Awesome game for not that much money :) But in my opinion the "campaign" is not that good but the PvP is more than amazing! This game was and is a big success and one of the best MMO games ever :)
Guild Wars 2 Review
Game Emblems
The Good
Guild Wars 2 is a must play. This is your game, no matter if coming from another mmo, or starting your first.
Guild Wars 2 is a paradise for explorers and thrill-seekers alike, and the best online role-playing game in years.
The Good
- Fluid movement and combat are consistently entertaining
- Rethinks genre tropes in ways that keep you exploring
- Exciting player-versus-player battlefields
- Flexible skill system lets you adjust your play style
- Beautiful visuals with a painterly flair.
The Bad
- Does a mediocre job of explaining important concepts
- Some lingering technical issues and other annoyances.
The world of Tyria, as imagined in the massively multiplayer Guild Wars 2, is an endlessly intriguing place, stuffed with mystery and adventure, gifting you with gorgeous sights and personal stories that etch themselves into your memory. These are the kinds of stories you tell for months to come--and they arise from your own spontaneous experiences. There's the one about how you and your guildmates emerged from chilly waters into an ominous thunderstorm, captured a tower from the enemy, and escaped from a roaring crowd of necromancers and rangers before they could deliver you to the devil. Then there's the one where a giant lightning-breathing dragon landed in a dark-misted field, and you joined a legion of soldiers to cleanse the land of its blight. Guild Wars 2 strips away the traditional game of "follow the waypoint," allowing you to feel like part of a vast living landscape rather than the tool of a thousand and one taskmasters.
How does Guild Wars 2 make Tyria so inviting and inventive? It starts with the loss of the traditional quest log. That isn't to say that Guild Wars 2 doesn't provide you with side quests and other activities outside your main storyline--it's that they are structured in a way that makes them organic to the world around you. In a sense, your map serves as a journal. Here, you see points of interest to discover; waypoints that you can unlock and that serve as nodes for quickly traveling from one area to the other; and non-player characters designated with hearts that have optional activities for you to do.
Your map is more than a sketch of the surrounding lands: it's a personal guide to your adventure, beckoning you to uncover unexplored territory. It isn't just the marked activities that have you peeking into every nook, however, but the surprises lurking on mountaintops and within hidden caves. Suddenly, you're stumbling upon a secretive entrance or emerging from a deep lake to discover a hidden oasis. Further inspection reveals hidden treasure, tricky labyrinths, and giant ogres needing a smackdown.
As for the more structured activities, those NPCs labeled with hearts are more than just quest givers--they're vendors, too. By fulfilling these characters' requests, you get access to whatever gear they sell, which you buy not with gold, but with a currency called karma, earned by participating in world events (more on those soon) and by just doing things. This system of hearts is more or less like the traditional "take quest, earn reward" structure of most role-playing games, but the reward is access to a merchant's entire inventory, rather than a piece of equipment you may not want or need. You don't have to speak to that character to take on the task--you just get prompted when you come near, and the prompt disappears if you leave the area before completing the goal. (Of course, it then reappears when you again enter the area.)
These might seem like small adjustments to a familiar formula, but Guild Wars 2 rethinks old standards in new ways so that you can go have an adventure of your own, rather than be guided through one someone else created for you. For instance, like in other massively multiplayer online games, you can visit low-level areas as a high-level character--perhaps the starting regions of other races--for a change of scenery. But in other games, there's no real reason to be there: the quests don't provide pertinent rewards, and local wildlife goes down in a single hit. In Guild Wars 2, your level scales downward in such places so that your foes are a greater threat. Furthermore, while your experience rewards aren't notable in lower-level regions, the loot you earn is scaled to match your level, as opposed to the region's. And by rethinking a single trope, developer ArenaNet makes each glade, swamp, and valley a tantalizing destination for every player.
Those "heart" missions generally have you performing any number of tasks: repairing fences, killing enemies, delivering ale to thirsty inn patrons, and more. Not every task is all that engaging; some activities are just busywork (collecting tools), while others involve elements (such as stealth) that don't feel natural given Guild Wars 2's basic mechanics. But you're always free to move on to something more interesting, perhaps to discover another grand vista. Vista points are scattered about Tyria and seen as glowing bits of parchment, usually hovering in spots just out of reach.
