These past few months I've played and tried the following MMORPGs.

* World of Warcraft
* Matrix Online
* Tabula Rasa
* Guild Wars
* Star Wars Galaxies

Now that's probably the majority of the 'big' PC MMORPGs, right? It's no secret that I was/am a WoW addict (although my sub has lapsed and I went cold turkey), but really, how do the other MMORPGs out there compare to WoW?

Well, I think WoW has 9 Millions subscribers for a reason. It has polish. I'm not talking about a bit of a buff up, but it seriously sparkles. In every aspect so far WoW has stood above every MMORPG I have played so far. Everything else just seems crude in comparison. I have no idea why, perhaps it's the simplicity of WoW's interface that makes it feel intuitive, coupled with the cute but cool graphics. I have no idea.

I tried Matrix Online (MxO) for a while. It's got the potential to be good; the story is interesting and compelling - but as a game it was clunky and awkard. As a newbie I felt bored and lost as to what I should do; this is perhaps due to its "unique" classless system. The graphics were glitchy and the controls were annoying. Three clicks and a mouse move to perform an obvious action? Hmmm. Perhaps I should stick it out more... then again, two nights ago I was jacked in and had to witness a group discussing who's dad was better in bed. Hmmm, too kiddy for me, I think.

I played the Tabula Rasa Beta for some time and quickly saw its promise and failings. Again, it just lacked the WoW polish. It seemed to have some really great ideas, but they were lost in the awkward controls. I'm tempted to try the retail verion, but not that tempted. The Beta burned me, bugged me, so there's got to be a big hook to make me buy it again. Again, it suffered from the "we're all the same" syndrome until you chose your class. You get saves, which was useful until you realise you lost your gear. The crafting systme confused me.

Guild wars isn't really an MMO, in my opinion. It's more like a CRPG. I got bored quickly... At least I know I can play again without having to subscribe. I did like its class-based gameplay though.

I'm playing SWG now. Lets see how it goes. It seem ok - I mean, it's star wars, right? Great story etc, but again... where's the polish?


For now, WoW will be the King of MMORPG games, simply because it's so polished and tuned to players. I'll probably pay again when Lich King comes out. They say that you never kick the addiciton... I'm not doubting that.