https://massivelyop.com MMORPG news and opinions Fri, 29 Sep 2023 13:34:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/29/mmo-burnout-non-mmos-that-scratch-my-mmo-progression-grind-itch/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/29/mmo-burnout-non-mmos-that-scratch-my-mmo-progression-grind-itch/#comments Fri, 29 Sep 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=459803 There are plenty of reasons people play MMORPGs, whether it’s to experience a story (yes, those exist), run in some PvP wars, or grind out some endgame progression. Of course, that final gameplay goal can very frequently get stale or unsatisfying enough that you take a hiatus from an MMO. But what if you still […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/29/mmo-burnout-non-mmos-that-scratch-my-mmo-progression-grind-itch/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/30/mmo-burnout-final-fantasy-xvi-is-a-high-water-mark-for-the-franchise-in-every-way-that-matters/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/30/mmo-burnout-final-fantasy-xvi-is-a-high-water-mark-for-the-franchise-in-every-way-that-matters/#comments Fri, 30 Jun 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=446961 Over the coming days, weeks, months, and likely years, we are going to watch a whole lot of fighting happen over Final Fantasy XVI. Not in terms of its critical reception; that’s already been established. No, it’s going to be over whether or not the game is sufficiently JRPG to be labeled as part of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/30/mmo-burnout-final-fantasy-xvi-is-a-high-water-mark-for-the-franchise-in-every-way-that-matters/feed/ 25 https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/21/mmo-burnout-lessons-mmos-can-learn-from-the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/21/mmo-burnout-lessons-mmos-can-learn-from-the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom/#comments Wed, 21 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=445012 Like most MMO players, I am, first and foremost, a PC gamer. However, like many gamers born in the ’80s and ’90s, I also have a deep love for Nintendo and its various properties. It is also probably no surprise that 2017’s massive open world entry to the long-running Legend of Zelda series, Breath of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/21/mmo-burnout-lessons-mmos-can-learn-from-the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/17/mmo-burnout-dramatic-labs-finds-the-right-tone-for-star-trek-resurgence/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/17/mmo-burnout-dramatic-labs-finds-the-right-tone-for-star-trek-resurgence/#comments Sat, 17 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=444571 As a longtime gamer and observer of the industry, I know it can be tough to get excited about new announcements and releases. We’re bombarded with tweets, press releases, and announcements daily, and seldom does anything new really catch our eye. However, when I saw the announcement that story-game specialists Dramatic Labs were releasing a […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/06/17/mmo-burnout-dramatic-labs-finds-the-right-tone-for-star-trek-resurgence/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/25/mmo-burnout-mass-effects-legendary-edition-modernizes-a-classic/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/25/mmo-burnout-mass-effects-legendary-edition-modernizes-a-classic/#comments Sat, 25 Mar 2023 16:00:31 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431216 Most MMO players will admit to feeling the need to step away from the multiplayer genre from time to time. This seems especially true for those enjoying PvP games, which are typically filled with adrenaline, quick reflexes, and at times toxicity and varied amounts of salt. It recently occurred to me that I’ve been indulging […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/25/mmo-burnout-mass-effects-legendary-edition-modernizes-a-classic/feed/ 8 https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/02/mmo-burnout-miss-heroes-of-might-and-magic-try-songs-of-conquest/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/02/mmo-burnout-miss-heroes-of-might-and-magic-try-songs-of-conquest/#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=389515 If I were president of video games™, I’d make sure every computer has a copy of Heroes of Might and Magic 3 installed in it. And I’d put our greatest minds towards an even more important goal: get it to run on anything with a screen. Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is an amazing game. Everything […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/02/mmo-burnout-miss-heroes-of-might-and-magic-try-songs-of-conquest/feed/ 2 https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/25/mmo-burnout-arkham-horror-the-card-game-scratches-my-secret-world-itch/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/25/mmo-burnout-arkham-horror-the-card-game-scratches-my-secret-world-itch/#comments Mon, 25 Oct 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=358963 After enjoying some video games with deck-building mechanics, I’ve been motivated to spend more time playing actual, physical card games. Following a fair bit of research, I’ve settled on Arkham Horror: The Card Game to be my focus for the time being, as it’s one of the few card games that’s focused on playing cooperatively […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/25/mmo-burnout-arkham-horror-the-card-game-scratches-my-secret-world-itch/feed/ 15 https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/28/mmo-burnout-retro-inspired-games-offer-a-sense-of-accomplishment-with-a-side-of-nostalgia/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/28/mmo-burnout-retro-inspired-games-offer-a-sense-of-accomplishment-with-a-side-of-nostalgia/#comments Mon, 28 Jun 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=342309 For someone who absolutely abhors the mere mention of paying a monthly sub for a game, I am totally sold on the Xbox Game Pass (and no, this is neither sponsored nor part of the meme currently floating around social media!). On some levels I am a bit disappointed with myself about it, but as […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/28/mmo-burnout-retro-inspired-games-offer-a-sense-of-accomplishment-with-a-side-of-nostalgia/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2020/10/23/mmo-burnout-red-dead-redemption-2-succeeds-in-spite-of-itself/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/10/23/mmo-burnout-red-dead-redemption-2-succeeds-in-spite-of-itself/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=305965 I have very little experience in the Red Dead world. I can recall wandering around Best Buy nearly two decades ago and encountering an overzealous sales boy in the video game section of the store. “Have you seen this new game Red Dead Revolver? It’s a western game, supposed to be pretty good!” I ignored […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/10/23/mmo-burnout-red-dead-redemption-2-succeeds-in-spite-of-itself/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2020/05/25/mmo-burnout-we-happy-few-is-a-single-player-virtual-world/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/05/25/mmo-burnout-we-happy-few-is-a-single-player-virtual-world/#comments Mon, 25 May 2020 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=278641 After having it on my radar for many years, I’ve finally gotten around to playing indie stealth/survival game We Happy Few. It’s a good game, but one of the most delightful and surprising things about it is how much it feels like playing an MMORPG – despite being entirely single-player. Of course, the presence of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/05/25/mmo-burnout-we-happy-few-is-a-single-player-virtual-world/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2019/12/13/mmo-burnout-pokemon-sword-and-shield-is-fun-but-not-innovative/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/12/13/mmo-burnout-pokemon-sword-and-shield-is-fun-but-not-innovative/#comments Fri, 13 Dec 2019 18:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=259838 I have a vivid memory from when I was younger – about 12 or so – of walking through the local Walmart with my mom to get this game that I had heard about that I just had to have. I couldn’t tell you exactly how I had heard of it, but I remember being […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/12/13/mmo-burnout-pokemon-sword-and-shield-is-fun-but-not-innovative/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/19/mmo-burnout-exploring-eas-new-star-wars-title-jedi-fallen-order/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/19/mmo-burnout-exploring-eas-new-star-wars-title-jedi-fallen-order/#comments Tue, 19 Nov 2019 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=255424 It’s impossible to understate how much cultural influence Star Wars had on kids born in the ’70s. One of my first movie-going memories includes a drive-in theater showing the original Star Wars film (before it was titled A New Hope), the theatrical splendor somewhat muted by the limitation of drive-in window speakers. At recess, we […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/19/mmo-burnout-exploring-eas-new-star-wars-title-jedi-fallen-order/feed/ 15 https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/08/the-daily-grind-whats-the-longest-break-youve-ever-taken-from-mmos-and-why/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/08/the-daily-grind-whats-the-longest-break-youve-ever-taken-from-mmos-and-why/#comments Fri, 08 Nov 2019 13:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=240320 A while back, MMO blogger and fellow SWG Legends player Napyet posted a video about a sudden