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. Ozimandeus
    Nov 6, 2015
    10
    The best MMORPG created, has just got a whole lot bigger and a whole lot better!! The elegant mastery system provides a new outlet for experience in PVE. The introduction of Guild Halls gives a focal point for guilds to work together on. PvP has been overhauled and made into an eSport. WvWvW is still unparalleled in this genre. Very simply put, this is as good as MMORPGs get.
  2. Dreddi1
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    First of all let me say how amazingly stable this launch was. Hats off to Anet on that one.

    Just finished the story and I must say Anet really outdid themselves this time. The zones are much more alive, events require you to participate instead of just tag-and-run and each map has its own unique meta event (Haven't done the Dragon's Stand zone yet but I've heard it's amazing). each map    First of all let me say how amazingly stable this launch was. Hats off to Anet on that one.

    Just finished the story and I must say Anet really outdid themselves this time. The zones are much more alive, events require you to participate instead of just tag-and-run and each map has its own unique meta event (Haven't done the Dragon's Stand zone yet but I've heard it's amazing). each map is filled with secrets, jumping puzzles, adventures, challenges, masteries etc.

    The dialogue between the player character and the npcs in both story and in the zones have gotten vocal which is amazing
    The story is also a major improvement from the original PS.

    The new masteries are also a welcome sight and makes your leveling meaningful again. Plus there are a lot of new ways to earn XP now so you'll have no trouble leveling them in the new zones.
    Not to mention all the new collections, achievements, skins, minis, the amazing glider and much much more. I really can't believe how good of an expansion this has been so far and I'm far far from done!    … Expand
  3. Egocentricion
    Nov 15, 2015
    10
    Guild Wars 2 continues to innovate after all these years.
    It is truly the only MMO on the market who actively seeks to please it's playerbase not by spoonfeeding them and hand holding them but with true innovation and challenge.
    Heart of Thorns is the striking proof that an expansion doesn't have to be half assed and dumb down a game.

    I recommend this expansion, it's all worth the money!
  4. Digital_Kitchen
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    ArenaNet delivered everything I could have hoped for with this expansion. REally loving every minute so far. The level design is amazing, the story just keeps getting better, and it just looks so beautiful!
  5. 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
  6. please
    Nov 2, 2015
    10
    Finally a good excuse to return. Story started off strong but ended kinda weak but not enough to take away from all the improvements made. Having a blast and have put in around 30+ hours so far,
  7. gamer99
    Oct 30, 2015
    10
    This is a really great game for people who want to have fun in mmorpg and an expansion that tries to lvl up the efforts the first game were put in. The Guild halls are great, once again people are logging on and talking in guild chat and donating goods to the guild. The maps are great with fun events such as the funny Lord Faren event. The story is alright, nice twits or one of the racesThis is a really great game for people who want to have fun in mmorpg and an expansion that tries to lvl up the efforts the first game were put in. The Guild halls are great, once again people are logging on and talking in guild chat and donating goods to the guild. The maps are great with fun events such as the funny Lord Faren event. The story is alright, nice twits or one of the races and the hero challenges are well challenging which themselves fell like a mini game that sucks you in for hours.… Expand
  8. Amiron
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    This was probably the smoothest expansion launch I've ever been a part of. Little to no lag at all, very few bugs (none of them have been game breaking for me), and little to no downtime.

    I've really enjoyed the story, the voice acting is phenomenal. Masteries are a brilliant way of adding progression without invalidating your hard earned gear from before the expansion. The new elite    This was probably the smoothest expansion launch I've ever been a part of. Little to no lag at all, very few bugs (none of them have been game breaking for me), and little to no downtime.

    I've really enjoyed the story, the voice acting is phenomenal. Masteries are a brilliant way of adding progression without invalidating your hard earned gear from before the expansion. The new elite specializations take a while to earn, but I enjoy the journey, as it feels like I'm leveling my character again and learning new traits & abilities. The music and art is superb; I love how they managed to make the four jungle zones feel completely different from each other.

