Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

 PC
  • Publisher: NCSOFT
  • Release Date: Oct 23, 2015
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 981 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 670 out of 981
  2. Mixed: 72 out of 981
  3. Negative: 239 out of 981
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Blanc0
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Heart of thorns, the very first expansion for an amazing game that has been going strong for years now. Anet tried to do things differently then most mmo's and not raise the lvl cap or add better gear, cause who wants to grind for more gear cause their old max gear has become useless?

    Now Anet did add a way to further ''lvl'' your character, in the form of masteries and elite    Heart of thorns, the very first expansion for an amazing game that has been going strong for years now. Anet tried to do things differently then most mmo's and not raise the lvl cap or add better gear, cause who wants to grind for more gear cause their old max gear has become useless?

    Now Anet did add a way to further ''lvl'' your character, in the form of masteries and elite specialisations. Masteries are unique abilities like Gliding, Bouncing mushrooms or even learning new languages of new civilisations. These masteries are gained by gaining xp and are account wide, they add a new and exciting way to improve your account and are sure to keep you busy for a while. They require a fair amount of xp, but so did levelling a new character all the way to lvl 80 in the core, so its a far amount in my opinion. There are some masteries required to progress the story, but after Anet removed 1 mastery requirement they really don't slow you down a lot. (They even show you what masteries you will need for which story chapters, so you can prepare for that). Within masteries there are 2 major lines, the Heart of Thorns masteries and the Central Tyrian masteries. The lather being designed for older content, they add small bonusses.

    The other way to lvl your characters, are elite specialisations. Elite specialisations add new abilities to existing classes and they all get 1 new weapon. The initial unlocking cost of the trait line could be considered a bit steep, but compared to the old levelling in the core game it is pretty fast and rewarding. The new elite specs feel fresh and unique, have great visuals and really make a change.

    Next to the new ways to lvl your character there are 4 new maps, which are absolutely stunning. Lots of verticality makes gliding useful and fun, bouncing mushrooms also give a whole new way of exploring the jungle. The new foes have great movement, like a giant dinosaur rolling over its side or giant flying wyverns with major fire attacks. The maps are great to explore and as you progress your masteries you can reach new places and find even more hidden spaces. The maps house lots of event chains and there are large scale meta events that require the map to work together. Newly added are adventures, mini games that offer a great xp boost! The jungle maps, like Auric Basin, become even more gorgeous at night!

    There are many changes to the guilds as well, the major change being Guild Halls. A feature long requested by the community and now Anet delivered. With as few as 3 guild members you can claim one of 2 halls. These halls offer upgrades in the form of buildings and bonuses. The customisation of these halls is pretty endless once you have a scribe (new crafting profession) to build you all the decorations. The initial price to start building a tavern/mine/workshop is high at the moment for the smaller guilds, but this is mostly due to everyone wanting to unlock the building and larger guilds having a bigger budget, this will need some time for the market to settle. All in all as time goes by everyone will be able to build the upgrades and make the guild hall a personal home for their guild. The guild hall also adds a new treasury system where all members can donate the required materials for future upgrades.

    There are lots of changes in Heart of Thorns and the way it is set up it will require some time to unlock every new addition to the core game Guild Wars 2. Just like it took time to lvl from 1 to 80 in the core game, masteries and elite specs are just a new and fresh way of levelling without raising the lvl cap or adding a new gear tier. It will keep you busy and it will keep you exploring every nook and cranny of the new amazing jungle maps. Those who love Guild Wars 2, will love Heart of Thorns.    … Expand
  2. thedarkess
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    People asked for end game content and they got expansion that focuses primarily on end game. We've got challenging content and no-faceroll PvE, character progression beyond max level, increadible story telling and most stunning zones I've ever seen. And yet people complain they can't get everything 1st day of expansion! Hypocrites.
  3. JamEngulfer
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    I think Heart of Thorns is a brilliant expansion. The main thing I've noticed with it with respect to gameplay is that it is much harder than regular open world, with only 2 enemies being able to kill you outright. The jungle is meant to be hardcore endgame content and it really shows in the difficulty.

    The maps are beautiful and extremely varied from area to area. Although some areas    I think Heart of Thorns is a brilliant expansion. The main thing I've noticed with it with respect to gameplay is that it is much harder than regular open world, with only 2 enemies being able to kill you outright. The jungle is meant to be hardcore endgame content and it really shows in the difficulty.

    The maps are beautiful and extremely varied from area to area. Although some areas appear claustrophobic due to the fact that well, it's a jungle, when you reach a point where you can glide down or jump up to another level, you get a perspective of just how massive the maps are. However, there are some areas that are extremely large and give a massive sense of scale.

    I like the new mastery system that's been added. The progression feels nice and you only need level 1 or 2 in some of them to progress the story and these requirements make sense (e.g, needing gliding to actually traverse the map properly before you start the second story step). I've seen a lot of people that want all of the masteries immediately, acting like they are some sort of awful content gating system. These are the same people that would complain about no long term endgame progression if the masteries were easy. The masteries are extremely similar to levelling a normal character to level 80. If you think about it, we should be completely used to 'content locking' as the majority of the game is locked away when you are level 1. You have to level up to access higher level content. We are all used to this system and I don't see why people aren't equating the normal levelling progression to the masteries system. It took me 4 months of playing to reach level 80, so I don't see why it shouldn't take me the same amount of time to max out my masteries.

    Anet delivered on exactly what they promised. Long term hardcore endgame content. People asked for that and that is exactly what they got.

    I for one think it's great and that they produced a great expansion that lived up to the hype.    … Expand
  4. atatahir
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    This expansion is providing me the best gaming experience I have ever had, surpassing even my Vanilla WoW experience.
    First, the expansion is huge I mean really huge. There is so much to do that it is becoming difficult to focus on one thing a long.
    Like the base game of Guild Wars 2 this expansion also focuses on exploration and providing a journey in PvE. The Zones that you journey    This expansion is providing me the best gaming experience I have ever had, surpassing even my Vanilla WoW experience.
    First, the expansion is huge I mean really huge. There is so much to do that it is becoming difficult to focus on one thing a long.

    Like the base game of Guild Wars 2 this expansion also focuses on exploration and providing a journey in PvE. The Zones that you journey through are massive and unlike anything I have ever seen in an MMO. The story that you experience during your journey is the best story telling in Guild Wars 2 so far. The story delivery, and pacing is excellent too.

    Guild Wars 2 introduced a new Horizontal progression system in this expansion which I consider to be the best progression system in any MMO right now. Unlike other MMO's Guild Wars 2 did not raised the level cap or introduced a new tier of gear to grind. Instead, in this expansion we learn account wide abilities called Masteries that allow our characters to do more things, things like gliding and learning languages.

    All new zones are level 80 and you can travel and explore zone to zone right from the start. The progression through the masteries and zones feels very organic and enhances that adventuring feel has been missing in MMORPG's. You feel your character grows and learns as you adventure through the alien landscape of new zones.

    The enemies and mob/encounter design in the new zones is very diverse and very engaging. It looks like there have been a lot of AI improvements too. This makes the new zones the most challenging zones in Guild Wars 2. If you are venturing solo in the new zones there is real danger and you will have to think about what skills you are using, this make for very engaging exploration in the new zones.

    Legendary precursor crafting has also been added in this expansion. Currently, 23 legendary weapon scavenger hunts have been added so far. A new legendary armor set and 2 new legendary back pieces are also being added.
    The precursor crafting provides players with another epic journey that they can take. One example, In order to craft the staff one of the steps included the following:
    - Get a Raven egg
    - Take care of the egg, help incubate the it until it hatches
    - Take care of the baby Raven, feed it train it how to fight, how to fly etc.
    - Teach the Raven to transform into some kind of energy that can be attached to the staff.

    After these steps and much more you will have a legendary staff. On top on the staff your Raven, which you took care of since it was an egg, would be perched. When you go in combat, the raven will fly and then dive towards the staff turning into some form of energy that will imbue itself in the staff and you will be able to see that energy flowing through the staff. When you do a ranged attack the energy in shape of a Raven will shoot from your staff and when it hits the target you will see the energy turning into your Raven and attacking the target.

    I am not really sure why people are complaining about 'grind' for Hero point. Hero points is the currency needed to train new skills. I think most people probably do not realize that in the expansion the hero points awards have been increased 10 folds.
    You only need 19 to 40 challenges in the expansion. You cannot 'grind' hero points and can only get them by doing unique hero challenges. Hero challenges involve either going somewhere and pressing 'F' or fighting a Mob. In the first two zones for example, there are 22 hero points only 2 of which require high level mastery. Some Hero challenges are very challenging and I can understand people not wanting to do challenging content to get skills, but complains about 'grind' to get them is beyond my understanding, unless playing the game is now considered a grind.

    There is so much more I could write, but I have to go back and play more Guild Wars 2.    … Expand
  5. Guildwars1996
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Guild wars 2 heart of thorns brings things this community have wanted for a long time hardcore content with the new maps and raids in a few weeks. Things to work for the masteries and elite specs that aren't grindy at all. The story to be good its not just good its fantastic.
  6. monzesandrea
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Story = 9 / 10 anet and blizzy are second to no one.
    Audio = 9 / 10 best audio and environment sound ever found in a mmo.
    Gameplay = 8 / 10 : quite hard to master but a great step forward from the core game. Replayability = 10 / 10 : there are so many things to do that i ' m quite scared. xD Farm = 6 / 10 cause ONLY for the first time you need to farm: REMEMBER that Mastery point are    Story = 9 / 10 anet and blizzy are second to no one.
    Audio = 9 / 10 best audio and environment sound ever found in a mmo.
    Gameplay = 8 / 10 : quite hard to master but a great step forward from the core game.
    Replayability = 10 / 10 : there are so many things to do that i ' m quite scared. xD
    Farm = 6 / 10 cause ONLY for the first time you need to farm: REMEMBER that Mastery point are UNLOCKED FOR EVERY PG YOU HAVE when you get them !

    Be honest : I wonder how is possible to give this awesome work 0 / 10.... lol    … Expand
  7. doodlefish
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Anet have done us proud with this update. The world really feels alive with so many different things going on and so many new mini stories to find I will be running around and discovering new things for a long time. I wasn't sure about the idea of introducing gliding and having so much verticality in the maps when I heard about it but actually it works incredibly well and is a lot of fun.Anet have done us proud with this update. The world really feels alive with so many different things going on and so many new mini stories to find I will be running around and discovering new things for a long time. I wasn't sure about the idea of introducing gliding and having so much verticality in the maps when I heard about it but actually it works incredibly well and is a lot of fun. I feel like I know my way around the first 2 new maps now but I'm still constantly finding new areas and bits that I have never seen before. I just wish they would add gliding into the old maps as well!!