Getting to those vistas can be a joy or a chore (usually the former), depending on the quality of the jumping puzzles that lead to them. Leaping about in Guild Wars 2 isn't a slog--the game has perhaps the most fluid movement in the genre--but the camera has a tendency to get caught up on walls and ceilings. When you're afforded the opportunity to see all around you, scaling icy cliffs and rickety planks is a pleasure. In cramped environments, the camera might freak out, and you can't see well enough to make an educated leap. But even when you wrestle with the camera, the effort is worthwhile: you activate the vista, and the camera spins about, showing off the spectacular panorama surrounding you. A gentle tune accompanies the moment, and you revel in the pastoral uplift it creates.
While you do get experience for unlocking these vistas, the greater reward is getting the chance to admire Tyria without hindrance. Guild Wars 2 is a beautiful game that makes an impression in big ways and small. In Lion's Arch, a bridge takes the form of a giant sloop now retired from its days sailing the seas. In Blazeridge Steppes, a dragon's electric attacks have burned the foliage to a crisp; swirling claw marks and a shimmering veil of darkness tell tales of the devastation that occurred there. From snowy mountains to humid swamps, Tyria encompasses a diverse number of climates and landscapes, yet it still looks remarkably cohesive.
By
Kevin VanOrd, Senior Editor
Kevin VanOrd is a lifelong RPG lover and violin player. When he isn't busy building PCs and composing symphonies, he watches American Dad reruns with his fat cat, Ollie.
462 comments
@abhirajgoldy ya you can i started playing it 2 weeks ago and still alot of ppl play it its a fun game
I bought this game from guild wars 2 website for an offer, after hearing it needs no monthly or half-early subscription. The game is very good. I got new friends and they like me inside the game. I started the story by choosing the Brave warrior and went into level 5 within 2 days. Its awesome and it is a journey.
If you have a decent rig and constant internet connection then there is NO EXCUSE to miss this game . I don't play MMOs myself but after hearing that it need no subscription and once you buy it it's YOURS , I bought it . One of the best games out there , so much fun . Tera is also pretty cool , tried that out after that went F2P but this one is masterpiece .
1 Like I come here every now and then, scroll down to the comments, and count the number of new WoW vs. GW2 flame wars that have taken place since my last visit.
Enemies should stagger when they're hit. It is illogical for them to hit you while you're giving them a clean slice at that exact moment. No stagger reaction? No game. For kickass Combat system check out Vindictus, fairly recommended to those who do care about extreme combat systems.
http://vindictus.nexon.net/
Example of what a game should actually have for a combat system:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMP8lr5rgpg
give it time, it's a trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e03XCAwTR8w
@HardToImpress Are these games just with one time unlimited subscription i.e it requires only buying it. Please reply.
@vikieinstein @HardToImpress If its like the first Mabongi, then no, be ready to shell out a steady stream of cash since its pay 2, err, free 2 play then.
Gw2 > WoW... Compare it is ridiculous, Wow is old game far inferior then guild wars 2, every expansion don't add nothing relevant to the game only small content and some graphics improvement, but the game continue horrible comparing to recent mmos even with 3 years or more, the content continue to be generic and equal to most mmo!!! Wow invent the genre,. gw2 reinvent it. Gw2 is best mmorpg ever invent it until now, who said otherwise is just a poor ignorant... Wow is almost dead, every year the game have less people playing it, because it is a pay to play game. Far i know Wow right now have only 9 millions players not impressive if you ask me and most of then aren't active at all., most of famous FPS have more players then that and more active, normally the mmo genre have more players and active that why i compare it! The time where WoW was the game most played online are long gone, and are gone for like 5 years ago, these days you have loads of games Free to play to choose on the same level like Wow or even better, some game are free to play are better then wow, wow when come out like 10 years ago was a great innovation and the subscription base function because was the only game from is kind, in the last 5 years the subscription base games are gone almost, wow need to go free to play soon or will die... I don't even understand why some producers launch subscription base mmo, when they now that will gonna fail, that system is dead, and when there game come out after a while they turn the game free to play, some games don't have 1 year like TERA online, you have loads of subscription base games turn free to play games in the last years, Free to play is way more profitable and are proves and is a fact. That means people prefer to choose what to pay and don't be forced to pay monthly fees to play some game. And that gives large player base, most of the famous Free to play games have 4 5 the player base from WoW, like league of legends is one example of it. TERA turn free to play some days ago and have already more players then wow lol. If WoW come out these days even with good graphics gamespot probably will give 5 or 6... like they give to Aion! That score was given years ago... In that time you didn't have so many mmos like now. WoW will turn F2P soon, you wanna bet? They don't have choice, if they don't do it will let the game die, in a 1 year or 2 the game will F2P for sure.
