The popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game known as Guild Wars 2 takes place in a fantasy world with a storyline that is directly affected by the player’s decisions throughout their journey. It is a sequel to the first installment of Guild Wars, both of which were developed by ArenaNet.
Appearance and Design
The design of Guild Wars 2 is praised by many due to the amount of detail provided in scenery, armor, weaponry, and more. When players travel to various locations, they will be immersed by the towns they come across and get a decent understanding of their culture. The same effect goes with wastelands and open fields where a variety of monsters and opponents will engage. Weapons and armor design are also intriguing. The details of one’s armor or weapon are very particular. The visuals of the storytelling can be bland, which has a negative impact on the story and may decrease the player’s interest of the world around them.
Pros:
· Gorgeous work on scenery
· Immersive and detailed
· Makes gameplay look spectacular
Cons:
· Graphics put into scenery aren’t the same in storytelling scenes
Gameplay
Guild Wars 2 addresses many of the expectations of an MMORPG. There are a variety of quests, dungeons to explore, plenty of opportunities to gain loot and experience, a plethora of races/classes to choose from, the opportunity to put strategic skills to the test, and a high level cap (80). This game has a fluid action-oriented combat keeping players attentive in each fight. One major feature players enjoy is the ability to fight other players on their own server and other servers. The battle between servers is known as “World vs. World” play, where conquering other areas of the world are priority. Some players have found it challenging when going against a coordinated team, but ArenaNetconsistently encourages players to cooperate with those on their side to gain the upper hand. You will need a good looking mmo mouse in order to enjoy the full experience of this game.
However, sometimes less is more. Players love exploring different areas, but sometimes all the extra additions of the game make it difficult for players to understand which of their skills apply to certain environments. This leads to players having to abandon an opportunity to try something new and go back to repeating past conquests. Additionally, some players can get lost in the strategic portion of the gameplay when they are fighting in a public event, which are often large and chaotic. In these instances, the player isn’t sure if they’re contributing to the battle as much as they’d like to.
Pros:
· Plenty of exploration and battling opportunities
· Gaining experience and masteries helps all characters
· Cooperation with fellow players increases interaction
Cons:
· Large, chaotic battles cause players to get lost
· Exploration opportunities are limited by confusing requirements
· Sometimes strategy is reinforced, sometimes it means nothing
Storyline
The best feature of the personal storyline campaign and the other events is how easily it is affected by the player’s choices and their character’s history. ArenaNet put plenty of thought into the cause and effect element, but not plot and character development. Players have reported that some characters weren’t worth remembering due to their lack of personality.Some NPCs have a great sense of humor and they might make you chuckle during a battle, but they won’t contribute to your sense of heroic duty or warding off threats. Unfortunately, players have stated they don’t feel an emotional connection with the story
Characters / Classes
There are eight classes and five races for players to explore. All of them are versatile, but when it comes to certain skills, they are mostly equal. Some characters may have more “tank” qualities or “healing” attributes than others, but thanks to the equilibrium of skills, tank-like characters can heal themselves and those who are better at magic and healing can defend themselves.
When players create their own characters, they can select their own race and biographical history. Their past and the way they interact with others increases the chances of seeing a variety of endings for their personal story. Most of the events during this campaign are centered around player versus environment (PvE) activity. These events are separated from other quests in the world.
Cost
Players appreciate the lack of a monthly subscription. ArenaNet offers expansion packs instead. The most recent expansion is Heart of Thorns at $50, which the Guild Wars 2 community hated, but still purchased. There are in-game micro-transactions players can make to own gems, which are materials used to buy items or apply to one’s account. $1.25 will give the player 100 gems.
Guild Wars 2 is still a highly praised MMORPG with very positive ratings. Anyone with enough money in their wallet will quickly become amazed by the hours of effort put into this game and the many hours they spent enjoying this adventure.
