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
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  1. Archon_Wing
    Oct 27, 2015
    7
    Guild Wars 2 was a fairly standout MMO, as I have never gotten into MMOs in the past.-- I've never been fond of excessive treadmills and progression that would trivialize previous progress. The expansion keeps a lot of this, as in the past, most of the content is by and large, optional and most of one's previous progress is still left intact.

    The new zones introduced are visually    Guild Wars 2 was a fairly standout MMO, as I have never gotten into MMOs in the past.-- I've never been fond of excessive treadmills and progression that would trivialize previous progress. The expansion keeps a lot of this, as in the past, most of the content is by and large, optional and most of one's previous progress is still left intact.

    The new zones introduced are visually stunning, accompanied by a story that is far superior and involving than the one found in the original. It may not be a literary masterpiece, but I see in-game stories as ways to get into the action, so it doesn't have to be. As always, Guild Wars 2's strongest strength is providing the atmosphere both in visual and auditory details that really makes brings forward the scope of the aftermath of events that have transpired. The zones aren't just larger-- they feel larger as well. In addition the enemies here are generally stronger than those found in the open world and also seem to have decent AI which is a nice contrast to the game pre-expansion. The new gliding mastery also drastically changes how movement works and is suited to the larger map size.

    Unfortunately, despite having the larger sense of scope, in terms of exploration, it feels oddly linear. This is because you must gather certain masteries in order to progress. The passageways tend to be rather narrow and meandering and going off the beaten path often just leads you into either certain death or realizing you need something else to progress. Oh, and whatever class you were using will get an elite specialization, but it will require you to do most of the content anyways, so don't count on it for help.

    But that's not the worst problem. The maps are so huge that you can go for a while without seeing a single person which was never a problem in the past. It can be mitigated with the "Looking for Group" tool, but I find it quite an annoyance especially when some of the hero points are intended for multiple players to do. Yea I understand this is an MMO. So it's not really good for the solo player if you were in the original game.

    Contrast this to the base game, where you could journey to any of the first 5 starter zones and explore the map in any number of ways. HoT exploration feels like it's on rails by contrast.

    But by any means, this is not a bad addition to Guild Wars 2. So why the low rating?

    Well, I primarily play World vs World and the new maps introduced are also interesting but are generally too large and complex when centered a mode where one expects to face players, not the environment as much. And much like the PvE maps, finding players, enemy or allied tends to be a issue. There are some interesting concepts at play here, such as structures being harder to attack and more interesting structure mechanics, but they seem a bit overtuned and meant for larger groups. Finally, there's the issue of World vs World progression being tied down the gated specialization mechanics-- World vs World can access them via a randomized item drop which is far more tedious than its pve counterpart. However, as of this writing, Arenanet has addressed some of these concerns and has lessened some of the requirements.

    In the end, I appreciate the designer's will to expand on concepts that already existed and also to cater to a more hardcore fanbase. However, it's very clear that a lot of these things are not suited for me, and the game seemingly lacking in polish in a number of places such as the rather unintuitive PvP Guild missions and other minor things like having daily achievements for content that no longer exists in addition to the empty feel that seems present in a lot of locations just makes me feel the game was rushed to some degree. Given that this is merely a first impression and I expect changes for the better in the future, this may mean HoT has the potential to be an excellent addition. In fact, since this initial writing, some steps were already being taken to addressed, so at the very least you have a company that's willing to listen to player. As for now though, I would say don't rush for it.    … Expand
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. Belmagus2
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Heart of Thorns is a 10/10, A+, extra-credit affair of an expansion pack, adding a tonne of extra features, quality of life improvements and explorable locations. This is enough to sell me on the expansion, and truly proclaims Guild Wars 2 as king of MMORPGS in this new era of immersive combat, mutable worldstate and sideways progression.

    What makes this a perfect expansion is the    Heart of Thorns is a 10/10, A+, extra-credit affair of an expansion pack, adding a tonne of extra features, quality of life improvements and explorable locations. This is enough to sell me on the expansion, and truly proclaims Guild Wars 2 as king of MMORPGS in this new era of immersive combat, mutable worldstate and sideways progression.

    What makes this a perfect expansion is the story. By god, the story. The game pushes out pathos and catharsis by the truckload, story beats flowing naturally (and in stark contrast to the first barely-passable attempt at a personal story...) giving a real sense of power, structure and growth in your character's emotions, personality and RESPONSIBILITY.

    If ArenaNet can keep the same design philosophies as before, keep nurturing a MMORPG environment where you're never unhappy to see another player and show responsiveness to the playerbase's wishes (See recent changes regarding Elite Specializations.) then GW2 will only ever be superseded by GW3.    … Expand
  8. Sinreth
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    This expansion only contains improvements to the base game, and is well worth the cost. Expansions should always improve and expand on the base game, and this one does that. If you didn't like Guild Wars 2, you might still not like this expansion.
  9. PanicGiraffe
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    It is as a vanilla WoW vet that I say, this is the single greatest expansion I have ever experienced the launch of. The complexity of the new areas, the improvements made to the game's mechanics and the compelling story make this expansion truly peerless.
  10. 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.
  11. Sephard
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    The smoothest launch of an expansion I've seen so far.
    ArenaNet have stepped up their story telling game a LOT, with the HoT story being superior to the old Personal Story. The new maps are beautiful and intricate, filled with little nooks and crannies you just HAVE to see. Elite Specialisations are balanced and SO much fun to play with - the new class /Revenant/ has become a well    The smoothest launch of an expansion I've seen so far.
    ArenaNet have stepped up their story telling game a LOT, with the HoT story being superior to the old Personal Story. The new maps are beautiful and intricate, filled with little nooks and crannies you just HAVE to see. Elite Specialisations are balanced and SO much fun to play with - the new class /Revenant/ has become a well polished and (in a good way) complicated part of the game. Can't give them anything less than a 10!    … Expand
  12. 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
  13. 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.
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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 :)
  17. 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.
  18. Sabawoyomu
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Straight up the best online-based game I've ever played. The personal story was straight AWSOME. The maps are so fun to just run around in, the events are long and interesting, the designs for armors and weapons are as usual top notch.
  19. StacyX
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Heart of Thorns expansion for Guild Wars 2 has brought in some much needed changes to the game and added a great way to progress your characters - the Mastery System. That coupled with the nine new specializations, maps, new class, guild halls, etc is coming together to be a wonderful expansion to a great game.

    ArenaNet has thrown out the idea that an expansion means raising the level    Heart of Thorns expansion for Guild Wars 2 has brought in some much needed changes to the game and added a great way to progress your characters - the Mastery System. That coupled with the nine new specializations, maps, new class, guild halls, etc is coming together to be a wonderful expansion to a great game.

    ArenaNet has thrown out the idea that an expansion means raising the level cap that traditional MMOs offer that keep people chasing after ever higher levels and ever more gear grind. The gear grind is finally over! Once you achieve the highest teir gear in the game that's it, they will never raise the gear level or level cap - which means all your hard work is never invalidated by future expansions and updates.

    The new maps are beautiful, the Mastery System is a fun way to give your character meaningful progression without creating power creep and without creating an environment in which new people first coming into the game are left at a huge disadvantage. The new maps and events are a lot of fun, and everything has been given a level of detail and beauty that has to be seen to believed.    … Expand
  20. Excelliate
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    Amazing expansion. Beautiful map design, improved story, amazing soundtrack. Adds much needed endgame progression, and adds in-depth systems for guilds and groups. The expansion brings challenging and engaging content to a game that was already innovative and fun.
  21. TerminalMontage
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    The expansion improves upon everything that was already great in this action packed, fast paced MMO. Gliding, pretty environments, engaging content, I'm having such a blast.
  22. blinddemon
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    The Expansion is amazing %_% so many things to do and explore, then have to unlock masteries which unlock more things to do in areas you have already been to. beautiful lands, astonishing music definitely 10/10 no questions asked.
  23. DeviousDVS
    Oct 27, 2015
    8
    Every aspect of the game has been refreshed, rebuilt, or updated in the Heart of Thorns expansion, without diminishing the already great content in Guild Wars 2. While I was nowhere near reaching any sort of saturation point with this game, the expansion has given me a lot to think about and provided some new goals to aim for.