    I have tried playing other mmos but ever since I first started guild wars 2 they feel so clunky in comparison. This expansion will definitely keep me entertained for a long time cos there is so much to do!!    … Expand
  8. renji1337
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    I would give this a 10. I like the game, i like how there is multiple things to do and that they wont be done in 1 day, (they take 2-4weeks for the average player) and that the game is fun. There are so many people playing that it feels like GW2 is the top MMO there is!
  9. eugenevelazquez
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    A fantastic expansion for Guild Wars 2, plenty to do and the additional elite specs and revenant class play great. Ignore all the one star reviews complaining about it being a grindfest as this is simply not true. Although it is true it will take time to unlock masteries it at no point ever felt like a grind all the new events and monster are well varied and numerous and I myself neverA fantastic expansion for Guild Wars 2, plenty to do and the additional elite specs and revenant class play great. Ignore all the one star reviews complaining about it being a grindfest as this is simply not true. Although it is true it will take time to unlock masteries it at no point ever felt like a grind all the new events and monster are well varied and numerous and I myself never felt like it was getting stale. There is plenty of new content and it is obvious it has been given a good amount of polish. There are very few bugs at the time of writing this review and those that were present were patched very quickly. I highly recommend picking it up if you are a fan of what the base game of Guild Wars 2 offers and enjoy challenging and engaging content. A solid 10/10.… Expand
  10. scottmjones
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Having read other reviews on here i thought i would correct alot of the negative reviews, first of all i will start by stating that i wasnt a fan of the pve during the first 3 years of gw2 i played the game solely for wvw, my opinion has changed massively during HOT the pve doesnt require "grinding" there are numerous HUGE multi layered maps that you can explore with gliders, by jumping onHaving read other reviews on here i thought i would correct alot of the negative reviews, first of all i will start by stating that i wasnt a fan of the pve during the first 3 years of gw2 i played the game solely for wvw, my opinion has changed massively during HOT the pve doesnt require "grinding" there are numerous HUGE multi layered maps that you can explore with gliders, by jumping on mushrooms or by using portals, there are hundereds of events that take place on these maps that easily give you enough different content to get your characters the traits needed and also to provide tens of hours of entertainment alone. WvW has had a massive overhaul with new desert borderlands and new systems to adress issues with ganking of dolyaks that are being defended. It seems to me that the people moaning expansion just want a game with no challenge, i urge you to ignore such negative and moronic reviews and to try the game yourself, I for one am extremely surprised by the depth and large amount of content that came with the expansion. I'd also like to commend anet on the launch, unlike other mmorpg launches and expansion releases I had no lag, no huge grouping of players causing issues and have found no bugs up to this point… Expand
  11. Bunkhead
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Lots of stuff to explore. Don't expect to finish this in one weekend and move on. It adds content to almost every part of endgame (dungeons are the only exception, but fractals are suppose to take their place).

    The expansion is set up like a Metroid or Zelda game in that you will see stuff that you can't get to or a fight that needs a certain skill to make it easier to do. This makes    Lots of stuff to explore. Don't expect to finish this in one weekend and move on. It adds content to almost every part of endgame (dungeons are the only exception, but fractals are suppose to take their place).

    The expansion is set up like a Metroid or Zelda game in that you will see stuff that you can't get to or a fight that needs a certain skill to make it easier to do. This makes the content feel less linear, and you can't finish one map before you move to the other. The makes you look forward to unlocking levels in the game. It makes the progression feel more meaningful, and less like a game of arbitrary numbers. Unlocking gliding or the ability to use bouncing mushrooms feels a lot better than getting 19 more strength so that you can kill every mob just a little faster.

    I like the new class specializations. In most MMOs, you would get a new skill that either upgrades or replaces the one you have. In HoT, you get a whole group of skills and weapons that compliment your character. You can swap to these at will (out of combat), and the specialization does not negate the base classes skills.    … Expand
  12. Sytherek
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    The initial release had a terrible unexpected grind that marred an otherwise nice expension. ArenaNet fixed in five days -- an amazingly fast effort, and a tribute to company. I am impressed, and have revised my earlier review with this one.

    HoT is designed as endgame material,, and isnt some5hing for newbies. It is a fascinating environment, beautiful art, and challenging new places to    The initial release had a terrible unexpected grind that marred an otherwise nice expension. ArenaNet fixed in five days -- an amazingly fast effort, and a tribute to company. I am impressed, and have revised my earlier review with this one.

    HoT is designed as endgame material,, and isnt some5hing for newbies. It is a fascinating environment, beautiful art, and challenging new places to see and people to meet. The new abilities -- gliders, etc. -- can be challenging... especially for older gamers like myself. But I'm managing.

    The story is optional but interesting.

    Overall, my biggest complaint now is that there isnt more to the expansion. It feels small, nowhere near as big as a WoW expansion. I hope the next one is bigger.    … Expand
  13. karaliuss300
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Amazing expansion, the enemies mechanics are interesting, new zones are freaking amazing. I can't stand grinding, but doing it ONCE for all the characters evens it out. Most of the bad reviews come from people that think grinding is what's not doable in 1 day. But then again, if there was no gating, people would play through it in a week and cry there's not enough content. You can't pleaseAmazing expansion, the enemies mechanics are interesting, new zones are freaking amazing. I can't stand grinding, but doing it ONCE for all the characters evens it out. Most of the bad reviews come from people that think grinding is what's not doable in 1 day. But then again, if there was no gating, people would play through it in a week and cry there's not enough content. You can't please everyone as it seems, but going and begging on forums to put bad reviews here isn't what a normal person should. They are literally trying to sink the game because of tiny things when the fact it's live for only 4 days, yet. This is the smoothest expansion release I've seen so far.

    About elite specs, I'm not sure what's wrong people. They cry about hard content but then when they get hard hero challenges, they go and cry that it's not possible to do solo, um how about you go and FIND SOME FRIENDS in a MMO. Some of these reasons of bad review are plain stupid.    … Expand
  14. Shankz
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    Been waiting for this expansion for around a year now, and they deliver! Only day four of release, and 20 hours of game-play later, and I cannot wait to play some more.

    For the first time in the open world of this game they highly encourage grouping up with at least one other person as you will die...a lot. The new maps are massive with tons of interesting events, adventures,    Been waiting for this expansion for around a year now, and they deliver! Only day four of release, and 20 hours of game-play later, and I cannot wait to play some more.

    For the first time in the open world of this game they highly encourage grouping up with at least one other person as you will die...a lot. The new maps are massive with tons of interesting events, adventures, achievements, enemies, tons of fun gliding locations, and so much more.

    Guild halls are something that other MMOs should look to take inspiration from. From raiding with your guild to claim it yourself, to the upgrades that require everybody to contribute, to the visuals of seeing the place your guild worked hard to build visually becoming more appealing, this is definitely one of my favorite features

    Story wise I found it quite enjoyable. Living story 2 had it's moments, but really didn't scratch that itch I had. In Heart of Thorns the characters have development, there are very emotional times, the cutscenes are far better than one on one talks, and the final boss is very fun and rewarding. I love how characters banter back and forth by almost reading your mind in some situations. I found grouping with two friends a very enjoyable and memorable experience.

    Sound and visuals are absolutely incredible. The only other game I have been thinking "Wow..." on this scale was Witcher 3. The environments are very beautiful and diverse. The story takes you to some of the main locations to discover on the map, but simply wandering off in a any direction can keep you busy for hours. There were too many moments to count where my friends and I all stopped and just said "Wow...this looks awesome." The soundtrack is equally as stunning with the same personal response as the visuals. This was the first time since a month after launch where a lot of people I know turned their in-game music back up. Best experience is put a headset on, turn the sound up, gather a group of friends, and enjoy for hours.

    Can't really cover raids and pvp leagues yet, but guess I'll mention the cons. Being only the forth day after release means there are a few bugs and crashes. The developers have been doing plenty of patches to fix some, but some major ones are still present. Another community concern you might hear is "UGH. GRIND WARS 2" or "ALL GRIND BECAUSE NO CONTENT". The grind people see is leveling the masteries in the game. These include aspects like gliding perks (i.e. using updrafts to go vertically higher) or content gated. Content gated looks like "You need X skill to start the next story mission," or "If you want this one point on the map you need X skill to not insta poison die." Even after the launch weekend there has been fixes to problem gates like requiring too high of level mastery for story. Appears developers will be re-balancing in the near future. Sure, there is some content that needs specific masteries to get to, but don't go in with the mindset of rush to do everything as you will be frustrated. Another, and yet very vocal concern is leveling up elite specializations. These require a lot of time to get your Hero Points to max them out, but this is what they should be. You are not required to use elite specializations and should have to earn what you desire. That is my personal opinion, but it can be assumed that developers are looking into the situation and will tweak the system as they see fit.

    Overall, I have had an amazing time on the new maps and content. The game feels like GW2 2.0. You can glide, you can cave dive, you can tackle new crazy world boss events. They have executed everything they promised very well and with the future raid, pvp, and living story releases it gets better and better. This expansion has something for every kind of the MMO player: the raider, the wanderer, the achiever, the pvper, and much more. If you want to find an MMO with a very bright future its a Buy-to-Play game and give it a go!    … Expand
  15. Volphy
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Despite the brigade that is plaguing this page with negative reviews, Heart of Thorns is a wonderful expansion designed by Anet. Despite the few issues that we have at launch concerning the amount of XP it takes to level up masteries, and the issues that Druid has since the changes from beta, Heart of Thorns is a huge, lovely, and downright masterful expansion. On release day it's serversDespite the brigade that is plaguing this page with negative reviews, Heart of Thorns is a wonderful expansion designed by Anet. Despite the few issues that we have at launch concerning the amount of XP it takes to level up masteries, and the issues that Druid has since the changes from beta, Heart of Thorns is a huge, lovely, and downright masterful expansion. On release day it's servers remained rock-solid too, something I have not seen in MMOs to this very day.

