The Best Free MMO Sports Games

As a soccer fan, I loved playing online MMOs featuring soccer. The Massively Multiplayer Online gaming market is overflowing with free and pay-to-play (P2P) games. Most of these follow the Everquest and Ultimate online formula for success: elves, orcs, knights, magic and mayhem in a fantasy world. Obviously, the massive popularity of World of Warcraft has only served to increased this trend.

It seems every game company, plus a few indie ones, wants a piece of the fantasy MMO pie. However, there are few games that stray from this Tolkien-esque trend, including sci-fi MMOs (Eve online, Perpetuum online, Planetshift), FPS MMOs (Huxley) and even MMOs with sports themes! Here are three of my top picks for quality sports MMOs, including one that I played quite bit, Kicks Online.

Kicks Online
Link (Free Download): Kicks

This was the first sports MMO I played seriously. It is based on soccer (or futbal, depending on what part of the globe you call home) and has decent graphics with a cool gameplay style. Fast reflexes are a must, as combos and other skills must be perfectly timed and executed to pull off some awesome wins over other teams. The games have you controlling one character that you build up (as in most MMOs) and taking part in various 3 v3, 4 v 4 and 5 v 5 online matches with other players against opposing teams. The game is well designed, but it is important to have a stable connection, because any lag experienced will ruin the experience.

I enjoyed playing Kicks Online but I did not have the best internet connection at the time (I was using a slower DSL network). So, the training experience and NPC portion of Kicks Online worked out fine, but when it came to actual matches with other players, I struggled. This is due to the high ping I was experiencing, making successful street soccer matches quite difficult. Two other games in this mini-genre include Power Soccer Online and Kickster, both free to play.

Shot Online
Link (Free Download): Shot

Love golf and love gaming? Then Shot Online may be just right for you! I haven't played loads of golf games, preferring to actually be out the greens on a sunny day, trying to sink that elusive hole in one, but Shot Online offers a much more affordable option (real golf gets expensive fast). Players can compete in a variety of tournaments against others all across the globe. Expect some RPG style elements, keeping it different from your usual golf games, such as those on the Nintendo Wii.

Project Powder
Link (Free Download): Project Powder

I have heard loads of good things about Project Powder from MMO fans and it is free, and lets you snowboard on all kinds of dope runs online! While I have never gotten to snowboard for real (unfortunately), Project Powder offers a nice alternative, especially for those of us living in warmer climates. The graphics, while not Crysis quality, are certainly decent enough and you can modify how your character looks in game, with tons of custom outfits and options available. Check it out today for some sweet online snowboarding action!