    Probably the standout change for me is the increase in    Every aspect of the game has been refreshed, rebuilt, or updated in the Heart of Thorns expansion, without diminishing the already great content in Guild Wars 2. While I was nowhere near reaching any sort of saturation point with this game, the expansion has given me a lot to think about and provided some new goals to aim for.

    Probably the standout change for me is the increase in viable build variety. So many fun and interesting ways to surprise your opponents, or creative ways in which to deal with mobs. Really good fun.    … Expand
  24. Splatypus
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    10/10 in almost everything. Well worth the money, it provides hours of gameplay. The story is awesome, and the new zones have amazing replay value. New classes and specs are amazingly balanced and the new PvP maps and gamemodes are the most fun I've ever had in an MMO PvP.
  25. ohsnapitskelz
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    GW2: Heart of Thorns is everything an expansion should be. It builds on the formula of the original game and shows just how much ArenaNet have developed their design formula since the base game's launch.

    The new mastery and elite specialization systems add so much horizontal progression to the game without removing too much from the base game itself. Instead, these systems let you    GW2: Heart of Thorns is everything an expansion should be. It builds on the formula of the original game and shows just how much ArenaNet have developed their design formula since the base game's launch.

    The new mastery and elite specialization systems add so much horizontal progression to the game without removing too much from the base game itself. Instead, these systems let you continue to power up your characters with new abilities like gliding and jungle languages that let you trade with merchants from the new maps. Alongside these features, the elite specializations allow players to transform their classes into completely different versions of the vanilla ones, and introduces countless new mechanics to the game.

    But, ArenaNet doesn't stop there! There are plenty of new maps to explore, including one for the new PvP game mode Stronghold, one for World vs. World, and two for the new guild hall feature introduced with the expansion. The PvE content itself takes place over four beautifully crafted maps that expand vertically from the roots below the ground to the tips of the trees to create a play area much larger than any maps seen in the base game.

    Amazingly, nearly nothing went wrong with this launch. It's common to see games having server issues and countless bugs at launch, but Heart of Thorns seemed to avoid this entirely. What bugs there were rarely (if ever) hindered progress, and were typically patched within 24 hours of being reported.

    On top of all of that, the quality of the expansion is mind blowing. The wonderful voice acting and new version of pre-rendered cutscenes used for the story instances makes for an incredibly immersive experience, and the beautiful music only adds to that. The environments and textures themselves are truly works of art, bringing the simultaneously beautiful and brutal Maguuma Jungle to life.

    A few of the systems required a bit of polish after launch, but they were addressed within days of the launch. Some systems are getting a small re-balance to account for player feedback, while a few small bugs are being patched out.

    All in all, Heart of Thorns has proven to be an incredible expansion. No expansion comes without a few flaws, but don't let those distract you from the amazing experience that the game provides. Plus, ArenaNet has proven they will do anything to improve the experience due to player feedback.

    I can't wait to see what the Living Story system and the launch of raids brings in the next month!!    … Expand
  26. Nebular
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    The user score is NOT ACCURATE. People who were disappointed about having to actually play the game to unlock things bombed metacritic with 0/10 reviews. ArenaNet has since made it easier to unlock things and most people have not changed their reviews anyway. The expansion definitely deserves more than a 0/10, no matter what your issues are with it.

    This expansion might have had the    The user score is NOT ACCURATE. People who were disappointed about having to actually play the game to unlock things bombed metacritic with 0/10 reviews. ArenaNet has since made it easier to unlock things and most people have not changed their reviews anyway. The expansion definitely deserves more than a 0/10, no matter what your issues are with it.

    This expansion might have had the smoothest release in MMO history. Within hours everyone was able to log in and play. I have not heard of any game breaking bugs. ArenaNet has been very quick with bug fixes and other improvements based on player feedback. Despite many people complaining, the majority of players who are actually taking the time to give it a chance are having tons of fun with it.    … Expand
  27. morroIan
    Oct 27, 2015
    4
    Grindy content designed to hide the fact that here is not enough content in the expansion to justify the high price tag (equal highest for any mmo expansion). The story is good, the map looks fantastic but is painful to get around and as I said the mechanics of the content are grindy to stretch out the time. The elite specs are also quite cool on the whole but are bug ridden, the expensionGrindy content designed to hide the fact that here is not enough content in the expansion to justify the high price tag (equal highest for any mmo expansion). The story is good, the map looks fantastic but is painful to get around and as I said the mechanics of the content are grindy to stretch out the time. The elite specs are also quite cool on the whole but are bug ridden, the expension was released far too early in this regard.… Expand
  28. 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
  29. Arean
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    Heart of Thornes falls just short of a perfect expansion and launch. There actually only three things that bothered people, and those three combined probably account for 80% of the negative reviews that the expansion received so far. And there are also three things that players really love about the expansion. Both aspects are strongly linked actually.

    1) The expansion brings elite    Heart of Thornes falls just short of a perfect expansion and launch. There actually only three things that bothered people, and those three combined probably account for 80% of the negative reviews that the expansion received so far. And there are also three things that players really love about the expansion. Both aspects are strongly linked actually.

    1) The expansion brings elite specialization. Instead of a new gear tier or level cap, Arenanet provided us with horizontal progression. The elite specialization doesn't make use stronger, it gives more options. A new weapon you can use, new skills, new traits. The design philosophy was that this had to be unlocked/earned by playing through the expansion map. Meaning that players only got their full elite specialization after they had played trough most parts of the expansion maps. However, a lot of players wanted to play through the expansion with a new build. This will be changed so player can access the elite specialization a lot sooner. The technical detail is that the number of hero points required to unlock the elite specialization is going to be reduced from 400 to 250.

    2) The expansion maps are vastly different then most game maps. There are at least three different layers. Just like in a real jungle, you have the ground, the undergrowth and the canopy. So getting around on the maps is a lot harder at first. This is until you unlock masteries. These account bound extra 'skills' allow you for example to use a glider, jump on certain mushrooms, take short cut tunnels. When the expansion launched a lot of people didn't understand that you only need the early masteries to get around quickly in the maps. Those early masteriesare actually easy to unlock.

    3) Bugs. There was a bug that spread out the player base over to many instances of the megaserver. This resulted in a lot of half (or worse) empty maps, who then couldn't do the meta events. This is getting addressed today, with the same build as the changes to the elite specialization. There were also several progress blocking bugs in the personal story missions. Most are already addressed.

    And there are also three things that players really like in the game:

    1) The story is amazing. Both the stories being told on the maps through the events, and the personal story are the best the game has ever had. There's comedy and tragedy, decisions to be made, and even slight variations between certain races. At one point you have to make a choice on how to compose your party for the end fight. Like what you see in Mass Effect and Dragon Age. It was the hardest decision for me in any game, ever. This expansion actually feels like 1/3 of Dragon Age Inquisition.

    2) The mobs and the combat is very good. A lot of new mobs came with the new maps and they each have distinct mechanics that you have to adapt your tactics to. AFk attacking, just pressing one skill, ignoring mobs, that isn't possible hear. A lot of players asked for a higher difficulty, and Arenanet delivered. And it's not difficulty trough stats on the mobs but through mechanics. This again overwhelmed a lot of players at launch date who then cut down the content before actually learning it.