    I give Heart of Thorns an outstanding review of 9/10. The extra point is there because of all of the low-score brigading that is happening. Two days after release.    … Expand
  16. Teeth
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    A bunch of new content and features, loving the story.
    Obviously new features such as specializations aren't handed on a silver platter like many seem to want.
    Well worth the money.
  17. Loku
    Oct 25, 2015
    9
    0

    What we got with this expansion not only is fun, but also varied. The new personal story is a success, the new maps are awesome and the new ways to explore are simply fun as hell. Most of the progression is account bound and pretty easy to level through standard gameplay. Everyone wants everything immediately it seems. The only issue right now is the gating behind one of the storyline    0

    What we got with this expansion not only is fun, but also varied. The new personal story is a success, the new maps are awesome and the new ways to explore are simply fun as hell. Most of the progression is account bound and pretty easy to level through standard gameplay. Everyone wants everything immediately it seems. The only issue right now is the gating behind one of the storyline missions, which is already being addressed. Adventures are really fun, and the new open world is much more challenging than before. It will take still a while to test and understand every new profession, every new guild upgrade, wvw and pvp builds and tactics, etc... but the expansion is already worth its price. And it's only the beginning: people seem to forget that what they bought entitles them to months (years?) of updates. Raids are around the corner, and soon after them the new living story will start for the HoT owners. We are in for a ride.    … Expand
  18. Ivaren
    Oct 25, 2015
    9
    Game Review:

    My overall experience has been great, there is so much to do and explore in the new areas. Gliding is amazing, and there has been a lot of quality of life changes that I have enjoyed. And this has been the smoothest MMO expansion or MMO launch I have ever experienced. Very few bugs and the few that I have seen were fixed fast. Going offline for a few hours and coming back    Game Review:

    My overall experience has been great, there is so much to do and explore in the new areas. Gliding is amazing, and there has been a lot of quality of life changes that I have enjoyed. And this has been the smoothest MMO expansion or MMO launch I have ever experienced. Very few bugs and the few that I have seen were fixed fast. Going offline for a few hours and coming back there seems to always be a small bug fix patch to download. If you had played GW2 in the past and left or if you are brand new to the game, now is a great time to hop in.

    Negative reviews Review:

    It is very sad to see all of the low reviews on here for what has been an awesome expansion release to an already awesome game. As of writing this the first weekend is not even over yet and there are so many 1/10 reviews from people complaining about the grind "added to the game."

    First I would not call playing through brand new content that is as diverse as it has been, grindy, and the people complaining about having to look for a group for certain challenges? Why play an MMO if you don't want to play with other people from time to time. I know everyone is excited to play their class's new hotness, and use it through the new content, but I would assume that most people have played their main class for over a year, so what is a another week at most on top of that.

    Think of it this way, if this was any other MMO there would have been a level bump. But there wasn't. So to give that sense of progression ANet added the specializations and masteries. Specializations are a character based progression that really don't take too long to mostly unlock. But, some of the points you need may have been gated by masteries though. And from my experience only the lower tiers of masteries. However those are an account unlock meaning after getting them while working on your first character that gate is gone for every other character.

    In my opinion, think most of the low reviews on here have been blown out of proportion, especially for it still being the 3rd day the expansion has even been out. Remember we are playing a game. Were experiencing new content. This is not an Asian grindfest MMO where you have to grind mobs for 3 months to unlock your spec. Just play the game.    … Expand
  19. manumotate
    Oct 25, 2015
    8
    - The history is amazing.
    - The mastery system is pretty good.
    - I like the events and the maps are HUGE.
    - Love the elite specializations ( I feel they should reduce the hero points needed to ~200, instead of 400 for my alts ).
    - GUILD HALLS!!!!!!!!!!
  20. shaitanbek
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    I just don't like new WvW map, everything else is just fine. I'm laughing at people who whine that they cannot complete new content in one day. There's no grind unless you choose to grind.
  21. Digital_Kitchen
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    ArenaNet delivered everything I could have hoped for with this expansion. REally loving every minute so far. The level design is amazing, the story just keeps getting better, and it just looks so beautiful!
  22. Daraku9
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Heart of Thorns adds to GW2 by improving the combat, adding better late game content, improving the story and tons of other things that you can find out more about on GW2's website. At the moment the only problems that people have found is that a couple of the quests are bugged so you might have to restart your client or the instance to fix them. Considering that the bugs can be fixedHeart of Thorns adds to GW2 by improving the combat, adding better late game content, improving the story and tons of other things that you can find out more about on GW2's website. At the moment the only problems that people have found is that a couple of the quests are bugged so you might have to restart your client or the instance to fix them. Considering that the bugs can be fixed and none of the bugged content was in the beta weekend so none of it was thoroughly playtested it isn't much of a problem. Some people claim that the expansion is grindy but I'm honestly not sure what they were expecting as content that can be played over and over again will eventually become grindy and since im 36 hours into the expansion and I haven't even explored all the maps yet it's going to take a long while to reach that point.… Expand
  23. bluefley
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    don't let these lazy fools get under your skin. They just want everything for free in the game. While I do agree that the elite spec could require less hero points the hero challenges themselves are awesome content which we would otherwise never even bother going to.

    Onto the expansion itself, great maps, great meta events, challenging enemies. Can't wait for the raid to come up and who    don't let these lazy fools get under your skin. They just want everything for free in the game. While I do agree that the elite spec could require less hero points the hero challenges themselves are awesome content which we would otherwise never even bother going to.

    Onto the expansion itself, great maps, great meta events, challenging enemies. Can't wait for the raid to come up and who knows what else Anet has in store for us!

    While it does have it's flaws that was the smoothest MMO expansion launch ever, pair that with the awesome content and the soon to be released raid and living stories, I would most certainly recommend it to every one !    … Expand
  24. bugrock
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Tons of fun and lots of re-playability. There are so many new features and mechanics, I know that I'll be playing this for a very long time. Can't wait to start building my guildhall and challenging other guilds to duel in the arena.
  25. Grahaka47
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    awesome expansion,Anet is really daring to take a different approach considering the current generic MMO market.

    awesome maps,tons to explore, secrets and amazing events this expansion is pretty awesome. best expansion i hve played in years in any game. all talks about grind is by casual players who lack skill level and still need all tasty loot and masteries lol. the expansion    awesome expansion,Anet is really daring to take a different approach considering the current generic MMO market.

    awesome maps,tons to explore, secrets and amazing events this expansion is pretty awesome.

    best expansion i hve played in years in any game.

    all talks about grind is by casual players who lack skill level and still need all tasty loot and masteries lol.

    the expansion encourages to group together and not ravel alone and hero pints need minimum 4 man group equipped with loads of CC.

    the jungle maps are riddled with content and all sorts of mechanics, but players whose sole aim is to grind events and get all mastery on day one will never find these and will soon leave and I am happy t see that.

    this expansion is not aimed at players who have experienced linear progression its for explorers, adventures, lore searchers and hard core people not filthy casuals who want instant gratification and then yell for more content and complaint the game lacks end game.    … Expand
  26. alycat79
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    The base Guild wars 2 game was the casual friendly experience we all were promised and many of us enjoyed. Other players complained about a lack of truly challenging high end content and meaningful progression. They promised to change that with Heart of Thorns, and delivered on that promise.

    Don't get me wrong. Right now unlocking masteries and consequently elite specialization is a    The base Guild wars 2 game was the casual friendly experience we all were promised and many of us enjoyed. Other players complained about a lack of truly challenging high end content and meaningful progression. They promised to change that with Heart of Thorns, and delivered on that promise.

    Don't get me wrong. Right now unlocking masteries and consequently elite specialization is a little more grindy than I prefer, but I can't imagine why anyone thought they'd have instant access to an elite specialization outside of PvP. As it is, most existing players had enough scrolls to level their new revenants straight to 80. This is still a pretty alt friendly game, especially since masteries are account wide. I do expect some fine tuning in the more frustrating aspects because Net has always been good about responding to constructive criticism. Key word: constructive.

    I really feel like the hero of my own story this time. The writing is exceptionally strong, with surprising twists and turns that leave you anxious to see what happens next. The animations are greatly improved as well. Not to give to much away, but there's an intense scene where the artist managed to capture so many subtle emotions in a character's expression that it gave me chills. The story challenges are new and different, and a departure from the usual go here and kill that missions of yore.

    If actually having to play a game to play a game doesn't sound like idea of fun, don't play, but if you enjoy the base game, the expansion is a great addition especially for those who decried the lack of meaningful end game or felt the story was lacking in delivery. It's not a perfect expansion, but it's really good.    … Expand
  27. liefbread
    Oct 27, 2015
    8
    As promised I'm adjusting my review, although there are many things that feel like a departure from the Guild Wars 2 I'm familiar with, I no longer have an issue with their handling of Elite Specializations. Arenanet is a company that listens to it's players, if not being openly communicative about intended action. There's certainly a lot to love about the new expansion, and I hope afterAs promised I'm adjusting my review, although there are many things that feel like a departure from the Guild Wars 2 I'm familiar with, I no longer have an issue with their handling of Elite Specializations. Arenanet is a company that listens to it's players, if not being openly communicative about intended action. There's certainly a lot to love about the new expansion, and I hope after reading this you're willing to jump in yourself.… Expand
  28. CannibalShinobi
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Took me less than 3 days to unlock the new sub class fully for my Scrapper. Wasn't hard at all, didn't have to even complete all the challenges in the first 3 zones to do it. There is no grind, unlike most MMOs. Great casual fun.
  29. Hadee
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Everything is great! Anet listened to community feedback and made huge improvements to the expansion less than a week after it went live.

    They are still continuing to improve and expand on what's already a solid and well made expansion.

    10/10
  30. season2003
    Oct 27, 2015
    8
    Great job on reviewing the Hero Points and the story gating. 250 points and level 1 mastery is much much much better than the crap you bring to us at the very beginning. Now I can set back and enjoy my elite spec while going through the new content. Cheers
  31. Pangolins
    Oct 28, 2015
    9
    After the fix to Elite specialization gaining, the grind is essentially eliminated, it doesn't take ages to get the new trait lines, the maps are beautiful, the classes are great fun in PVP, and the story mode is intriguing, for someone who doesn't do much PVE I am impressed with the story and how massive the maps are.
  32. rxepyon
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    So I made an account to write this review to basically set it straight for the scrubs giving it negative reviews and complaining. The expansion is good, it tore away from the main stay of the core game. People kept complaining about it being too easy and wanting something new. Now anet delivered.
    They delivered and people are complaining, sorry you can't curb stomp every mob now and    So I made an account to write this review to basically set it straight for the scrubs giving it negative reviews and complaining. The expansion is good, it tore away from the main stay of the core game. People kept complaining about it being too easy and wanting something new. Now anet delivered.
    They delivered and people are complaining, sorry you can't curb stomp every mob now and actually have to create different builds for your characters instead of just stacking in a corner and cleaving things down. The mastery gated stuff? Please, it's not even that bad, I got everything I needed in less than 2 days (while I was working keep in mind) to complete the whole story and basically explore 85-90% of the new maps. The elite specs being gated? That's true, but again it isn't that bad, in those 2 days I was playing I even got 2 elite specs done and the rest of my guildies and friends are all on the same boat. People keep saying it's grindy, but please, have they even gone through other expansions from other MMOs? Adding more level caps, gear, etc. guild wars 2 took a different approach and the community is just butthurt over the change of pace that they are used to (stack, cleave, earn everything easy).

