A pioneer of the 3D MMO genre, fusing the best elements of games that came before it with a unique, stylistic flare that embodies Blizzard's Old Guard's penchant for Heavy Metal, Tolkein and Comic Books.

Whilst the 2004 release is a tale of iteration, it shipped with a strong core that fundamentally enabled a player-led experience without worry of loss of progression, frustration at a need to grind (In comparison to it's contemporaries, anyway) and fear of losing ones way, drastically increasing approachability for those new to the genre to grapple with the MMO staple features of the 1990's.

WoW's legacy as a social dynamo retains it's roots here, whilst giving plenty of nail-biting challenges for the seasoned and ambitious to dive into, whether that's taking down legendary foes with up to 40 allies or brawling with the other faction in the vein of the classic "Orcs and Humans" approach.

In fact, it's this faction-based gameplay that helps bring the high-fantasy of Warcraft 3 back to the ground, reminding us that through our adventure, the world is more than gallant heroes and moustache-twirling villains.

Preserved forever with an abundance of options including private servers run by shady communities, local-only emulated servers and a slew of official, Blizzard helmed 'Classic' servers, the original game is out there ready to explore.

Often lauded as a radical departure from a near perfect masterpiece, Dark Souls' sequel is far closer to the original than people give credit for. Looping areas are replaced with linear progression paths offering far more interactivity with a more neatly designed set of levels where exploration is far less daunting, risky but infinitely more satisfying. Everything else is tidied up with mechanics streamlined in ways that retain player choice without overbearing options. A great selection of hidden bosses and optional areas make DS2 a joy to replay even years on and unlike 1 and 3 feels like a complete package without DLC.