    3) The maps. As overpowering they are when you first try to move through them, they are awesome once you get used to them. As I said before, you need masteries to get around. And the more you have, the easier the maps become to transverse. The players also had to get used to the fact that the entire maps change a lot. There's a day and night cycle and both have several stages . The events and objectives change according to the stage the map is in. And this is off course also influence by on what level of the map you are playing. If you count everything together the new maps have three times the amount of content then the older maps, in what's now called 'Core Tyria'.

    Conclusion: a lot of players were really negative in the first two to three days because they didn't expect the how the expansion would challenge them. From the legitimate criticism of the expansion, most things have already been addressed. So the expansion deserves a 9, it really does.    … Expand
  30. Heteroscedastic
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Story: 10/10: Amazing improvement compared to the original games story. A much more focussed and impactful narrative assisted my improved storytelling tools.

    Open world 10/10: Four complex maps with varied layered content catering for multiple player types. Plus new metroidvania style movement/ exploration abilities! I'm yet to try out WvW and SPvP since the expansion launched so    Story: 10/10: Amazing improvement compared to the original games story. A much more focussed and impactful narrative assisted my improved storytelling tools.

    Open world 10/10: Four complex maps with varied layered content catering for multiple player types. Plus new metroidvania style movement/ exploration abilities!

    I'm yet to try out WvW and SPvP since the expansion launched so may update my review once I get round to those!

    Features: 10/10 Great new social/ customisation features in the form of Guild Halls. Really interesting horizontal progression systems in the form of masteries and elite specialisations.

    Raids are yet to be released so hold on to your cash if you are only interested in those!

    Many of the negative reviews here are part of an organised campaign by players who wanted a change to the games progression system. Personally I had no issues with this system. In any case Anet have now responded to these criticisms, hopefully some of these users will reconsider their opinion of the game.    … Expand
  31. 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
  32. 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
  33. BaconyInfusion
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    So far I've loved Heart of Thorns. The maps are beautifully designed, and a very complex. You can spend a lot of time just exploring each corner of each maps. The story so far is fantastic, its very emotional and i felt caught by the story! It makes me want to read the Guild Wars books again! The mastery progression is a very wise way to progress characters past level 80. They give you aSo far I've loved Heart of Thorns. The maps are beautifully designed, and a very complex. You can spend a lot of time just exploring each corner of each maps. The story so far is fantastic, its very emotional and i felt caught by the story! It makes me want to read the Guild Wars books again! The mastery progression is a very wise way to progress characters past level 80. They give you a good feeling of progress and it really feels like you are accomplishing something, when you level up. Not is this system very good to give you the progression-feel, it also doesn't leave a wasteland of content behind.

    So far I'm having a blast in this expansion! If you like core Guild Wars 2 you wil love Heart of Thorns!
    Buy, buy, buy!    … Expand
  34. 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
  35. Savoy2012
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    The open world events are great and highly replayable. Elite specialzations are fun and add more build variety to the game. Zones are beautiful and intricate. I have so much to do that I havnt even gone into my favorite game mode WvW yet. This game was money well spent
  36. pessimist93
    Oct 27, 2015
    0
    positive things:
    - new professions
    - several new and beautiful made areas - for the most part a well made story atmosphere (at least the parts I have seen until now since I simply dont have the power anymore to restart a mission for the 14. time because its still bugging after several patches) - precursor hunt, finally I dont need to farm for hundred of hours now to get my legendary    positive things:
    - new professions
    - several new and beautiful made areas
    - for the most part a well made story atmosphere (at least the parts I have seen until now since I simply dont have the power anymore to restart a mission for the 14. time because its still bugging after several patches)
    - precursor hunt, finally I dont need to farm for hundred of hours now to get my legendary

    negative things:
    - bugs, and I dont mean the enemy NPCs.
    Bugs are not that much of a problem if its just minor things like some unimportant events are stucked, animation are not working properly. But Anet has managed again to bug some of the most vital parts of the expansion. "You are organizing a map and try to kill the last bosses? Too bad cause the last bosses are **** bugged and as a result nobody gets **** and some worthless trash for the 2h he spent actually trying to play in a team and be productive. If 1 of the bosses would be bugged, fine its been only several days after release. But all 5 of them????? Oh and dont even get me started about the bugs in the story quests. Little example: in 1 of the quests you have to follow a trail and pick up rocks. But to make things harder this quest tends to bug out at every possible spot. You got into combat? Retry! You clicked the rock 1 time too much? Retry! You found the rock too fast? Retry! You moved while you character was talking to himself? Retry!
    Hell it feels like I bought some kind of half finished product and the only things thats actually working properly is the gemshop.

    - grind, the thing most player hates most.
    Grind was always present in GW2 but this has become worse than everyone has feared. You want to continue to the 2. story mission? You have to grind for hours to unlock the 1. mastery! and when you finished the 3. mission you have to grind again to get another mastery. and this continues until the end of the story. Anet is trying to artificially extend your playtime with this by forcing you to grind your ass off just to make any progress.
    And the same applies for the new professions. you actually have to clear the entire worldmap and all of the 4 new zones to get all the points to unlock all skills. Too bad that many of the heropoints in the new zones are mastery gated which means hours of grind again just to get 1 **** point. If you want to unlock the new vendors for the new armor skins you have to grind for hours too just too unlock the mastery to talk to them.

    - lack of choice in the story
    There were alot of moments where you wanted to decide differently than your goody good character with a generic personality and the perception of a potato (which would be a insult for potatos since they know that fire burns). Your character is forced into a role you dont want and the only choice you can make is the one between the plague and cholera. You cant think up a option C, you only have A and B which are both stupid. Especially when one of your enemies in a cutscene you are not able to shoot her in the back and you are not able to finish enemies off with a load of lead when they are on the ground.

    - play like you want is gone
    You want to get to this point for your mapcompletion? Well then group up with randoms that are also unwilling like you and do the same events over and over again for hours just to expand the meta event so you cant get up to this point. In 1 of the severe cases you have to form up and organizse hours before just to get a slight chance of winning the event so you can get to one **** point. Also you cant do most **** anymore since you need at least 1 unfortunate soul as a meatshield to complete heropoints or get to vista points. Oh and did I tell you already that many points needs masteries which mean more grind?

    - ugly new armors
    I was hoping for some new fresh armor that didnt look generec and like the janitor did this in his coffee break. Instead we got just that. All 3 new armors look almost completely the same and you are able to unlock it with, guess what, tons of grind. They must have fired all artists that made good lokking armor and not even necessarily the skimpy ones.

    - the price of HoT
    50 bucks for a complete game? Sounds alright, especially if its well made. But 50 bucks for only 4 new zones, bugs, grind, content thats not even out yet and even more grind sounds like you like pain or you were just gullible/stupid to buy that. The whole thing wasnt even worth 30 bucks, 25 top.

    These were just a few of the negative points of the game and since I slowly run out of characters to write (5000), I will try to warn those who are thinking about to get HoT.

    If you loved GW2 with its open world and play like you want philosophy:
    Stay away!!!
    The wohle thing is a dead end grinding torture which makes many Asia Grinder look like a walk in the park. Save your money and wait for another good game to come out. GW2 doesnt have much hope left and this ****ty expansion just proved it    … Expand
  37. AlwaysLost
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    GW2: HoT has been everything I could have ever asked for an expansion and it was released in one of the smoothest launches I've had the privilege of being apart of. HoT delivers on the harder content that a good majority of veteran players had been asking for. Teamwork is essential for making it through the jungle in one piece and grouping is encouraged for those hard to get Hero points.GW2: HoT has been everything I could have ever asked for an expansion and it was released in one of the smoothest launches I've had the privilege of being apart of. HoT delivers on the harder content that a good majority of veteran players had been asking for. Teamwork is essential for making it through the jungle in one piece and grouping is encouraged for those hard to get Hero points.

