The first time a game “clicks” for us is almost impossible to forget, from that moment forward we gain this special haven to which we could always return by tucking ourselves under some covers and turning on our computers.
Sadly, as we grow the need to let go of this special comfort arises so that we can take on the challenges of adulthood, but that doesn’t mean we can’t indulge in a bit of nostalgia every now and then.
So, to let you relieve the happy days of whole summers spent exploring strange horizons online, here are some classic MMOs that you can play today in the same way you used to years ago.
Ask any long-term World of Warcraft player about his experience of the game and he will immediately take you back to the “golden age” of World of Warcraft, a time period that begins and ends at varying points depending on who you ask, but one that still has the fan base sighing with nostalgia.
Blizzard was not oblivious to this desire from its player base to go back to simpler days, so it relaunched their most famous IP under the title of World of Warcraft Classic, which features the legendary MMO back in its early states just before launch, with all the features that were removed with time.
There were a plethora of contributing factors that made Runescape immensely popular when it came out including:
- The fact it was free to play
- How you could run it on a hamster-powered toaster
- That it was a damn good rpg
These three main factors turned the game into a cult classic and fueled the title’s development throughout the ages.
Yet, as it tends to happen, the game changed with time adding and removing features here and there, streamlining their systems and so on, and although most of the changes were positive, there are still many that miss the game as they met it back in 2001.
With this in mind, a group of fans got together to release Old School Runescape, which is exactly what it sounds, Runescape as it was in its loveable original state. Oh, and did we mention it’s free?
Out of the three games we’ve put here today, EVE online is the only one that is not a “re-release” or a “vintage edition”, which is largely due to how important the community’s input has been on how the game changed.
The developer’s attention to player feedback has kept the game well and alive with its persistent world, huge space battles, extensive player freedom and so many EVE ships that you can get either through grinding or on Eldorado that you may get called a hoarder.
Conclusion
There has always been this discussion within the gamer community about how some old-school games are not as good as people think they are, and that people only praise them out of nostalgia.
But whoever said that nostalgia was not a legitimate reason for someone to enjoy a game? It is perfectly valid for you to create an emotional bond with a game that influences your taste, that’s how it goes for everyone, not just old-school gamers.
So, what is that one game that takes you back? Feel free to share in the comments!
