Guild Wars 2

The original Guild Wars would have been firmly in the PvP section of this list, but ArenaNet took a broader approach for the 2012 sequel, giving us an MMO with the diversity and scale of World of Warcraft, but with a mountain of quirks and activities all its own. Then you're bouncing around an area taking part in events like a charr heavy metal concert or a religious festival to earn enough chillies to buy a weapon that looks like a microphone, traveling into videogame-themed dimensions to earn prizes, or duking it out in a persistent PvP battlefield where three servers collide.

Even among MMOs, the breadth of Guild Wars 2's diversions is astounding, especially once you reach level 80. That doesn't take long these days, and once you've completed it, you can begin working on all of the expansion and living world activities and maps. Every time ArenaNet added a new expansion or season to the living world, it also introduced new types of mounts, ranging from flying skyscales to handy boats, as well as a slew of new systems—all of which were meaningful, not just novel.

All of this is supported by a compelling loop in which you explore each region by completing small events, sprawling meta-events, and heart quests—one of the best questing systems available—while looking for points of interest, picturesque vistas, and hero points to flesh out your build. Character development is also a strong point, with a level of flexibility that will appeal to theorycrafters, aided by a quick action-based combat system that makes fights kinetic and flashy.

Steam rating: 9/10

Release Date: 2012
Developer: ArenaNet
Payment Model: Buy to play
Buy now: guildwars2.com/en-gb/shop/
Website: https://www.guildwars2.com/fr/