Ranking fantasy games

RAID: Shadow Legends is a free to play fantasy MMO with strong RPG elements. Developed by Plarium, it puts players in control of their party of hero characters in combat.

At the game's core is the PvE progression in which you'll embark on story campaigns, dungeons and faction wars in order to level up your heroes and give them better gear.
Combat is turn-based, complex enough to keep it stimulating on the long run, but also easy to grasp for beginners.

You'll recruit new heroes over time (there are hundreds of them!), each one with its own strenghts and weaknesses that can be enhanched\mitigated through the use of artifacts, potions, glyphs and other items.
Only those who will understand how to maximize the potential of their champions will be able to climb the rankings in the PvP arena, the ultimate objective for the advanced player.

RAID features very good visuals: all of the in-game artworks (characters, locations, items, etc..) are beautiful, and this contributes a lot to the lore and atmosphere of the game.

Overall, RAID is a very good and fun MMORPG.
Plarium was known for making top-notch, though ordinary, strategy browser-games... with RAID, they markedly upped their ambitions. While it does feature some of the mechanics typical of the company's browser-based titles (like the Bastion to grow your hub), its core lies in the brand-new RPG elements of turn-based combat and heroes collection, which is where the real fun begins for MMORPG lovers.

➔ Main points:

• Free to play party-based MMORPG that's fun and visually pleasing.
• Hundreds of unique hero characters with individual skills and combat animations.
• A combination of strategy and RPG turn-based combat mechanics.
• Extremely popular title with active playerbase (also on mobile platforms).
• Simple for beginners, but can become really tactical for hardcore gamers.

CRSED is a grotesque battle royale online shooter that lets you play as one of eight unique hero characters, and each one will offer a different combat style thanks to their skills.

Unlike most generic battle royale games, CRSED has littered its maps with ritual sites offering mythical superpowers and magic abilities (that of course bring advantages to the players who use them), alongside traditional weaponry and... yes, the frying pan.

There's plenty of progression with skill trees for your characters, new seasonal content to keep things fresh, and a cosmetic shop to dress them up when you want to look fancy.

CRSED offers the familiar battle royale gameplay experience with a much-appreciated touch of humour.

➔ Main points:

• Free to play battle royale shooter that feels familiar
• Eight character heroes to choose each with unique skills and progression system
• Plenty of authentic weapons mixed with funny cooking utensils and magic spells
• Decent player base with a steady stream of new content

UPDATE: since June 2017, the game isn't easily playable via browser anymore. Only a few combinations of browsers and java versions will keep working, but everyone will still be able to play the game after downloading its client.

Drakensang Online is an excellent free hack & slash, published by BigPoint, based on a famous and popular series of role-playing games.
The game has many typical features of a MMORPG (such as skills, level-ups, crafting, etc...), with the welcome addition of a combat system based on combos and dodges, just like a typical third-person action game (anyone who knows the Diablo saga will certainly find it all very familiar).

As well as the ability to carry out the plot quest (either alone or in the company), there are also different PvP modes (including an original "Storm the fortress 6vs6") for those who prefer a competitive game.

The various available classes are well diversified from each other, and ensure a different gameplay depending on which is used, thus ensuring also a great replay value.

One of the highlights of the game is its impressive graphics, capable of displaying a great number of details in a simple web page.

Drakensang Online is really a well-done game: varied, entertaining, technically clean and able to keep the player glued to the PC for hours.

A title that should not be missing in any “free” gamer’s collection.

➔ Main points:

• An Hack'n'Slash A-RPG playable either via browser or downloading the game's client.
• Several PvP modes, including an original "Storm the fortress 6vs6".
• A vast game world with constant updates from the developers.
• All the main elements of a traditional client-based MMORPG.

Eternal Fury is a free to play browser-based strategy game with a twist. While raising your kingdoms, armies and alliances are all key gameplay features, you'll also need to upgrade your singular hero ruler, with RPG-like gameplay system in place that offers a good time.
Battles are fought on both maps - the kingdom world view and in arena-style battles that shakes up the usual boring and monotonous gameplay. While free to play, Eternal Fury's cash shop is a mixed bag and borderline hovers over what's fair.

➔ Main points:

• Unique Strategy and Action-RPG gameplay blend
• More to do than the average strategy kingdom builder
• Active playerbase
• Nice visuals and soundtrack

Neverwinter is a new free-to-play MMORPG based off the classic table-top RPG, Dungeons and Dragons. The game immerses the player into the Forgotten Realms, the world in which Dungeons and Dragons takes place.

As usual, at the beginning of the game you create your own personal character, choosing their race, class and even their "faith" and back story. The battle system is rather fluid and is controlled by the player in real time, allowing the rhythm of the game to keep steady.

Neverwinter gives the players even more control of the game with its online quest creation system. Appropriately called the "Foundry", it allows you to make your own personalized adventures which all players are able to play.

Neverwinter is a great MMORPG thanks to the originality of its combat system and quest creator all while still holding to its classical RPG roots. If you've played Dungeons and Dragons, there's no excuse not to try Neverwinter.