    You're going to see a lot of people complain about Masteries being too hard to get or Elite Specializations being too hard to unlock, which is just plain wrong. I'm eight hours in with half of my elite specialization unlocked and over 16 masteries in. It's been a blast!    … Expand
  9. Apolyon
    Oct 28, 2015
    10
    Totally blown away. Not only has this been the smoothest go-live I've seen, but the amount and quality of content in the expansion is brutal.

    Comparing this to the base game, one of the key things you will see is that the new areas don't have renown hearts, instead they have outpost which trigger some pretty awesome dynamic events. These events can even branch in different stories and    Totally blown away. Not only has this been the smoothest go-live I've seen, but the amount and quality of content in the expansion is brutal.

    Comparing this to the base game, one of the key things you will see is that the new areas don't have renown hearts, instead they have outpost which trigger some pretty awesome dynamic events. These events can even branch in different stories and they tell you specific stories of some of the survivors (not going to do any spoilers here). Just stop for a second, and stand there listening to the NPC's.

    The main story, which I have not finished yet, is really intense. Way better than what we had so far. I don't want to spoil this either, so I'll simply say that what I've seen so far is on par with some single player rpg's.

    Content wise, there are "only" 4 new areas, but they are huge, not only horizontally but also vertically, you really have to experience it to feel the size of the jungle. It also has a metric ton of events, collections, achievements, adventures (a type of repeatable activities with world rankings in the type of GW1 challenges), the new specializations, masteries, pre-cursor scavenger hunts, new legendaries (not only weapons, but also backpacks and armor), a new wvw map.

    And the best of all... there is still more to come, namely the so awaited Raids, pvp leagues, and the new living world seasons.

    I may update this review later, since I haven't stopped in World vs World or pvp yet    … Expand
  10. Moinaldo
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Expansion is great. Lots of stuff added with new zones, class, specializations, items, raids, etc... Almost no bugs compared to any other mmo expansion release.

    People whining here and there are the ones that wanted to finish all the content in one week, so they could cry next week about not having any new content. Time gated stuff is needed and gives the sense of progression.    Expansion is great. Lots of stuff added with new zones, class, specializations, items, raids, etc... Almost no bugs compared to any other mmo expansion release.

    People whining here and there are the ones that wanted to finish all the content in one week, so they could cry next week about not having any new content.

    Time gated stuff is needed and gives the sense of progression. Definitely a great expasion with superb quality.    … Expand
  11. BBahamut
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    É impossível agradar a todos. Mas a Heart of Thorns conseguiu agradar a muuuuuuuuitos. O conteúdo novo é eletrizante e muito lindo. Os mapas novos são espetacularmente diferentes de tudo que existe por aí. Explorá-los e conhecer a história de cada área é uma aventura belíssima. Aqueles que querem só grindar, farmar, bater em qlq coisa sem saber loucamente estão perdendo uma parteÉ impossível agradar a todos. Mas a Heart of Thorns conseguiu agradar a muuuuuuuuitos. O conteúdo novo é eletrizante e muito lindo. Os mapas novos são espetacularmente diferentes de tudo que existe por aí. Explorá-los e conhecer a história de cada área é uma aventura belíssima. Aqueles que querem só grindar, farmar, bater em qlq coisa sem saber loucamente estão perdendo uma parte importante do conteúdo. Mas nem só de mapa PvE é feita a nova expansão. Ao contrário, logo nos primeiros dias já dá pra perceber que várias novas mecânicas vieram pra prender os jogadores em objetivos de longo prazo.
    O trem tá bão de mais!    … Expand
  12. Dasor
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The perfect expansion for Guild Wars 2. I was afraid at star for the lack of maps, but when i saw them and i started playing them i was blown away, the maps are awesome, big and they don't lack content.
    Also, there's an enormous amount of new features and a very large number of quality of life changes.
    The story so far is awesome, and listening to the player voice again, answeing on the    The perfect expansion for Guild Wars 2. I was afraid at star for the lack of maps, but when i saw them and i started playing them i was blown away, the maps are awesome, big and they don't lack content.
    Also, there's an enormous amount of new features and a very large number of quality of life changes.
    The story so far is awesome, and listening to the player voice again, answeing on the field is a very nice addition.
    This expansion is a must buy.    … Expand
  13. Clopon
    Jan 1, 2016
    10
    Great expansion pack, even better than i expected. New maps are fun, mastery system is interesting and not too much grinding.
    And the raid is great, finally a challenging content for pve.
  14. Lluvia4D
    Sep 11, 2016
    10
    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
  15. Alagos
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Ok I must say: I am a huge fan of the core game, so I might not be able to give a 100% objective view, but: Even when I try to look objective at this: I still love it. The new maps are awesome. Some of the best they have ever made. Yes they are hard. Yes you die often. But: This is what many people in the community asked for.