burst of burnout he was feeling when it came to video games. He explains that after finishing a specific goal in a game, he dipped into a few others but was suddenly struck by an absolute, overwhelming sense […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/11/08/the-daily-grind-whats-the-longest-break-youve-ever-taken-from-mmos-and-why/feed/ 28 https://massivelyop.com/2019/09/13/mmo-burnout-greedfall-is-a-pretty-interesting-swing-for-the-fences-even-when-it-misses/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/09/13/mmo-burnout-greedfall-is-a-pretty-interesting-swing-for-the-fences-even-when-it-misses/#comments Fri, 13 Sep 2019 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=243493 It’s been said by me many times before now, but here it is again: I really appreciate a game that swings for the fences. Heck, I probably appreciate it more than I should, which is a bit of a problem. Give me something that goes for broke and takes a wild swing for far left field […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/09/13/mmo-burnout-greedfall-is-a-pretty-interesting-swing-for-the-fences-even-when-it-misses/feed/ 15 https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/10/mmo-burnout-sinking-boats-and-sleeping-with-the-fishes-in-world-of-warships/ https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/10/mmo-burnout-sinking-boats-and-sleeping-with-the-fishes-in-world-of-warships/#comments Wed, 10 Jul 2019 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=232877 As they crept along at a mere 15 knots, the commander kept a close eye on the horizon. He signaled to turn the craft, a Fubuki class destroyer, so that the torpedo launchers faced the hulking battleship. The new angle slowed their approach, but the shadow of the enemy ship looming ever closer still caused […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2019/07/10/mmo-burnout-sinking-boats-and-sleeping-with-the-fishes-in-world-of-warships/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2017/12/03/guild-chat-the-best-way-to-deal-with-mmo-burnout/ https://massivelyop.com/2017/12/03/guild-chat-the-best-way-to-deal-with-mmo-burnout/#comments Sun, 03 Dec 2017 17:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=143782 Welcome along to another advice-filled edition of Guild Chat, the column through which the Massively OP commenters can help solve the guild drama of their fellow readers while also reading my take on the scenario at hand. This time, reader B is wondering how best to deal with burnout and the usual peer pressure to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2017/12/03/guild-chat-the-best-way-to-deal-with-mmo-burnout/feed/ 28 https://massivelyop.com/2017/07/21/mmo-burnout-nintendos-arms-and-the-switch-in-public-and-private/ https://massivelyop.com/2017/07/21/mmo-burnout-nintendos-arms-and-the-switch-in-public-and-private/#comments Fri, 21 Jul 2017 17:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=117131 It won’t surprise anyone who reads our WRUPs that a lot of my free time gaming has been mobile-based as of late, especially if it has local multiplayer. While I still prefer PC gaming for the most part, it’s hard for me to bring a mouse and keyboard with me to a convention and play […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2017/07/21/mmo-burnout-nintendos-arms-and-the-switch-in-public-and-private/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2017/06/09/mmo-burnout-approaching-dc-universes-injustice-2-as-an-mmorpg-fan/ https://massivelyop.com/2017/06/09/mmo-burnout-approaching-dc-universes-injustice-2-as-an-mmorpg-fan/#comments Fri, 09 Jun 2017 15:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=115166 NetherRealms’ Injustice 2 is not an MMORPG. It doesn’t have a persistent world or a massive number of players actively engaging with each other graphically on screen. However, it has levels, character stat and appearance customization, randomly generated loot and boxes, guilds, and boss fights requiring explicit coordination. For the moment, it’s about the most MMO-ish […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2017/06/09/mmo-burnout-approaching-dc-universes-injustice-2-as-an-mmorpg-fan/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/27/mmo-burnout-five-ways-to-fix-star-wars-battlefront/ https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/27/mmo-burnout-five-ways-to-fix-star-wars-battlefront/#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2015 17:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=36277 I’ll probably take some flak for saying so, but I’m still enjoying Star Wars: Battlefront. It’s not a broken game as much as it’s an incomplete game, though the cynical (i.e., realistic) part of my brain knows that this was by design. Electronic Arts is no stranger to cutting functionality only for it to show up […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/27/mmo-burnout-five-ways-to-fix-star-wars-battlefront/feed/ 