We've only dipped our toes in PVP, and have yet to experience any high level end-game content. So this review is based mostly on PVE. We've tested all eight classes and worked our way through a large portion of the human and norn story quests. So bear that in mind as you read on. There's a score at the end, sure, but it's subject to change. But what this review will do is tell you if Guild Wars 2 is worth buying, whether you're an MMO virgin or a hardened veteran.
The freeform quest design is the game's greatest strength. Not just in terms of gameplay, but in how it brings players together. You don't have to collect quests from NPCs and turn them in; they automatically trigger when you enter an area. They're made up of multiple objectives across a specific area of the map, and each one you complete fills up a progress bar. The quest is complete when the bar is filled, and the reward is delivered straight to your mailbox.
Better still, you never feel lonely. If another player is in the middle of killing an enemy, you can help and it'll count towards both of your progress bars. It's this collaboration that makes Guild Wars 2 an incredibly social experience, even if you aren't playing with friends. The large amount of players currently invading the game's servers is not unusual for an MMO at launch; but seeing them all working together is. You won't spend all your time in the game silently grinding through quests on your own; you'll be doing them alongside massive groups of other players.
Sometimes enemies will attack fast travel points and make them inactive, which gives players an extra incentive to band together and repel the invaders. In World of Warcraft you'd have to organise raids or wait in a queue to experience these big group boss fights; in Guild Wars 2 they're everywhere, and anyone in the area can join in instantly. It's a level of accessibility rarely seen in an MMO, and putting long-time players on a level playing field with fresh-faced newcomers gets rid of the elitism that's usually rampant in games like this.
If you miss traditional questing, your character's personal story will scratch the itch. These take place in instances, and come complete with voice acted cut-scenes. They're reminiscent of more traditional MMO quests, and give your character - depending on which race you selected - a unique story to follow. There are even branching paths depending on decisions you make, but these are limited to you; anyone playing the quest with you won't be able to alter your path.
These quests are entertaining, and always yield fantastic loot, but you can ignore them altogether, as they'll always scale you back to the level they were intended for. You can leave them until deep into the end-game if you want. But they're a welcome break from the map quests, which can feel a little impersonal at times. Each storyline is dictated not only by your race, but by choices you make while creating your character. Humans, for example, can choose something they regret, like never knowing their real parents. This is then threaded into their story quests.
The norn starting area is probably the most fun. They're giant, burly vikings who drink ale, brawl with each other, and hunt animals twice their size. Their land is reminiscent of Skyrim, made up of jagged mountains, fjords, hot springs, and glaciers. They're all great, though; the game's lore is rich, and fantasy cliches are usually given some twist to keep things interesting. If your PC can run the game at high graphics settings, you're in for a treat. The art style is wonderful, and there's always some stunning new vista or piece of architecture to stare slack-jawed at. The capital cities in particular are a visual highlight, especially Rata Sum, home of the tiny asura.
So the interface could be more customisable, and it's sometimes hard to see what the hell is going on in crowded PVP matches and world events, but for a launch MMO, Guild Wars 2 is incredibly polished and robust. Many hardcore MMO players are proclaiming it the saviour of the genre, but we'll have to wait for the launch excitement to cool down, and another fifty or so hours of play, to decide whether that's true or not. It's easy to get caught up in the buzz.
But what is true is that Guild Wars 2 is one of the best modern day MMOs. Buy gw2 gold,The developers have taken everything that sucks about online role-players - the repetition, the elitism, the lack of social interaction, the lone wolf questing - and combated it with smart, confident design. We really hope people keep playing, because the large volumes of players currently mucking in to defeat bosses and complete world events is inspiring to behold. Never played an MMO before? Start with this. There's no monthly subscription fee, and there are hundreds of thousands of like-minded people still learning the ropes to join forces with. But to get the most out of it, you'll have to be willing to interact with other players; it's nowhere near as satisfying on your own.