    I really can't see really bad things with the addon. No huge    Ok I must say: I am a huge fan of the core game, so I might not be able to give a 100% objective view, but: Even when I try to look objective at this: I still love it. The new maps are awesome. Some of the best they have ever made. Yes they are hard. Yes you die often. But: This is what many people in the community asked for.

    I really can't see really bad things with the addon. No huge bugs, no unfinished stuff that was just pushed into the game. So yeah... it's 10/10 for me.    … Expand
  16. wapsky
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The new zone are really beautiful and despite what everyone is saying the game has a good progression. The game itself is well optimized and have yet to see a major bug or non functionality of game mechanic.

    over all a good expansion and much needed content to an ever impressive game.
  17. NathanRav
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    This is an example of an expansion done right. A business model that is pleasing to the customers and provides the players with the type of content that we want. It would have been nice if it included build templates but they said that will come soon.
  18. Sodapoppin
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Amazing xpac.

    My friend bought it to me. I was kinda meh at firtst but damn i had the best fun in a while in a MMO.

    I xp'ed my first character to 80 and there is still so much to do. Combat is hella fun.
  19. Sharkfarts
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Beautiful new content all around. Lots to do right off the bat and plenty to look forward to. Growing pains, yes, but those are inevitable with so much new and changed content.
  20. Kylonas
    Nov 1, 2015
    10
    New Maps, a lot of new content, gliding, Guild Halls etc. It's huge!
    I finished the story yesterday and now I have still at least 90% new things to explore.
    The Masteries bring in a rewarding and challenging new playstyle.
    And NO it's not grinding when you don't do the same things over an over again. And in HoT you can be in one map for hours not doing one thing twice.
  21. MaesterBest
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Everything is exactly as good, or even better than i expected. People are complaining it is a grind, but that is becouse they don't know masteries are account bound. All the Hero Points locked behind masteries aren't locked for your alts.
  22. Bagie
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Even if ithink it need improving, not-so-smart ppl using score to get theyr way needs to stop. And this 10/10 is to help that at leats in a small way. Go ANET
  23. MasterCyria
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Great game. Ignore the people who think that actually playing the game is grind. I don't even. So you have to go to the maps and do events to earn ACCOUNT WIDE experience. Then you need to go get hero points for your skills as your elite specialization? That's playing the game. Seriously people.

    The only justified concern is the WvW people.
  24. FayEverdunes
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    As a veteran player, I've been thoroughly enjoying the new more challenging approach, the maps are fantastic, and I love the variety of events. It's a breath of fresh air and exactly what GW2 needed.

    As for anyone reading the negative reviews, I would strongly suggest taking them with a grain of salt because they focus on one or two issues, ignoring the other 98% of content which has    As a veteran player, I've been thoroughly enjoying the new more challenging approach, the maps are fantastic, and I love the variety of events. It's a breath of fresh air and exactly what GW2 needed.

    As for anyone reading the negative reviews, I would strongly suggest taking them with a grain of salt because they focus on one or two issues, ignoring the other 98% of content which has honestly been really great. Everyone knows there are bugs and balance issues when expansions or games launch and Anet has largely always done a lot to improve those over time. The people voting so negatively are largely just hoping it will force Anet to do what they want rather than appreciate all the amazing work they have accomplished with HoT.

    For a better mix of viewpoints on how HoT is being received, check Reddit and the Official Forums. Then wait a few weeks and see how people feel after they are more familiar with the content.    … Expand
  25. Sabbatum
    Oct 28, 2015
    10
    Finally ArenaNet has found the true essence of progressing and challenging content.