    The maps are truly stunning and have a depth I've not seen in a game in quite a while and the music is top notch, bringing an ambience that fits the jungle motif and lets players truly immerse themselves in the adventure. The story itself has improved greatly and well worth diving into! As you progress the story you will naturally gain mastery points to help unlock those much needed masteries.

    The elite specs, while I find 400 pts to be a bit of a grind, are paced reasonably well and are not to terrible to get. A good chunk of Hero points can be done soloable, there are a fair amount that do require a large group (looking at you frogs!). A majority of the negative criticism I find around the Elite specs relates more to not having the unlocked right away. Not sure if people just assumed you'd get them as soon as you logged in, or if it is just an entitlement thing where everyone wants everything on a silver platter without having to put in any work. I personally don't mind having to do the work. To me it adds a sense of accomplishment to the task at hand and a feel of real progression, which was ANets stated goal. And lets be honest, most vets had enough skill points to unlock more than half the spec.

    WvW got a wicked new map as well that will shake up the meta and hopefully get people out there fighting for their servers honor! PvP gained a new mode called Stronghold, Fractals has been revamped into the new dungeons, Guilds got the biggest overhaul ever and guild halls are now totally a thing! Even the base classes got a much needed balance pass.

    I can't wait to put many more hours into unlocking all of the jungle's secrets and hope others are as excited. New players or returning vets, I encourage you to check out reddit and the GW2 forums for a more accurate representation of all the goodies HoT has brought to the world of Tyria.    … Expand
  38. rezaiga
    Oct 27, 2015
    3
    This expansion isn't casual friendly so if you consider yourself to be one, better wait till they change things.

    The new world is so huge and amazingly beautiful but it stops there. 4th day after expansion and maps feels empty, it's a big problem because the difficulty in the new map is sooo much higher than old content and without other ppl around to help with events, it's almost    This expansion isn't casual friendly so if you consider yourself to be one, better wait till they change things.

    The new world is so huge and amazingly beautiful but it stops there. 4th day after expansion and maps feels empty, it's a big problem because the difficulty in the new map is sooo much higher than old content and without other ppl around to help with events, it's almost likely that you're gonna fail the event.

    Anet decision to upped difficulty with no downscale on events is like a middle finger to casual players.    … Expand
  39. oyesur2
    Oct 27, 2015
    7
    The zones are packed, but the areas feel so small compared to the original release. Explorers will feel a bit underwhelmed, but it is fun to play. The new world vs world maps feel deserted, but that may be because so many people are in the new content and aren't back to the open world pvp style warfare.
  40. shagworth
    Oct 27, 2015
    6
    At this point after release of the base game, if you're still playing Guild Wars 2 then Heart of Thorns will most likely be a breath of fresh air.

    If you're looking to try out Guild Wars 2 for the first time, this is a good time to join in seeing that Heart of Thorns comes with the core game included. For the price, I have no doubt you will be able to get your money's worth out of the    At this point after release of the base game, if you're still playing Guild Wars 2 then Heart of Thorns will most likely be a breath of fresh air.

    If you're looking to try out Guild Wars 2 for the first time, this is a good time to join in seeing that Heart of Thorns comes with the core game included. For the price, I have no doubt you will be able to get your money's worth out of the purchase.

    If you played Guild Wars 2 in the past, dropped it for whatever reason and are thinking about coming back with the Heart of Thorns expansion, I would say that it's more of the same and not to expect anything that you're not used to.

    Pros: New maps are well designed
    Specializations add a lot of depth to classes
    The writing in their new story isn't as terrible as in the past

    Cons: Unlocking the nice new specializations is pretty grindy and you have to do it for each character.
    Killed WvW as an actual PvP focused game mode.
    Less actual content than I would have expected. No new dungeons? No new fractals?    … Expand
  41. madmax21st
    Oct 27, 2015
    3
    Not worth $50 at all. Just a collection of Living Story contents that supposed to be free and got released all at the same time, became not free just so ANet can say it's an expansion.
  42. Big
    Oct 27, 2015
    4
    Wanted to play story mode first like I did with vanilla campaign. Sadly I'm forced to grind for tens of hours to unlock some **** mastery I want even use later on. I'm done 50 hours plus in it and I'm bored as hell. Do not spend 50 $ on it it is not worth it !
  43. Dahkeus
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Ok, so you'll see the word "grind" tossed around by a lot of negative reviewers, but the only reason you see that is because players want all the shiny new stuff at once without any wait. You don't need to do anything repetitively to unlock the new stuff, but it will take some time. Take a step back from looking at the stuff not available at the start and you'll find that there's a tonOk, so you'll see the word "grind" tossed around by a lot of negative reviewers, but the only reason you see that is because players want all the shiny new stuff at once without any wait. You don't need to do anything repetitively to unlock the new stuff, but it will take some time. Take a step back from looking at the stuff not available at the start and you'll find that there's a ton to do, which requires no unlocking. The new zones are diverse and have great events, the new PvP map is great and tends to lead to a lot of close, epic outcomes, and the polish of content overall is well above most MMOs.… Expand
  44. Vayne127
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    As an avid Guild Wars 2 player, I had mixed feelings about the direction they company was taking HoT. Mostly I was concerned about the grind factor and the difficulty of the new zone. I started playing as a skeptic, but HoT has won me over.

    The zone design is brilliant, the zones are beautiful and I finally feel like I have to fight my way through a war zone. I haven't felt like that    As an avid Guild Wars 2 player, I had mixed feelings about the direction they company was taking HoT. Mostly I was concerned about the grind factor and the difficulty of the new zone. I started playing as a skeptic, but HoT has won me over.

    The zone design is brilliant, the zones are beautiful and I finally feel like I have to fight my way through a war zone. I haven't felt like that since they nerfed Orr, another end game zone.

    Admittedly there are plenty of things to work (grind for), but I'm having so much fun just playing I don't really notice it. I love the dynamic event chains at different outposts. I love the story. And I love the idea that if I'm not paying attention, I'm likely going to end up dead.

    And I really love the gliding. This is very very well done. I'm having a blast. The only real downside I can see to the expansion is it's not very large...but what it misses on in size it makes up for in detail and quality. Well worth the price.    … Expand
  45. My_accountatwor
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    (Shamelessly copying user Huddi's format)

    Story: 9/10 - The story and instanced events follow in the steps of Living Story Season 2. Plot-wise, the introduction of new lore is excellent, and the progression of the story from the teaser we were left with from the end of season 2 paces quite well. Those that enjoyed the Living Story will enjoy this as well. Expect some nice tie ins with    (Shamelessly copying user Huddi's format)

    Story: 9/10 - The story and instanced events follow in the steps of Living Story Season 2. Plot-wise, the introduction of new lore is excellent, and the progression of the story from the teaser we were left with from the end of season 2 paces quite well. Those that enjoyed the Living Story will enjoy this as well. Expect some nice tie ins with the original story, too. The story is gated by the occasional mastery requirement (one such requirement has been removed as of a few days ago). Personally, I'd like to see more depth to the lore, and would have enjoyed more story (current one had 16 chapters).