@WillyWynnhahahahahah, you sure love wow,, not everything is about graphics tech you know.
world of warcraft is a masterpiece.
World of Warcraft DID NOT invent the genre, pal. Get your facts straight.
I was agreeing with you until you said that and I stopped reading. Yes wow is an old boat now and GW2 is definitely made some massive improvements over that trash.
1 Like @WillyWynn stopped reading at "Compare it is ridiculous, Wow is old game far inferior then guild wars 2"
It's clear with that statement you're a fanboy. Try some more subtlety next time.
1 Like @WillyWynn While I love GW2, this is stupidly illiterate and you need to think and research before you post a comment...
The fact that we are here comparing GW2 with Wow in itself i would say is a compliment to both games. Both have their good and bad. It all boils down to preference. I personally play them both because i like them both for their different play mechanics. Per the reviews GW2 knocked Wow off the mountain. Its about time someone did because to be honest i think as a pay to play WOW has gone too long without being able to balance equally the skill set of the different race, and as soon as you get your toon right to where you can survive with him they end up nuking him so bad you gotta rebuild him again and again with every patch or new add on its frustrating to me. I'm hoping Gw2 actually learns from Wow on what not to do. WOW has been on top so long they just got lazy. I have not played Gw2 that long but it is a nice change, but one day it to will get ....old Kirk Out
1 Like I'm sorry to say but I'm terribly disappointed by this game.This game just doesn't give me that feeling of curiosity to explore and try out different things(lol how ironic because the whole leveling system is based on exploring,isn't it?).There is not a specific reason but the whole world seems so plastic to me,everything looks so stationary. I've played this game for a short period of time,but that's the actual problem because every new game that is tremendously interesting will evoke an urge in you to play it(at least in my case). I've even tried PvP even if I played for so short period of time but guess what.....It sucks....Sorry again Anet despite you gave all your efforts in order to make this game as much PvP oriented as you possibly could,in my opinion it's a total miss.The reason why I say this is because the PvP in guild wars 2 transformed a classic way of fighting into a Zerg Fest Mode(You just get devoured by enormous number of players),as a matter of fact in many occasions you can't even see yourself in combat and BOOM you are dead.I've played WoW before GW2 and I was totally bored and turned off by Cataclysm so I didn't even bother buying Poke world nor I will but the first Blizzard releases ==>up to Lich King were magnificent,all of them created a sparkle of curiosity and excitement every time I logged on to my account(The glory days of WoW will never be forgotten nor overcome).I'm not a wow fanboy and I hate the game now (I ve not played it for year and a half now and I dont intend to come back).All in all Gw 2 is overly hyped game and It lived it's life for what "It should be" but not for what It actually is,the only positive thing that there is (my opinion) is extraordinary graphics(astonishing indeed).This is just my opinion so don't take it seriously if you like the game sure play it,but the game doesn't suit my taste(it doesn't mean it will not suit urs)
GW2 sucks ass.a lot of useless skils
Drop Nerf, Nerf Skill. Nerf everything so you to buy gems.
This game is a grind to win
ARENANERF
2 Like @cftsq lol wut? buy gems to win? =)) yeah seriously try harder
Gems is mostly cosmetic, in fact, i buy gems using gold rather than $$ jeeez o.O
1 Like What ruins this game for me is the classes. I've played it to 80 now and got two at 40 and after about 35 I just lose interest in the character. The interest in the character and a role always kept me playing wow and it was always great to get a new more-helpful spell that might help you in a particular situation with your role but in GW2 I just look at the skill points and think "do I really need a spell that turns my character into a wind/bear/leopard for 20 seconds? I can't elaborate on any role and this affects the game-play because I just find myself thinking, "my heal is on cooldown", I don't have any alternative spells we are going to wipe. You don't have the sense where you can intervene in any meaningful way. In WoW a good tank and a good healer can carry a party so you can have a mildly enjoyable time and more or less guarantee a smooth run even with a party full of idiots but in GW 2 the lack of specialisation really denudes from the engagement. That's why it feels superficial. I can see why they did it, to get around needing a tank and healer but making groups is still difficult and people don't play cooperatively anyway. I mean, people simply don't group in these games. I wonder why so many play on line multiplayer games since few seem to want to cooperate.