    I feel so sorry about the people that is whining because of the total length expansion gave to game (which is a very very long path to be done) and for personal and selfless purposes gave the game rates like "0/10". This expansions adds to the game a more variety to features to enjoy and a lot of real    Finally ArenaNet has found the true essence of progressing and challenging content.

    I feel so sorry about the people that is whining because of the total length expansion gave to game (which is a very very long path to be done) and for personal and selfless purposes gave the game rates like "0/10". This expansions adds to the game a more variety to features to enjoy and a lot of real challenging content to make you feel you are somewhere between GW and Dark/Demon Souls, where death is just your mentor.

    On the other side, I feel happy that ANet is listening to the community feedback and patching the game as community feedback flows over the web, but i just expect they stop the nerfing the challenges and don't ruin the great work they did with this expansion that is a whole new game to explore (i play this game since core pre-launch) and this just because children that don't know they real meaning of PLAY a GAME and just think like "GIMME WHAT I WANT NOW, ASAP".

    My 10 is for the overall of this expansion which had a completely smooth launch and all the time surprises me with something i can enjoy in a long term of fun.

    Thanks ArenaNet, keep up with your great work.    … Expand
  26. jhippocratic42
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    The overwhelmingly negative user reviews represent an entitled mass of gamers who think that destroying those who have worked so hard to put out this masterpiece (and trust me, it is nothing short of that) will somehow "force their hand" and make them change the game to give them whatever they want the instant they want it. Progression was noted and to be expected, and yet still playersThe overwhelmingly negative user reviews represent an entitled mass of gamers who think that destroying those who have worked so hard to put out this masterpiece (and trust me, it is nothing short of that) will somehow "force their hand" and make them change the game to give them whatever they want the instant they want it. Progression was noted and to be expected, and yet still players will resort to stooping so low as to give dishonest reviews of an otherwise fantastic game over their own pettiness. Trust and believe that if the bulk of those who played this were representative of these reviews, this game's ratings would look far better than they do now. Such a shame.… Expand
  27. Morbidlight
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    It is amazing how fickle people can be. One of the biggest 'gripes' about Guild Wars 2 was the lack of end game content. Heart of Thorns makes that statement even more of a fallacy as it is loaded with so much content. I have played the Guild Wars franchise since Prophecies and all I can say is this expansion is another welcome addition, in terms of challenging content. I want a game thatIt is amazing how fickle people can be. One of the biggest 'gripes' about Guild Wars 2 was the lack of end game content. Heart of Thorns makes that statement even more of a fallacy as it is loaded with so much content. I have played the Guild Wars franchise since Prophecies and all I can say is this expansion is another welcome addition, in terms of challenging content. I want a game that can reward me for my the amount of time and energy I put into it, all the while having an enjoyable and memorable experience. So far this is exactly what I am getting and am loving every minute of it. Immersive new environments, compelling story, believable characters and long term character progression are just a few of the things that stand out and I have only just scratched the surface and I cannot wait to get home today to continue this epic journey.

    The people writing negative reviews are just casualties of a society where instant gratification has become the norm. What they don't even realize is that Guild Wars 2 had plenty grinding, it is just that Anet were smart enough to reinvent the wheel per se and implement it slightly differently and market it correctly. Heart of Thorns works off the same formula, except it is slightly more obvious now that to achieve, you need to put in the effort. Its a give and take relationship, but a loving and rewarding one at that.    … Expand
  28. 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
  29. tirithi
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Smooth launch. lots to do, and gives players an endgame to work for, like they have been asking for. New areas are gorgeous and nothing has been taken away from the core game. Specializations are super fun and effects are top notch, honestly in love with the game again! (P.s. precursor crafting is awesome, honestly surprised by the quality that they put into it!)
  30. DanCan
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Im quite worried about what people consider to be grindy actually is.

    I play PvP in GW2, the PVE content so far Ive enjoyed, I have to work to get my specialisation and I feel rewarded in doing so. The mentality here is based on a hope that down voting with a real small minority will change things, which I find pretty sad. Theres free thinking and then theirs scare tactics. Be    Im quite worried about what people consider to be grindy actually is.