    Open World: 9/10 - The jungle is filled with depth, and there is a lot to do within the new zones. The mobs and events are a leg up in difficulty, which should get rid of a the old mentality that mobs are worth ignoring and running past. Skill is put to the test, and many old habits may not cut it (time to really appreciate that dodge skill.). Fortunately, with the exception of changing your stats, your gear should work just fine, as no new level cap means your current gear remains relevant. Lots of replay ability, and the challenging group events that mirror the Triple Wurm and Tequatl battles are to be expected in these new maps. The "grind" is alive and well, as mastery requirements are set for story, and portions of new maps are not accessible until certain masteries are made. HOWEVER, many people seem to have forgotten the nature of MMOs; but true to GW2's nature, grinding for these requirements contains benefits for other portions of the game (loot, achievements), so as to not be a chore. Mix this with the difficulty and options, the idea of this becomes far less tedious.

    sPvP: ??/10 - Limited exposure so far. Seems like there's a lot of excitement about the specializations. Currently chaos in the learning curve of builds and how to adjust to them that I expect to tapper off in a month, once the hyped new PvP season rolls in. Stronghold is a lovely change of pace from Conquest mode, but I'm disappointed that we're limited to a single map at the moment. Nothing seems too out of wack, but can't offer a number for this from my limited play times.

    WvW: ??/10 - Similar to sPvP, can't offer much introspection here. New desert borderland maps should add fresh air using EoTM (The free for fall WvW map that does not count in server scoring) mechanics, and rotating maps in the future should keeps things fresh.

    Bugs, Game Stability: 10/10 - What are server maintenance days, anyway? Some bugs do exist, but work-arounds make them trivial, assuming they aren't patched out on a daily basis.

    Other: 9/10 - New guild functionalities and revamps to old processes vastly improve the experience of being in a guild. A lot is being offered to work toward. Quality of life changes are prevalent, but many more could be added. Fractals, now being the designated go to for instanced content, has been improved to support long term replay ability. Raids are to be expected in the coming weeks. Precursor crafting for legendary gear ought to be a sigh of relief for those purple color font item seekers.

    Overall: 9/10 - Come for the new challenges, enjoy the new story, explore and get lost, or get to fighting others with new specializations, there's a little something for everyone. Note: The jungle is not for the feint of heart, so be wary.    … Expand
  46. SpagettiUpsetti
    Oct 27, 2015
    7
    Ok the main reason I play GW2 was for the WvWvW. I pre purchased HOT with the idea that it would be getting better. IMO they have made really bad changes to it making it not fun. The maps are too big, the mechanics take away from the WvWvW feel and it's generally a bad change. I tried to get a refund but....

    * Update - The anet staff got intouch and gave me a full refund for HOT.    Ok the main reason I play GW2 was for the WvWvW. I pre purchased HOT with the idea that it would be getting better. IMO they have made really bad changes to it making it not fun. The maps are too big, the mechanics take away from the WvWvW feel and it's generally a bad change. I tried to get a refund but....

    * Update - The anet staff got intouch and gave me a full refund for HOT. Pleased with the service provided by them. I may purchase HOT in the future if certain changes are made. Will continue to check up on any updates.    … Expand
  47. Guyius
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Amazing story, amazing world and amazing mechanics.

    ArenaNet's Heart of Thorns expansion provides endless hours of enjoyment with four new massive layered maps each with their own mechanics and multiple meta events. They have gone on to create the greatest story arch of their franchise rivalling SWTOR and Final Fantasy blowing their previous Personal Story and Living World content    Amazing story, amazing world and amazing mechanics.

    ArenaNet's Heart of Thorns expansion provides endless hours of enjoyment with four new massive layered maps each with their own mechanics and multiple meta events.

    They have gone on to create the greatest story arch of their franchise rivalling SWTOR and Final Fantasy blowing their previous Personal Story and Living World content out the water.

    They've added new maps and mechanics to WvW changing the whole experience, better rewarding defending.

    Overall an amazing experience and I can't wait for the next one.    … Expand
  48. 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
  49. Korruna
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    I have had a lot of fun with Heart of Thorns. Most players complaining simply don't understand that ArenaNet is trying to simulate the feeling of progression that is in many other MMOs, but they are delivered through vertical progression. (Leveling up) Since the level cap is not being raids, they are using a two-fold horizontal approach:

    Masteries provide the feeling of progressing    I have had a lot of fun with Heart of Thorns. Most players complaining simply don't understand that ArenaNet is trying to simulate the feeling of progression that is in many other MMOs, but they are delivered through vertical progression. (Leveling up) Since the level cap is not being raids, they are using a two-fold horizontal approach:

    Masteries provide the feeling of progressing through zones without the need to make enemies level up. Instead, you traverse terrain more efficiently or gain access to new areas. You can't just rush to the final zone because traversing it would be a nightmare without the unlocking things like Gliding.

    Elite Specializations give the feeling of unlocking new power, just like how leveling up in other MMOs will grant new skills. Players who are complaining about these systems simply don't understand what they were trying to accomplish, and I like the groundwork that's been laid out. Where were all these riots when players logged on a level 1 Mage in World of Warcraft and did not instantly have access to all 30 of their abilities they would have at maximum level?

    It's not perfect, but it's a great addition to Guild Wars 2.    … Expand
  50. PatagoniaTheMan
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    I really enjoy the expansion, since it offers lots of new content and challenges. I think the most difficult thing to overcome in an expansion for an MMO, is to create content that can't be beaten in one or two weeks. Most classic expansions I know (from the ones for Dark age of Camelot to the ones for World of Warcraft or Everquest) just raised the lvl-caps, so that it necessarily tookI really enjoy the expansion, since it offers lots of new content and challenges. I think the most difficult thing to overcome in an expansion for an MMO, is to create content that can't be beaten in one or two weeks. Most classic expansions I know (from the ones for Dark age of Camelot to the ones for World of Warcraft or Everquest) just raised the lvl-caps, so that it necessarily took loads of time for people to get all new equipment and reach the new maximum level.
    Since Arenanet wanted to choose another path (which I am really grateful for), they had to think of a new way to make the expansion enjoyable for a rather long period of time. And in my opinion, that worked fabulously.

    The new PVE maps have interesting event chains with high replay-value due to map-wide meta-event contributions and the class specializations take some time fo finish and are therefore more valuable when achieved. There are really loads of changes, which I may not all account here, but among my favourites are the redesigned Fractals, the new map rewards and of course the new masteries.

    For me the expansion is a must-buy, which adds a lot of new goals and achievements to keep me motivated for quite a while to come.    … Expand
  51. 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!
  52. Kalevala
    Oct 27, 2015
    9
    Open World: 12/10(Yes, 12) - The new maps are absolutly awesome. I could be hours doing photos of the environment.

    Dynamic events: 9/10 - The dinamic events are so cool. There are a lot of fun histories on these maps and I love the new metaevents(specially Tarir defense :3). Masteries: 9/10 - I love how they were designed. I love to glide and move by the jungle with all the    Open World: 12/10(Yes, 12) - The new maps are absolutly awesome. I could be hours doing photos of the environment.

    Dynamic events: 9/10 - The dinamic events are so cool. There are a lot of fun histories on these maps and I love the new metaevents(specially Tarir defense :3).

    Masteries: 9/10 - I love how they were designed. I love to glide and move by the jungle with all the posibilities that they grant me.

    Personal History: 7/10 - I love how it is exposed to me and the history itself, but I hate to grind my marteries to continue in some parts of it.

