Let’s face it, fantasy MMORPGs are a dime a dozen. Orcs, goblins, dragons, you’ve slain them all in every hue. The traditional high fantasy setting, inspired by the Lord of the Rings and Dungeons & Dragons franchises, remains the staple in the MMORPG genre.

Gamers more interested in lasers and space exploration need not despair. While certainly rarer, there are now several well known science fiction MMORPGs available. Some offer nearly identical gameplay features as traditional MMORPGs while others offer a level of depth unmatched in any fantasy settings. Some sci-fi games are just downright bizarre. Below are some of the top sci-fi MMORPGs spanning this wide spectrum.

Popular Sci-Fi MMORPGs

Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR)



Developer: BioWare Publisher: Electronic Arts Release: December 20, 2011

Originally announced back in 2008 and built on the Hero Engine, Star Wars: The Old Republic is the first and only MMORPG project by legendary PC-RPG studio BioWare. SWTOR launched as a subscription based game and had over 1 million subscribers within 3 days of release. Those subscribers quickly fell off and the game adopted a hybrid free to play model on November 15, 2012. Since going F2P, SWTOR has been very profitable for EA and continues to see regular content updates. The game is notable for its vast storylines which are unique to each of the class archetypes. Coupled with voice acting, in-game cinematics, and powerful NPC companions, The Old Republic has 100+ hours of solo content.

Star Trek Online (STO)



Developer: Cryptic Studios Publisher: Arc Games Release: February 2, 2010

Star Trek Online is another MMORPG based on a massive science fiction franchise that originally required a monthly subscription. The game went free to play soon after being acquired by Chinese gaming company Perfect World Entertainment and has seen vast improvements since its initial release. Star Trek Online offers both ground and space based gameplay, and now has over 5 years of content updates. Like Cryptic’s other MMORPGs, Star Trek Online even includes user created missions via the Foundry feature. All the major factions, races, and lore from all the tv series and even movies are well represented making this one a must try for any Star Trek fan.

WildStar



Developer: Carbine Studios Publisher: NCSoft Release: June 3, 2014

Unlike other MMORPGs on this list, WildStar is not strictly a sci-fi game. It is more of a fantasy/sci-fi hybrid, but it's too good a game to exclude on that premise alone. Developed by many former Blizzard employees who were involved with World of Warcraft, WildStar was originally aimed at a hardcore audience of raiders. The game didn’t live up to expectations, and has struggled due to its subscription fee. On May 28, 2015 Carbine made the much anticipated announcement that WildStar would be going free to play. WildStar has seen dramatic improvements in the year since its release including toning down the ‘attunement’ process to access many of the late-game dungeons.

EVE Online



Developer/Publisher: CCP Games Release: May 6, 2003

Perhaps the purest sci-fi MMORPG of all time. EVE Online is set in a distant galaxy where players command space ships that range in size from tiny frigates to massive capital ships the size of cities. EVE Online is a sandbox MMORPG where players interact in a single persistent open world (open galaxy in this case) server. The game has carved out a sizable niche in the MMORPG market despite still requiring a subscription. EVE still boasts tens of thousands of players online at any given time. EVE Online is not for the faint of heart, however. The game has a steep learning curve and requires players to join clans, called corporations, to get the most out of the experience. While there are several solo gameplay options including running missions for NPCs and mining, these are both repetitive and unfulfilling. A free trial is available, and is worth trying. Just be prepared to spend days, or perhaps weeks to learn the very basics!

Anarchy Online



Developer/Publisher: Funcom Release: June 27, 2001

Anarchy Online is one of the oldest client based MMORPGs. It was released in the same era as the fantasy classics including EverQuest, Asheron’s Call, and Dark of Camelot. But Anarchy Online stood out from the crowd by being the first MMORPG to use a science fiction setting. The game still requires a subscription to play, but an unlimited free trial is available which grants access to the original game content, but not the content introduced through expansions over the years. Only a single global server remains active for Anarchy Online, but the game is still being supported. An entire engine overhaul is currently in development which should help make the game more accessible to new players.