    I play PvP in GW2, the PVE content so far Ive enjoyed, I have to work to get my specialisation and I feel rewarded in doing so. The mentality here is based on a hope that down voting with a real small minority will change things, which I find pretty sad. Theres free thinking and then theirs scare tactics. Be constructive in feedback rather than down voting an expac that clearly doesn't deserve it. My reasons it doesnt? The elite specs are amazing thus far and balance patches to come thick and fast. The new class is great fun and viable already in the pvp scene. The pve maps are well designed and offer a lot for different players, the guild hall system is pretty dam awesome as well. Thanks. Jeb    … Expand
  31. k005
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Take this from someone who has played this game since closed beta, and has seen many popular MMOs go through their first expansions. (WoW, TERA, FFXIV, ect.) The launch for the expansion itself has been incredibly smooth. There has been absolutely NO server downtime whatsoever. The developers have listened to player feedback and have made changes to certain requirements to the game as soonTake this from someone who has played this game since closed beta, and has seen many popular MMOs go through their first expansions. (WoW, TERA, FFXIV, ect.) The launch for the expansion itself has been incredibly smooth. There has been absolutely NO server downtime whatsoever. The developers have listened to player feedback and have made changes to certain requirements to the game as soon as 2 days post-launch. They didn't introduce a new level cap, or a higher tier of gear, so if you're thinking about coming back to the game from a long sabbatical you don't have to worry about having to "catch up."

    Now for the polarizing element - the "grind." You obviously won't have to dig deep to see complaints of a fabled "grind" that is supposedly plaguing the new content. This is due to a progression mechanic put in place to emulate a post-level-80 progression in the form of a mastery system. Please take the words of those who whine about this with a grain of salt. Heart of Thorns released with the promise of more challenging and progression-oriented content, and that was delivered. Unfortunately, the previous game's state didn't cater to such casual play, leading to many entitled feelings about what people "deserve" to have unlocked just by buying the expansion.

    It's currently two days post launch and I am at Mastery "level" 8. I've seen people as high as level 70. Two days in. Level 70 Mastery Points. Let that sink in. To put this in perspective, a Mastery level of 6 is all that is required to traverse the new multi-layered maps efficiently. And a Mastery level of 142 will bless you with ALL of the masteries. Yes, all of them. Two days in and people are about halfway done. Yet the "Grind" is too much.

    Hence, why I am imploring you to PLEASE take the comments you see here with a grain of salt. (Yes, even mine.) If you're actually interested in figuring out what Heart of Thorns is REALLY like.: Go to Twitch and watch some streams, or download GW2 (the base game is free now) and ask around for honest opinions.    … Expand
  32. 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
  33. bearbowbaggins
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Do I think that the jungle region is challenging? Yes.
    Do I think that the jungle region is impossible? Heck, no.
    What I love most about the expansion is that it offers you a compelling new region that encourages you to push your limits to become a better player, and rewards you for doing so. Sure, it might seem daunting at first, but when you modify your builds and strategies, develop    Do I think that the jungle region is challenging? Yes.
    Do I think that the jungle region is impossible? Heck, no.

    What I love most about the expansion is that it offers you a compelling new region that encourages you to push your limits to become a better player, and rewards you for doing so. Sure, it might seem daunting at first, but when you modify your builds and strategies, develop more masteries, and learn more about each region it becomes a truly exciting experience. Add to this a wonderful soundtrack, personal story arc, rich characters, exciting events and lore, raids, adventures, world bosses and you have a wonderful experience. Honestly, it's just nice to be able to see and explore things for the first time and feel so amazed again. This expansion reminded me why I decided to call guild wars 2 my home in the first place.    … Expand
  34. BlazzBolt
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    This expansion is amazing! There's so much to do, and it feels like I'll be able to keep enjoying the content for quite a while. The new zones feel great and have very interesting stories. The new masteries are fun to level up and it's really nice to see myself become more powerful over time as I complete the masteries.
  35. Vissarion
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Really thrilling story, much content, best expansion best mmorpg ever played.

    Don't listen to the guys saying its a grind, they want to complete whole content in a day, thats not possible for mmos.