67 https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/20/mmo-burnout-plays-star-wars-battlefront/ https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/20/mmo-burnout-plays-star-wars-battlefront/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2015 15:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=35031 I’m kind of in love with Star Wars: Battlefront. I shouldn’t be, really, because underneath the glitz and gloss, it’s a pretty pedestrian multiplayer shooter. Electronic Arts tapped Battlefield maker DICE to clone its tentpole franchise in a galaxy far, far away, and this week the firm delivered the first title since Disney famously acquired the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/20/mmo-burnout-plays-star-wars-battlefront/feed/ 87 https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/06/mmo-burnout-finally-plays-the-crew/ https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/06/mmo-burnout-finally-plays-the-crew/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2015 17:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=32635 I broke down and bought The Crew on PC, mostly because it was briefly on sale for 13 bucks. I’d been meaning to pick up Ubisoft’s open-world racer ever since its December 1, 2014 release date, but one game led to another, and frankly, all the lukewarm reviews bumped it down my list. I’m here to tell you […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2015/11/06/mmo-burnout-finally-plays-the-crew/feed/ 15 https://massivelyop.com/2015/10/30/mmo-burnout-plays-rebel-galaxy/ https://massivelyop.com/2015/10/30/mmo-burnout-plays-rebel-galaxy/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=31743 I wanted to like Rebel Galaxy more than I do. That’s not to say it’s a bad game at all; on the contrary it fills the mission of this column rather nicely, which is to provide me with a temporary escape from the maddening MMO genre as I continue my neverending and seemingly futile quest for an […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2015/10/30/mmo-burnout-plays-rebel-galaxy/feed/ 13 https://massivelyop.com/2015/09/18/mmo-burnout-plays-star-wars-uprising/ https://massivelyop.com/2015/09/18/mmo-burnout-plays-star-wars-uprising/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2015 16:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=25722 When I heard that Disney’s first foray into the new Star Wars gaming universe was a mobile-only RPG, it made me sort of angry. Not Vader-force-choking-his-wife angry, but angry enough to indulge in a brief dark side daydream involving lightsabers! See, I started gaming in the 1980s because of Star Wars. As a kid, I wanted […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2015/09/18/mmo-burnout-plays-star-wars-uprising/feed/ 30 https://massivelyop.com/2015/08/08/mmo-burnout-virtual-bush-flying-with-fseconomy/ https://massivelyop.com/2015/08/08/mmo-burnout-virtual-bush-flying-with-fseconomy/#comments Sat, 08 Aug 2015 20:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=19854 I play a lot of flight sims. The Sturmovik series, DCS, X-Plane, and pretty much every similar title ever released has found its way onto my hard drives at some point. Microsoft’s unkillable Flight Simulator X remains at the top of my personal heap, though, both because of its realism and because of the staggering number […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2015/08/08/mmo-burnout-virtual-bush-flying-with-fseconomy/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2015/07/24/mmo-burnout-why-i-want-an-assassins-creed-mmo/ https://massivelyop.com/2015/07/24/mmo-burnout-why-i-want-an-assassins-creed-mmo/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2015 16:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=17827 I play a fair amount of single-player stuff when I’m not playing MMOs, and at the risk of outing myself as one of those infernal dudebros, I love the Assassin’s Creed franchise. And I do mean love. I’ve got an Altair poster in my office and an Ezio action figure on my desk. I even […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2015/07/24/mmo-burnout-why-i-want-an-assassins-creed-mmo/feed/ 76 https://massivelyop.com/2015/06/12/sailing-the-seas-of-windward/ https://massivelyop.com/2015/06/12/sailing-the-seas-of-windward/#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2015 18:00:00 +0000 http://massivelyop.com/?p=11279 Windward is an oddly endearing little duck that escaped my wandering game eye prior to the moment developer Tasharen Entertainment dangled an early access key in MassivelyOP’s general vicinity. It’s not strictly an MMORPG, which you might have guessed given its presence in this column, but it shares enough of the genre’s DNA to both be worth […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2015/06/12/sailing-the-seas-of-windward/feed/ 11