GW 2 is a magnificent game-world and it's all well executed and it is a landmark game but if they'd had a tank-healer mechanic it would have been twice the game and would have redefined the MMO space. As it is, it's perpetually frustrating and superficial to play. WoW's characters and the mechanics are its greatest strengths. I did enjoy levelling the character in wow in a way I simply don't in GW 2. In the end, I got sick of WoW and I am no longer prepared to pay-to-play with so many free-to-play games on the market. Anyone wants to join me and level in GW 2 let me know. I'll play it for now.
just to clarify-they lied out there teethe about what the game was going to be. They completely abandoned their manifesto. Class balancing is an absurd joke. Rendering is the biggest joke in the game. In WvWvW you see no one on your screen but your being killed. About the time you die 30 enemies render on your screen. The dungeons are just a zerg til you die rinse repeat til the boss is down. How can anyone take this game seriously? I went back to WoW (much to my disdain, but hey-at least their game works).
@Howthe1564 quad core hp with upgraded graphics card. the rendering problem in GW2 has nothing to do with the quality of a users comp it is a coding problem on arena nets side. everyone in game expieriences it regardless of comp. hope that helps. on a side note i just got darkfall 2 and the graphics are sweet and it looks to be a really good game for hardcore pvp'ers.
@Metroididiot @krustydog @Howthe1564 could be his internet;s bad... when i had connection issues, the zerg loads too long as well, but during times that they do work properly, everything is fine
@krustydog @Howthe1564 Said no one ever. I have worse specs than that and it loads perfect for me. Too bad your computer sucks.
got a full refund. asian grind fest by any other name is still an asian grind fest. only thing ground breaking is the ground i broke to bury this pos game.
Not new to gaming but a bit of a MMORPG noob. Maybe that explains it but I love this game where Wow had already lost my interest around the same amount of time. I played on but always felt like I really didn't have enough control over combat. Told a friend who plays a lot more MMORPGs than me to join and doesn't seem like he likes it. Its been called an "action RPG" and I can see why. People knock the dodge mechanic but it works just fine for me. I've also seen them complain about dying a lot. I'm assuming that if you're used to standing still and trading dice rolls then this might be a bit foreign to you. But if you play it more like a shooter and realize that you can get out of the way of the attacks you die way less.
Its also more realistic to me in that you can be walking by and get caught up in an event rather than waiting to talk to some person to start it. You can jump right into action going on around you. I was in a place where two events happen pretty close to each other and accidentally got caught in both and had a fight for my life on my hands. And since there's no splitting the reward anyone can run up and help out right in the middle of the event. I've seen people say this is chaotic but again I can't see how this is different than an FPS like Battlefield. Run up, take a position and fight to your characters strengths. Seems like what I've seen people do here.
From the looks of comments I've seen it just doesn't look like those that like the way MMO's are will like this game. I've learned a lot about what hardcore fans expect in an RPG just from reading about what they dislike in this game. But for those that are interested in adventure and storyline but don't want to completely give up manually controlled action and skill this may be the game for you. You get a huge world, a huge story line, character building and adventure without some of the things that might make an RPG dull to someone looking for action. Meanwhile you get a bit more control to fighting than just standing and trading dice rolls. To be honest I'd love to see more manually controlled combat and melee fighting but GW2 so far is feeding my appetite enough. Conclusion.... its probably going to be more interesting to folks that like real time action and may have felt MMORPGs were boring though I don't think it goes quite far enough.
1 Like @storm14k You wanna know why those "mmo" players dislike GW2? Simply because they are noobs who want to grind for hours to get a better gear and just win everything and kill while someone else is healing you, but in GW2 everyone has the same gear that is easy to obtain so the gameplay is all skills and team work and there is no healers so you gotta watch your back all the time. i've player a lot of mmos specially pvp-type game cuz I like competition and GW2 has the most competitive pvp scene because it's all based on skill and not gear (and i know spvp now I quite lacking but they will upgrade it in the upcoming patches)
Personally I think while GW2 is fun it just doesn't retain my interest very long. I have played World of Warcraft a while now and am having a great time in Pandaria. Before I get flamed which Im sure I will note this is just MY opinion. Something everyone is entitled to.
Personally I find the heart quests in GW2 unengaging. WoW has its share of dull quests but by and large Im enjoying Pandaria's quests more. The heart quests in guild wars 2 make leveling seem like a grind because you are doing the same thing to fill a bar to increase your relationship with a NPC for what a few gold? Very seldom you receive a award for completing these heart quests and the experience you get from killing monsters in negligible.
Personally I think WoW has better quest progression and leveling. I also have been thoroughly enjoying WoW's new race and class and the new dungeons really are quite fun.
