And there we have it. It's time. Time to review
Guild Wars 2. Wow... after following the game for... How long has it been now? Unveiled by ArenaNet and NCsoft in March 2007, five years ago. That's crazy. The news coming from ArenaNet has had its ups and downs, really intensifying in 2010. The wait has been long, very long. Now we'll have to determine whether it was worth it.
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ArenaNet is continuing the story of the living world in its MMORPG
Guild Wars 2. The "Thorn Path" episode sends players searching for a legendary item in order to fight Mordremoth. The (short) patch notes follow.
You said MMO...
My biggest problem with
Guild Wars 2 at the moment is the people who call it revolutionary. No. Sorry, but no.
Guild Wars 2 is a thoroughly conventional MMORPG, with its levels, classes, races and theme-park gameplay—in other words, it provides a whole host of things to do to keep the player entertained at all times, both in Player versus Player (PvP) and Player versus Environment (PvE). Like
World of Warcraft, basically. Just as Blizzard did in its day, ArenaNet brought together everything, and even more, that worked well in other games. They improved it all and put their own spin on it. And they included everything in
Guild Wars 2 with a superior level of quality. But there is no revolution. If it had appeared out of nowhere five years ago, perhaps I would have admitted that... after the dynamism of
Rift, the atmosphere of
The Secret World, the solo campaigns of
The Old Republic and the combat of
Tera, we are considerably less amazed.
Guild Wars 2 is about characters steadily gaining levels through perfectly organized zones (the path is clearly laid out!), with a good variety of possible scenarios serving as a narrative thread, dungeons along the way and huge dragons for the grand finale (high-level PvE content that, unfortunately, we don't know much about...). Not to mention World versus World, which uses mechanics that have been known since
Dark Age of Camelot. They have made their PvE more dynamic, added mini-games, puzzles and depth. They expanded, consolidated and perfected it, in both PvE and PvP. But revolutionized it? No. On the other hand, I think we'll all agree: this much content, this much work and this much gameplay, available at launch with such a high level of polish, is... phew... wow... Okay, ArenaNet didn't revolutionize the MMO; they revolutionized the service. Welcome to the era of luxury MMOs.
And luxury is above all about comfort (when everything works). Let's start with the core of the gameplay: quests. Or rather, the absence of quests, since the regions are divided into small zones (intended for a specific level) where you'll perform various tasks, with or without combat, to raise your popularity rating with an important Non-Player Character (NPC). Killing monsters, of course, but also collecting stuff, feeding cows, cleaning graffiti, talking to people, and so on. When the NPC's bar is full, congratulations: you earn experience and unlock their special shop—usually a selection of interesting items, paid for with Karma, the currency obtained by completing events (no, not Reddit karma).
Long live events
The events in question appear here and there dynamically, or are sometimes triggered by players. They are highly varied public quests that reward you according to your level of participation. To be honest, it is a little too easy to earn a gold medal, but it's not a big deal. In advanced zones, some events are linked to one another (alongside a whole bunch of more occasional activities) and "tell" the story of the area. There are several branches, and the chain of events can lead to major battles, or even enormous zone bosses, at low levels too. The only disappointment with these bosses, particularly those ranked as "champions," is that the loot can sometimes seem underwhelming since the reward is mainly Karma. Understandable, but what can you do? It's a bit like the difference between winning the lottery and saving for years to buy the sword of your dreams: it's not the same kind of pleasure.
Grinding?
Around all this, there is no validation, no endless back-and-forth trips, no mindless grinding, no text to skip... Want to read? No problem: browse through your thank-you mails (without forgetting the tips attached to them), or talk to NPCs as much as you like. Nothing is forced on you. Speaking to an NPC scout reveals the various quest areas, and there you go—you just need to work your way through them in progression order. And with events, you're constantly distracted and engaged by the action, sometimes finding yourself in the middle of a raid without really looking for one, with difficult battles that can last a long time. Ultimately, you never feel forced to do anything. The only question to ask yourself is: do I want to do this or not?
Mini-games
You can also take part in mini-games, explore to unlock all the vista points, venture into areas that are genuine platforming challenges, enter a dungeon (from level 30, for a full group... the challenge is fair), or take up crafting. Once again, comfort is the order of the day: frustrated when someone steals your resource node right in front of you? In
Guild Wars 2, everyone has their own nodes, and you can harvest everything as long as you have the right tool. Easy. On the other hand, you can choose only two professions from a fairly conventional list. The game will provide you with a few basic recipes for intermediate items, but it will be up to you to discover what you can make by experimenting.
Fun, but ultimately fairly limited: most items are variations on a basic template. That doesn't rule out a few surprises and original ideas. For example, although the gameplay lets you quickly craft an eight-slot bag, you'll have to discover the special variants yourself, such as an eight-slot bag that prioritizes worthless items (the gray ones to sell), or the invisible bag whose contents do not appear in the sales menu. A gimmick, then, but an amusing one. The jeweler profession is a little more complex. But the worst is cooking, which is also an incredible money sink. Be poor, be a chef! The number of ingredients and prepared dishes (which can also be ingredients for other recipes) is enormous and will fill your bank. Fortunately, harvested items can be stored in the "collection" section. That helps. Note that this is another convenience feature, just like the fact that your bank can be accessed from any crafting station. Less frustration, more fun.
