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- Publisher: NCSOFT
- Release Date: Aug 28, 2012
User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 2623 Ratings
User score distribution:
Positive: 2,047 out of 2623
Mixed: 170 out of 2623
Negative: 406 out of 2623
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Aug 28, 2012Better than TOR, The Secret World, and TERA, all things considered.
I've been purchasing every major MMO release this year and have left extremely disappointed each time. I would log in, see "kill X and Y", do the standard number mashing combat that you find in every MMO, and end up unsubscribing. I did try to give these games my all and see if I could break past the tedium, but I could not.
People in these reviews are complaining about broken quests and server overflows. Guys, it's launch day. The game literally JUST CAME OUT and it's easily the most anticipated MMO since TOR, so can you maybe just give it a second and roll with the punches? It gets better, I promise.
As far as questing goes, you are technically presented with the standard "kill X of these" quests, but packaged in such a way that if you don't want to do them, you can just bugger off and it'll disappear from your objectives list. Furthermore, the quests are shared across all players engaged in that particular activity, so you don't have to play alone.
Grouping is also much better than in previous MMOs. Literally anyone standing next to me during a dynamic event is part of my "group" without any invitations or awkward conversation. All XP gets shared and loot is reserved for each character. Truly a step in the right direction.
Speaking of XP, doing ANYTHING in Guild Wars 2 is likely to reward you with experience points. Chop down a tree to gather crafting materials? Revive a fallen ally or player? discover a new location? Yup, they all give significant experience points. So do crafting, exploration, dynamic events, and more. What's that? Reviving a fallen player? yes! Guild Wars 2 goes beyond the standard ideas of playing together that MMOs have so tactfully forced down our throats. For the first time, I'm inclined and REWARDED for helping other players back on their feet after they get their butts handed to them, and other players return the favor when I'm downed too!
Bringing me to another mechanic. When you die in the field, unless you get severely roflstomped, you "fight for your life". Throw things and bandage yourself while you're on the ground, and you even have a chance to bring yourself back to life.
There are so many other mechanics that I could rattle off, but the ones I mentioned are the main draws for myself.
basically, if you think you're burned out on MMOs, get GW2. It's not a re-invention of the genre, but rather an evolution.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This game is fantastic, a milestone. Not only the overall level of quality and detail is above almost any other MMO in the market, but it also innovates the genre in many ways.
No more single task, static questing, but a living world where events are not waiting for you to click on an NPC to happen: you explore, you see things happening, you join them and your actions have consequences.
No more gear grind: both in PvE and PvP, you won't need to farm gear for ages just to be able to join the action. At max level everybody is on the same gear level, the outcomes of the challenge is determined by your skill, finally.
No more being pigeon holed within one single class role. Every class can finally be ranged and melee, healing or dpsing. Shift your weapons, manage your countless skills, dodge and parry the incoming attacks. This is finally an engaging combat!
No more waiting for a healer or a tank to show up: you want to do that dungeon with 5 warriors or 5 necromancers? You can, it works.
No more subscription fees: you by the game and you play it as much as you want, at your pace. Content will be periodically added, and it will be free. You just have to buy the official expansion when they will come out.
This game is different in mechanics, is gigantic in scope, is beautiful and intriguing. Do yourself a favour and don't miss it. It's not "marketing" or advertisement. It's how the game is, as a matter of fact.
(Final note: I read some of the few "0" rated reviews here and I am appalled by the false information they spread. One thing is expressing opinions, one thing is spreading clear lies. Only 5 skills? False. I cannot play with my friends? False. Give the game a try, you'll see by yourself what's true and what's false...… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This game is beautiful, fun and very addicting! It has a wonderful personal story, great PvE and stunning PvP. The WvWvW is extremely fun!
If you are new to the MMO scene and looking for a way in this is the game! If you are an old MMO gamer looking for the next one to play this game will be perfect for you!
Also, the game is F2P!
Aug 28, 2012The game is amazing. Beatufil, skill based mechanics, best PvP ever!
The endgame of WoW is amazing.. but the problem is that in some way you feel that if you doesn't rush your leveling you are.. wasting time. Here i found that everything you do, you will be rewarded(exploring, crafting, farming, doing old Events, etc).. so, there is no rush. Besides, you have a lot of new player going around with you... is priceless...… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Guild Wars 2 isn't a huge revolutionary entry into the genre but it does take a lot of good steps in the right direction when trying to correct what people often see as faults in traditional MMOs. As far as visuals, the game is often stunning. Technically speaking, the visuals aren't top of the line but the art style and aesthetic make it a pleasure to look at. The best element they've added to this game in my opinion that most every traditional MMO lacks is the urge to explore world. With dynamic events, mini dungeons, and puzzles, and more, traveling and exploring is actually a pleasure instead of a bore and the main element that drives PvE. The dynamic events aren't as amazing as they were made out to be, however they're still much more fun and engaging than your typical MMO "Kill 5 boars" quests. Because of all these things grind, for once, is extremely minimal and the leveling process doesn't have to be an annoying chore but rather the appeal of the game. Bad news is, that for now, a lot of things aren't up and running as they should be. Guild, trading posts, and more are either screwy or don't function at all. However, I expect these things to be corrected fairly soon after launch.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Guild Wars 2 brings a subscription-free design to everything, and that's part of what makes it different from many other fantasy MMOs. While there is a progression system, it isn't designed as a traditional grind -- in other words, since there is no sub fee, there is no reason for the game to drag everything out with artificial caps and limits to ensure you pay for another month.
You get a ton of value for buying the game. I'd argue that you get more for paying $60 for this than any other AAA MMO, simply because you don't have to pay $15 a month to enjoy it.
I love the art style, a sort of graphic-novel meets 3D render ... but it won't please everyone.
The developers are fantastic. I think that's a point worth making here. They admit their mistakes, aren't afraid to clarify details, and are more open and honest with the players than any of their "corporate speak" competitors. I can't say if this will last forever, but I'd be surprised if they stopped being "real people."
I've seen some outright misinformation in a few of the reviews, sadly, so I'd suggest taking a moment to inform yourself from reliable sources, such as the game's wiki or main website.
The dynamic event (note that dynamic is not the same as random) system is really great, much like the Public Quests from Warhammer ... only enhanced and more interesting.
Every class has multiple roles. You can be a warrior that plays a powerful support role with massive fire and explosive damage from a bow, buff banners, shouts and so on, or you can become a front-line soldier. The different weapons offer completely different playstyles, and are well worth exploring. If you don't like the thief with daggers, try it with pistols. Or a shortbow. Or a sword. Totally different abilities, totally different feel.
I'm very happy with the game, and I hope that anyone interested in it checks some solid neutral sources before deciding if they should buy or not.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Seriously the best game I have ever played in every way. The art direction is truly astounding and is the best. I love running around killing and looting and winning. If you are wondering about all those people saying its too ban happy, they are just trolls and jerks who got banned.
Aug 28, 2012This game is amazing, you will see reviews giving this game extremely low scores for petty reasons mostly server overloads and issues with certain features that when fixed will make this game what it should be. I will not reduce my rating due to issues that always plague the first few weeks of launch of any large MMO, they are expected and not a representation of the full game. The game itself is fantastic; large, well-designed and interesting areas that always give a sense of accomplishment, well balanced interesting PvP and contrary to most peoples opinions a huge variety of build options. People claiming the game to have little in the way of build options are completely missing how it works or perhaps have not spent long enough at it. Traits, weapon swapping, combos and gear set up all radically change how you play in PvP and it is NOT just generic skills shoved together in your bar. I can't stand people who will base this game on opening day problems when they are not going to be present in very long but they do inhibit this game achieving a 10. If you have any doubts about buying this game due to the very low ratings from some people; ignore them, and buy it!… Expand
Aug 28, 2012It's an absolutely incredible mmorpg. Not only is it very fun and addicting, it also has a huge explorable world, amazing world verse world pvp, and a unique, hand painted look... almost oil painting style. The ui is clean and blends perfectly into the world while maintaining a very minimalistic style.
The attention to detail is amazing. The little details are all over the place, and really add to the world to make this a special game.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Overall an amazing game, visuals, the world, pvp, the RPG of it is all better than gw1 except the the weapon skills. I have no idea why they did it but its **** awful. it completely eliminates the strategy part of gw1 in favor of a more hack and slash system where any monkey with a keyboard could win.
Aug 28, 2012I'm quite unsure with my feelings on Guildwars 2. First of graphically it's not a terrible game, how ever it feels a bit dated in terms of it. Textures for anything other than armour and weapons is rather "meh" nothing special about them, they all appear somewhat blurry and lacking in detail. Water reflections are beautiful as well as shadows, but the water does lack allot of tessellation. Its just seems to be an animated texture. They need more options for those with higher end systems, I understand this is an MMO and they target a broad market of people and systems, but it's quite disappointing to have system that could do so much more.
In terms of gameplay, it feels lackluster. Yes it's a completely new system to Guildwars 1, but I feel the new improvements have no place. Even though you can roll to try get away from opponents, it does nothing they still with out fail deal damage to you. So the rolling system is just pointless to have. When It comes to questing its all the things we are familiar to. They do throw in a few quests where you get to control a giant cannon etc etc they still feeling kinda boring.
The way point and point of interests are just repetitive and will drain hours of time trying to reach all of them in areas. You will find the majority of the game is just doing these anyway, they "Help quests" (The gold heart ones) Are pretty much all the same "Clear an area of X monster and fix X or collect X"
PVP is a large chunk of the game (as was Guildwars 1) But Guildwars 2 pvp is pretty much the same as Guildwars 2 except Guildwars 2 introduces the concept of World vs World. Which is quite addictive, but the large amount of players on causes a fair amount of lag. If you loved PVP in the first you will love it in the second.
I personally am not attached to the game as I was with the first. The first Guildwars I could play for 6 hours+ straight easily. Everything I did had a charm to it, which made the game more enjoyable. I fail to have this connection with Guildwars 2, It's NOT a bad game by all means. I'm sure there are plenty who will love it. I just believe it lacks something to it, I can't play for more than 2 hours with being bored or over it, everything I do seems all the same and quite bland.
