Battle of the Scapes
Old School RuneScape and RuneScape 3 are MMOs by Jagex, however, it almost seems like they are competing. At least to gamers anyway. A lot of players don’t know which version of Runescape to get into, Old School RuneScape or RuneScape 3. Honestly, you have a lot of time on your hands, you could try playing both at the same time. But that will most likely require you to never play any other game in your life.
So, a lot of people are asking which game is better, Old School RuneScape or RuneScape 3? The answer is not always clear and honestly which one is better is all about preference. I will compare the games side by side and what they offer and what gameplay might suit you more. While this doesn’t ensure that Old School RuneScape is better, the playerbase is nearly is three times larger compared to RuneScape 3.
With that out of the way, let’s do some comparisons.
Graphics
One of the biggest differences between the two games is the graphics and art style of the games. Let’s be honest, neither of these games look good, but it isn’t all about the graphics.
RuneScape 3 looks much better than Old School RuneScape. RuneScape 3 has a more traditional MMO art style of the early 2000s. While the game is great looking graphically, the vibrant colors and familiar art-style help make it pop. Players will see some similarities to World of Warcraft and Everquest.
Old School RuneScape looks extremely dated. And that’s because it is. With it being mostly a re-release of 2007 RuneScape, which originally came out in 2001, it looks “old school.” The game’s graphics look like PS1 or early PS2 games. Some clients, like RuneLite, offer plenty of plugins and some of these can enhance the graphics a bit.
Combat
Here is the other big difference between the two MMOs. The combat was one of the main reasons why so many players drop RuneScape 3. A lot of dedicated RuneScape players felt the change in combat took away what made RuneScape so unique. They felt the change made it feel more modern, but also identical to other MMOs.
Let’s start with Old School RuneScape’s combat first. The combat system in OSRS is very simplistic. Sure, there are some techniques like prayer flicking, but the combat was entirely just pointing and clicking. There were only a handful of weapons and skills.
RuneScape 3 on the other hand has a lot of skills to micromanage. Making it more engaging and fast-paced. I hate to keep bringing up World of Warcraft, but this is what the combat has turned into. The game feels a lot more modern compared to OSRS. The requires a lot more knowledge to maximize your damage output.
Accessibility
When it comes to accessibility or being beginner-friendly, it seems that RuneScape 3 takes this one. Based on a lot of players’ thoughts, RuneScape 3 is more accessible and easier than OSRS. They even dubbed the game EasyScape. Of course, this may just be the vocal minority. OSRS is very simplistic and easy to get into, but the grinding nature of the game makes it less enjoyable to newcomers.
Old School RuneScape is considered a more hardcore MMO. It is also very grindy. OSRS power leveling is one of the main goals of the game. The game is more focused on grinding up skills and may take a lot more time to reach certain milestones. Grinding up skills quickly will help players earn OSRS gold. OSRS is very simplistic and easy to get into, but the grinding nature of the game makes it less enjoyable to newcomers.
RuneScape 3 is more about the PvE experience and defeating monsters and talking to NPCs. The content is also more streamlined compared to OSRS. However, some may find the game to take a bit to get the hang of, due to so many things being on abilities and items being on screen. Skills can also be leveled, even if you are AFK, this makes leveling up skills much easier compared to OSRS.
Content
Both games can give you hundreds of hours easily. But when it comes to content, RuneScape 3 has more content. Considering that it has been updated since its release in 2001 it is bound to have more content.
RuneScape 3 has a huge world to explore and plenty of areas for players to discover. The game also has more armor and weapons for players to collect. RuneScape 3 usually has more updates due to having more developers working on the game.
Old School RuneScape has plenty to offer as well but has much fewer items, like armor and weapons to earn. There are also fewer skills compared to RuneScape 3, but not by many. However, OSRS has been updated with entire new continents and more areas are on the way. Because content is always updating in OSRS, there is plenty of OSRS items for sale by other players.
It is important to know that both games require a membership that you must pay if you want to access a majority of the game’s content.
Conclusion
So, what’s the verdict? Well, both games are great in their own ways. If you want a more traditional MMO experience with all the bells and whistles, RuneScape 3 is probably your best bet. But if you want to relive the classic days of RuneScape – complete with some tougher challenges – then Old School RuneScape is worth checking out. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference; so, try them both out and see which one you like better! What do you think about this debate between RS3 and OSRS? Let us know in the comments below.
