A must buy for PvP lovers
User Rating: 9.5 | Guild Wars (Special Edition) PC
Rarely in the gaming world does a game come along and change things in such a way that it deserves it's own "genre" of gaming. For being heavily instanced and small group play, it falls short of being a MMORPG, but it's not just an RPG because everything is based on teamplay and guilds. So Arenanet has cleverly called it a (CMORPG) competitive multiplayer online role playing game....i think the acronym is right. As i mentioned in my caption, all traditional MMORPGers need not apply with this game. But if you want a game that you can pick up and play and have fast-paced, team-based fun then this is a must buy. If you're a fan of being whisked away in the lore and roleplaying of a game, then this game might not be for you. The story of the game isn't what drives this game. The two things that make this game different and above the rest, is it's massive quests and missions, and most importantly its' PvP combat and GvG combat....and you cant forget that you dont have to pay a monthly fee for any of it. First, the missions are what i like to call "uber quests" that involve alot of strategy and team work to finish. These missions, especially the end-game missions rival the epic feel of the WoW quests, and considering that WoW is all about questing this is impressive that it is close to the same greatness with questing. One setback to playing the missions and quests is that you heavily rely on other people, and lets face it some are better than others. Some people are obnoxious but luckily you get to choose your party members before the mission begins. Also, I have beaten the game and am halfway there with my alternate character, and I can count on half my hand the number of times someone has left a group or got DCed. The story is flat and towards the end becomes really "Lord of the Ringish", but the fun you have doing the missions and quests to get there more than makes up for it(and the point that it has a central story to focus on is a breath of fresh air). The PvP system is the most revolutionary of any RPG ever, and is definitely the selling point of this game. What makes the PvP so fun is the balance of the classes. There is Warriors, Monks, Rangers, Elemantists, Mesmers, and Necromancers....for all you people that love caster classes, there are four different choices in this game. There is no class that is superior to another class, but there are people that know how to use their class better than others. Lets just say that I've been owned in PvP by every class there is, but I've equally owned someone else of that same class. To go along with class balance, team work is a definite must in PvP, if you are grouped with people you know and have developed strategy with, then you have a massive upperhand against your opponent. Guilds also play a heavy factor in this game, and when you win enough in the "Hall of Heroes" (a tournament based PvP), then you are given a Sigil and can created your guild hall. In this guild hall there is an arena, and you take on other guilds in an "uber CTF", where you have to take on another team and take out their "guild lord", who happens to be protected by numerous NPCs, and the characters themselves. The GW site has a guild ladder, and keeps up with how many wins you have, so it's definitely a great feeling to see your guild and the accomplishments you've achieved. For only having one "race" in the game, there is definitely a high variety of looks and feels. I have never seen someone have the same color armor or armor "get-up" as i have. The graphics in this game are amazing, and run really well on the fairly old system i have. There is a well ranged variety of areas in the game and you never feel as though you're in the same ol place. There is a high variety of mobs you will face, and each of them will take different strategies to beat. The only gripe i have with the graphics, is that in the cutscenes would it have been difficult to make their lips move just alil bit???? The music of the game isn't terribly amazing....but isnt terrible either. The sound effects of spells and actions seem to fade with the game well, and dont stand out or seem clunky either. If you get into a good guild, and are a fan of strategy in your game, then you will definitely spend more than a fair amount of time on this game. And the fact that you are always fighting someone new will require that you always think differently in PvP. No monthly fee is enough to send this game through the charts in sales. The fact that the game is so great without the fee will make it a classic, and will definitely put some pressure on the competition. Arenanet has promised that it's expansion packs will equal the content of the original game.....let's hope they promise, because if i can get a Guild Wars 2 out of an expanision, this would be another ground breaking success. There are rumors floating around that maintenance on the game will take too much for them to keep it free, but since it's so heavily instanced and not one massive world to look after, i dont see maintenance as hard to keep up with as in most games. Now quit reading this world and go out into the world of Ascalon......hopefully you'll be at the end of my blade or in my guild.......later