How ever this is all JUST my opinion. Which I am sharing to you all.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This is a really fun game. I'm not a stickler for graphics and I usually love games for gameplay, but this game really looks good. The main storyline is surprisingly good, and the quests flow smooth like butter. I've chalked up about twenty hours in three days (give or take a few hours) and I am a level 49 thief. I can tell that every single event has been meticulously polished to perfection. Only encountered one bugged quest and it was no big deal. Combat is good too, its fast paced and sometimes can get very difficult. Every single class is fun to play, loving the thief.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012It's a fantastic game with tons of areas to explore each with interesting quests, collectibles, and puzzles to explore. Adventuring through Tyria is a truly memorable endeavor. It is not a revolutionary mmo as people were hyping, but it is the next step in MMOs and is easily the best one on the market. Exciting pvp, enormous pve and without a sub fee to boot. Highly Recommended!
Aug 28, 2012A true gem, and perhaps what the MMO genre needs so badly. GW2 is an awful lot of fun, as it takes a different route from most mmo's. Gone are the endless 'go here, kill , go there, bring back ' but rather, their quests are more like the public events of Warhammer Online. Plus, skills are no longer slowly fed to you via trainers, but unlocked through a talent system. You start with 5 skills, which are subject to change with different weapons - for instance, a sword will grant you 3 moves, and your offhand item the other two. So, there is a large amount of combinations to be had. There is also an overlapping 'main' storyline, which you'll slowly go through as a sort of backbone to the other quests.
Bottom line, it's just plain old fun in an amazingly well put together game. The only issues I have encountered thus far have been technical - as can be expected so close to launch-, but those are sure to be fixed in future patches/… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This game is really impressive and for a person that plays games lightly...I truly do appreciate the effort in making this a very magical experience-dynamic events and personalizing characters as needed makes this a really great game. I have not been bored with this game and have only seen 5% of the world after a good 20+ hours of gaming.
Aug 28, 2012Guild Wars 2 is a sequel to the lore of the Original Guild Wars. If you are looking for a game that is same game play wise as the first one look else where but this is not necessarily a bad thing. GW2 is a game that takes a wile to get used to the new mechanics and game play style if your coming right off the original. I have ran across a few areas that were bugged but it did not take away from the feel of the game… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This game is excellent. Beautiful graphics, tons of content, and a huge, immersive world. Combat is smooth and responsive. sPvP is hugely skill based. WvW is an absolute blast, especially when you play with friends. On top of all that, it's B2P!
Apr 14, 2013A few weeks into Guild Wars 2's launch, I wrote a review and gave the game 9 stars for it's leveling experience. A few months later and I haven't touched the game in weeks. Once you hit max level, complete the entire world, run every instance, jump every puzzle, score big trading deals and attempt to make a legendary, you will have no urge to play the game. Zero. Yet, I have put 400 hours into the game and loved every second of it. Enjoy the time you have with it, it doesn't last forever.… Expand
Aug 29, 2012I am scoring GW2 a 10 despite the minor issues with the trading post and forums being down because it is simply an amazing game. It is visually stunning and just plain fun to play. And, I have not even tried the PvP aspect which I am looking forward to experiencing. GW2 literally has me at PvE. But, the biggest factor for me is the design. The elimination of the trinity, the fact that it is B2P, the focus on skill over gear, the questing system, dynamic events, accessibility due to way points and the beautiful art direction make GW2 a game that I want to support as well play. I hope that other developers take a good look at GW2. I genuinely believe that this is the direction that MMOs should take going forward.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Addictively and impressing. The best MMO yet, for me personally! It's a great adventure and is haveing a pretty good release, you should try it! No monthly fees ;)!
Aug 28, 2012Just a heads up to those of you who are seriously considering not purchasing this game based on early negative reviews, I feel that I need to point out that those reviewers were likely banned for using hate speech in a chat channel or in their name, an offence that is made very clear to users in the rules. I'd also like to make it clear that using profanity like the F-word is absolutely acceptable and not a banable offence.
I've played this game from beta weekend 1 and I can honestly say, Guild Wars 2 is a nearly flawless MMO. Stunning visuals, personal story lines and, most importantly, incredible game play. Areanet has accomplished what was once though to be almost impossible: they have eliminated the "grindy" feeling that you might experience in the traditional MMO. I have personally found that I'm not leveling in an effort to make it to level cap and endgame content, I'm legitimately enjoying the scenery, the lore, and exploration objectives on the map. I often find myself looking down at the corner of the screen to realize that I've gained a few levels, this coming from a 4 year veteran of WoW, I never thought I wouldn't be paying much attention to a character level, but it's really happening here and it's awesome! I could go into extensive detail as to how detailed and amazing this game is, but I don't believe I can convey that experience in a text review, look up one of thousands of YouTube videos on the game, you won't be disappointed.
However, I, and many others, have found the elimination of trade between two people to be... inconvenient. Arenanet has come out to say that this was a decision made by devs to cut down chat spam and reduce instances of scamming. But I'm not buying it. The least they could do is implement a cash on delivery system through mail, which I do believe will come quickly, likely within the next month or so. I simply cannot fathom why such a simple feature would be eliminated. I could mention overflow issues that other reviewers have based their reviews on, but it has already been announced by the Arenanet staff that the issues with the party system are being worked on and that those issues are a top priority (Honestly guys, the games only been public for a few days now, give the devs a break), I simply don't feel that I can criticize a game that has only been available to the public for a little over 10 days for minor bugs. I do however still believe trade is an issue, though one that will likely be resolved in time. I don't believe it is a big enough issue to knock a point off of an otherwise brilliant game. This game is a true deviation from what we accept as the MMO standard that definitely deserves your consideration.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Really superb game. Don't let the few negative reviews sway you as they are all based on minor teething issues that are tiny compared to any other MMO I have played.
EG trading post not working for 4 days? - Not really a game breaker :P
The game is beautiful, engaging, the PVP element is great fun and there is endless room for future add ins. I for one want can't wait to see what the next few years holds for this game.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012If you like mmos , this is one of the best. Really great world design, lots of things to do, high skill cap for dungeons, good crafting, a lot of optional fun things to do, puzzles, mini games etc.
Aug 28, 2012incredible attention to detail, beautiful scenery, amazing graphics and run well on any decent computer, TONS of things to do in all zones, many different ways to level, good amount of class/profession combos, fun dynamic events that actually work, lots of different skills/weapon combos, spvp, wvw, and many more things that make this game awesome. Anyone giving it a bad rating are obviously WOW trolls and haven't played anything else. I've played MMO's and video games in general for 22 years now and have to say this is one of the top 5 ever. Arenanet puts blizzard and other companies to shame with this release. Game of the year in my opinion.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Guild Wars 2 is notable in the MMO genre, as it is the first big budget title in at least 5 years to attempt to innovate beyond the traditional hotkey 'holy trinity' (tank/dps/healer) model popularized with Everquest years ago and carried forward by WoW.
This review comes at the time of the end of the 3 day head start. There are a handful of problems at the moment that I presume will be resolved in the near future and so my review will not penalize Arenanet for this troubles -- primarily around guild administrative functionality (lag) and the trading post.
Graphics. Its the first game in years that has such a strongly realised art design; perhaps since the Mass Effect franchise, and its the first fantasy title in years that compares to Blizzard's in house design team. Running an ATI 7750 on a first gen i5 quad core, I can maintain ~50-60 fps for 1650x1080 at high settings. There are people with performance problems today, though, but both drivers are continually being updated and Arenanet is constantly tweaking and tuning performance. Tom's Hardware has a good review of GW2 performance, to give you a sense of what works well and what is still problematic. Gameplay. Innovative. Core mechanics are almost entirely unlocked by level 10, the game is very responsive (tight controls) and content is immediately challenging in the starting zone -- this is very refreshing after 'collect 10 boar hides' with rudimentary abilities in other MMOs. The world feels much more alive than other MMOs with static quests or staged events. Crafting is deep and nuanced. There's a personal storyline for your character, that behaves similarly to SW:TOR's core class stories. There is quite a large amount of voice acting too.
The best thing about guild wars 2, is that its a one time purchase. You get a persistent world, with modern graphics and several innovations on traditional MMO mechanics... without a recurring subscription. GW2 looks to put new downward pressure on the cost of MMOs, while simultaneously raising the bar for group play and quality of execution (graphics, music, gameplay). Definitely a top 10 of the year title, and potentially a #1.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Welcome to Metacritic....if you scan all the negative reviews above this one, you'll notice that better than 75% are giving the game a 0-2 rating based on GW2 being over-hyped, issues with the overflow queue, or issues with lag/login. And this is within hours of the official launch. Judging the game strictly on what t brings to the table, I do find that this game is much more entertaining than WoW, Tera, Secret World, and Star Wars... and yes, I've played them all extensively and am still subscribed to 2 of the 4. If Diablo 3 with its DRM and other issues is an 8.8, this easily qualifies as a 10.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Absolutely stunning! Guild Wars 2 sets itself apart from all other MMO's by #1 polishing perfecting the genre. The seamless dynamic events let you jump in and help out fellow players anytime also letting you reap the XP rewards taking the normal "click and grind" questing out of the picture. The PVP is second to none!! MASSIVE siege battles and capture points in World VS World is something I've been looking for in MMO's for a VERY long time!! The environment and character graphics alone are gorgeous!!( Bearing in mind you have a system capable of running it maxed out). All in all Guild Wars 2 is an excellent game capable of keeping you hooked and it goes so far above and beyond the original it is literally no comparison. The game is also one of the most polished MMO releases to date! Absolutely worth every penny and a solid 10 in my book.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Best MMORPG since WoW,don't let a few negative reviews change your mind,those are mostly people who can't stand a bad launch,the game itself is awesome.
Aug 28, 2012I don't have mmo experience, so this goes from a newcomer. GW2 gives you some very nice possibilities to play with your friends, while making possible to play with other unknown fellas, since there is a really coop scenario around. PVE is great, the maps are big enough and have a lot of actions. There are quests, but in a new fashion, much more interesting since in many ways they are free to go around, not having to grab up 80 items and run back to the city. Crafting is awesome, really challenges you to go forward in those maps that you already know.
The WvW is awesome too, since PvE is connected to it, so there is a huge sense of progress. And even my friend who was a PvP-only guys is already hooked in blasting our way through those pesky invaders!!!
