Want to play a single player game that captures the feeling of playing an MMO? Check out these five games available on Nintendo Switch.
Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization
Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is a sequel to a previous game in the Sword Art Online universe. But the game does a great job of explaining the backstory of the character you meet – even if you’re not familiar with the popular anime. This game best captures the feel of playing a Japanese MMO like Final Fantasy 14 in a single-player experience.
The game is fully-voiced with Japanese voice actors and a huge world to explore with lots of weapons and skills to level. The gameplay itself is very reminscient of managing an entire party for doing dungeons in an MMORPG. You can manage a party of up to four characters, issuing them orders to progress.
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is another entry in the SAO franchise that feels like playing an MMO. This game aims to capture the feel of playing third-person shooters like Borderlands or Destiny. The game still has all the trappings of playing an MMO with the popular characters from Sword Art Online.
Fatal Bullet feels more like a standalone experience, since it doesn’t contain constant references to another game (not available on Switch). It’s a great place for Sword Art Online beginners to start to decide if they like the series or not.
CrossCode
CrossCode is in a unique place on this list because it’s the only 2D isometric game on the list. It features the same premise, playing a VR game with friends. But the world itself is more oriented towards puzzle platforming and combat that resembles the Secret of Mana series. Some of the music feels very much Ragnarok Online inspired in some areas.
The dungeons in CrossCode feel very inspired by The Legend of Zelda series, so this one is like a love letter of game mash-ups. It’s a unique experience that’s worth trying for anyone who is looking for a single-player game that feels like an MMO.
Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenoblade Chronicles is the only game on the list that doesn’t present itself as players playing an MMO together. However, the combat in this JRPG is highly influenced by managing a team of tank, healer, and DPS in any MMO. The story itself delves pretty far from anything related to playing a game, which is refreshing.
If you’re looking for a game that feels like an MMO without being a game within a game, this is where you should start. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 continues the story and the combat there feels like a refined version of the first game. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is coming out later this year, rounding out the trilogy.
.hack//G.U. Last Recode – Game Feels Like an MMO
For many older gamers, playing the .hack series on the PlayStation 2 was their first introduction to a game that simulates playing an MMO. .hack//G.U. Last Recode on Switch is a remaster of all four .hack games (Rebirth, Reminisce, Redemption, and Reconnection) from the PlayStation 2 era. All four games have been combined into a single integrated experience.
Anyone who wants to experience one of the first games to tackle creating a single-player game that feels like an MMO should start here. The story is second to none and the gameplay basics are manageable enough. Sometimes the mechanics and depth of the SAO games can be too much for beginners.
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