3) Everquest
Often credited with bringing MMORPGs to the western mainstream, Everquest was a hugely important title for the genre when it launched back in 1999. Much more popular than other first-generation online RPGs like Asheron’s Call, Everquest was, in fact, the most commercially successful MMORPG in the United States for five years, spawning 22 expansions and a host of spinoff games. It’s also largely considered as the foundation on which World of Warcraft was built on, with Blizzard incorporating much of its blueprint for their own title.
Unbelievably, just shy of twenty years later, the original Everquest still exists today and is played by a small but dedicated following. The game really is a true relic of the past, with its lack of tutorial and complicated systems showing its age. But if you’re interested, there’s still a reason to play this iconic title, if only to get a feel for the genre’s roots.