The Best Dark Fantasy MMOs

Dark fantasy is a niche genre that resonates with players and fans alike, but doesn’t cover as large a demographic as historical fiction or mainstream fantasy. Targeted at an adult audience and often depicting more graphic and visceral scenes, dark fantasy video games don’t often appear in MMO form, but have been making more headway in recent years.

The genre of dark fantasy is more common in standalone games, but a few daring producers and creators have brought it into the massively multiplayer online format. All the elements of fantasy are there, but often feature horror elements like the undead, or visceral gore and violence. As much fun as they are, these aren’t the kind of games that grown-ups can play with their kids, but they are the best dark fantasy MMOs on the market today.

7

The Secret World

A Dark Urban Fantasy

A twist on the usual concept of “fantasy,” The Secret World is an MMO that takes place in an urban setting as opposed to an enchanted forest or an ancient ruin. There are still fantasy elements, such as spells, magic, mythology, and the occult, and players must either fight evil or join it.

Every character joins one of three in-game factions: the Illuminati, the Templars, or the Dragon, with varying skills and talents but an equal amount of power and ambition. Each faction is a secret society operating in various parts of the globe, fighting a variety of dark horrors that include vampires, zombies, and demons.

6

Black Desert Online

High Fantasy Meets Dark Realism

Officially, Black Desert Online is classified as a high-fantasy game, but the realistic artwork and gritty, unapologetic storylines and action sequences give it a distinctly dark undertone. The plot revolves around two kingdoms in constant conflict because of competing ideologies, a classic medieval trope.

The materialistic Republic of Calpheon and the deeply spiritual Kingdom of Valencia are the two major political players in the game. These are the only two nations to survive the ravages of the Black Death, a deadly plague based on the same one that wiped out half of real-world Europe. The result was a rendered world rife with fear, paranoia, and desperation, a perfect dark fantasy setting for players to explore.

5

New World

When Tall Ships Take A Dark Turn

The title of this game is derived from the expression that explorers of previous centuries used to describe the places they saw, visited, and often pillaged during their voyages. New World veers away from the medieval look of most fantasy games and uses the Age of Exploration as a setting, but in an alternate history where Biblical prophecies are real and Hell exists.

The island of Aeternum, where the game takes place, holds some dark and mysterious secrets, one of which is how the residents there never die. This includes humans as well as animals that cannot be tamed, leading to theories and hints in the lore that identify the island as the former Eden, complete with ghosts, the undead, and an angry god.

4

Ultima Online

Evolved From Single-Player Success

One of the longest-running MMOs in history is also one of the first and most popular video games to feature a dark fantasy setting. The Ultima franchise dates back to 1981, and the storyline and plot of each game have traditionally included demons, destruction, and the Underworld in some form.

Ultima Online continues that tradition, and with expansions like Stygian Abyss and Lord Blackthorn’s Revenge, the game remains thriving after almost thirty years. Other developers cite the lack of an audience as an excuse to lean into more popular high fantasy content, but the continuing success of Ultima proves that wrong.

3

V Rising

Survive As A Creature Of The Night

Perhaps not so “massively multiplayer” because of the relatively small servers, V Rising is still very much an MMO. Since every character is a vampire, it’s the most obvious choice for a dark fantasy MMO set in an open world. What sets this game apart is the smaller servers and the survivalist angle, which compels players to build a base as they level their fighting powers and crafting skills.

Everyone is playing a vampire, which means movement during the daytime is restricted, making the setting literally “dark” most of the time. Some powers and abilities are limited depending on the vampire’s resources, class, talent points, and feeding habits, as well as the time of day. However, the combat remains a particular standout no matter what restrictions players are forced to battle through.

2

Age Of Conan: Unchained

A Dark, Decadent, And Twisted World

The setting of the Conan franchise is an alternate history timeline called the Hyborian Age. Even though it’s set in a forgotten period of human history, it features magic, the occult, wizards, and fictional people and places.

In keeping with the tone of the classic comic books created by Robert E. Howard, Age of Conan: Unchained includes graphic depictions of death, fighting, and sex. It’s set in a time when Conan has acquired the throne of Aquilonia, as the Wizard Akiro foretold, but he has to fight in both politics and on the battlefield to keep it.

1

Diablo 4

In The Tradition Of The Franchise

The most obvious choice when it comes to the ultimate dark fantasy franchise, the original Diablo showed fans what a video game from this genre would look like. In many ways, it was a natural progression from games like Ultima and EverQuest, which combined high and dark fantasy.

Instead of trying to make the subject matter less terrifying, Diablo 4 leans into the dark fantasy and horror aspects like previous installments in the franchise, with the story of Sanctuary and the Horadrim standing as the focal point. The game includes classes like Necromancers and the Spiritborn, who have powers drawn from death and the occult. While not officially an MMO, Diablo 4 features all the trappings, including a persistent online world, a steady flow of new expansions, and a focus on co-op and dungeon raiding.