Guild Wars 2 is a vibrant and rich world and I admire the fact that Arena Net wants you to get out there and explore. Another little thing that irritates me with GW2 is its cutscenes. They are far too static and you only watch as two characters point fingers at one another. The dialogue is voiced which is a plus but I think I would have liked to have seen more interaction. Mists of Pandaria's cutscenes are far more engaging in my opinion as you get to watch something unfold such as the Sha rising in Jade Forest. I would have thought that GW2 could have at least managed to make something a bit more engaging at least for the personal story quests. Which leads me to my next point.
I like the fact GW2 offers you a unique way to create your character. And the customization is nice. Overall though I felt the story was a bit uninspired. This is just my opinion but I found most of the story characters and the story itself thus far entirely forgettable. No one NPC or moment has really stood out for me aside from maybe the halloween Mad King event.
In Pandaria you meet figures like Chen Stormstout, Help Prince Anduin, meet the august celestials. These are figures you remember and become attached too.
In the end GW2 has qualities I like and those I dislike but Pandaria has my attention thus far. Another draw to Pandaria is the fact I still have friends who play.
GW2 is fun but wears thin for me which is why I play it in short play sessions. I tried to highlight some of the things I liked with GW2 to balance out what I don't like. In the end its about what you enjoy and for me I am enjoying my time in Pandaria.
"and the experience you get from killing monsters in negligible. Personally I think WoW has better quest progression and leveling."
Levels don't mean anything in GW2 because of the scaling. The only thing it does mean is what dungeon you're allowed to go into. It's a good and bad thing. You either like it the old way or the new way. Although, the game seems to put more emphasis and accomplishment when you discover a waypoint than raising a level lol.
"I like the fact GW2 offers you a unique way to create your character. "
I sort of agree but I don't remember what background I picked for my toons right after I created them. I was accepting rewards to boost dignity on my Mesmer and 2 weeks later realized I chose charm for my personal story. To this day, I still don't know what it's for.. and I don't care anymore.
2 Like Ultraevil88
Oh and i forgot to say, to people who bitch there is nothing to do at lvl 80 here is list what to do :
http://guildwars2hub.com/features/editorials/80-things-do-level-80
Lots of bugs has been fixed, and there are to 2 lvl 80 zones atm, not 1. And people who said that it took Arenanet to make game more then 5 years, I can say back well look how long Blizzard was doing WoW 10 fing years, game was full of bugs at the start now it will take 10 more years to make Warcraft 4 if they ever will. Do not take me wrong, I love WoW the best part was Vanilla and TBC but with flying mounts game lost all the fucking fun. And now do not let me start with Pandaria....
I am hardcore gamer, I play/played all sorts of games since I was 5, and I still dont get it why gamers must compare games, I just go mad mode and then I start comparing.
Bf3 or 2 with MW3 or 2 and son or with Medal of Honor
Or
Warcraft with Warhammer
Or
Age of Empires with Age of mythology
Or
Frycry with Crysis or Doom or Unreal
You get my point.
First look at the fucking title, ofc games will be different. Do not hope that GW2 will be WoW or Lineage2 or Aion, GW1.Connan and so on.
Every game has somthing different and comparing them does not make any fucking sense.
Try the game and have fun, and if you do not like it go back to other games that you like.
Back to GW2, I think game was made more for hardcore players thats the way I see it but still everyone can get in the end top gear even if you play 2-3h per day. Game has very nice art, Awesome graphics, huge world and it will be bigger in future, armors are awesome looking same weapons, and skill effects are godlike and its fast action.
Ohh and no monthly fee !!
Stay gamer, love games and have fun pew pew.
@dhop57 @Ultraevil88 ascended gear its the best thing to do at lvl 80..
Yeap its grindy but if you enjoy the game content you wont mind mush. Thats what i think any way
@Ultraevil88 "Oh and i forgot to say, to people who bitch there is nothing to do at lvl 80 here is list what to do :"
That list is a joke. Most of that can be, and is, done during the course of the game and has absolutely nothing to do with reaching 80.
1 Like Game is Awesome. I played 7 years WoW, GW1, Lineage 2 and so on and they cant come near something that GW2 has . Game has some bad things, but is not so bad again like WinrarNayru said. I would give GW2 score 9.6. For more good things to hear about game go on : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax-_06Acj8Y
@WinrarNayru @MadamMim and most things you will see you have seen in previous zone, more or less.
@tjockis81 @WinrarNayru @MadamMim Agree. still they do montly content free thats a adds something fresh . Soft but interesting changes for the msot part.
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Guild Wars 2
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- Publisher(s): NCSOFT
- Developer(s): ArenaNet
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Release:
- ESRB: T
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