MMOs aren't "hard." They can just be time consuming. If you have a lot of time, then you'll be able to do what you want, mostly. If you want to be stronger, get higher level, spend time farming to get gear, etc.
I find sandbox games quite fun. I mean, it all depends on what game it is and what you expect to get from it, but it's nice to have a lot of freedom to do what you want and be creative.
There's no studio that I put my faith into, really. Nowadays, I see no creativity, just obvious attempts at making as much money as possible. Most games are just copies of other games.