Otaku all over the world love it whenever publishers and devs make games out of popular anime and manga franchises. For instance, Dragon Ball FighterZ lets players relive Goku's journey in Dragon Ball Z with a fighting game twist. Meanwhile, gamers will take on the role of orange-clad Naruto in more than 40 Naruto games that retell how this ninja hopeful worked his way towards being the Leaf Village's Hokage. Interestingly, anime games don't necessarily need to be from a popular anime franchise.
Moreover, many popular anime games today belong in their own video game franchises. In the case of MMOs, many games skyrocket into popularity thanks in part to their anime aesthetic and visuals. Additionally, these MMOs incorporate anime staples such as funny emojis and flashy combat. As such, which MMOs serve the best anime treatment for anime fans?
10 Elsword Online
Fans of beat-em-up titles would appreciate Elsword Online, thanks in part to its action-packed premise and anime aesthetic. In Elsword, players take on the role of various characters, each assigned a unique class and a unique story to tell. As such, players will always have a new experience to share with each playthrough.
What the game lacks in comprehensive polish, it does compensate with amazing beat-em-up action. The game features unique elements such as boss-rush modes, various cosmetic items and gear, as well as an action-packed PVP experience that encourages character mastery.
9 Aura Kingdom
Fans of more traditional MMOs such as World of Warcraft will appreciate the simplicity of Aura Kingdom. This fantasy-themed anime MMO lets players take on the role the Envoy of Gaia tasked to defend the realm against dark forces. Moreover, central to Aura Kingdom's gameplay are Eidolons (pets) they can level up and train to fight alongside them.
For all intents and purposes, Aura Kingdom plays like a staple fantasy MMO. It has its fair share of role-based classes (e.g., Guardian, Sorcerer, Bard, Ranger, among others) and fantasy-themed anime visuals. However, the game has other quality-of-life features such as hidden quests and a unique gliding system.
8 Soul Worker
What's better than an action-adventure anime MMO? A post-apocalyptic action-adventure anime MMO! Fans of anime and dystopian settings would appreciate Soul Worker's grim premise. In the game, players take on the role of psychic teenagers in charge of liberating Cloudrealm, an abandoned city littered with monsters. Unlike other MMOs, Soul Worker takes the "giant weapons" trope and puts it to maximum power, as the game's Soul feature lets them wield ginormous weapons - scythes and chainsaws, among others - to wreak havoc.
Aside from its over-the-top action, fans may appreciate Soul Worker for its cel-shaded inspired graphics and ability-modifying Card System. Moreover, its vast roster of cosmetic items will tickle any anime fan's fancy of customizing their dream character.
7 Closers
Fans of side-scrollers such as Mega Man know there's an appeal to side-scroller titles. As such, fans of the blue Maverick Hunter's adventures against difficult bosses might like Closers. This anime MMO takes an episodic spin to its anime-inspired story, which takes place in 2020s Korea besieged by dimensional monsters. Players take on the role of Closers, a group of high-schoolers with special abilities. And in true MMO fashion, players need to choose to play one of these high-schoolers, which essentially provides their class.
In essence, Closers plays like a typical side-scroller MMO, where players dish out damage to mobs of opponents with their special abilities. However, Closers shine in its PVP mode, where its character-class system takes on MOBA-like action with flashy sequences and timing-critical skill combos.
6 KurtzPel
Anime fans would likely look for an MMO with fast-paced, high-octane action. Thankfully, KurtzPel provides such an appeal with a fitting anime aesthetic to match. KOG Games' KurtzPel lets players become KurtzPels, members of the organization Chase in charge of protecting the world from the forces of the Bellatos Army.
However, despite its simple premise, KurtzPel packs a lot of punch with customization and gameplay. Aside from a wealth of cosmetic choices, KurtzPel lets players tap into Karma, its version of a weapon-based class system. Each Karma has different sets of attacks and abilities, giving each player an edge in combat. However, perhaps more interesting is that players eventually get two Karma they can switch at-will, enabling them to have dynamic playstyles.
5 Temtem
Fans who love pet battles but want to take a break from Pokémon might appreciate Temtem. This Pokémon-inspired game shares many popular tropes from the creature-collection title - such as unique creature names and appearances, type-based abilities, and even exploration. However, Temtem has this calm and colorful aesthetic that make it quite a relaxing experience, fitting both hardcore and chill players alike.
Moreover, Temtem doesn't try too hard to "become" like its inspiration. Unlike the hit Japanese franchise, Temtem features six islands with various (and gorgeous) environments, unique NPCs with different attitudes, as well as a dynamic battle system. Its 2-versus-2 system seems simple, but the game also relies heavily on synergies that will surely keep players on their toes.
4 Tree Of Savior
Anime fans looking for an isometric gameplay experience might get bored with Diablo's grimdark setting. Thankfully, Tree of Savior can provide a similar CRPG experience with a complex class system fit for MMO fans. In fact, fans might want to try Tree of Savior as it earned the title "spiritual successor to Ragnarok Online," the latter being one of the most acclaimed isometric MMOs of the early 2000s.
Unlike Diablo's limited class system, Tree of Savior has a whopping 80 classes. Its handpainted aesthetic serves as a huge nostalgia trip for fans of old-school games. This aesthetic, matched with the game's over 200 levels, makes min-maxing job abilities a new experience that doesn't bore. Moreover, its lack of class balance adds a traditional RPG trope to Tree of Savior, where a reckless class choice may end up making an unoptimized build.
3 Honkai Impact 3
Anime fans know each anime has its own set of "waifus," or female protagonists. However, Honkai Impact 3 takes this to 100 real quick, as the anime game's share of waifus are weapon-toting, stylish-armored, butt-kicking combat masters. Unlike other MMOs, Honkai Impact 3 centers around one character - Kiana Kaslana - and her adventures inside the Valkyrie Unit. Kiana teams up with her two comrades as they fight the Honkai, or alien invaders.
As the theme suggests, Honkai Impact 3 blends in stylish sci-fi with anime action, resulting in an action-packed game. In Honkai Impact 3, players can switch in between the three Valkyries in missions. In turn, this feature lets players tap into a wide array of playstyles and weapons.
2 Phantasy Star Online 2
Fans of the acclaimed Phantasy Star series can finally share their space-faring adventures with friends in Phantasy Star Online 2. Unlike the previous titles in the series, PSO2 takes place in its own continuity. In the game, players are new recruits of ARKS, an explorer organization that is tasked to help a colony fleet find habitable planets.
However, perhaps more impressive is the game's overall mechanics. Unlike other MMOs, PSO2 has a more dynamic approach to combat thanks to mid-air jumps, dashes, and teleportation. Moreover, players have the freedom to chain Techniques and Photon Arts to make their own unique combos.
Aside from having four different races (including a mecha race!), PSO2 features a wide array of cosmetic options. Moreover, the game has nine classes that players can mix-and-match into Primary and Secondary classes - all of which with unique abilities and weapon options.
1 Genshin Impact
Of all new MMOs out there, perhaps Genshin Impact garnered the most attention for its anime-inspired graphics and unique combat. Moreover, if fans can get over its similarities with Breath of the Wild's aesthetic, Breath of the Waifu - err, Genshin Impact offers quite a unique action-adventure experience.
In Genshin Impact, players take on the role of various main characters as they play through the game's story. Moreover, thanks to the game's dynamic environments, players get encouraged to experiment with various character abilities to traverse through levels. Additionally, players can acquire more new characters as they progress through the game.