PvP is very very good, those tournaments are asking to be e-sport. But laggy servers can be sensed in this beginning (to be fair, these complaints are being filed in the launch day). All in all, the game shines while having some minor bugs or uncomfortable traits (like joining friends in overflow areas are still catchy).… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Beautiful game. Shows off a great art style. Quests are fun and not a grind. The only problem that I have is that the skills are quite unresponsive so it drags down the pvp a bit. But overall a very fun game. I would recommend it to anyone that was thinking about joining some kind of mmo.
Aug 28, 2012Imagine the best looking and playing single player RPG... Now add true cooperative play with DAoC PVP and a huge world. Also add a responsive developer staff and you have an awesome game for years to come!
Aug 28, 2012this game is everything Arenanet promised and even more, I have to say I was one of the skeptics but 2 days into the headstart I had really to change my "tune", the artistic direction is astonishing, I knew it was good but still it surprised me very much offering a powerful gameplay and a deep immersive scenery. the dynamic events are perfect for one like me that needs to do something meaningful and fun even in the days when I can log for 40 minutes or less. GW2 is definitely a keeper and i consider it worth every penny.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Is it a good game? Well, it's not a bad one... however you should know that the hype has painted an unrealistic picture of how good the game really is. On the surface its a solid, well crafted game with few technical flaws and a good eye for details that shines through in things like the crafting. It's certainly among the better MMO's to have been released in recent years. But... at the end of the day it's really not much more fun than it's fantasy MMO contemporaries. At least where PvE is concerned.
Sure it mixes things up somewhat, and the dynamic events that temporarily changes the "lay of the land" are interesting. However it is still very much like the questing in all the other MMO's you have played. Same old, different wrapping. Grind X or collect Y, often longer and with less variety than other games due to the open nature of the events. I guess my main gripe is that GW2 is almost to streamlined, most of the time there is little challenge to be had, all while moving at a really fast pace. And that may be one reason why I found it difficult to get attached to several aspects of the game. While the graphical design is good and certainly doesn't bother me, it does however look dated in places if that should be a concern.
Many will find pleasure in GW2, but I'm afraid I'm not one of them. GW2 simply doesn't bring anything profound to the table. So if like me, you are tired of the same old easy cookie cutter fantasy MMO's, chances are your time in Tyria would be short lived as well.
It's simple, mindless fun, no more, no less.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012The best thing about the Game:
Non-linear progression
Overview: Excellent game focused on exploration and promoting a do what you like attitude towards progression. Throw in two PVP settings that do not impact on one another, (WvW and SPvP) and you get a game with enough variety to keep me gaming for a long time. Additional pluses, no sub. Classes that feel different. Active engaging combat with hidden depth. Excellent Environments. Graphics: Excellent artwork that makes the game and its NPC's/PC's all feel part of the same world. The Norn suffer somewhat in the animation department but this is made up for in the excellent Asura who are amazing to behold in their weird whacky excentric movements. The locales are breath taking and the depth of view is good. The animation holds up in WvW. The biggest criticism would be the "AOE Soup" created when their are a mass of people attacking one enemy.
The non linear progression is what trumps the gameplay category. Want to craft great get some exp. how about doing some dynamic events sure that works too. Whatever you do you get experience (with the exception of SPvP. I have mostly played with an exploration focus so far and even doing jumping puzzles nets some good xp so you are always having fun, being varied and progressing. Add into this the nature of SPvP giving an esports dynamic to the game and you have no reason on to purchase it.
For the price this game costs there is no title to date that offers more re playability for the amount of money (NO SUB). The world is filled with rich dynamic events that are exceptionally fun and scale well. The de-leveling system allows exploration into zones you may have missed. The ongoing WvW fights will suck up any serious PvP players. You could even play this as sole pvp arena style game and still get your money's worth.
10, 10 10!! Closing Comment:
It has some flaws but these are outweighed by the sheer volume of content for the box price. a must buy!… Expand
Aug 28, 2012If you've played just about any MMO in the last 10 years, you are intimately familiar with floating exclamation points, dungeon grinding, and gear treadmills. Guild Wars 2 turns much of what we know, and have unquestioningly accepted about MMOs, on its head. The most obvious difference is in the questing. The vast majority of "quests" in GW2 are spontaneous and dynamic. You don't bump into someone who tells you their life story right before they ask you to kill 10 rats. Rather, you might come upon a farm under attack by bandits - if you or your companions manage to drive them off, it may lead to another stage where you go on the attack, and raid the bandits lair. If you fail, however, a different quest starts, where you may have to repair the damage the bandits caused. People passing through the area are free to join in or leave at any time, and the difficulty scales to however many are participating. Combat itself is vastly different from the usual 'stand still and mash buttons' you see everywhere else. Movement is key, and with no specific tank or healer class, players must be aware at all times and be ready to dodge whenever the boss winds ups for a special attack. It's refreshing, and, at times, difficult - there is a definite learning curve. Additionally, combat skills depend on your weapon type. A mage might throw a fireball while wielding a staff, but if he equips a dagger, it turns into a a completely different, aoe type attack. Various other quality-of-life improvements have been made. You never directly compete with other players for quest objectives or resource nodes. Fast travel works from any point on the map. The graphics are some of the best I've seen in an MMO, and the solo storyline is actually pretty good, varying wildly depending on what race/background choices you made during character creation. Max level pvp is accessible as soon as you create your character, and is easily the best system I've seen in an MMO yet. Exploration is fun, and there are rewards for doing it. Crafting has a unique experimentation aspect to it. And, of course, the biggest selling point - there is no subscription fee! Now, all this isn't to say GW2 doesn't have any flaws. There are still a lot of launch bugs floating around, ranging from minor (trouble grouping with players) to major (the auction house has been down for days). It's still up in the air how "end game" will be received, bearing in mind there is no traditional gear treadmill. The cash/gem shop is a little sketchy, and the game has many subtle and not-so-subtle ways of nudging you toward it. Anyway, I've been playing the game since beta and I can honestly say I've been having a lot of fun. The burning questions on everyone's minds (whether or not this will kill WoW, or if they should drop WoW for this game) are largely irrelevant, they are different games with different mentalities and approaches to MMO gaming.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012I've been playing MMOs since the text-based MUD days, and this is the most immersive and amazing world that I've come across in all of that time. If you are a MMO player who loves to explore, then it is a must buy. There is simply no other game out there which comes close to the level of detail and fun built into the world. That said, it is not an easy mmo -- the combat once you hit about level 20 is very challenging and you must learn your class mechanics well. Even that is a refreshing thing though, as it makes me realize how dumbed down every other MMO has become lately.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This is really quite an unbelievable game. There is just so much to do that you will find yourself occupied not for hours or days, but for months at a time.
The planet of Tyria feels so alive with its large bustling cities, dynamic events, and interesting NPC's. It simply oozes charm and detail. Anyone waffling on this purchase should not hesitate. If you find yourself a fan of the MMORPG genre or have in the past, GW2 is a fresh new take on the scene. Great value, and and exceptional game overall. 10/10.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012guild wars 2 is amazing, The worlds are epic, Stunning and open. You can get lost just exploring. World vs World is brilliant, PVP arenas are fun. This is the best MMO to date. I quit my subscription to TOr due to guild wars 2 as it really does point a shinny light to how bad TOR is compared
Aug 29, 2012This is a dang fun game. The graphics are great (don't listen to the naysayers who compare MMO graphics to single-player games; these games are made for a wider audience, online at the same time).
There's plenty to see, plenty to do, the mechanics are engaging but not impossible to figure out. Almost all aspects of this game are fun, starting with a very in-depth character and story creator. I feel as if I'm rambling, but this game really does have a little bit of everything, tossing out some of the junk of "classic MMOs" in a "why does an MMO have to have that" philosophy.
My only complaint is that some things ARE more complex than they need to be, or are broken (the auction house - known as the Black Lion Trading Company). PVP is kind of messy to figure out. In many games, you hit a hot button, bring up the pvp panel, and click to join either a random event, a specific pvp map, and always with the option to join up your entire group.
That quibble aside, this is a game I'm going to enjoy playing for some time (provided the content gets udpated in a reasonably timely fashion).
And did I mention there's no sub fee? Once you buy the box, you don't need to buy anything else to play Guild Wars 2.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Game is fantastic, support is an unholy abomination. On top of taking days to get a response, all bans are treated the same as the system and accuse you of wrongdoing. If say someone from china tries to access your account, you immediately boot them off and change your password. A few hours later they'll helpfully ban you and a message accusing you of "unacceptable behavior" pops up when you log in, but they won't even email you to let you know the real reason so you need to wait a day to get an automated response and it's probably going to be a few more days to get it fixed. Additionally you can't party up with your friends because the overflow system is broken. Gameplay is enjoyable however, and very beautiful scenery.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Great game! awesome PvP, intense PvE, personal story is intriguing... The few bugs you can enconter I'm sure will be fixed with patch! No need to give a bad score just for this.. the overall game is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!
Aug 28, 2012Definitely one of the least generic and most satisfying MMOs out there. For the first time in a MMO I couldn't care less about the XP bar filling up, was just so busy doing other stuff and exploring! Dynamic events and the beautiful world add even more to the experience....everything is so so polished, a must have if you are even slightly interested in MMOs. Not to mention that GW2 will get even better with updates and further expansions!… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Its the best gaming experience I had since the start of wow in 2005. Since then I tried them all. I mean all the other competitors on the mmo market. Age of Conan, Warhammer, LotR ,Rift, Champions Online,Star Trek, Swtor
Found myself getting back to Wow over and over again. It is far too soon to give any real critics because i havent seen the endcontent of this game yet. But I have to say that I enjoy this game very much.
Thats all.
I like this game, its beautiful and rewarding.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Although Guild wars 2 is not perfect, it is the closest an MMO has been able to get so far. The graphics are absolutely incredible and make the world a joy to explore, though occasional texture bug do occur. The combat is movement based, and heavily reliant on quick reactions and timing. Players will often be able to kill enemies several levels above them through the use of careful dodging and skill use. The skill system is more simplistic than Guild wars 1, that is most certainly true. For me, this is a good thing; the complex builds and amount of skills in guild wars 1 were often overwhelming. The Guild wars 2 system trades amount of builds for skilled usage of said builds. However, there are still a surprising amount of builds when you factor in traits and gear. The dynamic event system is truly one of the best things about this game. Events take the place of quests and work to assure that there is always something new and interesting happening in old areas. As for pvp: World vs World is one of the most fun you can have in a game even when you're losing. In the past few days I've seen flanking maneuvers, ambushes, baiting, distraction, and day long sieges. The most disappointing thing about WvW is that it is almost always full on high population servers. The only real negatives of GW2 at the moment is that joining in with friends is sometimes difficult due to the intense server stress over launch. I have no doubt that this will be fixed in the coming days. So, why do I give it a ten? Three reasons: 1. Its the funnest game I have played to date. I have never played a game for more than six hours straight before, but this one had more going on twelve. 2. Because I believe that the small issues that it currently has will be taken care of as the game becomes stable. Arenanet is an awesome company that sincerely listens to its feedback.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Best MMORPG I have ever played.Great PVP system,the background story and the unique races are fantastic ,good diversity and great graphics,crazy soundtrack.The exploration is just addictive
Better than GW1.Just beautiful!
