5 Of 2015’s Most Disappointing MMO Games

2015 was a year for some great MMO games but some big titles from some big names really failed to deliver. We take a look at the most disappointing and utter fail releases of the year.

Jagex have enjoyed massive success in the MMORPG genre with RuneScape but were they able to replicate that success as they branched out to the shoot 'em up genre? Not really, no. Originally launching as a buy-to-play title the appeal of the voxel-based shooter soon diminished and players found themselves looking for excitement elsewhere. Nowadays Block N Load is operating under a free-to-play banner which was simply a requirement if they hoped to ensure the games survival but even still, it's nothing worth writing home about.

Bluehole Ginno Games and Trion Worlds were hoping to introduce players to a darker side of the online MMORPG experience with the launch of Devilian and although it does embody the more sinister environment brilliantly, the games features, mechanics and general feel were all too similar to that of other MMO titles available today. There's still plenty of time for Devilian to make an impact in 2016 but I for one wasn't overly impressed with its initial release.

The second title on our list of most disappointing MMO games of 2015 from Trion Worlds, the voxel-based Minecraft inspired Trove. Taking inspirations from one of the best selling and most critically acclaimed games of all time is a no brainer and although Trove is an awesome game in its own right, it still feels lackluster at many turns. Taking the creative freedom from Minecraft and combining it with the progression based elements of today's MMO world works great for some but for others, Trove was another lackluster MMO launch in 2015.

Dirty Bomb was meant to be a return to form for the aged and stagnating FPS genre, returning shooters to their roots and despite sticking to this claim in certain aspects the ugly face of micro-transactions and premium content once again made an appearance. The game does deliver on certain elements with great map design, barebones game modes that reward skill and ability over stupidly over-powered killstreaks and solid FPS mechanics. It's just a shame the developers have focused more on giving players stupid santa hats than actual content.

Arguably the biggest disappointment of 2015 was SOE, now Daybreak Games', release of H1Z1. Following on from the huge scam infested The War Z players were desperate for a zombie survival MMO and although H1Z1 had a ton of potential, it failed to deliver. Nowadays H1Z1 is simply a glorified version of the Battle Royale mod originally seen in other titles. The traditional survival aspects are all but forgotten and the majority of the player base simply wastes time in a rewardless Battle Royale mode with little more than bragging rights on offer.