5 Online Games That Would’ve Been Better Off As Single-Player Experiences

In light of the recent news of THQ shifting the development of Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millenium from an MMO to a single-player experience the folks at GameSpy have penned a a list of titles that would have been better as single-player experiences. Undoubtedly their choice to include Star Wars: The Old Republic in the list will spark some discussions:

If MMOs were only about leveling your character to the level cap, Star Wars: The Old Republic would likely be the best game in the genre. Other games’ attempts to spice up the grind with scripted events and witty quest text seem backward after experiencing one of SWTOR’s choice-based narratives, which result in companion NPCs that you care about and meaningful explanations for killing those 10 Sith and collecting those five blasters. But that’s part of the problem.

BioWare excels at delivering some of the best stories in the business (if not the best endings), but SWTOR’s first months prove that such a story-based approach works best when it’s not anchored to an evolving beast like an MMO. Its finest charms harken back to BioWare’s previous successes, and it’s somewhat telling that, without exception, the most excitement I witness in new players springs from learning the identity of “the Jedi Prisoner” about halfway through the story. Once you’ve finished your class story and started the dirty business of endgame content, SWTOR’s derivative structure and mechanics begin to weigh heavily on its better aspects, and even your beloved companions become little more than glorified versions of World of Warcraft’s succubi. SWTOR’s survival depends on getting that constant dose of narrative for players who don’t care for leveling alts, and a single-player sequel to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic with a multiplayer option may have done a better job.