Aug 28, 2012Really enjoying the game! So far the game mechanics really let you help out others without worrying you're hurting their progress. Very few MMO's can say that. Events popup regularly and so far don't seem too repeat as often as they might. Heck you can even revive fallen NPC's! My game time has been in head start so there may be more issues popping in live than I've seen so far. I have a fairly highend system so the graphics really look fantastic. Also as a GW1 veteran this is a great extension to the franchise. Overflow is a great way of handling queues IMHO. Not giving a 10 due to so little detail info in the online "manual". Where are the storage chests for example? (Having found out where they are I've yet to actually reach one! %-) Good Job Devs!… Expand
Aug 28, 2012A solid game that is absolutely worth playing. A few launch hiccups and still waiting for the trading post, but for a new MMO launch it's really pretty amazing that it went as smoothly as it did.
The Visuals are great and the quest system does an awesome job at making leveling less of a chore and more of a game, crafting is a blast too.
Nov 19, 2012So now we are 3 months into the game and after I gave a very favourable review I'm going to have to take it all back. It seems Arenanet are now turning this game into WoW 2.0 insofar as there will now be a gear treadmill which goes completely against their manifesto which they set out whilst developing the game.
This was a good game until Arenanet started lying to it's customers. Shame on you Anet, I thought better of you.… Expand
Apr 5, 201416 months and 3000 ours spent: this is still the best MMORPG on the market and this year, with more competition, it's really going to stand out.
Putting 10/10 in an effort to slow down haters and people who clearly didn't play it :P
Sep 12, 2012Pros> The game is so damn beautiful it's astonishing. The voice acting and pacing are pretty nice, for sure. Probably the best WoW-like MMO that I've ever played in every single aspect.. But this game only excels when compared to WoW.. which is like comparing yourself to a chimpanzee with down syndrome.
Cons> Guild wars 2 does not even began to compare to Guild wars 1 when it comes to PVP. PVP was all I did, really. We had the previous capability customize all our skills and come up with unique combinations, and we had the ability to select 2 classes. We had structured PVP, 4v4, GVG, HA, Hero Arenas, Codex Arena, Kurzicks vs Luxons in capture point battles, fort aspenwood, and even 2 team colaberative missions. We had hundreds of hexes with unique effects, now reduced to causing some condition or another. All of that was lost. I mean, I really think the game is AMAZINGLY polished, but what made guild wars 1 so damn good, what brought all us fans to it, was that it was very unlike WoW.. and BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THIS: In the ways that guild wars 2 is like WoW, it's better than WoW, but if it had been able to keep it's own unique strengths in the process instead of ditching them to be like WoW, we'd have really, actually, had the perfect game. :x I still have high hopes, however, as Arena net is nothing if not made up of brilliant members capable of correcting design mistakes.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Now this is how an RPG should be made. No subscriptions but with everything and then some that the leading MMORPGs have. I can't wait to spend more time in Tyria.
This review contains spoilers. Pros:
Beautiful scenery
Detailed character models
Intuitive and addicting crafting system
Smooth combat once adjusted to integrating dodging/weapon swapping into your combos
Skill selection is highly limited to certain dedicated slots
Overflow (hopefully temporary) is highly irritating, especially when trying to coop with friends
There can be some level gaps when advancing through the story that force you to grind out a level or two
Clunky inventory/banking system
High repair and fast travel costs (compared to the rate at which money is earned)
First off, this isn't a bad game; not by a long shot. When Guild Wars 2 was first announced, I was ecstatic. I was looking forward to even deeper build customization and even deeper PvP. The original Guild Wars did so well what many MMO's failed to do on a massive level; and that was create a balanced and completely skill based PvP community. However, on being introduced to the beta and playing for a few days now on the headstart I realized the build customization and PvP took a small step back.
Gone are the days of tinkering with 1,000's of different skill combinations, putting any skill in any slot. No matter if it was a boon, a shout, an adrenaline attack, spell, etc. Now you have dedicated skill slots with considerably fewer choices. You are given a weapon with a minimal amount of skills to use, in fact you don't even get to pick the skills for whatever weapon you are using; they are predetermined and unlocked within five minutes of killing a few devourers. This can be problematic to players looking to say, build a straight up tank when many of the skills and abilities you can choose from wouldn't benefit your desired build. Slot skills, or utility skills, are the biggest selection but for many classes, a good majority of them are either no used to do to just being useless or, just aren't powerful enough to say, take the spot of something that would just give a large damage increase.
Secondly, the PvP has been largely turned into a massive zerg fest; and it has been directly affected by the changes to the skill slotting system I mentioned. Now that you are forced to only take a certain amount of each type of skill it cuts down the amount of possibilities considerably, and also lowers the usefulness of some classes to a degree; if a class cannot, say, choose to grab a bunch of cc or something like that they might be passed up entirely in favor of someone who provides raw damage; instead of 50% damage and 50% soft cc.
Third and last, and definitely least, the map/ui needs a lot of work. It is hard to tell where one zone ends and another begins. Which can become problematic when trying to clear out a zone or search vistas, points of interest or anything else regarding map exploration. While the absence of traditional quests is a fresh change of pace but it also presents a very big problem. Many world events take way too much time to not be considered a waste of time. especially when you could walk twenty feet in the other direction and complete a heart assist; not too mention you're not even guaranteed to get a gold contribution level or decent loot on completely what can sometimes be a 30-45 min world event. For example in Diessa Plateau, you help some townsfolk fend off a giant who is attacking their town. I spent 30 min helping roughly 20 people kill this sucker; guess what? I got a bronze contribution level even though I'd be willing to bet I did probably 10% of the damage and revived people over 50 times.
All in all, for an MMO of this size to be running so smoothly (compared to other launches), I am highly impressed. NCSoft has released a game that is subscription fee free, but has the content of other premium MMOs, and then some. What usually breaks a game at launch (massive server load without proper planning) has been alleviated somewhat buy the overflow system. It can be highly annoying but at least it has made the game playable and enjoyable. Hopefully it's only temporary as this game has massive potential with everything that has been implemented. Long story short, NCSoft has crafted a fantastic game that might not succeed in being better than it's predecessor, but, it succeeds in being a rich and engaging MMO with rich combat and a great story.… Collapse
Aug 28, 2012It's a refreshing take on MMO's. Although not revolutionary, it builds upon most old ideas and gives players a new way to play. For all those zero's out there... the game has barely been released, and you are trashing the game for release bugs and server crashes? This is one the of the smoothest MMO launches I'v ever experienced. Definitely not like D3 where i could play for a solid week due to login errors.
The art style is also gorgeous, and the vistas are awesome. Playing as an Engineer with a flame thrower kit is awesome, and I enjoy the flexibility of this game. I highly recommend it to people looking for something new. Just don't play it like you would a normal MMO, there are many differences.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Visually stunning, extreme fun gameplay, the game never stops surprising with Dynamic Events. The world changes but not just for me - everyone's actions affect the game itself. Exploration is amazing with hidden caves behind waterfalls, jump puzzles, vistas. Incredible range of choice in character creation and customization. Everyone is playing GW2 - most fun in an MMO that I've had in years.
Aug 28, 2012An absolutely gorgeous and polished game that does away with the irksome game systems (grinding, holy trinity, constant time-sinks, filler content) of MMOs while reiterating the best ones. The love and passion ArenaNet has put into this game truly shows and it's worth every penny.
Aug 28, 2012I have played mmos since everyquest back in the days. Everything from ragnarok online, ffxi, wow, matrix online lol, guild wars 1, eve, aion, archlord... you name it. I spend my college years deep loving mmos. Now im an adult with a full time job and family and not as much time to play mmos.
Guild wars 2 allows me to play mmos again and live my life!!!. Finally an mmo suited for me. An mmo hardcore enough to suit my needs for challenge and casual enough to allow me to play at my own pace! The dream.
Guild wars 2 has amazing graphics. Beautiful animations and an epic soundtrack. The client is amazingly stable and smooth. Classes are fun and engaging and waaay different than most mmos. Races are beautiful too.
The game makes you want to explore all the huge world and if you are a completionist.. hell, you will have a ton to complete here. The game was made to play with others, not to compete and fight with people. there is no silly kill steals or node steals, everyone fights to achieve a common goal and it works!
So far the game has exceeded all my expectations. The mmo innovates on every angle. Dont believe people who say the game is good... or bad. I say go play it and make your own judgement, you wont regret it. Also no monthly fee is awesome!… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Guild Wars 2 is without a doubt the best mmo I have ever played, I'm not going to say its the best game i have ever played but definatly the best mmo. It is so diffrent and fresh there are at least 8 different ways to level up and the events are always fun, personal story quests are just amazing and you can basically guide your way through because you get to choose so many different things.. I never had so much fun crafting and just wandering around for hours in this beautiful world. People are giving terrible reviews for some bugs here and there but dont listen to them every single game has bugs even single player games. And for servers being full they have a very smart way of letting people still play without a que like some other games have. But honestly this game will give you your money's worth.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012I don't give 10s lightly, but this game deserves one.
The World... wow.. just wow. It's like you're actually living in another realm, with the amazing vistas, adventures and people you meet - the story is good (not narrative driven, so not as deep as say SWTOR's) but it really plays second fiddle to the living, breathing world ArenaNet has created.
When you log in you feel like you've been transported into another place and time, you do missions - battle other servers for dominance and glory and the sPvP is AMAZING. The amount of tactics/pre-planning/skills required is phenomenal, a much higher standard required when comparing it to WoW et al.
