Best and Worst MMORPG's of 2008

Best and Worst MMORPG'S of 2008 - This year has been a great year for new MMORPG's with new games coming online and expansion packs for older games. All were eagerly anticipated in the gaming world. Some were better than expected and some did not come close to the hype that preceded them in the gaming media. For gamers an all new game must have several key factors before it is accepted as the next "great" game to play. Serious gamers want a good story line along with smooth seamless play.

There must be things to do besides the laborious grinding we are all familiar with. Plenty of fun quests with tangible rewards. There should be instances and dungeons that take time, planning and skills to conquer. Mix all of this with eye popping graphics and plenty of stunning characters and you might have the next winner. Develop a game that requires players to spend a small fortune on upgrading their computer or is full of unfinished areas and you fail, causing those who bought your product to move on. Release one that is full of bugs and poor customer service not only will players go to other games, but they most assuredly will never give you another chance. These then are my picks for the best and worst for 2008.

· World of War Craft, Wrath of the Lich King: Released on November 13, 2008 this is the second expansion pack for Word of Warcraft. Blizzard Entertainment has done it again. This expansion pack brings players into the world of Northrend. This new area is full of visually stunning scenery new mobs, instances and dungeons that will tax your gameplay skills to their fullest. Wrath of the Lick King will bring you face to face with the Lich King himself as you create your new Death Knight. The Death Knight is the new "Hero" class for World of Warcraft that is part tank, part mage and part anti-mage and all fun.

Whether you start a new character or raise your current main to the new level 80 cap you will find plenty of new quests and new areas to journey through. Seamless integration with the previous expansion Burning Crusades, as well as the original game has made this a very good gaming experience for all. With over 11 million players worldwide this is definitely one of the best MMORPG's on the market today.

· Warhammer, Age of Reckoning: Released mid September 2008 by Mythic Entertainment. This is the highly anticipated computer version of a very successful table top game played in game stores and homes throughout the world. Referred to as WAR this game brings the "Armies of Order" face to face with the "Armies of Destruction" in an all out battle for control of the world.

WAR is geared mainly for the player versus player gaming environment .The game play takes you through fantastic scenery and intense battles. For those who are looking for questing and crafting type play the options are limited as all activities are geared towards the good of the collective whole. For those who like the thrill of defeating an opposing player in battle there is nothing better. The realm v. realm system runs flawlessly and is designed to allow for all levels of player from beginners with low level characters to those with the maximum levels. Following their success with "Dark Age of Camelot" Mythic has done it again, a great game for the serious gamer.

· Lord of the Rings, Mines of Moria: This is the newest expansion pack for Lord of the Rings released November 18, 2008. In this continuing saga of the story we are introduced to two new classes and a new level ceiling of 60. Along with this we will see crafted legendary items and new skills to be learned. Journey through six stunning new environments with dozens of new quests as you travel through Khazad'dûm the legendary city of the dwarves.

Breathtaking visual effects and scenery together with new skills, traits, virtues and crafted items will make this one the great new games of 2008. Together with smooth seamless gameplay there is more than enough here for even the most demanding Lord of the Rings player.

· Age of Cana, Hyborean Adventures: Released May 20, 2008 by Funcom. This was one of the most anticipated games for 2008. Gaming fans rushed to the stores to snap up their copies in huge numbers. Based around three main races this game had serious potential, however it failed to live up to it. Even though players were told to expect some unfinished areas, they were amazed to find that not only were some areas not finished but much of the content was not ready either.

The graphics were so demanding that many players needed to upgrade their computers to take advantage of the fantastic scenery and effects the designers put in. Mix this with too many bugs errors and a miscellany of other issues and what could have been one of the better games this year instead turned out to be one of the worst.

This year for games has been on the whole a very good one with most of the developers bringing out some excellent new games and expansions for what is becoming a universal albeit virtual world in which huge numbers of people immerse themselves to create a circle of friends regardless of who they are or where they come from. So whether you want to chase Frodo's adventures to destroy "The Ring" or face countless armies of the "Horde" there are plenty of great games out there.

Sources: Blizzard, Mythic Games, Funcom, Turbine.