    If you haven't played gw2:HoT really try it, and then you will see for yourself, this game deserves a try for everyone that claims to be a gamer.
  36. 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.
  37. quip7
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    This expansion addresses so many issues that the game. The story is much improved over vanilla and the mobs in the open world actually have a pulse(ie they have a decent amount of challenge) which is a really good thing. The world is beautifully designed and the platforming elements are top notch and some of the best I've ever seen in video games.
  38. emomartian
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Lots of new content, thrilling story - this is exactly what I was waiting for. I don't know why people are complaining about the gated content - all of the most important content is immediately available, and progression is account-wide.
  39. phaedrux
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Gorgeous world design, enormous amounts of new content, engaging 'elite' extensions to each class. Narrative aspects improve immensely on what the core game offers- the story is great, well voiced, well written, interesting.

    The new mastery system will take time to, well, master. So far nothing has felt unfairly time consuming, from my perspective as a moderate/casual player. The new    Gorgeous world design, enormous amounts of new content, engaging 'elite' extensions to each class. Narrative aspects improve immensely on what the core game offers- the story is great, well voiced, well written, interesting.

    The new mastery system will take time to, well, master. So far nothing has felt unfairly time consuming, from my perspective as a moderate/casual player. The new zones are fun, the events and enemies can be difficult. Sometimes forcing players to rethink their approach and change the way they've been playing in order to progress.

    The expansion doesn't offer itself up politely on a silver platter, but instead rewards the curious, the intrepid, and the adventurous. The jungle is a dangerous place and it might kick your ass a few times- but wow is it fun.

    Highly recommended, most fun I've had in a game in years.    … Expand
  40. scottmjones
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Having read other reviews on here i thought i would correct alot of the negative reviews, first of all i will start by stating that i wasnt a fan of the pve during the first 3 years of gw2 i played the game solely for wvw, my opinion has changed massively during HOT the pve doesnt require "grinding" there are numerous HUGE multi layered maps that you can explore with gliders, by jumping onHaving read other reviews on here i thought i would correct alot of the negative reviews, first of all i will start by stating that i wasnt a fan of the pve during the first 3 years of gw2 i played the game solely for wvw, my opinion has changed massively during HOT the pve doesnt require "grinding" there are numerous HUGE multi layered maps that you can explore with gliders, by jumping on mushrooms or by using portals, there are hundereds of events that take place on these maps that easily give you enough different content to get your characters the traits needed and also to provide tens of hours of entertainment alone. WvW has had a massive overhaul with new desert borderlands and new systems to adress issues with ganking of dolyaks that are being defended. It seems to me that the people moaning expansion just want a game with no challenge, i urge you to ignore such negative and moronic reviews and to try the game yourself, I for one am extremely surprised by the depth and large amount of content that came with the expansion. I'd also like to commend anet on the launch, unlike other mmorpg launches and expansion releases I had no lag, no huge grouping of players causing issues and have found no bugs up to this point… Expand
  41. Evaara
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Unique events, expansive maps, a GREAT new story, HoT is well worth the $50 spent. All these complaints regarding grind are superfluous and extremely entitled. People who have been playing GW2 are taking for granted that core content was easily maxed out because they've had years put into it and can level an alt to max using previously acquired Tomes of Knowledge. The mastery system itselfUnique events, expansive maps, a GREAT new story, HoT is well worth the $50 spent. All these complaints regarding grind are superfluous and extremely entitled. People who have been playing GW2 are taking for granted that core content was easily maxed out because they've had years put into it and can level an alt to max using previously acquired Tomes of Knowledge. The mastery system itself is ACCOUNT WIDE and once you finish the initial acquisition of necessary masteries it's extremely alt-a-holic friendly.

    People expect to get everything from day 1 and a lot of these ungrateful reviews stem from the entitlement not realizing that they are already playing a MAX LEVEL character and are just unlocking stuff (e.g. explorable areas, alternate job classes [calles elite specializations], story, etc.] BY PLAYING THE GAME. It's not even gated behind a paywall (aside from buying the expansion of course) and the exp required to unlock the minimum requirement of masteries to complete the story mode and a lot of the areas isn't even that high.