Pick this game up now, you will not regret it.… Expand
Aug 29, 2012I played just WoW the last. seven years and whenever another MMO came out, I always said, that all people leaving WoW will soon rejoin. I thought this (and often was right) because of the strategy, all the other MMOs had: they copied WoW. Now I play Guild Wars 2 the fifth day and I can say: playing GW2 30 Level I have seen more and had more fun, than in WoW with 6 lvl 85 the last years. The dynamic world and quests, the changing goals, even with failing an event, make GW2 so much fun and sort of unpredictable. For me, RPGs always were MMOs and not MMOs. MMOs always had a worse story and less of that 'I am the hero'-feeling. Not MMOs indeed had the perfect storyline and the feeling of being a hero - but no other gamers. GW2 for me is the perfect symbiosis of both, even decisions are included. Awesome game.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012NOTE: Take reviews both bad and good with a pinch of salt for they are only opinions and not gospel. Fanboys and Haters would have scored the game 0 or 10 before it was even released. By all means read, but check out vid's as well and make an informed decision.
MY OPINION: Another fantasy MMORPG *sighs* , So much hype, so much potential wasted. One thing this game isn't and that is a revolution of the MMO genre. It's more of and evolution making the game more accessible for the casual market. It does nothing new just adds it's only twist to systems seen before and sometimes better in other games. But that evolution comes at a price, the game has a very Xbox feel, offering little challenge. GRAPHICS: Are good, a bit to cartoony for my taste but they do the job but are not groundbreaking in anyway. PVE: GW1 was a mainly PvP game and it shows, GW2's PvE is the standard mix of kill x quests and Dynamic Events set on a repeat cycle , quickly becoming boring and degenerating into a zerg train.
PVP: So much potential with the WvW but not fully realised yet by Anet, when the player strategies come to the for it wil be much better but at the moment is just another zerg. The long queues are to be expected but adding PvE elements to the maps has only added to the problem. To many slots are filled by those just doing the said PvE and not PvP .
COMBAT: Is very limited and brings nothing new to the standard key sequence button mash of other games. Hit 1, Hit 1 again, Hit 2 then Hit 1 again . Same old same old system thats seen before. Active dodge and LoS mechanics add a small tactical element but don't save it from being mundane
GENERAL: Badly voiced and scripted NPC's that drifts from mediorce > to cheesey > to downright bad.
Certain bugs and Missing features such as the Trading house are to be expected for a new launch and will be addressed in due time and do not effect my score.
SUMMARY: GW2 is marmite, it will be loved or loathed based on your own personal taste, but any potential buyer should inform themselves fully before a purchase and do not just follow the hype generated by the fans… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Guild Wars 2 is an evolutionary milestone for the MMO genre. At times it feels more like a single player RPG like Skyrim or The Witcher, than your usual MMORPG. You can play the way you want. Between personal Stories, World v. World, and structured PvP (which puts everyone on an equal playing field) there is a lot of variety. Crafting gives XP, World vs. World gives XP, Harvesting gives XP, Exploring gives XP, even rezzing players (which everyone can do in this game) gives XP. Long gone are the annoyances of most MMOs. Every player in the game is working together. So no stealing mobs, loot, or resource nodes. You access the bank from crafting stations. No trinity of tank, dps, and healer. Any combination of classes can complete any content if they bring the right skills. No more waiting around for a certain class, or forcing one of your friends to play a class they don't want to.
Combat is dynamic and intricate in both PvE and PvP. While it does lose some of its intricacies when more than ~20-30 players are involved, it is still insanely fun. If this game fails, it will be because people don't want something new. At the end of the day, it's worth a shot. For $60 you have lifetime access to the game. No subscription fees. Easy choice. Try it for yourself.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012I haven't gamed much over the past decade, so I'm not "tired" of WoW-type style games like others might be. I started playing SWTOR earlier this year, and fell in love with much of it.. but with so many people checking out GW2 (and also a lot of questions about TOR's future), I decided to try it as well. But... it's just not working for me. I don't understand those who insist GW2's graphics are superior to TOR. I heartily disagree. Looking at the animations of my toon, looking at how he + other players appear.. to my eyes, it's just decades apart.. with what I see in GW2, it's literally something I might have seen 10+ years ago. The scenary on GW2 is certainly well done if you go for that artistic style, but not good enough that I really care about "vistas".
I'm also just not that impressed with the gameplay. Someone compared to the SW:TOR style of combat to "playing a piano" (in a dismissive/critical sense). Well, I actually liked that... a lot. I have 2 quick bars = 24 keys I use in literally every single warzone on TOR. I'm constantly watching CDs + my opponents cast bar, working with LOS, and rotating through actions as appropriate. In contrast, I think the 5 + a few buttons in GW2 makes combat extremely boring. I auto-attack, occasionally evade, and hit whatever is off CD. I really found it extremely boring to play, and quit after about an hour. (Maybe console players used to smashing 1-2 keys will find it just fine?)
I love GW2's WvWvW layout though. If there was a way to combine that with the SW:TOR's combat interface, I would be in heaven.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Beautiful game, a welcomed change for people who are sick of collecting 10 wolves noses. The game hasn't been out long enough to pass TRUE judgement on it, but I believe every MMO player should give it a shot and come to their own conclusion.
Aug 28, 2012Great game! Haven't had this much fun in years. So much to see and do, so many options and none of it has me screaming in frustration. Crafting is probably the weakest part for me, but even that might pan out better once the AH is working. Otherwise, I'm canceling all my other MMO subs and plan to be lost in Tyria for months if not years. Can't wait to see how the game grows and what they add post launch to this already gigantic whopper of a game.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Have been playing through the head start with my wife. The game has been immensely fun. The choice of weapon directly affects what skills you have available. Equip a dagger and you have one set of attack skills. Equip a sword and you get something completely different. A very different way to give people the ability to customize their character. The ability to cooperatively play with others without having to group is wonderful. It might be cribbed from Rift and Warhammer, but it seems much better implemented than when I played in Warhammer. The removal of the quest log goes a long way toward making the game less of a grind. Don't want to do something? Skip it and do something else. Your options are very open as to how you want to progress. During the course of the head start we did encounter some annoyances. The party functions weren't working correctly, and we couldn't participate in each others stories. A patch yesterday appeared to have fixed that issue. Arenanet appears to be working quickly to patch the errors people are running into. In a few weeks I'm betting the bugs will be largely absent, and honestly nothing we experienced was game breaking. As far as people getting banned for stupid names and cursing in chat? Good. I'd like to be able to play a game where I'm not constantly inundated with morons spamming the channels and generally acting like idiots. I'm sure there are a few folks that are legitimately not trying to do anything wrong, but the vast majority appear to be folks that can't act civilly and being banned for legitimate reasons. All in all, a very fun game with a solid developer still working on it.… Expand
Feb 15, 2013Let me start off saying that I played the original Guild Wars for 7 years, and loved every moment of it. I even bought the two books that were released to fill the lore in between GW1 and GW2 while pre ordering my collectors edition for the day it came out. I thought GW2 would have more of the same as GW1, but sadly it doesn't. First off, Instances are gone Poof.... No longer can you explore an area with you and a couple of ur closest friends. Now there's just a pile of people that you all manage to amalgamate, collectively attacking random things chaotically. There are no strategies anymore, just annoying-ass mindless spamming of 2 or 3 skills. Second off, the skill system and combat system is dead. Gone are the days when you could hunt down specific skills stretched across the world of Tyria to collect. Now, your skills are linked with your weapon. Which you then only have 5 per weapon, and are very limited in their diversity. Honestly, every weapon and skill feel almost identical per class. It's a shame really; I remember spending hours upon hours trying to build the perfect build for PvE. And then when that build didn't cut it anymore for a new quest or mission, I'd sit around and devise a new build for specific situations. Just as Diablo III had to dumb down it's game for the masses, so did GW2.
Next, the new and innovative event system is a clever way of deceiving players of something new. In actuality, the even system is just another grind-fest to kill X number of enemies or collect Y number of items to complete it. Like I said earlier, it's a very clever system, because thousands of people have been duped to believe they're not playing the usual MMO that requires you to grind out the same exact quests/actions over and over again, the individuals at Arena Net just covered it with a different set of clothes and a wig to make it seem new. It isn't. And it's god damned awful and disgusting that not many people realize this.
If you're a fan of WOW and MMO's similar to it's play style, then go on ahead an check out this game, it'll probably be the "change" you've been looking for in a game. Meanwhile, if you were a fan of the first installment, stay away from this game, stay far far away.If you're looking for instanced games to play check out Path of Exile or Phantasy Star Online 2, those games you'll surely enjoy.
-Disheartened Fan… Expand
Aug 28, 2012At first it took me a while to warm up to the game, but once you get a rhythm for the system and get absorbed into the world, you will have some of the most memorable experiences from any MMO
The world as absolutely breath-taking and massive and feels like such love went into the over all design that it's not not to at least appreciate the work that went into something on this scale.