    That's not to say the expansion is perfect, it has its bugs here and there like every other expansion, but they are being dealt with as we speak and it isn't game breaking. But this expansion is ultimately a breathe of fresh air for the game and renewed it. It has changed, the meta in the game has changed, the community begged for harder and more challenging content, anet delivered, deal with it.    … Expand
  33. Razor4884
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    A-net hit the ball out of the park with this expansion. I've hardly sunk my teeth into it but I can already taste the juices.

    They decided to not raise the level cap (as that would invalidate gear earned to date), but decided to add a whole new progression in the form of masteries. With these, you can really feel your character's progression.
  34. aleks331
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    The expansion added massive amounts of replayable content to the game with engaging and improved storyline. The new progression system is very enjoyable and new features have opened up numerous new goals
  35. daid
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Great expansion so far. Yes, the elite specialization is gated behind hero points that you have to earn and the monsters are hard, but that's better than getting everything spoon fed to you up front and being tired of it after a week. The maps are awesome and give a very zelda/castlevania/metroid feel. The monsters are dangerous and require you to change up your play style and strategize.Great expansion so far. Yes, the elite specialization is gated behind hero points that you have to earn and the monsters are hard, but that's better than getting everything spoon fed to you up front and being tired of it after a week. The maps are awesome and give a very zelda/castlevania/metroid feel. The monsters are dangerous and require you to change up your play style and strategize. It's a great expansion and Anet did a great job.… Expand
  36. Linkthebear
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    I loved the story. The gliding was just great, adventures are such a blast. Most elite specs are great. The Maps are so crazy and meta event are super fun. Been loving the masters, though some lacking with the flavor. Dont understand why people think it is grindy. It doesnt take long at all. And even if it was whats the big deal? They are account bound!!!!
  37. Magesterium
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Very Challenging and well to its name, Guild wars has to be one of the greatest games I have ever played because of the Unique tactical system they employed. The Scenery is immaculate the open world content is amazing and the story is well written with all the appropriate twists and turns and not disappointing at all. i would prefer to see some more heels for my characters but otherwiseVery Challenging and well to its name, Guild wars has to be one of the greatest games I have ever played because of the Unique tactical system they employed. The Scenery is immaculate the open world content is amazing and the story is well written with all the appropriate twists and turns and not disappointing at all. i would prefer to see some more heels for my characters but otherwise the characters cosmetic enhancing is amazing. I played wow and at a certain point it gets boring because there isn't much skill to it (plus its a consistent payment which is annoying) Guild wars keeps you on the edge and you have to get good at it i enjoy it and im trying to get my friends into it.… Expand
  38. Bringo
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    A great experience all around.
    The new map wide meta events are fun, engaging and actually require people to work together. The lore that accompanies them is excellent.
    The voice acting and writing is surprisingly good considering the base game had problems with that. This goes for both the story instances and the open world content. With all the new masteries, legendary precursor    A great experience all around.
    The new map wide meta events are fun, engaging and actually require people to work together. The lore that accompanies them is excellent.
    The voice acting and writing is surprisingly good considering the base game had problems with that. This goes for both the story instances and the open world content.
    With all the new masteries, legendary precursor crafting, achievement hunts + raids coming soon GW2:HOT will keep me playing for a long time.
    I don't understand the view that many others have that playing the game is "grind". I like having to progress my character and I like that after 4 days I still have done very little. That is a good thing.    … Expand
  39. thexmuffinxmanx
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    Welcome to the jungle, guys. My initial impressions with this xpac have been outstanding. I played for practically two days straight, and had a blast the whole time. The maps are amazing, and literally rise above any map made by an mmo to date. I feel as if I am deep in the jungle. The ambience and soundtrack range from mystical hymns to terrifying growls that echo throughout the forest.Welcome to the jungle, guys. My initial impressions with this xpac have been outstanding. I played for practically two days straight, and had a blast the whole time. The maps are amazing, and literally rise above any map made by an mmo to date. I feel as if I am deep in the jungle. The ambience and soundtrack range from mystical hymns to terrifying growls that echo throughout the forest. As I gain masteries, I constantly find new places to go.

    On that note, the masteries work very well. I can see how some people want the process to go quicker, but I don't mind it. I don't want to see it all in one day. Right now, the easiest way to level masteries is by completing the meta events in the map. These are really fun and unique, but they require a good amount of people to do them. If your map isn't that populated, its frustrating, but I feel this is a problem Arenanet will fix. Additionally, I know that the meta events are repetitive, and this will turn me off down the line.

    My only other gripe with the xpac is how grindy the process of unlocking your elite specilization is. Simply put, it's too much. Anet has already stated they're looking into the issue, so I'm not too worried about this either.

    The story isn't amazing, but in terms of Guild Wars standards, it is a huge leap forward. There are plot twists, deaths, and dramatic situations, something I haven't seen tried before. This was the first time I looked forward to continuing the story in this game. I got excited during each mission.

    Overall, Heart of Thorns has held its ground. It introduced a whole new way to expand an mmo. The content doesn't seem like it will be abandoned soon, as it is in other games, and the vanilla game still proves to be relevant. They nailed so many things, and got a few things wrong, but it still gets a 9/10 from me. As I have stated, Arenanet has already announced they're looking into changes to the problems I have mentioned, so I'm not worrying too much about those hurting the game's growth. Check it out if you haven't already. Ignore the trolls.    … Expand
  40. hawkeye8880
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    Sure, it is not a perfect expansion. But it delivered everything I hoped for and more. As a player with over 4,000 hours played, the game gave me things to do, and hope for the future if more content is like this. Overall the maps are as beautiful as they are frustrating. But that is what the Jungle was supposed to me. I have goals to work toward. If you didn't enjoy normal Guild Wars 2,Sure, it is not a perfect expansion. But it delivered everything I hoped for and more. As a player with over 4,000 hours played, the game gave me things to do, and hope for the future if more content is like this. Overall the maps are as beautiful as they are frustrating. But that is what the Jungle was supposed to me. I have goals to work toward. If you didn't enjoy normal Guild Wars 2, you will probably find the content repetitive, but it really is as good as you can get with the game. Absolutely worth every penny.… Expand
  41. romanodio
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    story is sooooo good! i love it so much! the game play is engaging and fun. at the end of the day no matter whats good or bad this is WELL worth over 50 dollars. thank you anet
  42. Ammund
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The absolute best experience I have ever had with an expansion. Amazing storyline. Amazing maps. Amazing specs. Everything is how it should have been. They listened to us, the players, and did some good changes. Story is much darker than vanilla as well, which I love. I still have SO much to do even after unlocking my elite spec(after two days. kind of wish it was longer) and beating theThe absolute best experience I have ever had with an expansion. Amazing storyline. Amazing maps. Amazing specs. Everything is how it should have been. They listened to us, the players, and did some good changes. Story is much darker than vanilla as well, which I love. I still have SO much to do even after unlocking my elite spec(after two days. kind of wish it was longer) and beating the storyline.
    Cheers to Arenanet for making such a fantastic game and fantastic expansion. I'll be sticking around to the very end.    … Expand
  43. thatfool
    Oct 28, 2015
    9
    Very solid expansion with new mechanics, a new profession, and new horizontal progression on level 80. I'd give it more points but some of the bugs are downright embarrassing, if not particularly problematic, and show a serious lack of QA (e.g. the new profession not showing up as an option on the trading post... not an actual problem, but one of many examples that show their QA doesn'tVery solid expansion with new mechanics, a new profession, and new horizontal progression on level 80. I'd give it more points but some of the bugs are downright embarrassing, if not particularly problematic, and show a serious lack of QA (e.g. the new profession not showing up as an option on the trading post... not an actual problem, but one of many examples that show their QA doesn't involve actually playing the game like a normal player).… Expand
  44. Grathorius
    Nov 2, 2015
    8
    I'd give it an 8.5 if I could

    A lot of things were done right in the expansion. Many systems were overhauled for the better, and the amount of content is great for the price. Yes, servers have had some instabilities lately, but its been smoother than almost every other MMO expansion launch ever. There is a fair amount of "grind" despite being advertised as "Grind-less" and I won't    I'd give it an 8.5 if I could

    A lot of things were done right in the expansion. Many systems were overhauled for the better, and the amount of content is great for the price.

    Yes, servers have had some instabilities lately, but its been smoother than almost every other MMO expansion launch ever.

    There is a fair amount of "grind" despite being advertised as "Grind-less" and I won't sugarcoat it. You will do a lot of things over and over again. What is important is that the combat is fun and engaging, the events are dynamic, and the rewards (although this is debatable) feel enticing.

    If you play 24/7 and min/max the gains, you WILL run out of things to do, but for the average player, things are in a good place.

    Some systems, such as squad UI, Raids, PvP leagues and new legendary weapons are still to come (For Free!) and will only add to what has been a very pleasant expansion    … Expand
  45. DavidZetavon
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    So Far so great the new PvE content is challenging and fun, The masteries are a decently paced grind towards progression you want. The story is awesome, more immersive and gripping. The new zones look amazing and have wonderful musical scores to back them up.

    Gliding as always is a fun and interesting way to travel and the new adventures give you and friends a fun new way to challenge    So Far so great the new PvE content is challenging and fun, The masteries are a decently paced grind towards progression you want. The story is awesome, more immersive and gripping. The new zones look amazing and have wonderful musical scores to back them up.

