The Korean massively multiplayer role-playing game that is part World of Warcraft and part Capcom’s Monster Hunter series, Tera is an action-oriented game of epic scale and on-point execution. If you’re looking for a quality MMO with an East Asian-inspired aesthetic, Tera is tough to beat and its availability on a huge number of systems only makes it that much more robust in experience.
Originally debuting in 2011 in the Republic of Korea, Tera is a stalwart of the genre and has offered a largely consistent experience since its release.
Focused on exploration and world combat, Tera offers a class system, crafting, guilds, and all of the great stuff you’d expect out of WoW but with a huge added twist: One of the most action-oriented combat systems out there. Until The Elder Scrolls Online came along, few games were as action-heavy as Tera was for an MMORPG and that has only benefited game in its long history.
And the graphics are so beautiful that it’s hard to believe this game is came out so long ago and is a clarion call to devs out there to step their game up. In this article we’re going to tell you about some games like Tera so that you can get some more action MMORPG titles in your library. Not everything is exactly like Tera but we think this list represents a fair overview of what’s generally on offer that is similar enough to be comfortable for players of the premier Korean action MMORPG out on the market.
Blade and Soul
If you’re going to download one game on this list make it Blade and Soul. It’s a completely free-to-play fantasy martial arts MMO game with hundreds of hours of exploring readily for you to enjoy.
Even though it was released in 2012, this game still has a massive fan base and is one of the must-plays on this gaming list.
Black Desert Online
This martial arts inspired MMORPG takes that action of Tera and reduces it down into advanced fisticuffs that is part Chinese action film and Western fantasy flick rolled into one game. Being a sandbox title, Black Desert Online also offers a vibrant in-game world where players can farm, craft, trade, and just generally explore – it’s really up to the player.
While Tera is very much geared towards killing everything on the screen and doing it all over again the combat and opportunities for it in Black Desert Online are more considered and gripping as a consequence.
Naturally, you can participate in massive castle raids and there’s no lack of epic content here in this game but Black Desert Online balances out Tera’s drive for all action all the time with story and other options that are just viable.
FINAL FANTASY XIV
Another game that is like Tera but vastly different, Final Fantasy XIV is the game that offers everything you’d want in a traditional JRPG minus the solo play and finite experience.
Putting on display one of the gaming world’s most involved storylines in one of its most well-crafted universes, Final Fantasy XIV is nothing less than epic from start to finish.
Employing the often overwrought style for which the series is known, FFXIV drips with high-quality production and attention to detail.
Class-based combat with PvE and PvP elements, it is quick moving if more aligned with WoW’s style than Tera’s combat. Players of Tera that felt the world lacked a soul or that the narrative was a weak point will find this is not the case with FFXIV.
Guild Wars 2
A game more like World of Warcraft than it is anything else, Guild Wars 2 is a Korean MMORPG like Tera but tones down the aesthetic and instead opts for a more realistic portrayal of in-game characters and enemies.
Easily one of the best MMORPGs currently out there, Guild Wars 2 also emphasizes combat like Tera but still has just enough lore for people to care about.
Where it really mirrors Tera is that it minimizes that in-game lifestyle options so you’re not going to be raising chickens and making leather strips in Guild Wars 2 to sell to wandering merchants. That said, what the game does well it is on the level of the industry titans so there’s a lot to appreciate here.
Monster Hunter World
Now this game is like Tera. Featuring tons of huge monsters to take down, tons of levels and equipments to load out, and a gorgeous graphical style to boot, Monster Hunter World is the game on this list that most closely matches or even surpasses Tera in many ways.
This is an action game with mild MMORPG elements while Tera is much more firmly in the MMORPG camp.
That said, when it comes to epic scale and stuff to do Monster Hunter World won’t run out any time soon and still features community events and constant updates. Best of all it is a fairly young title with a lot of life left in it so gamers that get in now won’t have that overwhelming feeling that often accompanies MMORPGs that have been on the shelf for a while.
The Elder Scrolls Online
This action-heavy MMORPG based on The Elder Scrolls universe from Bethesda not only sports a unique combat system but also emphasizes class-based stuff like World of Warcraft does.
Wrapped in a cloth of high fantasy with lore that won’t end, The Elder Scrolls Online presents one of the most robust communities and in-game universes on this list.
Perfect for gamers who love to explore and become a part of the “world” they are in, The Elder Scrolls Online does not shy away from combat, adapting the first-person shooter’s quintessential elements into a timer-based MMORPG combat style that is a great take on what could be an otherwise staid system.
Age Of Conan
This game is gritty and wild, perfect for people who love combat but maybe not suited for those players who are fans of Tera’s graphics and art style.
Conan reveals in its barbarian origins and is one of the more explicitly violent (and explicit in general) games out on the market. Based in the world of the Conan series, the lore of the game is solid but might not be for everyone.
Dark and violent with tons of sex-infused into everything, the world of Conan is as brutal and primeval as they come. Combat is fast and weighty with the aforementioned violence highlighting it all in red.
WildStar
Debuting in 2014, this sci-fi themed online role-playing game features a lot of PvP combat in addition to the dungeons and quests of traditional MMO fare.
Though Tera does have arguably some science fiction stuff every once in a while, this is the focus of WildStar and might be a turn off for some players. The world of WildStar is a planet once inhabited by a very advanced civilization that has since abandoned it.
You and other players will make use of this civilization’s technology as well as discover more about the world around you in the process.
There are in-game factions to join and an overarching narrative that becomes more and more important as you progress in the game making WildStar a decidedly more traditional RPG experience than MMORPG. There’s less of an emphasis on combat and grinding in this game than like in Tera but the combat system is nonetheless intense.
Stakes are typically high and you’ll find yourself continuously challenged by WildStar. God-like status as found in Tera when you fell gigantic foes is not to be found here, unfortunately.
Neverwinter
This MMORPG based on the Forgotten Realms’ universe is as old school new as they come and, while it shares a name with the classic PC RPG, it is very much its own thing. Based on the Dungeons and Dragons gameplay system, gamers not only have the ability to select a class but also level that character through the in-game world.
Dungeons and Dragons style games can be complex for people who have never played them before and Neverwinter does a great job balancing this out with a need to appeal to new blood. An entirely different pace and game style than Tera, Neverwinter is perfect for gamers who love late 1990s RPGs and want to relive those glory days or even D&D players that want to roam through the Forgotten Realms’ world.
Either way, don’t come expecting flashy graphics and arcade-style combat – Neverwinter is a much more subdued experience.
Runescape
The patriarch of MMORPG games, Runescape came out in early 2001 and has kept up the hype ever since. This title is perhaps one of the least like Tera on this list. It’s graphics are not impressive, it’s combat is not fast, and it doesn’t attempt to keep you going with a mix of arcade style flash and pop mixed with a smidge of progressive difficulty.
The draw to Runescape is its community, some of which have played since the beginning and represent one of the most devoted in the current MMORPG space. And they haven’t stopped making improvements to the game even though it is aged at this point.
We’d recommend Runescape for the player that truly wants something different in an MMORPG but don’t expect the overwrought style of a Korean MMO when you log on to Runescape.
I hope you found the game you are looking for, I really enjoyed writing this and testing the games. If I missed any games that you think are good alternatives to Tera let me know in the comments.