Aug 28, 2012I will say the one thing that needs to be said first and all anyone really needs to know before buying this game, this game is FUN. There is something to do for everyone and this game is well worth that $60 + no subscription fee! Like I said everything about this game is fun and you SHOULD give it try at the very least. I'm not a fanboy or anything, I've noly been aware of "Guild Wars 2's existence for a few months and I played GW1 for even less time than that and didn't really enjoy that game much. So when I saw its fun and you should try it, its because its so much fun and the gamer in me wants everyone to experience this awesome game. Some reviewers are angry because there is glitches, bugs, crashes, maintenance, etc etc. These things are always going to happen at the launch of an MMO and if you're unfortunate enough to experience these things than I am sorry but it doesn't make the game less fun, it just means you have to wait a little bit longer for them to fix bugs. Developers can never make perfect MMOs at launch because it doesn't make sense financially to run Betas and stress tests for 10 years until its perfect, and EVEN THEN its hard to predict the sheer amount of stress at launch. And for those saying "get a better graphics card!" "these graphics suck" whatever. The graphics are great and they allow everyone to run the game well, and most importantly ITS AN MMO and its the GAMEPLAY that matters, not the graphics. If you love graphics so much go play heavy rain or some other stupid game for how pretty it is. So in closing I encourage everyone to try this game, its fun and you you don't need a subscription :)… Expand
Aug 28, 2012When video games first came out, they were social activities. You went to the arcade and laughed with your friends. Once we started playing at home, it began to lose the social aspect. MMORPG's were invented to re-capture social gaming. Too many aspects of them actually became anti-social: obscene hours required to succeed, outdoor missions that penalized groups, kill stealing, ninja looting, etc. Guild Wars 2 cures these ailments and adds flavors that hearken back to those Pac Man days when you just logged in and had fun playing. This game is built for friends to hang out and play together. But it's also built for strangers to have confidence in meeting new players. You're not going to do anything to hinder another's experience. Help is welcomed in this gorgeous and innovative MMORPG. Regardless of past MMO experience, this game is worth the buy!… Expand
Aug 28, 2012just amazing in it own right, a fresh mechanic mmo with no tank or heal system, dynamic world quest, good graphics..
very good not perfect class balance but time will sort that out :)
Aug 28, 2012I didn't give this game a perfect ten because it's in no way perfect. What is? I've seen lots of little bugs, lots of stuff that is dynamic, but not really that different from other MMOs. The "Go here, kill 10_ to progress" is still present, but it's done in an engaging way. The events around the world you can pick up on and take part in on the fly are extremely fun. There is some "zerging" that happens in the more populated areas. (I just learned that term.) Honestly, more often than not your glad to have the help. The jumping puzzles are fun too. I will also be spending the next few days crafting. I'm...oddly attached to the gathering/crafting process. The 8 is a high mark from me for an MMO. I played World of Warcraft for 34 levels, (over maybe 3 months) on one character before I got bored altogether. I'm no expert on MMOs. I actually bought the game because a friend told me it would be a bit different. He was right. It's a bit different than what I'm used to. I really like it a lot. It's free to play so you really have nothing to lose. I highly recommend this game to anyone.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This isn't the best game on the market, but it is far and away the best MMO on the market. And unlike GW1, it's a true MMO. It was worth the wait. If sculpture is cutting out things that shouldn't be there, GW2 is a work of art.
Nov 20, 2012While I can't quite bring myself to rate this game as a zero even now, and while it is still enjoyable in many aspects, refugees from the hamster treadmill can no longer expect to find a home in Guild Wars 2. If you're a casual player or someone who enjoys large scale PvP but does not enjoy a dungeon gear grind, stay far away from this otherwise beautiful MMO.
Aug 28, 2012The game is very innovative and fun, Arena.net has the best support in the market for players. Also it is a game made for fun and not to become addicted. So far the best mmorpg available.
Feb 15, 2013This is going to be my last attempt on trying to be serious on this game...since everytime I boot it up, it gets worse and worse everytime and I'm myself impressed by how bad this game gets the more I play. I have leveled over 50 and played a lot by exploring and doing all sort of quests, all sorts of actions, and again I tried the crafting after months of its release (since I bought it on launch). I initially said it was a great game due to the classes being well detailed, which ended up to be sort of a fake statement since all classes are basically "jack of all trades" class: you only get a different set of skills and while I appreciated the fact that they tried to remove the "holy trinity" (tank, dps, healer), this lack of feature makes every class basically a boredom due to the fact that you'll never feel unique: you're one of the crowd, and I don't see that point in a mmo where you'd wish to stand up among the crowd: it's that what makes an mmo worthwhile. I also mentioned how the game gives you different ways to quest. and events that are varied and different...but after a while you'll just discover that it's still the same quests just disguised as a "different" event, without mentioning that they can be boring too since you are, again, one of the crowd and I saw myself just spamming the same skills. About the skills, I initially mentioned that I liked it, but eventually I opened my eyes and I saw just how limited it was, since you'll just be spamming 5 skills in total, plus 5 more that can be set by yourself later on...but it is just not enough to keep the game fresh and I remember being bored just after few weeks of gameplay after release. Also the combat states that they hoped to be dynamic and always on the move, by giving you also the possibility to dodge and to fight while moving...and again you'll see just as a disguise for the same old routine; the dodge works sporadically and unless you're EXTREMELY precise, you can still be hit and make your dodge completely useless. Also, you have only 2 dodges, and once you're over you can easily stand still: even if you run their hit range is bigger than yours, and unfortunely this leads into some very overpowered enemies that can take basically 1/10 of your health in one hit (worst example: as a warrior, I received a critical hit of 990 from a NON-veteran/elite enemy...and I was level 11-12, and had only 890+ hp). It is engaging at times...and at first, but then you'll see the truth in a second: it's not fun and it is repetitive. I also mentioned how the shared resources is good...and is still good! But on the other hand the crafting system, while a little improved by lowering some items (I "think"...) it still remains hard to improve and I honestly never tried to improve it due to the fact that it requires so much material grinding that it would turn off any will of trying. And while some may say "get a guild" or "use a guide" to me, I say instead if I'm forced to ask for help, what's to enjoy about the professions?". The graphics are still great and I haven't got much to say: it still remains the best graphics I've seen so far. Although, the dubbing can be mediocre at times. The story, while I liked that you could create a story for your avatar, it's the same as the rest of the game: it's just a disguise that after some quests completely disappears and reveals nothing more than a simple questline with choices to make (which changes only few things by the way). While interesting, AGAIN, the freshness disappears rapidly and becomes a boring campaign that shows nothing more, and nothing less. I also mentioned that while there are 5 races, this is the game where I basically played one, since most of the races are...ugly. This is still personal and while I enjoy that they added more races than the first game, to me the human is still the only good race to play with (or the charr: they're awesome!). And for last, the community. I play in one of the most crowded server (Aurora Glade) and everytime I play...I hardly see anybody around! What happened? Even when I started a new character the places had barely few people around: I was playing alone all the time! Nobody even talked in the general chat (except cities) and while I'm not at cap level yet I've seen more players in the starting zones in many other MMORPGs, and this game supposed to encourage team work! That alone is why I quit, and why everyone should be aware of this game: I wouldn't bother if it wasn't of it's welcoming appearence but it soon shows how fake all the premise was and how basically it has nothing fresh into it. Not the worst MMORPG, but it's very close to it. You have been warned.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012As excited as I was, disappointment soon set in. No tanks, no aggro, that is disappointing. But the most disappointing aspect of the game is the broken trading post whit is basically missing since pre-purchase. That is what MMO is all about. Overall, the game is not bad, but it is certainly missing a few things to make the game more exciting. Is it PvP factions, is it the character simplicity, is it missing true MMO soul? I don't know, as I progress, I hope to find something making the game more entertaining.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012I personally find the graphics to be quite beautiful without killing your card. The questing itself is extremely fun as long as you don't try to play it like a grind, although there is plenty to grind if you so desire. Dynamic missions change things up and crafting is interesting but takes time. I prefer this skill system to Guild Wars 1 because it provides the player with more freedom in building a character, not so much a flavor of the month build anymore. Also cool that weapons effect your skills. Over a very fun game with interesting pvp that can be extremely strategic if you try to do more than just zerg the other team. In my opinion it is much more varied than WoW pvp.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012The game is a near perfect mmo. There is no subscription fee to make you feel that any time spent not playing is money wasted. The right combination of instanced loot and shared experience make this the most socially appealing game in a long time. The World vs World PVP gives casual PVPer's somewhere to blow off a little steam, meanwhile the Structured PvP matches and tournaments give hardcore and professional gamers a place to play. Overall I would say that this is honestly a game that has appealing factors for every type of gamer. I thoroughly enjoy this game.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012It's pretty damn awesome. With the personal quests, dynamic events, spvp, WvWvW and rewarding exploration, you are up for the best mmorpg you have tried in a long time. Leave the mindset of all the other mmorpgs and embrace this as what it truly is: something unique and amazing.
Oct 29, 2012I reviewed this game previously a 10 after playing since headstart. After this time I am rereviewing and have come to the conclusion this prince of a game has more warts than a frog in a swamp. The main game is fine except for 2 core mechanics that have been exploited. Instanced nodes and a game wide Trading Post. Goldsellers have hacked into the game and botted in the form of what I refer to as the Naked Ranger Conga Line. All nodes can be harvested by each player or bot with impunity. A line of 5 ormore bots hits all the best areas before legit players can have a shot. They tag mobs and take drops and then all these basic mats glut the Trading Post. You would think this would bottom the price to nothing, but the forums cried for and got a barrier keeping the price from dropping below a sell price to an NPC vendor. They said that would keep new players from getting cheated on the Post. Instead it allows a set ROI for all the goldsellers and the armchair Economy experts in the forums never noticed. They are more bent on calling anyone expressing the desire for a free market chance a power mad moneygrubber. So this version of Trading post keeps the goldsellers in business while choking the playablity out of the TP. After spending time trying to handle this within the forums and being accused of
trying to gain an unfair advantage by players and having mods and John Smith "you guys got this thread handled" of ANET shout me down as trying to make a ton of money i give up handling this on the inside. The top tier items cost 400g .... who is trying to make a ton of money? almost RMAH-like. The goldsellers illegal influx of money generated from a stable ROI on basic mats has sent gems values up and gold from gems down. Example - I bought one character slot with in-game gold for under 3g shortly after the game got the TP up. Fair and nice...... that same slot would take over 8g now. Crafting is worhtless and a money sink ... like its needed.. with only xp having any value. I can farm mats and gain equal exp and more money. anyone who is looking for an enjoyable market experience with free enterprise and the ability to succeed or fail on your own... run fast and far the other direction. This is not your game. The game environment is good. The dyanmic events, POI, heart quests etc ... are wonderful. thats the 6 ... the rest is a zero. sorry to say any who thought GUILD WARS 2 was the no sub solution and successorto WoW will be disappointed. It's only slightly better in the quest and loses by a landslide in the rest... damn shame too. I had high hopes.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This game is a good step in the right direction for the MMO genre. The graphics are decent: while the engine is a little dated, the art style and concept art that forms the loading screens and "cutscene" backgrounds are absolutely stunning. While the writing and voice acting isn't on the level that we saw in The Old Republic, it is still more engaging than most MMO's. The gameplay isn't as freah as I would have liked, but it still feels more interesting than games such as WoW. The combat is fasted paced, amd the ability to dodge attacks adds a little skill to the game, rather than being purely based on number crunching. The dynamic events get a little repetitive after a while, but they are still much more interesting than tour standard "kill 5 bandits" MMO fare. The game encourages and rewards participation in these events, and everyone gets their own XP and loot. The PVP is an interesting concept, amd once everyone gets the hang of it, I can see some truly epic experiences going in there. It's also cool how you get bonuses based on how well your server is doing. The only downsides to the game are minor grievances: trading post unavailable at launch, so no economy; you're limited to only one server, and the guesting feature is not functional yet; servers are extremely crowded and you are often stuck in an overflow instance, separate from your party members and guildies; some guild functions are down. Keep in mind that this games endgame is meant to be PVP. Overall, a good game that a lot of time and planning went into. I look fkrward to seeing where they go with it. And the best part is, of course, there's no subscription!… Expand
Aug 29, 2012Playing this game feels like taking a aspirin, after the disappointing game releases of 2012. Unlike other games of this genera out on the market, this is the first one that encourages open world exploration, teamwork, and also encourages people into being friendly because they are rewarded for such a feat. If you see a other player in peril you are rewarded for helping him, The open world pvp is balanced, (believe it or not) with every class using their special trait in massively open world pvp. Guardians taking the vanguard, with warriors on the flanks, rangers, and engineers behind them ready to unleash a sea of arrows upon the enemy horde. And spell casters to protect the armies with barriers and enchantments.… Expand
Sep 12, 2012GW2 starts off very strong in the first 20 levels but most players quickly realize how poor the quest(dynamic event/heart) variety is. I can't even count how many times I had to defend a camp from X waves of enemies, or collect objects on the ground for an NPC. Entering a new zone doesn't feel new at all. Dynamic events become trivial when the players make a zerg, and most are impossible when solo/duo.
