Ultima Online vs Ylands
Ultima Online
Ultima Online is one of the most legendary MMORPGs of all time. In fact, if you were to trace the entire MMORPG genre back to a single game, then you’d probably end up at Ultima Online. Being one of the longest running MMOs has its fair share of perks - a ton of updates to keep the gameplay fresh as well as a solid and loyal player base, and of course, downsides... there is only so much of the game they can update and graphics is, unfortunately, not one of them. That's actually great in some way since the game still retains its classic looks and charm.Ultima Online is a massive game and as you might expect, you can spend years in the game and still be pleasantly surprised to discover new parts of the game that you may not have known before. Aside from exploring the land, you can even set sail on your very own ship and make your mark at the seas as well. Character building is equally as impressive here mainly because you are free to mix and match over 50 different skills to come up with a build you feel comfortable with. However, if you're looking for a casual PvP experience, you won't find it here since your stuff can be looted by your opponent if you were defeated in combat.
As amazing as it is, Ultima Online is not a free-to-play game. That said, the game does offer a 14-day trial for players who would like to try the game out and who knows? You might just end up paying for the game for the sake of being able to fully experience the "founder" of modern-day MMOs.
Ylands
Ylands is a sandbox adventure game that has a gameplay that's a lot like a massively expanded version of Minecraft with a lot more resources for you to gather, items to craft, and amazing things to build. Instead of being "just a game", Ylands is more like a platform, much like Roblox is, where players are given the tools to create whatever worlds or games they like, be it a fun go-kart racing game that's inspired from Lega Racers or even a watery world where epic pirate-themed naval battles can take place. The worlds are completely interactive as well and every action you do will modify, no matter how slightly, the game environment of that segment of the world you happen to be in. In fact, if you change a terrain and populate it with an entirely different diversity of flora and fauna, you can basically change the climate system there.Unlike Minecraft though, Ylands has opted for a more polygonal appearance which gave it the extra leverage it needed to overcome the painful dismissal and degratory label of being simply a "Minecraft clone" - which admittedly, Ylands is most definitely not. The game has so much going for it and players truly have all the freedom within the game's pretty wide parameters to literally create anything they like. Of course, the game also supports sharing, so you can let other players in Yland enjoy that (for example) crazy maze-running game you've just made!
Ylands is most certainly impressive to say the least. However, due to its indie origins, not many players know about the game, let alone buy it on Steam. So, if you really like Minecraft-like sandbox games, you simply must give this game a try, and if you've had a great time there, be sure to recommend it to your friends or even buy it for them as their Christmas/ birthday gift!