    Gliding as always is a fun and interesting way to travel and the new adventures give you and friends a fun new way to challenge each other in little mini games. Anet is also taking the communities feedback well even lowering the elite specs cost.(Even though like some people like me thinking it's not really needed)    … Expand
  46. Neuxe
    Oct 31, 2015
    8
    Heart of Thorns adds a whole lot of new End Game content, a completely new storyline, and a whole lot of more features. The content is mostly recommended for players who already have a max level character, and it can be hard for new players to understand the story, as it is recommended to play the Living World Season 2 first. While the expansion has a lot of great content, there are someHeart of Thorns adds a whole lot of new End Game content, a completely new storyline, and a whole lot of more features. The content is mostly recommended for players who already have a max level character, and it can be hard for new players to understand the story, as it is recommended to play the Living World Season 2 first. While the expansion has a lot of great content, there are some flaws, and the story could have been done better.… Expand
  47. cauterized
    Oct 27, 2015
    8
    I love this expansion. I never had issues with the Mastery and specialisation "grind".. the Masteries are unlocked account-wide anyway, and the specialisation skills are well, specialisations, and rightfully should not be available upon character creation.

    What issues I had with this expansion can be summarised quickly: the non-soloable Hero Points in the new zones, the annoying bugs,    I love this expansion. I never had issues with the Mastery and specialisation "grind".. the Masteries are unlocked account-wide anyway, and the specialisation skills are well, specialisations, and rightfully should not be available upon character creation.

    What issues I had with this expansion can be summarised quickly: the non-soloable Hero Points in the new zones, the annoying bugs, how the new materials cannot be kept in the bank slots, and how confusing it is to navigate around the layers of maps that is the Tangled Depths.

    These issues aside, it has been amazing exploring the new maps. No longer can you idle around in "unsafe" areas, you have to fight smart and understand your class mechanics. Gliding, which had seemed corny when it was first introduced, turned out to be a fun and fantastic exploratory tool - too many times have we fallen to our deaths due to not being able to glide outside of the new maps. There is really no real need to "grind" or to complete maps in a linear manner - take your time to explore, jump around the maps, and enjoy the sights and sounds of the new zone that is the Heart of Magumaa.    … Expand
  48. Piratemot
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    HoT is a great expansion, and of course if you try to rush it, masteries will seem like a grind, but you only ever need to get them once for your account, and you really only need the first levels to continue with the personal story.
  49. xjustin357
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    More than I expected and I had high expectations for this game.

    The story was amazingly amazing. It took you on a roller coaster ride of emotions and the ending fight was perfect.

    The content and map design gives you so much to do. I wish I had more time to write stuff about this but im lazy af so anyways 10/10 must buy if you've played the core guild wars 2 game.
  50. TheBlankBadge
    Oct 27, 2015
    8
    + Very smooth launch technically. No seriously it's been impressive.
    + Elite Specializations generally add a LOT of fresh playstyles to old classes
    + Revenant is awesome new class, which is quite impressive + The new zones and story are greatly improved from the base game, and the base game wasn't that bad. + The Masteries system is largely a success, adding lots of utility to    + Very smooth launch technically. No seriously it's been impressive.
    + Elite Specializations generally add a LOT of fresh playstyles to old classes
    + Revenant is awesome new class, which is quite impressive
    + The new zones and story are greatly improved from the base game, and the base game wasn't that bad.
    + The Masteries system is largely a success, adding lots of utility to exploring vanilla zones at max level and giving the new zones a welcome "Metroidvania" feel.
    + The revamps to the Guild system are excellent
    + Many minor UI and general game improvements
    + The new content encourages group play
    + Guild Halls rock

    * Stronghold is very "meh." Not bad, not great.
    * Scribe is very "meh" as a crafting discipline, but might not be to you.
    * The new WvW maps seem barren so far.

    - Elites can take a fair amount of time to unlock. Not a horrible amount of time, but a fair amount of time.
    - Unlocking Masteries can be a bit too much of a grind.
    - Encouraging group content is great, but not all groups are equal.
    - The new zones can take a heavy toll on your CPU/GPU. I have a solid mid-range i5 and an R9390 and parts of the new zone drop to 15 fps, with middling settings.
    - Still no build lockers. They really really REALLY should implement those.

    -----------------------

    Overall I'm very pleased with this expansion and with moderate play (1-4 hours a day) feel I've gotten both a lot of value and still have a lot of value to still receive. If you're into f2p GW2 enough to have leveled more than 1 character to 80 and still want more to chew on, the expansion is definitely for you.

    ---------------------------------------------------

    People who want to jump in with both feet without trying GW2 f2p should really try f2p first-- GW2 is great but it's a distinct flavor that doesn't appeal to everyone. HoT is definitely for players who already took a big hunk out of the base game and are looking for more.    … Expand
  51. bob_dobalina
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    A really excellent expansion. I've only got through the first zone after 3 days so far and I'm rather happy how the game and new systems have played out. That and because of the new collections, the entire world is now relevant as far as GW2's unique (for a MMO) horizontal progression. 10/10
  52. steve-jobs
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    After playing the game for several days, I find there's really a lot to like, if you already loved Guild Wars 2. There's a new class that's not just a rehash of some worn out trope, and the 3D map environment is hands down the best part of the game. The storyline is good, with better storytelling than the original. Some might feel there's not enough story, maps, or whatever to justifiy theAfter playing the game for several days, I find there's really a lot to like, if you already loved Guild Wars 2. There's a new class that's not just a rehash of some worn out trope, and the 3D map environment is hands down the best part of the game. The storyline is good, with better storytelling than the original. Some might feel there's not enough story, maps, or whatever to justifiy the price tag, but I'll take a good amount of great stuff, over a great amount of good stuff any day.

    I had a real serious issue with their new class specialization system. It was promoted as something that we'd get to dig into early on, but in the end was going to be something we'd need to grind for. For those buyers that considered this their number one feature, and/or had many alts, the grind level was pretty disheartening.

    I have to say that Anet really did listen to what many of us were saying, and they removed 40% of the grind. To be able to finish the game as the new spec has a pleasing storytelling thing to it. It was a good compromise and I'm happy that they did it. Moreover, I'm happy that they found something we could all live with and get on with playing the game.    … Expand
  53. FlyingChicken
    Oct 26, 2015
    8
    The story so far is great, and the new levels are amazing. This game isn't meant to be completed in week or two and it is still a game that you can leave and come back to as you like. Very enjoyable and so far I have been able to do everything on my own without a party. There are some features where you will need a group, such as raids and clearing out the guild hall, but that is what itThe story so far is great, and the new levels are amazing. This game isn't meant to be completed in week or two and it is still a game that you can leave and come back to as you like. Very enjoyable and so far I have been able to do everything on my own without a party. There are some features where you will need a group, such as raids and clearing out the guild hall, but that is what it was made for. I love the mastery system and the fact that they did not unlock the whole mastery system for the Tyria line was a little disappointing at first but then I thought about it and realized that it gives us more to do. If we created new characters the mastery system wouldn't become unlocked until we hit level 80 and it is also account wide and not character bound.… Expand
  54. MHCerberus
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    New specializations take time to acquire which gave me reason to play my alts again. Many small features like the action camera keep pooping up and giving new reasons to nerd out. The new maps are challenging and make you learn to move, dodge, and play smart. It really does not feel like a grind at all and has kept me on my toes. Beautiful areas, great music, and much more dialogueNew specializations take time to acquire which gave me reason to play my alts again. Many small features like the action camera keep pooping up and giving new reasons to nerd out. The new maps are challenging and make you learn to move, dodge, and play smart. It really does not feel like a grind at all and has kept me on my toes. Beautiful areas, great music, and much more dialogue performed quite well. Rating: Will take my damn time/10… Expand
  55. Anakin1000
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    It's good and solid expansion, and it makes foundation for future expansion packs. I don't get all this hate towards HoT. New maps are huge, engaging and most of all fun. Masteries and Elite Spec are supposed to be END-GAME-PROGRESSION, so stop whining they take long to master... it's supposed to work that way. IF you could master everything in 3 days, they would be no-end-game complains.It's good and solid expansion, and it makes foundation for future expansion packs. I don't get all this hate towards HoT. New maps are huge, engaging and most of all fun. Masteries and Elite Spec are supposed to be END-GAME-PROGRESSION, so stop whining they take long to master... it's supposed to work that way. IF you could master everything in 3 days, they would be no-end-game complains. It's solid 8/10 Expac, worth of it's prize! (I raise note to 10 to counter 0/10 haters)… Expand
  56. derekgrant3
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Flawless launch, great elements and overall a fantastic experience. Many players feel rushed to do the content or to acquire the new masteries and specializations, but the journey getting them has been enjoyable.
  57. tortietude
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    I am hotly engaged in full-blown addiction. These maps are gorgeous and fresh and the vertical space is cleverly designed. Elite specs are incredible and have made combat even more thoughtful and gratifying (and the synergy in a well-oiled group is amazing!). Personally I really enjoy the pacing and the difficulty of the new maps because you get a real sense of a job well done. Story hasI am hotly engaged in full-blown addiction. These maps are gorgeous and fresh and the vertical space is cleverly designed. Elite specs are incredible and have made combat even more thoughtful and gratifying (and the synergy in a well-oiled group is amazing!). Personally I really enjoy the pacing and the difficulty of the new maps because you get a real sense of a job well done. Story has been great so far and the meta events flow very well. I haven't been this enthralled with a game in a while! Thank you Anet!… Expand
  58. Elvariia
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    Awesome expansion. Beautiful maps, very fun new profession, a lot of goals set, challenging maps. Not even close to grindy - people just would like to finish everything in one day. I'm happy that I can finally work towards something that matters, not only skins. Loving it so far!
  59. SRetr
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The new PvE maps, gliding, the lore, story telling, boss mechanics, map events (GW2 quest system), endgame progression is a whole level above GW2 core game. It's fun, well done and absolutely brilliant. This expansion exceeded my expectations: it's a solid 10.
  60. Wit_Huntybee
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    ANet really delivered. The hype built up for this expansion was, in my opinion, completely worth it. This expansion provides us with a ton of things to do. The maps are large, diverse, and beautiful, the mastery system is a great way to provide players with more progression without too much of a grind, the story was phenomenal, it blows away the base Zhaitan story and ends with satisfyingANet really delivered. The hype built up for this expansion was, in my opinion, completely worth it. This expansion provides us with a ton of things to do. The maps are large, diverse, and beautiful, the mastery system is a great way to provide players with more progression without too much of a grind, the story was phenomenal, it blows away the base Zhaitan story and ends with satisfying boss fight. I can't praise this expansion enough. The new Revenant profession is amazing. The elite specializations add more to each profession. People complain about having to "grind" to get your elite specialization, I don't think that's true at all. Getting the hero points required for it is in no way "hard," it provides a decent challenge yes, but it is fun. It requires you to actually DO something to gain something.