The game makes it difficult and not fun to group with friends. If you get 20 meters away from someone in your group, they disappear both on the screen and on the map. Doing hearts pretty much forces group members to solo, and ignoring hearts doesn't feel right as you are skipping a lot of content.
The PvE endgame is mediocre at best. The level 80 zone requires absolutely no skill, only a big enough zerg, time and patience.
PvP combat is plagued by poor class balance and unnecessary new features like the downed state, which creates frustration whether you kill or die. sPvP is completely cut off from the rest of the game, and its progression is only cosmetic, which only a small minority of players will find interesting.
WvW has poor performance on most computers (for example my PC gets 60+ fps in PvE but only 15 in large battles in WvW), lacks any progression which will turn off most PvPers, and only allows one and only one playstyle if you want to be effective: Zerging. Arena.net tried to imitate DAoC's brilliant RvR, but they decided not to copy important features like realm ranks/realm points, long duration crowd control and 8-man groups (to allow more playstyles like group vs group, small group, soloing) and a huge PvP dungeon like the amazing Darkness Falls.
The positives are that the game is buy to play and doesn't require a subscription, and that the developers seem to have ambition, which gives me hope that the game might improve over the next years.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012In most aspects, it's revolutionary, not evolutionary. The graphics are beautiful; the combat is action-oriented and not a targeted button-mashing fest like WOW; the questing and discovery aspects of the game are NOT grindy (despite one review). When I describe this game to my friends, I say "you can literally do whatever you want and progress through the game." Also, FYI, the micro-transactions are not "pay-2-win." Yes, you can buy gems and trade them for gold, but PvP and WvW are normalized by the game and you will NOT have any huge advantage from buying tons of gear, especially the 5v5 PVP. Most of the micro-transactions are vanity items, karma boosters, xp boosters, etc. They have no real impact on the game.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012I don't understand the people who give the game a 0 just because it has some bugs and stuff. I think that the bugs should be expected from any MMORPG of this size. Overall i think that the game is excellent and very fun to play and the graphics are great as well.
Aug 29, 2012"Guild Wars 2 is fun" is an extreme understatement. There is always something to do, something to see, something to discover. Moving away from linear, grindy gameplay found in some MMORPG's, ArenaNet moves away from the pack and immerses us in a world that is truly amazing and begs to be explored. sPvP is excellent, the maps are great, and class balance is definitely there. No one class has the edge over another, and each class has many ways they can be played. You know what else is amazing? No subscription fee. You pay $60 and get your hands on a milestone of the MMORPG's. For all you MMORPG lurkers out there looking for a gamechanger, this one is sure to deliver.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Having played Lineage 2, WoW, Guild wars 1 and other F2P MMO's i can say, that this is the best MMO ever released (IMHO). I give it a solid 10. Great graphics, sound, MUSIC BY JEREMY SOULE, the gameplay is extremely hooking and awesome aswell.
Aug 31, 2012This game got old mechanics, improved them and put them all together into an awesome fantastic world. Quests have been replaced by dynamic event chains, that react to player actions (success/failure will lead to different events). World versus world is a three faction world pvp mode with towers, castles, siege weapons, and lots of strategy... going zergway will lead you to disaster, cooperation is a must. Structured PvP is very competitive and demands ability. The personal story lines are fantastic, served with the perfect dose of fun and drama.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Please not I have not played GW 1, but I have played WoW in the past.
There were many things about this game that I really enjoyed, and a few things that I wish were done differently, but so far I have enjoyed all my time playing this game.
Let's start with the things that I enjoyed. World questing events are really fun, and definitely add a feeling of being part of a bigger community. You can just be running around doing another quest when you suddenly get a notification that an event is going on nearby. Sometimes it can be something small, like protecting a wagon from attackers, and will have 8-10 people with it depending on who is nearby. Other times this can mean a massive assault on an enemy stronghold with 40+ people fighting mobs and a boss. Really cool.
Second, I really like the fact that your level scales down when you go to lower zones, but experience scales to your actual level, so even doing questing in low level areas is a viable way to level up, if you want to play with your noobie friends. You can also still receive upgrades to your current gear in low level areas. And exploring the map actually gains you a significant amount of experience, making it not just another thing to do for achievements.
The graphics are great. Coming from WoW, which to me feels very cartoonish, this game is a breath of fresh air. I know there are other MMO's on the market with realism, , but this is the first one I have played since WoW so I can't comment on other games comparing. A lot of the locations have a very unique and cool feeling to them as well as looking good graphically.
Not paying a subscription is great. I was tired of dishing out $15 a month to play a game I was only mildly interested. Now I don't feel bad if I can't play GW 2 every night because it was a one time thing. There are places that you can spend money to get various aesthetic items, but they aren't pushing the pay options in your face, and people who pay don't have an intrinsic advantage over those who don't.
As for things that I wish were different, or that I at least missed from WoW.
No world pvp. Yes you have the PVP zone where you combat against other servers, but you can't do PVP on your server while questing. I really miss the thrill of having to watch out for people trying to kill me while I am just doing normal stuff. Although without factions in this game, I don't really thing world PVP is a possibility.
Another thing is that once you choose a server, all your 5 characters have to stay on that server. If you transfer servers, all your 5 characters transfer. You can't have characters spread over multiple servers. So if you and your friend created characters on different servers by accident, one of you is going to have to pay to transfer.
Overall I find this game really enjoyable, and there were other things I liked that I didn't mention, such as changing your weapon changes your skills, having a separate weapon for underwater combat, and finding secret hard to get to places. I would definitely suggest buying this game if you are looking for a new MMO to play.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This game is really amazing. It's the first MMORPG that's lived up to it's hype in every conceivable way. It shakes things up in ways no other game has dared to in years. And all because World of Warcraft set the standard in 2004. But it grew too large and became a cancer on the MMO genre. No one dared deviate from the formula established by WoW but ultimately this just lead to numerous half-baked clones. Guild Wars 2 is different. It changes things, but it changes the right things. This game IS the WoW-killer. Everyone is afraid to believe in the old legend, but it's true. This is the game we've all been waiting for. This is the great savior of MMORPGs that has finally come to cast down the great beast, World of Warcraft. All hail!… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This game is everything I thought it would be. It has no subscription which is just outright amazing for the quality of the game! OBVIOUSLY all the people rating this game with a 0 are just butthurt WoW fanboys, who are crying because another MMO actually has a chance of taking away WoW's community. Seriously grow up guys we can just smell your pathetic bias. Guild Wars 2 has amazing graphics, looks better than most current single player games! The graphics are just unheard of for an MMO (once again, a subscription-less MMO) I think the people rating it down for graphics are either extremely uneducated or have really bad computers and cannot run the graphics to begin with. NEVER listen to a review that gives a 0, as obviously they have a grudge or agenda to try and soil the name of a game, don't feed the haters! Anyway back to Guild Wars 2, the scale of the maps is HUGE everything feels so immersive and realistic. The zones are beautiful, the citys look exactly like their concept art! The music is amazing! (done by the same guy that did the music for Oblivion and Skyrim) The personal story modes for your character are great and easy to get into, they also change A LOT to the decisions you make. The PVP is excellent, very smooth and entertaining. WvWvW is the best siege simulator I have ever seen in a game, and will provide many, many hours of entertainment. The servers are VERY stable, their overflow zone system is incredibly smart! Crafting is well done, and bag space management is revolutionary! This game is 100% worth the $60 AU (which is all you will ever have to pay!) Thank you for this amazing game Arena net. I am an ex 5 year World of Warcraft player, and Guild Wars 2 is a massive leap in the right direction! I am not usually one to give a 10 in a review but this game has 100% earned it! R.I.P World of Warcraft! Guild Wars 2 is officially the new King of MMOs!… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This game marks a return to the roots of the MMO genre. The adventure is squarely in the players hands, and if the player can't adapt they will see stale game play much like World of Warcraft. Only when the player begins to explore the world and pay attention to the quirky behavior of the world's NPCs will it become clear that this is something both old and new. The controls feel awkward in some ways, because of the way the camera moves, however once the player becomes adjusted to dodging everything begins to come together. It almost feels laggy until you begin to use skills and dodging to evade instead of quickly strafing to the opposite direction. If you are looking to get back to the time when players weren't guided along the rails like mindless cattle, Tyria is the world for you. Guild Wars 2 is your game to play.… Expand
Aug 29, 2012If you're truly not a friend of mmo's this game is for you. The reason? It's the only game i played yet wich deserves the title "massive" multiplayer online - rpg. No matter what people will play actually together instead of worrying to steal eachothers xp or loot. While it's not the revolution everybody was hyping for, it definately makes things better in many ways. Also, without a monthly subscription fee you're not forced to play as much as possible for not loosing gametime. Perfect for a casual player like me. Only downside for many mmo players is probably the lack of classic questing and the so called endgame for the timegobbling hunt for being the most op geared player on the whole server (and in pvp). Only gear you can archive later on are pure cosmetic.… Expand
Aug 29, 2012In a genre dominated by World of Warcraft and other similar games Guild Wars 2 is refreshingly different. It ditches static tank and heal group gameplay for action based gameplay. No subscription fee means the game does not have to introduce tedious but psychologically addictive gameplay to keep its player base. Instead I'm playing simply because it's engaging and above all embodies what a game should be and what the rest of the MMO genre is lacking: FUN!… Expand
Aug 28, 2012This is an absolutely superb game. Finally, I have a game to replace WoW. The quality of this subscription-free game shows up how laughable the subscription model is.