The same goes for trading through the trading post, which is also extremely important for advancing in crafting (fix this quickly, please!). At last, trading that takes demand into account! It's so easy to sell unwanted resources without waiting forever (tip: gather everything, even if it has nothing to do with your professions). This won't please those who enjoyed manipulating the market, but so be it. You can always invest more effort and look for a better sale price if you have the time. And nothing stops you from unloading your stock below the minimum asking price if you're altruistic or completely foolish.
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PvP
As for PvP, everything is fine, thanks. World versus World—four large maps where three servers fight simultaneously—is accessible from the beginning, even though your character's scaling is limited: you are level 80, but without having unlocked the maximum number of skills and bonuses. Technically, that means fewer options and less power. Note that you won't be alone in this situation. At the moment, there are few genuinely high-level players and nobody has the money to buy siege engines, or even the occasional battering ram to break down a castle gate a little faster. That will come. Still, WvW battles are as epic as you might imagine when two large forces meet head-on, with a front line that you have to read and anticipate. It is not unusual for a quick breakthrough to end in a devastating counteroffensive, because those with the advantage too often forget to consolidate their advance. We see the "bus" method a little too often: a large group of players moving from objective to objective and wiping everything out. It is effective on offense, but it leaves very few people defending... Yet there are many strategic points to capture and hold in
Guild Wars 2's PvP, and the old
Dark Age of Camelot technique will need to evolve and become somewhat more organized to be effective. In that respect, some kind of hierarchy with an orders system to manage the masses wouldn't be a bad idea.
For the more competitive players, there is also team-based battleground PvP. Jumping into it is a little confusing because of the entire system of equipment and specific rewards. It is mainly used to specialize in a role, and seeing what the game offers is a good way to understand the underlying mechanics. There are even a few tutorials covering siege engines, how to finish off characters and so on: they are recommended for newcomers, even before playing World versus World. This is also where tournaments and eSports will take place for the most dedicated players. In any case, once you're on the field, it is very good Capture & Hold PvP with, as always, its own little twists: catapults, destructible terrain elements, dangerous animals and so on.
Now that we've taken a quick look at the content and mechanics, let's focus a little on your character itself. The class you choose determines which weapons you can use and which skills you unlock. Equipped weapons provide five attack skills with various effects (burning, poisoning, freezing, slowing, weakness and so on). The rest of your skill bar consists of one slot for a healing skill (out of three), three normal skills (from a good number to unlock) and an elite skill (available later in the game). Numerous mechanics unique to each class add variety to all this: the thief's stealing, the engineer's kits, the elementalist's attunements and the mesmer's illusions. I recommend that everyone try out every class, because you'll be surprised by how strongly you may or may not connect with a class you didn't know.
The real choices
At level 10, you receive your first trait point. Until then, you could do more or less whatever you wanted with your character, but now you'll need to pay attention. Traits are how you define your character's role: damage, tank, healer... Despite the versatility intended by the developers, you have to specialize your fighters, right? Unless you spend your points evenly! But I wouldn't recommend it, especially since the few talents unlocked as you invest in a specialization can be extremely powerful. At the very first "adept" tier, by putting 10 points into the engineer's Inventions category (toughness and healing power), I can choose between six skills (which can be swapped freely), including one that makes me invisible while I remain still. Or one that greatly strengthens turrets. Or one that throws a volley of grenades whenever you take falling damage. Just imagine jumping from a rampart into the middle of enemy attackers and blowing them up... In short, I had a very hard time choosing...
If we're going to wander through another world for hours and hours, it might as well be beautiful. And artistically, no one can deny that ArenaNet knows what it is doing. From the majestic human capital to the logical architecture of the Asura and the astonishing design of the Sylvari... every step in
Guild Wars 2 is a feast for the eyes. Personally, I simply want to move to Lion's Arch and live there permanently. And I can't wait to discover new magical places like those seen in ArenaNet's artwork. That said, I still have a few reservations. I'm rather disappointed by the boxy level design of the regions, which are always bordered by impassable mountains. I would have much preferred a more open world delivered through streaming... It isn't a deal-breaker, but I sometimes feel slightly claustrophobic. Oh, and one last thing: I WANT a first-person view to enjoy the scenery. It's a physical need—I need it!
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There are plenty of other things I'd like, but I can't ask for them from an "amusement park" MMO like
Guild Wars 2. In its field, ArenaNet's game sets the bar very high for a modest price. Although that depends on what you spend in the virtual shop, which seemed fairly honest to me. You don't really feel the need to buy anything there, except perhaps an experience boost for crafting from time to time. Sometimes you loot chests that contain items normally found in the shop, but a special key is required, costing around 2 euros. It's tempting too. Of course, nothing forces you to unlock them. As for cosmetics, a complete outfit should cost around 8/9 euros. Some paid services will prove much more useful. So if you lack self-control, yes, you'll quickly spend more than a normal monthly subscription (especially since the payment convenience is total). Otherwise, and based on what I've been able to try of the game: no constraints.
And luxury is above all about comfort (when everything works). Let's start with the core of the gameplay: quests. Or rather, the absence of quests, since the regions are divided into small zones (intended for a specific level) where you'll perform various tasks, with or without combat, to raise your popularity rating with an important Non-Player Character (NPC). Killing monsters, of course, but also collecting stuff, feeding cows, cleaning graffiti, talking to people, and so on. When the NPC's bar is full, congratulations: you earn experience and unlock their special shop—usually a selection of interesting items, paid for with Karma, the currency obtained by completing events (no, not Reddit karma).