Overview

Your team of five must strategically capture points, called power circles, in order to grant your Guardian enough power to attack the enemy Guardian, at which point you get the awesome privilege of seeing your gigantic creature dart across the map to give the enemy a good walloping, causing the enemy Guardian to become vulnerable to damage. If your Guardian overpowers the enemy’s enough, then it will be instantly wounded, and you won’t even need to attack it yourself. Talk about a sense of satisfaction (or overwhelming weight of your failures if you’re on the other end).
The game currently features 21 heroes, with more arriving as time goes on, and three maps, plus the expected assortment of skins for both heroes and weapons.

➔ Main points:

• 5v5 skirmishes
• Fast-paced 3rd person action
• Contribute to the battle in a wide variety of roles, including tanks, supports, and nukers.
• Cartoonish, stylized graphics

Call of Dragons immerses players in the fantastical world of Tamaris, offering a blend of strategic combat, kingdom-building, and immersive storytelling.
As a player, you take on the role of a commander responsible for developing a village, training troops, and taming ferocious dragons and behemoths (!) to aid in battles.

The game features a vast 3.88 million square kilometer 3D map filled with diverse biomes and terrains, ensuring endless exploration and strategic opportunities

Players can choose from various factions such as elves, mages, and warriors, each offering unique abilities and strategic advantages. The game’s combat system is both engaging and strategic, requiring players to carefully manage their troops, utilize different unit types, and deploy powerful heroes equipped with magical artifacts​

The game also boasts a robust PvP element, where players can engage in large-scale battles against other players, join guilds, and participate in guild wars.
Additionally, the presence of majestic behemoths like dragons and hydras adds a thrilling layer to the gameplay, as these creatures can be tamed and used in combat, providing significant advantages during battles​.

The real-time strategic combat provides a much-needed distraction from the typical base-building mechanics that could otherwise end up being too repetitive.

➔ Main points:

• Establish Your Dominion: develop your village from humble beginnings and assert dominance across the sprawling realm of Tamaris.
• Epic world map: Explore a massive 3.88 million square kilometer 3D map with diverse biomes.
• Strategic Warfare: Fight against huge monsters controlling your troops in real time, deploy heroes and equip them with magical artifacts.
• Narrative Depth: Immerse yourself in a rich tapestry of lore and intrigue, as epic quests and character-driven narratives unfold, influenced by your choices and actions throughout your adventures.
• Visual Splendor: Traverse breathtaking landscapes and encounter intricately detailed character designs, as the vibrant world of Tamaris springs to life with stunning visuals and captivating aesthetics.
• Available for both PC and mobile devices.

Wuthering Waves is an ambitious open-world action RPG with a heavy focus on fast-paced, combo-heavy combat and a richly detailed world.
Set in a post-apocalyptic landscape, players assume the role of a Rover, awakening to explore a world filled with mysteries, powerful adversaries, and intricate lore.

The game stands out for its fluid movement system and engaging combat mechanics.
Players can run, wall-run, and use grappling hooks to traverse the environment swiftly, which complements the dynamic combat style.
The combat system itself emphasizes counterattacks, dodging, and strategic use of skills, providing a level of depth not commonly found in online RPGs.

The world of Wuthering Waves is vast and detailed, featuring various regions like the Huanglong area's city of Jinzhou. Players will encounter puzzles, platforming segments, and plenty of combat scenarios; also, they will be able to collect Echoes from defeated enemies in order to boost their stats, integrating exploration with character progression.

While the story may not captivate, Wuthering Waves' dynamic combat and rewarding progression systems offer plenty of reasons to dive into its world, with potential for improvement through future updates.

➔ Main points:

• Fast-Paced Combat: Engaging, combo-heavy battles with unique intro and outro skills for each character.
• Dynamic movement mechanics: Wall-running, grappling hooks, and smooth traversal enhance exploration.
• Exploration Incentive: The Echo system ties character progression to exploration, rewarding players for hunting down enemies and filling out the map of the vast open world
• Generous Gacha System: A forgiving pity system ensures players can obtain high-quality characters and items early in the game.
• Underwhelming Story: The narrative is bogged down by excessive exposition and unengaging voice acting.
• Balanced Progression: Free-to-play characters and abundant early rewards make the game accessible and satisfying for newcomers and veterans alike.

Blood Rites is a free to play Asian fantasy MMORPG, first released in 2011. The game features a tab-target combat system, four classes and plenty of progression systems to sink your teeth into. These include weapon enchantments and the more popular Elf companion system, which lets you increase attributes with pets. In the content department, the game's PvE dungeons and raids is where you'll have the most fun, as opposed to the unbalanced PvP modes and a bland story and questing experience to level cap. Graphics and visuals doesn't do Blood Rites any favors, but players actively looking for a classic MMORPG won't mind that too much. Elswhere, the in-game cash shop can be obtrusive if you want to be a competitive player, but otherwise the game is completely playable as a free title.

➔ Main points:

• Fully free to play without any restrictions
• Only four classes but plenty of growth systems to make up for it
• Aging graphics and game engine
• Fun PvE group content to counter the bland questing

In most collectible card games, the hero, or summoner (or whatever you want to call it), sits out of sight, signified by a portrait, but in Duelyst, your general starts on the battlefield and gives the game its namesake. Battles in Duelyst are just that, duels. It’s your general pitted against your enemy’s general, and all the cards you play are in service of that.

➔ Main points:

• fun implementation of generals
• lots of strategic options
• grid-based movement and positioning
• great pixel art