Aug 29, 2012For what the game is worth I can say it is far better than most of the MMO's released on market. I played it days before it was even launched and I have encountered absolutely no bugs with any function except for the trade market, which I honestly could care less about. Seriously, if you feel in any way let down by this game then you are just being a brat. I love the atmosphere of this game, it truly breathes with the help of dynamic events making you feel actually involved in the new lands you discover. The fact that the game gives you an incentive to explore and reach unexplored points for XP is a fantastic feature. It gives you reason to reach the corners of the world and not just grind monsters. Enjoy it for what it's worth, nobody's asking you to pay 10-15 bucks a month for this polished and well thought game.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012The game is good, world vs world is a lot of fun, structured pvp is also just as fun, questing is not as tedious as in most mmo's and has dynamic events which are fun to take part in, some of which can end up being tonnes of people taking part in. It is not without its flawes, overflow servers which you get put in when your server is full can become a pain as it makes it hard to group with friends. There is however a couple ways to join the same overflow server as your friends, like right clicking their portrait and clicking join them.. This sometimes does not work at this time in which case what u can do is exit the area and enter again until you join the same overflow, this method does NOT taking very long. The "auction house" has been down for 4 days now which is a big pain considering the small bank sizes.
Although i mentioned the structured pvp is fun, it is rather limited at this time with only 1 type of match (base control) with 2 maps. More variety in this area would be a great improvement. Customization is also sub par as from what ive seen so far all gear obtained while leveling is very similar, basically my character has barely changed aspect since i began, at least i can change the colour on the items when i get bored of the look.
Getting to some of the points of interest, vista points can be a challenge, and some of the jump puzzles are also a good challenge, nice way to pass some time when u get tired of the pvp or the pve and need a break.
Ive read some of the negative reviews, and most seem to be angry because they either didnt know how things worked or are not aware of the fact that ALL newly released games have bugs..
Others simply expected to gain an advantage over other players in pvp by spending more hours and getting better gear like usually happens in other MMO's. They dont seem to enjoy a level playing field.
All in all a very good MMORPG which has no monthly subscription, equal playing field for everyone in pvp and dynamic questing. The game does have its flaws, however the official release date is today, meaning there is plenty of room for it to improve in the future.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012Being a fan of the original Guild Wars I decided to buy the second one. I was very pleased, the gameplay is smooth, has a lot of customization and the story (in my experience) was entertaining. Also the graphical quality is very nice for an MMO. The game was however streamlined to be more like other MMO's which might turn off a few of the original Guild Wars fans. However it is well executed and well done.… Expand
Aug 28, 2012As I've been toying around with the pre-purchased head start, I've been enjoying myself in the universe of Guild Wars 2. Let me be fair by saying that I'm not a big MMO player (Tried several, and tend to get bored easily), and that I did play the original Guild Wars for a bit...
The quick n dirty: B. World feels alive. Fresh take on standard MMO quests. Fun classes. Excellent PvP. No monthly subscription - lots of content.
I think the game is pretty. It doesn't quite have the WoW cartoon style, but still sticks itself in a fantasy look. Easily scale-able to fit different machine configurations. Sure, if you've got a solid gaming PC - you'll not have any problem and you've probably seen tons better in different games before. But I feel that they work and fit the environment / atmosphere ArenaNet wants.
You do get 5 character slots (additional cost real world money). There are 5 different races and 8 classes. The races each have a fair amount of customization (some prebuild heads, hair, sliders to then adjust) to tweak your looks. Character classes, so far, all have a fairly unique design behind them. They feel fresh when you decide to branch out and try something else.
The environment is littered with random things to do. Dynamic Events replace the exclamation points. Sometimes they take a little while, as you could be one of three people doing a group collection quest. Other times, a whole raid worth of people will be there to utterly destroy whatever is happening. Random "boss style" encounters, defend X position, and other events appear as well just while you're out exploring. I prefer this to randomly running to a town, loading up on quests and setting out. Just feels like I'm out in the world and things are happening around me.
PvP and their W v W v W are pretty solid. Interesting. Dynamic. Definite team oriented combat slug fests. PvP you're boosted to max level, given appropiate leveled gear, and access to skills / talents for your level. Creates a fairly even playing field for you to go toe to toe against others in. Realm Fighting I haven't dove into much yet - but ganking is going to happen. Once again, Boosted to max level, but not with the gear (I think..) and skills I'm unsure of. With a team / guild, however, it'll be lots of fun.
I have yet to really get involved in crafting. Its more complex than other MMOs I've seen. Something that you could really loose yourself in for awhile. And it gives experience.... so those super crafty people may just harvest and build for their levels.
Lastly, price point. This is what sells it for me. The game costs as much as most new boxed games (and same price when MMOs first come out too). There isn't any monthly cost afterword. Sure, there are some item shop things (costumes, particular looks, extra character slots, boost potions), but I can go at my pace and leisure. I'm not a big fan of paying per month. And there is quite a bit of content.… Expand
Aug 31, 2012Amusing to see that all the 0 and 1 reviews are hit and runs from guys who gave Secret World 10s. Regardless GW2 is fun, challenging, and has no sub fee. It is incredibly detailed with a huge variety of things to do at any given time, and has a shocking depth to it's combat and PvP. There are a couple launch bugs that exclude me from giving it a 10, but since I've already thrown 60hrs into the game and only paid $60, I'd say I've gotten my moneys worth. ADDENUM: So one thing I've noticed in the last few days are all the scrubs quitting. Its working people! All the bads are leaving because the game is too hard for them. What a wonderful community this game is breeding.… Expand
This review contains spoilers. Pros:
Beautiful scenery
Detailed character models
Intuitive and addicting crafting system
Smooth combat once adjusted to integrating dodging/weapon swapping into your combos
Skill selection is highly limited to certain dedicated slots
Overflow (hopefully temporary) is highly irritating, especially when trying to coop with friends
There can be some level gaps when advancing through the story that force you to grind out a level or two
Clunky inventory/banking system
High repair and fast travel costs (compared to the rate at which money is earned)
First off, this isn't a bad game; not by a long shot. When Guild Wars 2 was first announced, I was ecstatic. I was looking forward to even deeper build customization and even deeper PvP. The original Guild Wars did so well what many MMO's failed to do on a massive level; and that was create a balanced and completely skill based PvP community. However, on being introduced to the beta and playing for a few days now on the headstart I realized the build customization and PvP took a small step back.
Gone are the days of tinkering with 1,000's of different skill combinations, putting any skill in any slot. No matter if it was a boon, a shout, an adrenaline attack, spell, etc. Now you have dedicated skill slots with considerably fewer choices. You are given a weapon with a minimal amount of skills to use, in fact you don't even get to pick the skills for whatever weapon you are using; they are predetermined and unlocked within five minutes of killing a few devourers. This can be problematic to players looking to say, build a straight up tank when many of the skills and abilities you can choose from wouldn't benefit your desired build. Slot skills, or utility skills, are the biggest selection but for many classes, a good majority of them are either no used to do to just being useless or, just aren't powerful enough to say, take the spot of something that would just give a large damage increase.
Secondly, the PvP has been largely turned into a massive zerg fest; and it has been directly affected by the changes to the skill slotting system I mentioned. Now that you are forced to only take a certain amount of each type of skill it cuts down the amount of possibilities considerably, and also lowers the usefulness of some classes to a degree; if a class cannot, say, choose to grab a bunch of cc or something like that they might be passed up entirely in favor of someone who provides raw damage; instead of 50% damage and 50% soft cc.
Third and last, and definitely least, the map/ui needs a lot of work. It is hard to tell where one zone ends and another begins. Which can become problematic when trying to clear out a zone or search vistas, points of interest or anything else regarding map exploration. While the absence of traditional quests is a fresh change of pace but it also presents a very big problem. Many world events take way too much time to not be considered a waste of time. especially when you could walk twenty feet in the other direction and complete a heart assist; not too mention you're not even guaranteed to get a gold contribution level or decent loot on completely what can sometimes be a 30-45 min world event. For example in Diessa Plateau, you help some townsfolk fend off a giant who is attacking their town. I spent 30 min helping roughly 20 people kill this sucker; guess what? I got a bronze contribution level even though I'd be willing to bet I did probably 10% of the damage and revived people over 50 times.
All in all, for an MMO of this size to be running so smoothly (compared to other launches), I am highly impressed. NCSoft has released a game that is subscription fee free, but has the content of other premium MMOs, and then some. What usually breaks a game at launch (massive server load without proper planning) has been alleviated somewhat buy the overflow system. It can be highly annoying but at least it has made the game playable and enjoyable. Hopefully it's only temporary as this game has massive potential with everything that has been implemented. Long story short, NCSoft has crafted a fantastic game that might not succeed in being better than it's predecessor, but, it succeeds in being a rich and engaging MMO with rich combat and a great story.… Collapse
Feb 6, 2013GW2 has made a powerful impact on the MMO scene, confirming years of expectations. Stunning presentation and revolutionary design guarantee a thoroughly enjoyable experience. However, it's not flawless, nor complete. The beautiful vistas, the massive PvP element, the rich leveling experience- those can offer hours of gameplay, but the endgame is desperately seeking for enrichment. [November 2012]
Jan 2, 2013Guild Wars 2 surpasses the original in every aspect, from its massive and atmospheric world to its addictive and engrossing gameplay.
Nov 28, 2012After spending fifty hours with GW2, I have a lot of praise for ArenaNet's work and the way it changes up some of the typical trappings of the MMO. And yet, I find myself thinking less and less about it each day. It's not a declaration against the product, mind you, but simply a fact that this game still is very much an MMO, and your enjoyment will directly relate to how much you enjoy the genre. For many who were hoping for a clean break from MMO design philosophy, Guild Wars 2 will probably come across as a slight disappointment. It pushes the genre slightly forward, however, and could lead to even further development in the future.