Free MMORPG Downloads
MMORPGs have recently become one of the most popular genre of game, but did you know that you can download most of them for free? MMORPG.com has the full list of all free MMORPG downloads. Even games like World of Warcraft can be downloaded for free, and you get to play for 30 days before paying.
There are free MMORPG downloads for free-to-play games as well, such as Anarchy Online, a sci-fi MMO which used to be pay to play, but is now completely free to play forever. It has dated graphics and gameplay, but it's not bad for a free game. Maplestory is a popular fantasy MMORPG that you can download and play for free as well. Maplestory has become especially popular lately since the release of their new advertising campaign, which includes commercials on various North American television stations. It's a completely free-to-play fantasy MMORPG with a basic level up system, and has over 72 million subscribers (about 4 million from North America)
Runescape is another completely free-to-play MMORPG. It's browser based, which means that you don't need to download and install any software. It's pretty unique, as it's the only popular MMO of its kind - a flash mmo. This has some drawbacks, however, such as extremely low quality graphics content, and slow/choppy gameplay.
Guild Wars deserves a mention too, it's a fantasy MMORPG with no monthly paid subscription, but you have to purchase the original game to play. The graphics are alright, but the gameplay is boring, and it's completely instanced.
I think the best free MMORPGs to download are 30 day trials of MMO's with monthly subs. With MMO 30 day trials you generally get to play the full game with no limitations for 30 days without paying anything. This is great if you are hesitating to buy a game because you might not like it.
That being said, here are my two favorite suggestions for free MMORPGs to download:
Eve Online: If you're into sci-fi games then Eve Online is for you. You're the pilot of a spacecraft, and you can hunt pirates, or harvest minerals from asteroids and craft anything from ammuniton to full ships. The economy is 100% player driven, anything in the game can, and is, crafted by players. The game is completely PvP enabled, so if you're into PvP then this game is definatly worth trying out for free. If you're not into it, then you can avoid PvP by avoiding the PvP enabled areas.
Dark Age of Camelot: Although it now has a much smaller player base, it is still considered the absolute best PvP MMO on the market. It's set in a fantasy world with over 45 classes in total, each very well balanced and useful. You can go from level 1 to the max level without farming a single creature, going all out PvP if you so desire. Highly recommended.
With Eve or Dark Age of Camelot, you don't have to buy the game if you want to continue playing after the trial ends. You can just start paying the monthly subscription. I think it's easily worth the price, as today $12-$14 can't even buy you one meal - so a whole month of entertainment is certainly a bargain at that price.