    My favorite part of this expansion is the difficulty. A lot of people will agree with me. Guild Wars 2 can be Casual Wars 2. I know there is harder content in the game, but most of the world is easy. This expansion doesn't make it easy for you. The enemies are harder, smarter, and faster. It requires you to think about what you're doing, position yourself better, dodge better, etc. Now after saying this, the expansion isn't very hard. It is challenging, and requires you to play better, but it is not so hard that it is impossible, and I love every minute of it.

    I came across a few bugs during my time of playing. One almost game breaking, but I was able to get through it with some effort, and I believe it's been fixed now. This expansion has been great in terms of performance and bugs.

    Side note: A lot of people are giving this expansion bad reviews for stupid reasons. They complain that ANet is not "listening to them" or "not doing anything." For one thing, it's been 3 days since expansion release. You can't honestly expect them to be able to do much, besides bug fixing/tweaking, in that short of time. However, they are listening to their community. They are not sitting idle and not listening to players criticism or complaints. Also, some complaints have to deal with it being too "grindy." This is not true. Yes, it may be grindier than the base game, but that base game was BARELY grindy. A lot of players are looking for more hardcore game play and progression. They delivered us just that.    … Expand
  61. jblade91
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    GW2 is the first game that I've played that released an expansion with no level increase but still give that sense of progress. All my original gear and builds work for every part of the game and instead I simply have more options to add new abilities via Mastery Tracks (gaining experience to learn gliding or unlock unique vendors for example) or Elite Specializations (a way to evolve yourGW2 is the first game that I've played that released an expansion with no level increase but still give that sense of progress. All my original gear and builds work for every part of the game and instead I simply have more options to add new abilities via Mastery Tracks (gaining experience to learn gliding or unlock unique vendors for example) or Elite Specializations (a way to evolve your character after level 80 to gain new combat abilities like a Engineer becoming a Scrapper who can wield hammers with drones). Then there are the four massive new maps with unique items and bosses, Raids, Guild Halls, and so much more. Plus, it continues the story that ended on a cliff hanger in season 2 of the Living World with fully voiced characters and amazing cut scenes. Blend that with beautiful music and art and it's hard to find fault. I hope to be evolving all of my characters over the next year as more comes out with the ever expanding system of progression. Unless you're somebody who can't live without immediate satisfaction, Heart of Thorns will blow you away!… Expand
  62. Trancid
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Heart of Thorns is the best expansion I've ever seen. It opens up an already great game to have huge complex maps with many layers, where you can explore by gliding, finding shortcuts and using powerful mobility skills you unlock naturally as you play and enjoy the game.

    It's hard to sum up the positive aspects of the expansion, the visual and audio design are top notch, the story is    Heart of Thorns is the best expansion I've ever seen. It opens up an already great game to have huge complex maps with many layers, where you can explore by gliding, finding shortcuts and using powerful mobility skills you unlock naturally as you play and enjoy the game.

    It's hard to sum up the positive aspects of the expansion, the visual and audio design are top notch, the story is the best for any MMORPG out there, the open world has many small voice acted stories going on everywhere.
    This expansion is a little more challenging than vanilla Guild Wars 2, but you'll have new skills and allies to help you through, join a guild, make friends and go conquer the incredibly designed new maps and new systems that add so much to the game. One bonus note is that GW2 is remarkable for being an MMORPG without obligatory grind, the core game flows as you explore and have fun, while the more hardcore players can go for prestigious skins and cosmetics to stand out.    … Expand
  63. Kuruk89
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The Expansion truly added challenging content to Guild Wars 2 and the raids have not even been released yet. I'm having a blast with the new class (revenant) and I'm very glad that I have to work for my achievements and my specialization (which I have fully unlocked already) and could not finish everything on day one. The new maps are visually stunning and have interesting events, storiesThe Expansion truly added challenging content to Guild Wars 2 and the raids have not even been released yet. I'm having a blast with the new class (revenant) and I'm very glad that I have to work for my achievements and my specialization (which I have fully unlocked already) and could not finish everything on day one. The new maps are visually stunning and have interesting events, stories and characters. Also: Gliding is just so much fun!… Expand
  64. OutOfPoint
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    This expansion exceeds my expectations. The maps, gliding, story, music and amount of content are fantastic. Auric Basin is my favorite map so far, and as a wvw player mostly, I haven't even touch on that, and pvp as well.

    Mastery points are account bound so for me it isn't a problem, gives me a purpose to keep playing and progress. Hero points which are character based and needed    This expansion exceeds my expectations. The maps, gliding, story, music and amount of content are fantastic. Auric Basin is my favorite map so far, and as a wvw player mostly, I haven't even touch on that, and pvp as well.

    Mastery points are account bound so for me it isn't a problem, gives me a purpose to keep playing and progress.

    Hero points which are character based and needed for unlocking elite specialization seem to be too much, but the latest update has them reducing the total points needed from 400 to 250.

    Overall, I'm having fun with HoT and can't wait to play it after work each day!    … Expand
  65. TaylorSwift113
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Dis Game is Soh gud, ya'll ned two tri eet I hily recomand eet, I meen cUm oN who doN't wnNNA try this Gaane Peeps thaT giVe It a Bad scOre haVent plAyed iT.
  66. Kylonas
    Nov 1, 2015
    10
    New Maps, a lot of new content, gliding, Guild Halls etc. It's huge!
    I finished the story yesterday and now I have still at least 90% new things to explore.
    The Masteries bring in a rewarding and challenging new playstyle.
    And NO it's not grinding when you don't do the same things over an over again. And in HoT you can be in one map for hours not doing one thing twice.
  67. Gerchak
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    This expansion has been absolutely stellar. The storytelling, Elite Specializations, End-game Mastery system, and all around general Quality of Life improvements have revitalized the game for many people. I can only image how good it's going to get with upcoming Raids, continued bi-weekly living world story releases, and all the other staples that Anet have embedded into their online world. 10/10.
  68. chaninxain
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    I feel Anet has to write a guide on how to launch expansions. No downtime, bug fixes are a daily basis, lots of content.

    - The story has received a major improvement from Living Story 1.
    - Challenging content
    - Lots and lots to do
  69. WMustafa
    Oct 28, 2015
    9
    As someone who isn't a 'fan-boy', this is really quite good. Don't get me wrong: there are issues with this expansion, such as level gating. But ANet has been swift to fix this.

    I was initially confused about the pricing. It still is a little high (£35! I bought the base game for £40!) but I've spent about 15 hours on the first map, with only 55% completion. There is plenty of content,    As someone who isn't a 'fan-boy', this is really quite good. Don't get me wrong: there are issues with this expansion, such as level gating. But ANet has been swift to fix this.

    I was initially confused about the pricing. It still is a little high (£35! I bought the base game for £40!) but I've spent about 15 hours on the first map, with only 55% completion. There is plenty of content, and some room for re-playability.

    The content itself is rather vivid. The maps focus on vertical progression, which makes for an interesting change from typical maps. There is a limited glider system that helps you travel across the jungle. There are also now 'raids' and harder world events. This is a good change from the base game, which has comparatively uninteresting events. Put simply, you cannot just use a glass-cannon build in the jungle; the jungle will kill you and you'll have to find a way back, somehow. (There are less waypoints, too: the moral of the story is 'don't get yourself killed'.)

    As to why I've rated it a 9: originally, I was anticipating to drop a 6 or 7. But ANet's feedback towards the live game has actually been stellar, with loads of swift changes to make the game play less infuriating. The content is beautiful (both playing it and seeing it), and it truly echoes the whole 'open world' statement original reviews of Guild Wars 2 were raving about. The 'gating' is now moderate, and it doesn't really impede my game-play.

    Overall, I really am satisfied with my purchase - I hope that will allay some of your concerns.    … Expand
  70. 83November
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    Solid expansion, And still more to come! Shame about the trolls.... If you are new to GW2 HoT is amazing value! Anet is doing a great job of offering content for free and will hopefully balance in the right places. Remember it is still early days, we don't even have raids yet.
  71. russellrd
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    Having more fun in the expansion than I did even at launch of the original game! Folks are saying that masteries limit replayability, but they are account-wide. So, yeah, it's going to take time to get them the first time around, but if you do it once, you're all set.

    Revenant is such a blast to play; I might even end up playing it more than my Warrior or Mesmer who are over three years    Having more fun in the expansion than I did even at launch of the original game! Folks are saying that masteries limit replayability, but they are account-wide. So, yeah, it's going to take time to get them the first time around, but if you do it once, you're all set.

    Revenant is such a blast to play; I might even end up playing it more than my Warrior or Mesmer who are over three years old.

    Specializations do take a lot more to unlock than many people expected, but maybe they will eventually adjust the requirements (ex.fewer champion HPs). Map population seems to be screwed up right now, which doesn't help with getting the HPs, but I imagine they'll fix that.

    It's adding much-needed challenge to the game. I'm DYING in open world PvE. OFTEN! No more auto-attack and win.

    Overall, loving this! It's not perfect, but I am already getting my money's worth.    … Expand
  72. LilyK
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    This was the smoothest launch EVER. There were some small bugging issues however the live build system kept the game up while those were worked out. The environments are amazing and please oh PLEASE play with your headphones on! There are places where you just do not want to missed the environmental sound. Sure it takes some time to build your new skills... and that just extends the gameThis was the smoothest launch EVER. There were some small bugging issues however the live build system kept the game up while those were worked out. The environments are amazing and please oh PLEASE play with your headphones on! There are places where you just do not want to missed the environmental sound. Sure it takes some time to build your new skills... and that just extends the game for most people. Anyone whining about time to build a character is doing just that... WHINING. If anything, I'd wish for a few more waypoints. I'm getting SO LOST because I wander off chasing something and can't find my way back to the story step! GOOD JOB Anet! LOVE IT.… Expand
  73. IrisAtlast
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    10/10 great expansion to a GREAT game!
    I LOVE my chronomancer and the dragon hunter is super sick too! I cant wait to see where they take this awesome game :)
  74. Kezika
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Great complex level design, awesome storytelling and cinematics. Quick at listening to their community and making desired changes on a timely basis. I have been having a blast all weekend playing Heart of Thorns content.
  75. Admiral_Napkin
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    While I haven't even gotten close to finishing the story, just the zones, music, and new mechanics have blown me away. The adjusted elite spec prices are perfect, which was my only major complaint so far.
  76. Izzet-Mage
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    While I would say that elements of the grind may prove problematic in the future when zones die down, I have no problem giving this game a 10. Unlike most MMOs which garner a progressive atmosphere by increasing the level cap, Arenanet has provided us with a more fulfilling mastery system. No MMO can exist without some kind of grind element, it's about how well you can hide it. I thinkWhile I would say that elements of the grind may prove problematic in the future when zones die down, I have no problem giving this game a 10. Unlike most MMOs which garner a progressive atmosphere by increasing the level cap, Arenanet has provided us with a more fulfilling mastery system. No MMO can exist without some kind of grind element, it's about how well you can hide it. I think that between the spectacular environments, mini-games, multi-tiered map design, and fantastic meta-events that Arenanet has done a great job.

