Tired of Runescape? Top Runescape MMORPG Alternatives

Runescape is one of the most popular online role playing games available today. However, as I quickly found out, you might be come quickly tired of playing it and want another MMORPG fix. Ty out these great free or semi-free to play MMORPG games as alternatives to Runescape, with lower system requirements and similar medieval fantasy settings.

Tibia Online
Website: http://www.tibia.com
I am really partial to Tibia. I played it super heavily after playing Runescape and really enjoyed my time with this isometric, old-school MMORPG. Graphics are reminiscent of the older Ultima Online game, but they still work nicely. There is a very large section of the game world to explore on the free accounts, and I stuck with this through my time in Tibia. It can be a tough game to play (heavy experience point losses for death), but the adventurers I had in Tibia with my friends I will never forget. Don't let the older graphics fool you, this is one of the best free MMORPGs to play, with a big community (300,000+ users) and loads of dungeons to explore, Tibia is a great game!

Ashen Empires
Website: http://www.ashenempires.com
I played Ashen Empires during the free trial period, before the game offered a completely free to play option. I remember it as a much darker and more serious game than Tibia or Runescape, but I had a blast with it. The graphics are older, but it felt more like a hardcore pen and paper RPG. PVP is a big part of the game, and you can be attacked in many different places, however, you'll become a 'criminal' in-game if you go around wantonly slaughtering newbies, barring you from many towns and cities. It's an interesting game, definitely one to check out if you want something a little more hardcore, but still free, as an alternative to Runescape. They have some pretty sweet art too!

Ragnarok Online
Website: http://www.playragnarok.com
Ragnarok used to be pay-to-play, but it has since become free to play (on certain servers(, with a paid item mall/item shop. It has nice anime graphics, an interesting mixture of 3d terrain with 2d characters and NPCs. The game is run by Gravity Corp, one of the larger MMORPG companies in Asia, and creators of the popular Rose Online MMO (another anime style MMO, with more 3d graphics). Players can choose from a variety of cool classes to play as, including swordsman, acolyte, mage, archer, merchant, thief, ninja, gunslinger and taekwon, than progress these classes toward other secondary classes (knight, crusader, etc) for greater abilities and power.

Gaia Online
Website: http://www.gaiaonline.com
Gaia Online has been around for a very long time (since 2003), just like Runescape. Graphics combine a 3d-ish terrain setting with 2d sprites. The characters are rather similar to anime inspired chibi characters, although not quite as cute. Interestingly, Gaia is actually the name for a large online community that interacts through the "sprite" system. The actually MMORPG portion of the community is called (hilariously enough) zOMG! It allows players to quest, hunt enemies, collect loot and level up, as most MMORPGs, using their Gaia Online characters.