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Pixel MMO Games
Some of the games have a unique visual style, inspired by the 8-bit and 16-bit graphics. The Pixel MMO Games usually have stylized models of characters and objects called sprites. These graphics are usually very limited in colours and released in the form of a 2D picture, usually semi-static, with highly dynamic and detailed animations. Most of the early projects from late 80s-early 90s have this type of visuals, but some new projects can have the same style, or similar, inspired by classic pixel art.
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More About Pixel MMO Games
Usually, Pixel MMO Games are indie projects, because this type of graphics is quite cheap, attractive and unusual at the same time. In modern games, pixel style usually has plain bright shades, with the full-colour palette. It has almost no transitions between shadow and light; the depth of objects is often not displayed. Instead of it, you can see the bright patches of reflected light of any colour, and light shades, just a couple of tones darker than the primary colour. The sprites are usually sharp, well conveying the mood of characters and objects. In modern pixel games, all of the animations are smooth. Sometimes the sprites are animated as usual pictures, which makes the graphics even smoother.
The retro Pixel MMO Games had a completely different style. Back in time, artists were trying to recreate the most realistic picture, but using only the pixel-art with a limited amount of colours. The sprites had complex colour transitions and meticulously drawn details. Sometimes it was painted so well that the game looked like it was using compressed photo format or hand-drawn pictures. Of course, this only applies to games from the late 90s: at the dawn of the first video games, pixel graphics looked as primitive as possible, and sometimes without the context of the game, it was difficult to guess what was happening on the screen. Sprites could consist of only two to three dozen pixels, and often looked pretty comical, which can not be said about the background: they almost always looked beautiful.
Best Pixel MMO Games of all time
- Wild Terra is a sandbox survival game in a medieval setting. It has sophisticated pixel graphics which looks close to realism, delightful animations and isometric angle of view.
- Realm of the Mad God is a pixel fantasy MMORPG, which has an extremely simplified and colourful visual style. However, it also offers an excellent class system and immersive gameplay.
- Tibia is one of the pioneers of the MMORPG genre. It’s a fantasy game with pixel graphics and a top-down view.
Best Pixel MMO from 2015
Pixel MMO from 2015 feature the unique old-school graphics as well as low system requirements and immersive gameplay. There are different kinds of video games from strategies to roguelike-inspired RPGs with hardcore gameplay, but the essential feature is the unique visual style. Usually, this kind of graphics look very like and simplistic, but many developers make creative decisions and create unique visuals for their games.
- Manyland is an open-world creative sandbox MMORPG.
- Blockstorm is a voxel MMOFPS with sandbox and building elements.
- 8BitMMO is a 2D pixel MMORPG in old-school style.
Best Pixel MMO from 2016
The best pixel MMO from 2016 feature the unique visual style and immersive gameplay. Usually, the developers of these games use pixelated graphics to create something new and exclusive. This kind of visuals is not only beautiful but also comfortable to develop and run on every type of PC. Pixel MMO games have low system requirements despite high-quality gameplay.
- Take Thy Throne is a tower-defence action-adventure MMO.
- Fantasy Tales Online is a retro MMORPG with heavy RPG elements.
- KUBOOM is a cross-platform MMOFPS with voxel graphics.
Best Pixel MMO from 2017
Even though many modern games tend to have realistic graphics, Pixel MMO from 2017 stand out from others for their unique visuals. These games have smooth visuals, vast open-world with sandbox mechanics, and dozens of social-based activities for the players who prefer RPG elements.
- Pixel Worlds: MMO Sandbox is a sandbox indie MMO with RPG elements.
- BRAIN / OUT is a 2D multiplayer shooter with dynamic battles.
- Bit Heroes is a 2D dungeon-crawler MMORPG with turn-based combat.
Best Pixel MMO from 2018
Unfortunately, there is a lack of MMOs and social-based games in recent years. However, the pixel art style is still extremely popular, so that many developers create pixelated games with multiplayer and coop modes. There are many alternatives to the Pixel MMO from 2018 in different genres and settings. All of them are challenging and exciting.
- Vagante is an action platformer rogue-lite with multiplayer mode.
- Wizard of Legend is a hardcore action rogue-lite with cooperative mode.
- Heroes of Hammerwatch is a roguelike action-adventure game with RPG elements.
Best Pixel MMO from 2019
There are dozens of new video games with pixelated graphics, but most of them aimed at single-player gameplay. Still, Pixel MMO from 2019 features the sophisticated vivid worlds, unique mechanics of interaction with the environment and exciting storylines. There are much more pixel games with content for small groups of players, and all of them are noteworthy.
- stein.world is a real-time fantasy MMORPG developed by an indie studio.
- Streets of Rogue is a violent rogue-lite with advanced AI and vivid graphics.
- Mindustry is an open-world tower defence MMO with resource management mechanics.
Best Pixel MMO from 2020
The Pixel MMO from 2020 is the most sophisticated and technologically advanced games in the genre. The pixel art of these projects look like real pieces of art inspired by old school video games, and it becomes even more amazing in combination with advanced gameplay mechanics.
- One Step From Eden is a fighting MMO with immersive cooperative gameplay.
- Dragon Marked For Death is a sophisticated side-scrolling RPG for team play.
- Everland is an indie social online world.