    I'm sorry that the majority of negative reviews here essentially sum up to "Why do I have to work and partake in the content in order to progress?!?!" but that's how online games work. No one would enjoy this expansion if players could blow through it in the launch weekend having spent 50 dollars on it.

    This is a buy I would recommend to previous players or new people looking to give an MMO a try.    … Expand
  77. larqh
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    This really blew my mind. I wasn't expecting much, but had a blast over the weekend, with the new areas, features and story. Well done, Arena Net!!!
  78. grenouille
    Oct 27, 2015
    8
    Generally, the expansion feels like more of what I liked about base Guild Wars 2 with some improvements here and there. Exploration is quite enjoyable as the maps are layered with great set-pieces and hidden areas. I thought the difficulty was perfect for offering a challenge to existing players, while still being fair to the point that when I die I always feel it was because I didGenerally, the expansion feels like more of what I liked about base Guild Wars 2 with some improvements here and there. Exploration is quite enjoyable as the maps are layered with great set-pieces and hidden areas. I thought the difficulty was perfect for offering a challenge to existing players, while still being fair to the point that when I die I always feel it was because I did something wrong. The story's narrative arc is much improved over the base game's arc, but the characters new and old are either terribly written or terribly conceived.

    Yet, the main draw for the expansion is the new mastery system that acts as a leveling system to gain new exploration related skills that open the map up as you progress through each area. This was an absolutely genius way of avoiding the mmo trope of making previous progress irrelevant via some sort of traditional level bump in a given expansion (say 80-85). Instead of making existing gear, builds, and weapons imbalanced arenanet preserved the draw of a traditional leveling system with new content rewards that do not throw away the players progress thus far. Plus there's a new class!

    As to the negatives, it is more of the same. The events feel more tied together and centralized but they aren't THAT much different from those from the base game. Dungeons are pretty useless right now since gold drops have been nerfed. And while the new raids haven't been released as of this review, I would much have preferred more easy-to-group-up dungeons over the logistical nightmare of raids (past experience in WoW).

    This is a definite buy for people who enjoyed base GW2, but there are some caveats that might hamper your overall enjoyment of the game. 8/10    … Expand
  79. Segren
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Taking a little time away from the game to say how much I am enjoying the expansion so far! A-Net has made some challenging changes to the game for all the level 80's out there, and made experience points relevant again. It's a new journey, with lush jungles and a guild hall to build up with my guild mates, and new story lines, and raid challenges, and I can't wait to experience it all!
  80. Chista
    Nov 25, 2015
    9
    The expansion literally brought me back from the de-install. There is a lot of new content that has kept me busy since the expansion launched. There may be fewer maps than i'm used to from different expansions, but each single map is huge, more than making up for it. The maps become easier to traverse as you progress through the new progression system, which for me is a leap up fromThe expansion literally brought me back from the de-install. There is a lot of new content that has kept me busy since the expansion launched. There may be fewer maps than i'm used to from different expansions, but each single map is huge, more than making up for it. The maps become easier to traverse as you progress through the new progression system, which for me is a leap up from simply incrementing LVL_MAX. The story is challenging, sometimes bordering on annoying, but feels hugely rewarding when you manage to complete a part. I'm currently looking forward to raiding, once i finish a healer's set (see below) and working on legendaries. To top it all off, this expansion finally gave me a class I love to play: The revenant.

    Now there are a few issues:
    possibly due to the economy still adjusting, the new profession is unfeasibly expensive. The que times for crafting materials that you first need to get a guild developed enough to even be able to start that que. You cannot level this profession unless you are highly ranked in that guild either. You need access to things stored in the guild, access to the que if you want to be able to even make the items. simply: it's a hot mess.

    Downside for me: I like playing a healer, but the only accepted -not just elitism, i actually accept the reasoning for this- healer set requires recipes that are no longer available, with materials that are so limitedly available that is costs tons of gold to get that set together. Would like to see more healer sets or better accessibility to the materials.

    A minor, tiny, point is that playing as revenant does cause a little bit of a disconnect from your suspension of disbelief: One of the main NPCs also uses the revenant class, and all other characters seem awestruck at this despite you actually using the exact same magic. Can live with it, but still somewhat cringey.

    Of course, we still have the living world to look forward to =)    … Expand
  81. Ikari23
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Extremely awesome new maps, challenging content, solid story, a change for the actual metagame of only berserker stats, a complete rework for guild system, new forms to obtain legendary items and new ones, and more and more content
  82. Shogunator
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    While it is true that the expansion has only 4 maps, not including the Guild Halls, They are massive maps and lots in them. Not only are they massive horizontally but vertically as well, so there is a lot of room for gliding and events are everywhere. If I were to say what the map feels like in HoT, I was say they felt a lot like the movie Avatar with huge tall trees, ancient ruins andWhile it is true that the expansion has only 4 maps, not including the Guild Halls, They are massive maps and lots in them. Not only are they massive horizontally but vertically as well, so there is a lot of room for gliding and events are everywhere. If I were to say what the map feels like in HoT, I was say they felt a lot like the movie Avatar with huge tall trees, ancient ruins and the environment to boot. The expansion is worth it just for the atmosphere alone.

    The creatures are some of them most interesting in the game and sometime or many a times vicious, keeping you on your toes as you navigate the maze root bridges, tundra, caves, gigantic trunks of fallen tree to reach your next objective. This expansion is definitely made to challenge.

    While the mastery walls can sometimes block the progression of the story, it is account wide and you only have to grind it once for all your characters and the benefit received from them as worth the grind.

    It is worth it? Yes!    … Expand
  83. Sinclairr
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    I have been playing WoW for about 8 years and the heart of thorns expansion has been far better than anything wow has come out with. The amount of time and effort the Devs have put into this expansion has really been mind blowing. Everything from the open world to all the new systems they have put into the game just made the base game 100x better!

    But just a disclaimer if you are    I have been playing WoW for about 8 years and the heart of thorns expansion has been far better than anything wow has come out with. The amount of time and effort the Devs have put into this expansion has really been mind blowing. Everything from the open world to all the new systems they have put into the game just made the base game 100x better!

    But just a disclaimer if you are actually reading this review, Some people have been trashing the game here on metacritic to try and strong arm the devs. Mainly because they are unhappy that they have to actually work towards getting masteries. I find that it's completely unfair to trash this expansion after everything the devs have done just because you dont want to actually play the game and get everything for free.    … Expand
  84. thexlr8d
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love the challenge to obtaining the elite specializations, and the addition to Fractal of The Mists. Only downfall is the story still has a lot of bugs to squish. The dungeon rewards being heavily nerfed is a downside to the new release as it was a big pillar of PvE content. The new maps complement the greatly improved Story. And the new weapons and armor are all superb! The story was left on a slight cliffhanger, but it paves way for a great new season of Living World!… Expand
  85. dhakor
    Oct 28, 2015
    8
    Awesome expansion, but for WvW gamers it's a pity not have the option to glide in the competitive maps T.T

    The amount of materials needed to upgrade a guild or level a character with the new specialitzations will paralize some time the competitive world, because a lot of us has a job and not so much time to farm or lvl up.
  86. Drakortha
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    I pre-purchased heart of thorns some months ago and I've been having a great time in the Maguuma jungle. it's tough, engaging, but most of all, it feels like my character is progressing past the level 80 point and more. I still need to run through more story missions and explore more than the 2 maps I have so far, but so far the experience has been nothing short of spectacular. Thank youI pre-purchased heart of thorns some months ago and I've been having a great time in the Maguuma jungle. it's tough, engaging, but most of all, it feels like my character is progressing past the level 80 point and more. I still need to run through more story missions and explore more than the 2 maps I have so far, but so far the experience has been nothing short of spectacular. Thank you for the experience!… Expand
  87. Vatras
    Oct 28, 2015
    9
    HoT is one of the best things that happened to GW2. ArenaNet added so much new content to the game most people don't even know what to begin with.
    ANet added masteries to the game, which contrary to what all those casuals say, are easy to unlock. You will get all of the masteries you need to progress your story just through playing the game normally. If you want to do the entirety of your    HoT is one of the best things that happened to GW2. ArenaNet added so much new content to the game most people don't even know what to begin with.
    ANet added masteries to the game, which contrary to what all those casuals say, are easy to unlock. You will get all of the masteries you need to progress your story just through playing the game normally. If you want to do the entirety of your story instantly you will have to grind apporximatly 2 hours though, which in all honesty, is nothing compared to other MMOs.

    With the most recent patch ANet also reduced the amount of Hero Points needed to unlock your elite specialisation (a new traitline that unlock various new features for your class when selected). The current amount is 250 hero points, if you did world completion you'll already have 200 of those meaning you'll only have to do 5 of the 40 hero challenges in the new maps which takes about 20 minutes.

    Sadly the game does crash quite frequently due to a currently unfixed memory leak in the new maps. Until that issue is fixed only 9/10.    … Expand
  88. ballywaug
    Oct 28, 2015
    9
    Excellent and very challenging new content. Beautiful environments and the new revenant class is extremely fun to play. The expansion has really re-ignited my interest after a long break from the game.
  89. Lkvtnl
    Oct 28, 2015
    9
    I have been playing on and off since release, rest assured Arena Net cares about us. They fixed the things people complained about and it just goes to show that t hey do in fact care.
  90. someidiot
    Oct 28, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a great expansion for many reasons. I will only touch on one of them here as that alone can fill the minimum of 150 characters.

