There are an awful lot of games falling under the broad header of “not quite an MMORPG but still multiplayer shooter with strong influences of same.” Off the top of my head we’ve got Warframe, The Division (and its sequel), Anthem, Destiny (and its sequel)… you could even argue that it includes things like PlanetSide (and, yes, its sequel) in the overall consideration. All well and good, but we don’t actually have a name for this particular subgenre, and the one bandied about like “Destiny clones” ignores the fact that some of these games either predate Bungie’s title or aren’t even close to clone status.
This subgenre is not alone. We’ve got other little fields of similar-but-not-the-same titles that deserve grouping together, like the various Kickstarted old-school throwback PvP free-for-alls, the particular style of action-based grinder like Closers and Soulworker Online, even the broad designations like “World of Warcraft clone” that often expand or contract unfairly. So what do you think, readers? Which MMO subgenres need better names than we’ve given them so far?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