    Elite specializations: 9/10 - I only can talk about the reaper because is my main and the only I tried for now, but I LOVE IT    … Expand
  53. 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
  54. rinealdo
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Forget all about GW2 core game, this jungle is hard to master, ma very very beautifull place to level.
    This is not the classic (crap wow) expansion where you cap all in 1 day, you'll need to play and to play right to unlock all the elite spec.
    This is what most of the player base wanted: a game where you need to use your brain and smart tactics to fight the enemy. This is war, this is    Forget all about GW2 core game, this jungle is hard to master, ma very very beautifull place to level.
    This is not the classic (crap wow) expansion where you cap all in 1 day, you'll need to play and to play right to unlock all the elite spec.
    This is what most of the player base wanted: a game where you need to use your brain and smart tactics to fight the enemy.
    This is war, this is Heart of Thorns !    … Expand
  55. Levira
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Need some time to get into, but the jungle is a simply awesome place to discover and where to play, full of life and tons of dangers.
    Sometimes i forget i'm in GW2 and looks like a Tomb Rider place.
    Maxed Graphic and sound are very well made , use Sweetfx to improve even more. I really don't know how is possible to give 0/10 to this game. Maybe they're others mmo fanboy who rosik...    Need some time to get into, but the jungle is a simply awesome place to discover and where to play, full of life and tons of dangers.
    Sometimes i forget i'm in GW2 and looks like a Tomb Rider place.
    Maxed Graphic and sound are very well made , use Sweetfx to improve even more.
    I really don't know how is possible to give 0/10 to this game.
    Maybe they're others mmo fanboy who rosik... but it's not a GW2 fault if your MMOs are dying.    … Expand
  56. percyhg
    Oct 27, 2015
    1
    Don't bother. If you're into grindy Korean MMOs this is for you, otherwise steer clear. To make up for lack of content severe grind is now in place to slow you down from completing what little there is. The hardest content in the game Fractals Level 100 were finished day 1. To stop this happening to the whole expansion time gates are everywhere. Even the main story is behind a grind!Don't bother. If you're into grindy Korean MMOs this is for you, otherwise steer clear. To make up for lack of content severe grind is now in place to slow you down from completing what little there is. The hardest content in the game Fractals Level 100 were finished day 1. To stop this happening to the whole expansion time gates are everywhere. Even the main story is behind a grind!

    Masteries are a mixed bag between extremely overpowered and extremely underwhelming verging on awful thanks to nerfs from the devs to classes they don't play. All you need to know is that they love their Ele's and Mesmers. If you must play this pick that class and you'll be forever happy!

    Level design isn't enough to save this game and I don't look set to log in again any time soon, unless something happens to stop the tediousness of this expansion. So little to offer for it's price, big misstep here.    … Expand
  57. Harveen
    Oct 27, 2015
    0
    Lacks content. Boring Grinds. Few skins, but they make time to put day 1 skins in their gem store!

    Only thing I like about this game is the map design, other than that I'd avoid.

    Fallout 4 is out soon, going to refund this and grab that instead. Do no buy!
  58. Zakooon
    Oct 27, 2015
    1
    I'm done. What a waste, avoid at all costs or at least until it's at least half price. Little content, max grind.

    My guild is already dead less than a week into this game, refunds are available though which is my only positive.
  59. Cildar
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    Perhaps the most enjoyable MMO expansion I've played and well worth the price. There is a large amount of new content as well as many great game improvements.
  60. ethanDS
    Oct 27, 2015
    1
    The community asked for an expansion when Anet were content with pushing living story.

    This is the result of living story becoming an expansion. It's lackluster, has little meaty content in it and is just paid fluff. I could easily see the majority of this content being living story given to us over the next year, instead due to the demand of an actual expansion, we have it now in a    The community asked for an expansion when Anet were content with pushing living story.

    This is the result of living story becoming an expansion. It's lackluster, has little meaty content in it and is just paid fluff. I could easily see the majority of this content being living story given to us over the next year, instead due to the demand of an actual expansion, we have it now in a chunk.

    I would ask anyone looking to purchase be wary, this is not your typical "massive scale expansion", very little to get excited about. I feel I've wasted money.    … Expand
  61. Jason_Field
    Oct 27, 2015
    2
    No one is going to be more disappointed than myself. After having supported this developer for such a long time I think I'm finally at the point where I have to part ways. The maps are great, enemies look cool but locking the masteries behind such grindy time gates has really been a sour taste in my mouth.

    Had they not locked this content as well as the story behind this, I feel this    No one is going to be more disappointed than myself. After having supported this developer for such a long time I think I'm finally at the point where I have to part ways. The maps are great, enemies look cool but locking the masteries behind such grindy time gates has really been a sour taste in my mouth.

    Had they not locked this content as well as the story behind this, I feel this expansion wouldn't last long at all due to the lack of anything really meaningful.

    On the surface you'll find an intriguing game but you'll soon come to realise there is little substance.    … Expand
  62. DavidDean
    Oct 27, 2015
    1
    This expansion does one thing right, great looking environments. Unfortunately it doesn't take long to see the weaknesses and the lack of content locked behind heavy time gates.

    This expansion seems rushed and incomplete and I'd go as far as to say not worth the initial price at all.
  63. anext
    Oct 27, 2015
    6
    Some beautifully, lovingly crafted maps - but gated by 'future fun' progression. In order to create a sense of character progression, ANet has decided to coin a different type of leveling in the form of mastery. This may make you feel you're working towards something, at the cost of the resulting grind. Make no mistake, in order to gain full access to your elite specialization (on mostSome beautifully, lovingly crafted maps - but gated by 'future fun' progression. In order to create a sense of character progression, ANet has decided to coin a different type of leveling in the form of mastery. This may make you feel you're working towards something, at the cost of the resulting grind. Make no mistake, in order to gain full access to your elite specialization (on most characters without 100% world completion) you will have to grind, whether it be PvE mastery lines or WvW ranks. As a community built around casual friendly design, this has resulted in appropriate out-roar. The introduction of this progression, and a 'soft trinity' have made for a somewhat confusing experience when compared to the initial design decisions of vanilla GW2. Events are poorly balanced, as are certain hero challenges, resulting in a distinct feeling of artificial difficulty (many mobs will instantly kill you).Exploration is a blast (if you're into that) and gliding adds a new dimension to traversing the jungle. Do you want more of the same? You'll probably dig this expansion. Were you hoping for something new and refreshing? You're likely to feel conflicted.… Expand
  64. 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
  65. 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
  66. KaciFox
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    I have been a player for a couple years and have gained so many achievements to the point that I was finding it harder to find something to do. There was still content that I could do and content that I wanted to do but it was no doubt that to get achievements that I wanted, it was getting more of a grind then it was initially. With the release of HoT, I have found new things to lookI have been a player for a couple years and have gained so many achievements to the point that I was finding it harder to find something to do. There was still content that I could do and content that I wanted to do but it was no doubt that to get achievements that I wanted, it was getting more of a grind then it was initially. With the release of HoT, I have found new things to look forward to. Now with new content I have been finding to get to what I want is less of a grind and I can relax and also have more to explore. I find things more challenging but achievable. I have had the most fun in HoT then I have had when I started out on the game.… Expand
  67. IEatCabbage
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The good:
    -The maps are huge and you can clearly see right off the bat that Anet did put tons of effort in creating these new maps. My personal favourite is Auric Basin just because how calm and peaceful it is
    -the new mechanics such as gliding and other masteries that introduce new ways to play the map and new mechanics to fight some of the bosses on the new maps. These masteries at    The good:
    -The maps are huge and you can clearly see right off the bat that Anet did put tons of effort in creating these new maps. My personal favourite is Auric Basin just because how calm and peaceful it is
    -the new mechanics such as gliding and other masteries that introduce new ways to play the map and new mechanics to fight some of the bosses on the new maps. These masteries at first 2 levels are easy to unlock and are all that’s required to access most of the new maps. (personal story requires 2-1-1-1 in masteries). Once they are unlocked, they are unlocked for every character on your account.
    -The personal story is done to perfection compared to core personal stories and living world stories. The voice acting is at its best, the character development is great that you see what each character is like, and cutscenes are just amazing. The lore they give us in these personal stories are just more than what we could ask for.
    -The mobs have great new mechanics to them and this makes combat and boss fight actually exciting. I am sick and tired of core world boss fights, for most of these bosses you just stand there in one spot and auto attack it until its dead. Here you actually have to move around, knowing when to use cc, and see the boss’s attack animation. This makes the mobs actually challenging unlike when Orr was first released where the mobs would swarm you and follow you until you are dead with no actual mechanics.
    -The core world is still populated with tons of players, its almost like the expansion had no effect on core Tyria at all, while the new maps are actually filled with people from what I’ve seen so far (with exception of Auric Basin, this map is pretty much empty at all times). Why is this good? In other games, I’ve seen countless times where a new expansion comes out and the core world literally dies.
    The bad:
    -The elite specialization is locked behind 400 hero points to unlock and this is frustrating for many people. There is no reason for this specialization to be locked behind this much HP. They really need to address this issue. I would lower the HP from the new maps from 10 down to 5 and change the requirements from 400 down to 200.
    I would give this expansion an 9/10 so far and if they would lower the HP for elite specialization I would give this game a 10/10 and the rest I have to see when raid comes out    … Expand
  68. 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.
  69. terryhu700
    Oct 26, 2015
    1
    I rate games on "Will I play or not?".

