not to try it! WoW players will really enjoy this game.

Key Features:

• A free-to-play game based on the Star Wars universe thousands of years before chapter one.

• A Star Wars game with a gameplay style very similar to that you can see in movies, including lightsabers, blasters, droids, spaceships, and more.

• A vast galaxy with multiple planets, alien races, and multiple civilizations with which to interact.

Star Wars: The Old Republic 90 Days Time Card Global Official Website CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.

• Release Date: November 18, 2014

• Developer: Bioware

• Publisher: Electronic Arts

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

• Metascore: 85

Dragon Age: Inquisition is one of the two games on this list that are not MMORPGs. Instead, it’s an action role-playing game set in a semi-open world full of fantasy kingdoms, environments, and creatures like those you can find in The Lord of the Rings online. It can be a bit frustrating for MMO players who came here looking for massively multiplayer online games like WoW, but don’t be impatient; Dragon Age: Inquisition is an equally great experience.

Inquisition is the third chapter of the Dragon Age saga. Like World of Warcraft, when beginning in Dragon Age: Inquisition, you must select among several races, including the Qunari, a new race appearing for the first time in the series. After customizing your character, you will be released into the world of Thedas, where building your path will depend exclusively on you.

Despite not being an MMO, you can freely explore the world of Inquisition on foot or using a mount and discover secrets and resources beyond the storyline. Like most other fantasy kingdoms you can find in WoW and similar games, kingdoms in Dragon Age Inquisition are located in different biomes, which means different types of monsters, more dangers, and unique secrets.

A big difference between Dragon Age Inquisition and WoW – and other World of Warcraft alternatives – is that regions in Inquisition do not scale in level. This way, you will face weak and powerful creatures in all the regions.

Dragon Age: Inquisition feels pretty similar to games like Dark Souls or Dragon Dogma, besides having a complete approach to gaming. Inquisition is not as hard as those above, but the aesthetic is similar, and the world seems like a region extracted from the FromSoftware title.

Inquisition also includes several activities you can carry out while advancing through the adventure. This way, the overall gameplay is smooth and natural, allowing you to level up your character constantly through the adventure. If you want to replace WoW with a single-player game, Dragon Age: Inquisition is one of the best alternatives.

Key Features:

• A great adventure through a vast land with multiple zones where you can complete quests and side missions, solve puzzles, and more.

• An enthralling, choice-driven narrative where decisions change according to your actions.

• A strategic combat style featuring melee, ranged, and magic.

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• Release Date: June 30, 2012

• Developers: Team Bloodlust | Netmarble Neo | NC Interactive

• Publishers: NCSoft, Garena

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android

• Metascore: 68

If you currently play WoW and are looking for a game set in a completely different world, then Blade and Soul can be a good alternative for you and all the World of Warcraft fans out there. This is because Blade and Soul occur in a world inspired by the Far East, especially Japanese and Korean aesthetics.

Blade and Soul is classified as a Wuxia-themed MMO, which means it’s focused on martial heroes traversing through a great adventure and a vast world of magic and fighting. This condition heavily differentiates Blade and Soul from WoW and other games like Black Desert Online, Final Fantasy XIV, or Guild Wars 2. Moreover, since you can use qinggong –a martial technique that allows you to perform vertical jumps to advance across the scenario– you experience a completely different approach regarding exploration.

There are two available factions in Blade and Soul: the Crimson Legion and the Cerulean Order. These two sides fight against each other for supremacy. You will have to choose your side of the story. This condition makes Blade and Soul highly replayable, offering the story two different versions of the events.

Blade and Soul also has hard-hitting battles that absolutely work in real-time, allowing you to perform combo attacks, pretty similar to that of fighting games. This way, all the mechanics are related to quickly delivering attacks and defenses and opening the scenario through fast movements.

Blade and Soul has an anime aesthetic that can be very attractive to fans of manga, anime, or Japanese artwork. It also happens in a colorful and vibrant realm, like it’s extracted from ancient China or a Korean version of Japan.

Key Features:

• A magical world based on Korean, Chinese, and Japanese aesthetics.

• A dizzy combat system much like that of fighting games.

• Four races and over ten classes to create your warrior for the long journey.

• Release Date: June 30, 2014

• Developer: Larian Studios

• Publishers: Larian Studios | Focus Home Interactive

• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

• Metascore: 94

In terms of graphics, visual style, and aesthetics, Divinity Original Sin is probably the most similar game to WoW in this list since it’s played from a top-down perspective with 3D modeling. 

However, Divinity Original Sin is a role-playing video game and not an MMO, which means a more linear storyline and not a vast open world, as is the case of WoW. Still, the adventure across several regions and maps flows incredibly well, and the surroundings are sophistically structured.

A crucial difference between Divinity Original Sin and WoW is that DOS only has two customizable protagonists available. These are “Soucer Hunters,” a man and a woman looking to eradicate the “Source” magic. Your quest to do so will take you through Rivellon, a vast world containing long shores, woods, mountains, islands, and more. In these different landscapes, you will encounter deadly creatures, monsters, and challenging races.

Unlike WoW, Divinity Original Sin has a turn-based combat style, which brings it closer to most classic RPGs and even the first simulation games, like the original Warcraft or Command and Conquer. DOS also includes decision-making through the adventure, giving you a high decision-power that can change the events you witness. 

The always-changing weather also adds another layer of “life” to the world. Weather conditions can alter the enemies that appear in the surroundings, as well as the effectiveness of magic and more.

In short, this RPG gives you total freedom about what things to do. You can also play it alone or in a co-op mode online or via the classic split-screen. DOS is definitely a title with a similar gameplay to WoW, despite its narrative being more direct, including multiple dialogue options, and fewer customization options.

Key Features:

• Hundreds of skills, weapons, enemies, puzzles, loot, and more in a co-op or single-player experience.

• Total free decision-making, from the environments you decide to explore to desirable items you want to collect.

• A deep and epic story taking place in the early days of the Divinity universe.

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No doubt that World of Warcraft is an incredible game and probably the most important MMORPG of all time. It meant a great revolution for the genre, with unique classes and an incredible world that grows all the time thanks to continuous expansions.

Every game mentioned here draws inspiration from WoW at different levels and is a nice alternative to this Blizzard Entertainment title. We hope all these more than decent recommendations fill your expectations for you to embark on your next great adventure.