    Great developers:

    Anet has proved to me, over the last three years, that they are the best at making an enjoyable MMO. Their pricing strategy and the way they seek funds is great in the sense that people like me, who just want to play a game, gets to do just that without the fear of an axe above our heads in the name "monthly subscription"

    Anet has also proved that they listen. and they listen well. No the half assed listening you get from other developers, nor the generic responses from nexon. They put great effort into listening. And this is clearly reflected in both in and outside the game.

    Look at the current expansion and you will see it.

    Many fans complained that the difficulty scale was too high, Anet conceded and lowered the scale. This i agree, it made it manageable for many of us.

    But yet more people complained. And once again Anet provides, by making it even easier. Much to my bewilderment. (SERIOUSLY YOU CAN ALWAYS COME BACK WHEN YOU GET BETTER)

    *ahem* but yes, a great developer.

    I am taking one point away, cause seriously speaking you guys aint perfect and neither am i so who the hell am i to say you get a 10?

    But other then that. go anet go.    … Expand
  91. Syco_
    Oct 28, 2015
    9
    This has been one the smoothest expansion launches in history. Apart from a minute few bugs with story and map completion it has been flawless. A major point of contest on the official forums and reddit was how much grind the expansion bring into the game, To these people please remember everything we were saying before the launch "Please give me more to do" well we finally have somethingThis has been one the smoothest expansion launches in history. Apart from a minute few bugs with story and map completion it has been flawless. A major point of contest on the official forums and reddit was how much grind the expansion bring into the game, To these people please remember everything we were saying before the launch "Please give me more to do" well we finally have something meaningful to put our time towards through Masteries and Elite Specializations. The story was amazing, The maps are vast and gorgeous, The music and sound design takes my breath away. In whole this is a beautiful expansion and I am looking forward to the next one.… Expand
  92. gugliam
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    Anet did it again, wonderfull place to play in a beautifull environment.
    The best mmo get one of the best expansion you may ever desire.
    The revenant is simple a perfect class for who want to play diffferent role.
    Great value for a mmo without a subscription.
  93. Gamergonemad2
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    Exceeded my expectations!! Launch was near perfect and exploring the new content is fun, engaging and a challenge!! I even like the mastery system although at first I did find it all overwhelming. Once I got the hang of it even the verticality is a hoot! Even dying can be fun when your glider ends before you reach land. LOL. I especially like knowing there are places, events etc that IExceeded my expectations!! Launch was near perfect and exploring the new content is fun, engaging and a challenge!! I even like the mastery system although at first I did find it all overwhelming. Once I got the hang of it even the verticality is a hoot! Even dying can be fun when your glider ends before you reach land. LOL. I especially like knowing there are places, events etc that I can return to once I have the specific mastery. .Guess I like knowing there is a future instead of done and forgotten. Looking forward to years of game-play!… Expand
  94. wahush
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Love the Expansion so far, I love exploring the Jungle, gliding and jumping around on mushrooms to find every nook and crany is amazing, its revitalized my inner explorer lol. specializations are new thing to gw2 in the expansions, each class gets a kind of "sub class" that changes there roll mechanically "dps to support/healer" also have the final class in the game, Revenant! itsLove the Expansion so far, I love exploring the Jungle, gliding and jumping around on mushrooms to find every nook and crany is amazing, its revitalized my inner explorer lol. specializations are new thing to gw2 in the expansions, each class gets a kind of "sub class" that changes there roll mechanically "dps to support/healer" also have the final class in the game, Revenant! its kind of a odd ball of a class to explain, , its a heavy armor class like a warrior but uses the powers of past characters/enemys to help them in battle, fun to play but good luck explaining it to another person xD , new mastery system is amazing tho, its like a rewarding side thing to do that actually has an inpact on how your playstyle go's in future eg, instead of gliding i can go pact, which lets me work on getting revive people fast over flying longer, little differences like that make you feel like your choices you take first are impactful for the future until you master everything

    Story = 10 / 10 so far the story is amazing, thought it would be short but its fricken huge, been grinding it for 2 days now and just keeps going, seems bigger then base game imo

    Audio = 7/10 i like it, similair to jeremy sauls style which i like, so far nothing overly amazing but decent

    Gameplay = 10/10 this is were i gotta give it to anet, its beautiful, combat is alot harder now, mobs arnt mindless anymore, bigger enemys all have break bars so you cant just run up and burst them down as before, or they will stomp your butt :), mastery changes like gliding and mushroom jumping are fun, overall completely satisfied atm with game play

    Replayability = 7/10 still playing through it, mastery's are account bound so you dont have to redo them on all alts, which is awesome but not sure how replayable it will be on alts, as an mmo its amazing i can see endless replayablility, story seems to have couple choices in it so we might be able to get couple replays out of it on alts or by starting story over again

    over all, im loving it, played alot of mmos over the years and this has the feeling of back when i was still a big wow player and a new expansion came out, sept now i get that awesome feeling but subscription free lol    … Expand
  95. Mank
    Oct 28, 2015
    9
    Stable servers, no game breaking bugs but a few client crashes for me. Maps are fantastic, beautiful, chock full of content with lot's of variety and things to do. Mastery system really changes how you play, gliding is very fun, and there's a couple of little things gated behind masteries that give a good sense of progression when you come back to them. Solid experience overall.
  96. SwiftZero
    Oct 27, 2015
    8
    The expansion adds a deceptively large amount of content to the game. I've heard many people refer to the content as a grind, but the most accurate description I've seen is that it brings the spirit of Metroidvania to the MMO. Having to move on from the first zone before you can fully complete it might be disheartening to some, but the game has much to offer in each of the subsequentThe expansion adds a deceptively large amount of content to the game. I've heard many people refer to the content as a grind, but the most accurate description I've seen is that it brings the spirit of Metroidvania to the MMO. Having to move on from the first zone before you can fully complete it might be disheartening to some, but the game has much to offer in each of the subsequent zones. As you explore those you will earn plenty of experience to rank up the required Mastery lines to then return and conquer the earlier challenges.

    The developers did a wonderful job on the creation of this expansion. It was worth every penny. I am thoroughly enjoying the scale and variety of the new maps. The new gliding mechanics and mastery system make traversing the waypoint-sparse zones much more fun and encourage you to find new routes of travel.

    The audio and story are simply splendid. I could probably spend hours just gliding around the maps admiring the view and the new tunes.

    All that said, it was not a perfect launch. Some issues with bugs hindered the progress of the player story or game mechanics, and some even had ripples into old content. Most notably was a mishap with the megaserver system that caused many maps to have a sparse amount of players in them over the launch weekend. Responses from the developers have been positive and it is clear they are monitoring the playerbase for feedback.

    That said, I have been playing MMO games for many years and have never seen the launch of an expansion go this smoothly from a technical standpoint. Arenanet truly does a wonderful job of hosting an MMO that has virtually zero downtime and even introduces patches and hotfixes in a very unobtrusive way.

    The expansion might not be for some people, but as a 3-year veteran of Guild Wars 2, I am thoroughly enjoying the time spent in the game. I look forward to exploring the nooks and crannies in all of the new content.    … Expand
  97. DaHunt
    Oct 28, 2015
    10
    An amazing expansion that adds a ton of features even for free to play players. There are not enough hours in a day to do everything I want to do, and I see myself playing this for months as the repeatable content is so rich and rewarding. Definitely delivers its money's worth even compared to games of old.
  98. lecramstar
    Oct 28, 2015
    10
    Guild Wars 2 Heart of Thorns features:
    - An awesome new profession which feels like a throwback to Guild Wars 1 - The Revenant
    - 4 Huge explorable maps
    - Unique mastering which gives the player solid endgame content
    - Guild Halls
    - And much more

    Must buy if you like the base game.
  99. Sk1ppeR
    Oct 28, 2015
    10
    Arena Net are stemming professionalism with this expansion and personally I think they just gave an example to the whole industry. In times when every MMO launch, expansion or not, is faced with mile long queues, lags, crashes and disconnects, Arena Net had one of the smoothest launches in gaming history with basically zero downtime. As for the expansion itself, it iterates over everythingArena Net are stemming professionalism with this expansion and personally I think they just gave an example to the whole industry. In times when every MMO launch, expansion or not, is faced with mile long queues, lags, crashes and disconnects, Arena Net had one of the smoothest launches in gaming history with basically zero downtime. As for the expansion itself, it iterates over everything the community has been asking for in the past 3 years. Meaningful progression, new content, new specializations which bring much needed new skills. action camera, guild halls, hard content (the jungle is pretty vile place to be alone at, especially at night *pun intended*) raids and that's just on the PvE side. On the pvp front we got new pvp leagues and a new World vs World borderline map. And seriously, that's not all. There's tons more content, nooks and crannies about this expansion. The expansion is extremely polished. I already have majority of mastery points and have completed the story, nothing appeared to be broken. A lot of hard work went into this expansion, it's not just dust in the face. It's not cash grab. It is by all means an expansion to the game. In conclusion, I'm a person who values their, sadly limited, free time. But I do not regret spending every free second of it in the Heart of Thorns expansion. And in the this is what matters to most people. It's fun, it's relaxing and there's always something to do. Arena Net deserves a massive tap on the back for this expansion.… Expand
  100. TNFox
    Nov 11, 2015
    10
    The greatest tragedy of these 'reviews' is the abuse of the word grind. If you are actually here for information that'll tip you to buy or abstain, go elsewhere. We got subreddits openly admitting in their submissions that they are part of a troll/hate group to affect the result of the metacritic scale just because.

    If you have not played gw2, try it out. It's free. If you're returning    The greatest tragedy of these 'reviews' is the abuse of the word grind. If you are actually here for information that'll tip you to buy or abstain, go elsewhere. We got subreddits openly admitting in their submissions that they are part of a troll/hate group to affect the result of the metacritic scale just because.

    If you have not played gw2, try it out. It's free. If you're returning and wondering if you should invest in the expac, get info from players in the game. Its one of the most helpful and mature communities so ask their experiences and if their values align with yours. Base your decision on who says what, not just what is being said.    … Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

51
#51 Best PC Game of 2015
10
#10 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
15
#15 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. CD-Action
    Jan 12, 2016
    85
    Heart of Thorns is so good I forgot the flaws that made me lose interest in the original game after my initial delight with it. [13/2015, p.64]
  2. Games Master UK
    Jan 3, 2016
    85
    Not the biggest expansion, but it enhances the best parts of an already magnificent MMO. [Christmas 2015, p.75]
  3. Edge Magazine
    Jan 3, 2016
    80
    In spite of the odd stumble, it's a wonderful journey. [Jan 2016, p.120]
See all critic reviews »