Top 10 upcoming sandbox MMORPGs for 2013
Each year the MMO market grows more and more competitive. One of the less talked about genres in online gaming are sandbox MMORPGs. This type of MMO is very popular but tends to lack long term reliability. It's a hard task trying to invent massive environments and still have players feel like they are creating the world around them. With games being funded through kickstarter and others failing ever see the light of day, it may be difficult knowing what MMO games are really worth your time. There are so many people in these alterable landscapes, it's hard to imagine how sandbox style developers ever achieve mass success.
The good news is that Sandbox MMORPGs are growing now. More developers are finding extremely innovative ways to allow freedom without holding back on the fantastic RPG adventures and ever popular PvP battles players have come to expect in MMO games. Sandbox creations like Salem: The Crafting MMO have already started making its mark in 2013. Other anticipated projects like Grimlands hit road blocks and suddenly become nothing more than failed titles. With such frequent change in the gaming industry, sifting through topics and gameplay for the right sandbox option can be a hell of a chore. MMO Attack is here to help though, bringing you ten of the best sandbox MMORPGs to being released in 2013.
10. Greed Monger
Greed Monger has more than tripled its Kickstarter goal, priming it for a faster and more successful release. Available on PC, Mac, and Linux; this sandbox MMORPG seems like a better looking Wurm Online. This title begins as a blank canvas, with none of the traditional MMORPG factors likes NPCs, structures, or quests. Like many games on this list, Greed Monger is heavily based on crafted player housing and creation focused gameplay. There I also the sandbox style skill building system that includes a variety of options, ranging from alchemy and swordsmanship to glassblowing and lock picking. There will even be aspects of economics and politics for players to look forward too. With the much needed presence of PvP and PvE included in this game, Greed Monger is shaping up to be one of the better sandbox choices, and therefore worth keeping an eye on.
9. Darkfall Unholy Wars
Developers of Darfall Unholy Wars state that this MMO will revolutionize the concept of epic combat. Players will journey through an expansive world facing off against rival empires created by the thousands of other dedicated players. This is a very fast paced game for a sandbox MMORPG, but the battles require it. Player can forge their paths as a Warrior, Skirmisher, Elementalist, or Primalist (healer); all while choosing from a number of races and clans. Your character's destiny isn't the only thing you can forge either. An intricately detailed crafting system grants players an opportunity to erect their own remarkable cities; along with the ability to create unique magical items, and even detail the esthetic properties of their weapons. There aren't many sandbox MMORPGs that focus as intently on minor details as Darkfall Unholy Wars does, justifying it's place on the list.
8. Black Desert
Until recently there was little known about this sandbox MMORPG. After a recent trailer release though this title has certainly started gaining popularity. Black Desert aims to bring gamers a phenomenal new experience with open world combat. It also aims to provide alternative options to leveling other than the norm of killing beasts through quests. Brian Oh, Director of Business Development at the Pearl Abyss headquarters, elaborated on the game's unique battle system. Oh promised that the game would have mounted combat along with a keen ability to attack while drifting or running. Black Desert plans to deliver a fresh experience when the game releases, unleashing a series of dungeons and intense 400 on 400 PvP scenarios. Add a one of a kind experience with castle sieges and you've got yourself a great sandbox MMORPG to look forward to over the next year.
7. The Repopulation
The Repopulation made a splash recently at PAX East 2013 by showing a teaser of the game along with a 21-minute video of the game's crafting system. This MMORPG is a Sci-fi sandbox hybrid that will bring together tons of player created content through a plethora of noncombat features. There is absolutely a PvP battle system involved, but the game shines through the freedom it presents its players elsewhere. Players will be able to create their own nations, which are basically extensions of guilds. Not only will players work toward common goals; they will also design and build custom structures to help populate their own unique cities. The Repopulation has really taken off since doubling its goal on Kickstarter, promising great battle experiences while implementing its own pet system. By allowing players to customize missions and a complex skill line, there are a variety of roles supporting this truly unique sandbox MMORPG for 2013 release.
6. Project: Theralon
If you like to feel in control in your massive online worlds, Project: Theralon might be your game to watch out for in 2013. This highly anticipated sandbox MMORPG is built on the same CryEngine 3 that brought amazing visuals of games like Crysis and MechWarrior Online. The game is meant to feel like a living, breathing world. Like many games on this list, players have major control over the houses and strongholds they erect in their cities. What is different in these locations from other sandbox MMOs is a dragon landing pad, where players can hop on their giant reptilian monsters and take off flying through an stunning massive world. These aren't just cut scenes either. Players will actually be flying and battling throughout the skies of a massive online environment. Currently there are no levels in Project: Theralon so you can jump into the browser based wonder and snatch up your own custom dragon without having to put in years of game grinding. Best of all this game is browser based, which is mind-boggling. You can even get the game through facebook, which could put an end to Zynga as we know it. That would just be another one of the many perks brought by such an accomplished sandbox MMORPG.