    One of the core selling points of the HoT expansion is elite specs, just look at the amount of news/threads/releases involving them. It provides a different play style of existing professions/classes. HoT Expansion is a definite "not going to play" due to the fact that elite specs are heavily gated from a currency called Hero Points which are    I rate games on "Will I play or not?".

    One of the core selling points of the HoT expansion is elite specs, just look at the amount of news/threads/releases involving them. It provides a different play style of existing professions/classes.

    HoT Expansion is a definite "not going to play" due to the fact that elite specs are heavily gated from a currency called Hero Points which are ALSO gated behind Masteries which are specific to certain maps. It's like a grind inside a grind.

    I agree that a certain amount of work is supposed to be done before unlocking elite specs but the amount Anet is testing and using players a guinea pigs (as usual) is absurd. I do not appreciate being a guinea pig, I do not appreciate forced grinding just to extend the life of the game.

    With this, it;s a definite "Will not play" for me and rate it a score of 1. Regardless of what else they put in, the core draw of games is the gameplay itself and gw2 is a majorly a combat based game. Not a puzzle, not a mystery, not a dialogue based game; it is a combat based game.    … Expand
  70. rockerchu
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    A lot of the gripes I've been hearing have been that the new mastery/specialization/levelling content is too grindy/too difficult. I think those people have forgotten how much they were clambering for "challenging content." In an MMO, making challenging content either requires a ton of group work, puzzles that are difficult enough to stump people, or creating a certain type of grind. ItA lot of the gripes I've been hearing have been that the new mastery/specialization/levelling content is too grindy/too difficult. I think those people have forgotten how much they were clambering for "challenging content." In an MMO, making challenging content either requires a ton of group work, puzzles that are difficult enough to stump people, or creating a certain type of grind. It honestly doesn't take me a lot to have fun with a game like Guild Wars 2, and this expansion delivers. A lot of what ArenaNet has shown in the xpac I haven't seen in other MMOs, so I applaud the innovation and care they've put into the game. There has been some criticism Anet doesn't care what the players want, and I think this expansion fully contradicts that.… Expand
  71. Xit
    Oct 26, 2015
    0
    Let's start out by saying I've loved GW2 for a very long time. That being said, as other users have mentioned, GW2 has taken an extreme 180 to what it once was. Before it felt rewarding for doing dungeons, fractals, and most PvE content. Whether it was fun or not is up for you to decide. You also used to get to play at your own pace, level and gain income how you want. Now after the mostLet's start out by saying I've loved GW2 for a very long time. That being said, as other users have mentioned, GW2 has taken an extreme 180 to what it once was. Before it felt rewarding for doing dungeons, fractals, and most PvE content. Whether it was fun or not is up for you to decide. You also used to get to play at your own pace, level and gain income how you want. Now after the most recent patch, they made it as grindy as possible and pretty much stripped that freedom away. No reason to do dungeons or fractals anymore. Users are now forced to run PvE events just to be able to unlock specs that we paid good $ for. I don't want to be spoon fed by any means but sticking the specs behind a huge grindwall is just disgusting to me. Not to mention the fact that they removed almost all effective ways to earn gold by nerfing dungeon rewards by 66%. They also promised a "new and improved" fractal system. There is nothing "new or improved" about these fractals. They added exactly 0 new fractals, removed all the rewards from them AND added a huge gold sink for players who want to receive any worthwhile loot. Also, they screwed over F2P players but that a whole different topic entirely. Overall I was disappointed by the lack of new content and the direction the game is going. Don't believe people who say this is not a grind fest. They are most likely people who played GW2 before the expansion and ran world events all day every day. Can that be fun? Yes, to some people. Are they fun when you are forced to do them to progress in the game that you paid money for? I don't think so but some might like it.… Expand
  72. 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
  73. 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!!!!
  74. 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
  75. cougmerrik
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    This is a solid expansion for GW2. Unlike the initial expansions in the original Guild Wars, Heart of Thorns is really directed from the group up at end game players. From the difficulty of the zones, to a new level 80 only story, to the horizontal progression system with masteries, guild halls, scribe profession, elite specializations for each class, to raids and fractal expansion --This is a solid expansion for GW2. Unlike the initial expansions in the original Guild Wars, Heart of Thorns is really directed from the group up at end game players. From the difficulty of the zones, to a new level 80 only story, to the horizontal progression system with masteries, guild halls, scribe profession, elite specializations for each class, to raids and fractal expansion -- everything is geared towards characters at level 80. The one thing maybe not geared toward level 80 characters is the new revanent class, which is a heavy armor hybrid class (think something like almost like a druid from WoW).

    Anet used this opportunity to take a lot of systems in the game and improve them. Everything from guilds, to pvp, to wvw, to the trait system, the camera, etc. There are huge systems advances, many of which also are available without purchasing the game as part of the Heart of Thorns feature pack. These global features from the expansion alone add hundreds of hours of gameplay.

    The story so far in Heart of Thorns is orders of magnitude beyond the original Guild Wars 2 storyline -- if you have been paying attention to the story threads throughout Living Season 1 and 2. Like any good TV show made into a big budget movie, the stakes just get higher, the effects and production values get better, and the explosions get explodier.

    Technically, the launch was excellent and there was almost no downtime to speak of. Some instability in the first few days has evened out as new patches come daily it seems.

    The downsides for this expansion often turn out to be upsides in the long run. This expansion, being directed at the experienced player, has a high learning curve and a lot of new mechanics, some of which can be confusing at first. The expansion's mastery system also leaves the the player eyeing some great mastery benefits, but first requiring many levels of "mastery training" to get them -- this requires playing content in Heart of Thorns or "Central Tyria" (as the vanilla zones are now called). You could call this "grindy", but the masteries are account bound and you get experience for doing just about anything in terms of playing the game.

    Some of the balance is currently off for PvP (in favor of elite specializations being head and shoulders above certain other PvP builds for the same class), leading some to wonder if buying Heart of Thorns is a pay to win gambit for PvP players. A reduced cost, PvP-only unlock of specializations with gems or ranks would be a great way to fix this problem.