Defiance



Developer/Publisher: Trion Worlds Release: April 2, 2013

Originally released as a buy to play game, Defiance adopted a free to play model on June 4, 2014 though access to additional content still requires the purchase of DLC. Defiance is a persistent world MMOTPS (third person shooter) and takes place in the same universe as the SyFy series of the same name. Players take on the role of Ark hunters who scrape out a living by salvaging orbital debris that routinely fall to Earth. Defiance offers a large variety of weapons and vehicles to level and makes it easy to take part in large, open world event called Arkfalls. Defiance is one of the few truly persistent MMO shooters and can be enjoyed in shorter bursts than traditional MMORPGs.

Firefall



Developer/Publisher: Red 5 Studios Release: July 29, 2014

First announced in September 8, 2010, Firefall hit several development roadblocks before eventually releasing as a free to play game. Blending RPG and FPS gameplay, Firefall is set in the year 2178 following a devastating asteroid hitting Earth. Inspired by traditional MMORPGs and sci-fi shooters like Tribes, Firefall offers both class based progression and shooter style gameplay complete with jetpacks. Players can swap between the five main classes, called ‘Battleframes’ freely and level them up individually. While Firefall hasn’t found a huge audience, it still offers a decent amount of content. Players can work together in cooperative missions which are dynamically generated, or take part in both open-world and instanced PvP battlegrounds.

Scarlet Blade

Developer: Liveplex Co Publisher: Aeria Games Release: March 27, 2013

Despite being labeled and advertised as a Sci-Fi MMORPG, Scarlet Blade features a lot of fantasy elements. The game shares a name with the "Queens Blade" Manga, but oddly, has nothing to do with the Japanese manga. The game features an almost exclusive cast of attractive female characters. From the playable classes to the NPCs, nearly everyone is a female and shows off a lot of skin. Clearly LivePlex is targeting a young male audience with all the nudity in Scarlet Blade. Sci-fi elements include the ability to control mechs, sci-fi environments, and plasma weapons.

Planet Calypso / Entropia Universe



Developer/Publisher: MindArk Release: January 30, 2003

Here’s an odd one. Entropia Universe is a virtual world complete with its own currency convertible directly to USD by the publisher. This means everything in the game has a real dollar value, including the digital real estate. A piece of property in Planet Calypso changed hands in 2008 for a cool $635,000 USD, placing it in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive real money transaction in a MMORPG. The economy in this game is entirely player driven and there are a host of ways to make a living besides playing property developer. Players can hunt monsters, mine resources, or become become traders. Planet Calypso can be accessed and technically played for free, but unless players are willing to open their wallets to make an initial investment it is very difficult to get very far. Entropia Universe is perhaps the strangest game on this list and is likely to appeal to the sort of people who enjoy titles like Second Life.

Face of Mankind



Developer: Duplex Systems Publisher: Nexeon Technologies Release: March 27, 2006

Face of Mankind places a strong emphasis on the RP in MMORPG. Set in a futuristic world, the game offers a totally player driven economy and political system. Players belong to one of several factions including Law Enforcement, Gangs, Miners, and so on. Randomly generated objectives that involve killing opposing faction member, gathering resources, or guarding specific locations provide experience points and credits. But these events are simply a catalyst for richer role playing opportunities between players. Face of Mankind has seen several major changes since its release including a Kickstarter campaign and being published on Steam. The current, updated iteration of the game is titled Face of Mankind: Fall of Dominion.The game used to support free accounts, but has since adopted a pay to play model which has caused frustration among the dwindling playerbase.

RF Online



Developer: CCR Publisher: GamesCampus Release: February 21, 2006

Surprisingly, RF Online is the first Asian developed game to make this list. While the game does include fantasy elements and a traditional MMORPG feature set, RF Online is unmistakably a sci-fi game. First released in the West as a pay to play game, RF Online hopped between publishers and saw temporary service blackouts. Now available in multiple regions as a free to play game, RF Online feels quite dated but still has a modest playerbase. The game places a strong emphasis on PvP. The three races in RF Online are constantly at war and may freely attack one another in most of the game’s zones. Massive faction wars are held multiple times a day in what is known as the ‘Chip War’ event.

There you have it. From Theme Parks to Sandboxes. Sci-Fi has it all. The creative freedom offered by science fiction settings is unparalleled. The games we looked at offer such a range of gameplay options that it is difficult to even categorize them in the same genre.

Many games were narrowly excluded from this list for not quite being MMORPGs. If I did happen to miss any persistent world MMORPGs that fall into the sci-fi category, let me know!