7 Ancient MMORPGs That People Are Still Playing

5) Anarchy Online

Anarchy Online is another member of an elite few, a first generation MMORPG, circa 2001, with servers still populated by an avid player base.

Set on a desert planet in the far future, Anarchy Online is a science fiction online RPG that offered a point of difference from the high fantasy setting of some rival titles such as Everquest, Ultima and Asheron’s Call. In fact, it was one of the first games to break this trend, with developer Funcom not afraid to gamble on an innovative premise – an attitude sometimes lacking in the genre today.

Anarchy Online doesn’t feature a particularly deep narrative, focusing rather on the RPG systems that comprise its world. There’s no particularly involving story arcs or clever character development, as there are in titles such as Final Fantasy XI. You might say then that it’s an example of a “pure” MMORPG, with the focus firmly on the “grind and loot” gameplay loop.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, the servers are still live and you can get involved for a mere $5 per month subscription fee.