    I would love to give this a 10/10, but I'm giving it a 9. I originally had it as an 8, but in writing this review I couldn't come up with enough to complain about to warrant an 8. The few things I'd like to see more of that weren't included in this expansion are a more diverse set of single group, instanced content, and changes to revitalize WvW. Everything else has been handled with wonderful adeptness.    … Expand
  76. dreiji
    Oct 26, 2015
    1
    as someone who mainly runned dungeons and fractals, the changes they made killed what i do in this game. and i bought the 100$ edition to support them, now i regret wasting my money.
  77. skilledspell
    Oct 26, 2015
    7
    Maps are really beautiful and some of the changes in place are really good for the game, ie. addition of raids and more focus on fractals. I just finished the story and found it slightly lacking, but those who aren't very into the lore shouldn't mind as much. I think both these 10/10 and 1/10 ratings are dumb, it has obvious flaws, but its not a terrible xpac because you can't get yourMaps are really beautiful and some of the changes in place are really good for the game, ie. addition of raids and more focus on fractals. I just finished the story and found it slightly lacking, but those who aren't very into the lore shouldn't mind as much. I think both these 10/10 and 1/10 ratings are dumb, it has obvious flaws, but its not a terrible xpac because you can't get your elite spec in 3 days.

    All in all, if you've played gw2 before and enjoyed it, give this a try. If you didn't like gw2 before, this won't change that. If you've never played gw2, the base game is free, so try it and choose from there.    … Expand
  78. Boabed
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Heart of Thorns is an excellent first expansion for Guild Wars 2. The gorgeous new maps, mastery system (giving long term rewarding progression), legendary precursor crafting and guild halls - to name a few of the features - make it a blast to play.
  79. DeathsPeak
    Oct 26, 2015
    1
    Waste of money, even the free content like the changes to wvw were terrible.Thumbs up on killing wvw Arenanet, theres barely anyone even on and the map is just too big and dumb.. Its wvw not pve -.-
  80. Cneertse
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    An expansion with no downtime? Is this even real?! Yes! Guild Wars 2 Heart of Thorns launched at Midnight Pacific on October 23rd with suave. As the countdown ticked to the buzzer where ArenaNet employees awaited the respose of adoring fans and a show of all thier hardwork. I instantly patched and got in game to experience the magnificence that is the jungle and the art teams beautifulAn expansion with no downtime? Is this even real?! Yes! Guild Wars 2 Heart of Thorns launched at Midnight Pacific on October 23rd with suave. As the countdown ticked to the buzzer where ArenaNet employees awaited the respose of adoring fans and a show of all thier hardwork. I instantly patched and got in game to experience the magnificence that is the jungle and the art teams beautiful masterpiece. No lag, and virtually no bugs accompanied my playtime. Over the weekend, I must have spent 20 hours with my eyeballs glued to my computer monitor. The feeling you got at vanilla launch when there was a world to be explored and nothing to stand in your way, that is exactly the feeling many players had. Speaking of obstacles standing in players way, there was a hinderance and one that I can understand many PvP and WvW players will understand is the necessity to accumulate a little progression called Hero Points to unlock Class Elite Specializations. Due to the masteries gating content, non-pve players found this to be grindy and frankly boring. However, from a PvE player perspective, I can tell you this was an amazing experience to be had collecting achievements, masteries, and jungle secrets alike! I can't wait to jump back in!… Expand
  81. 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
  82. AusJock
    Oct 26, 2015
    2
    Massive, massive disappointment with the HoT exapnsion... WvW is going to be gutted, the grind is outrageously bad and like nothing seen in any Guild Wars game previously.
    Casual players can expect to spend the next few months at-least just to get the elite specialization on a single character.
    There is an amazing amount of new content but every portion of it requires grinding in order    Massive, massive disappointment with the HoT exapnsion... WvW is going to be gutted, the grind is outrageously bad and like nothing seen in any Guild Wars game previously.
    Casual players can expect to spend the next few months at-least just to get the elite specialization on a single character.
    There is an amazing amount of new content but every portion of it requires grinding in order to learn masteries or gain Hero Points.

    If I could get a refund for my pre-purchase, I 100% would.    … Expand
  83. 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
  84. 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
  85. Kuma
    Oct 26, 2015
    6
    The expansion is great for most pve lovers. I prefer WvW in GW2. I actually enjoy the new maps and enjoy some of the pve that the expansion has brought. The expansion added beautiful maps, story line but also added a more time consuming (yes im dropping the grind word) that is unfamiliar with most of GW2 customer base. Not a perfect expansion but not an terrible one either.

    Im a casual    The expansion is great for most pve lovers. I prefer WvW in GW2. I actually enjoy the new maps and enjoy some of the pve that the expansion has brought. The expansion added beautiful maps, story line but also added a more time consuming (yes im dropping the grind word) that is unfamiliar with most of GW2 customer base. Not a perfect expansion but not an terrible one either.

    Im a casual gamer with other priorities and I dont have time to accommodate what the expansion requires.

    On a side note Its weird though that some of the people calling it a perfect game 10/10 are just ripping the people that gave it a low score. (its a different opinion. get over it.)    … Expand
  86. Vexia
    Oct 26, 2015
    0
    As someone who Pre-purchased the first game, played the beta, pre-purchased the second game and played that beta as well, I am so severely disappointed in Arenanet, the now "old" content is laggy as hell. While the new content is buggy as hell, I assume the pressure was on them to release it quickly but there are so many bugs in it, that players are getting 2-3 patches a day minimum, andAs someone who Pre-purchased the first game, played the beta, pre-purchased the second game and played that beta as well, I am so severely disappointed in Arenanet, the now "old" content is laggy as hell. While the new content is buggy as hell, I assume the pressure was on them to release it quickly but there are so many bugs in it, that players are getting 2-3 patches a day minimum, and those barely address the amount of bugs in the game, the lag, the same old issues they had before which never got fixed, and a complete disregard for real juicy content, the expansion is a pretty piece of fluff.

    My experience with the expansion, was to login, attempt to do the story, die in it, being unable to revive I had to exit because the pop up button for revival didn't show up, and upon re-entering the game, the story had vanished out of the game but remains in the log, being permanently unable to complete it. It's bugs like these that make you wonder why did I buy the expensive pre-purchase pack with all the gems, when after 5 days I still cannot complete any story, any new content, i'm still stuck in arena net limbo. waiting for the next patch and hoping that my fix will be in this one.

    Guild Halls were a major let down, a very weak monster fight in order to take control of the room, only 2 guild halls to choose from, mapped instances where your guild members are constantly shuffed from instance to instance as the game makes the rooms bigger or smaller, getting pop ups every 2-5 minutes telling you to switch maps. And we all know that Guild Halls are Arenanets way of fixing their very poorly designed market system which has a overflow of too many useless materials, and now all of a sudden these materials (examples carrots) are now needed by the thousands to use as a material to build your guild hall. Guild window looks messy, it's hard to find the things your looking for. THE LAG. IS NO JOKE.
    If you dare to open your guild window to look through your roster there is a huge amount of lag.

    GAME CRASHES CONSTANTLY, my files aren't broken, the game just decides to close it's self at random times. Which beats the black screen of doom that was happening a week ago.

    Fractals are fast, but are still just as boring as ever, but more appealing now, because you only need to be stuck with the same fools for 1 map rather than 4.

    The Elite specializations look cool, but that's about it, most feel slow and clunky and difficult to chain into a real attack.

    THERE WAS SO MUCH HYPE, and I was hyped for it, I even got my friends to play, and so far I've been nothing but disappointed, I knew I needed to keep my expectations low, so I wouldn't be disappointed if something wasn't as great as I'd expect it to be, but this is just ridiculous.    … Expand
  87. 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!!!
  88. 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
  89. 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
  90. 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
  91. 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
  92. 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
  93. 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
  94. 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
  95. 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
  96. 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.
  97. 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
  98. 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
  99. 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
  100. bluesnacks
    Oct 26, 2015
    5
    5/10

    Positive: Story, New zones

    Negative: The stupidest grinding system ever, in a game where the makers have actually said "we don't like grinding."

    This is not worth a 10. Anyone trying to convince you that it's a perfect 10 is lying to you knowingly.
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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

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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]
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