    I'm not a "hardcore" gamer that can waste 12-16 hours of my time in a game, I work and have a life. At max I can play 2 hours on weekdays and 8 hours on weekends and EVERYTHING is attainable even at my snail's pace. The people who complain about "grind" and leave extremely negative reviews are uninformed, entitled, and spoiled players who've never actually experienced a true grind like those who have played other MMOs such as World of Warcraft, Ragnarok Online, TERA, etc.

    For a first expansion Heart of Thorns offers three important things:

    1. Extremely creative and challenging new content.
    2. Very good replayability.
    3. Beautiful gameplay which encompasses all the new mechanics, story, areas, and experience.

    Heart of Thorns is a beautiful, well thought out, and extremely passionate expansion with a lot of HEART and SOUL put into it. Everything provided was beyond expectations and the people who complain about a SINGLE aspect of the game that are LARGELY BASED ON ENTITLED OPINION (thinking that HoT content is gated behind grind oriented mechanics) and give unfair review scores like 1 or lower are extremely biased and obviously lacks credibility. Game content exists to be COMPLETED after all. If everything is provided at the get go then there is no point to a game at all.

    TL;DR: - PROS: Great and a LARGE amount of content, great story, great gameplay, great delivery, by far the SMOOTHEST first day of expansion launch for ANY game that I've ever played, extremely well balanced challenging content, beautiful maps and areas, creative alternate job classes.

    CONS: Shattering the expectations of ENTITLED and SPOILED PROFESSIONAL CASUALS (a derogatory term for people who expect to get everything from day 1 without actually playing the game) due to being put into a state of laziness due to the nature of core content alternate character leveling (Tomes of Knowlege) and the easiness of acquiring content in the base game due to cumulative and collective wisdom and knowledge of the community from playing the base game for 3 years.    … Expand
  42. Opt1mysyq
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Arenanet have knocked the ball out of the park again really fun Expansion. New zones have been added that really change how exploration works and new skills to assist in your exploration like gliding and mushroom jumping are hella fun. Have not finished the main story line yet but i have a feeling it will be great going on what i have played so far (first chapter). If you enjoyed the baseArenanet have knocked the ball out of the park again really fun Expansion. New zones have been added that really change how exploration works and new skills to assist in your exploration like gliding and mushroom jumping are hella fun. Have not finished the main story line yet but i have a feeling it will be great going on what i have played so far (first chapter). If you enjoyed the base game at launch you'll love this new addition and don't hesitate to recommend to anyone.… Expand
  43. purple_llama
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    I've been a long time fan of the Guild Wars series, and Heart of Thorns is an excellent continuation of the series. It provides new things to do in both old and new maps, with the new maps being a crazy 3D experience that feels like you'll never actually run out of nooks and crannies to discover.

    There's some long term progression added in here as well, you can work towards masteries to    I've been a long time fan of the Guild Wars series, and Heart of Thorns is an excellent continuation of the series. It provides new things to do in both old and new maps, with the new maps being a crazy 3D experience that feels like you'll never actually run out of nooks and crannies to discover.

    There's some long term progression added in here as well, you can work towards masteries to improve your abilities - gliding, bouncing, even some in the old maps for working on creating legendary items and other things. All of that is account bound so you only have to earn it once. You also don't need it to get to the new content, I've walked all the way to the last map with only two of them just begun, and I think I didn't even need them - but gliding is just too much fun to not do it!

    There's also character progression - instead of a slew of new classes or an increased level & gear cap they've added a way to have your character specialize in a line that changes their role a bit. It does take a bit of working towards but I've been working on other stuff for the few days since launch and I've almost fully unlocked mine already anyways.

    Looking forward to what comes next!    … Expand
  44. CannibalShinobi
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Took me less than 3 days to unlock the new sub class fully for my Scrapper. Wasn't hard at all, didn't have to even complete all the challenges in the first 3 zones to do it. There is no grind, unlike most MMOs. Great casual fun.
  45. HighestHand
    Nov 19, 2015
    10
    Love the new zones, and the quests that bring the community closer to each other.

    You have a day and night cycle and both cycles are extremely fun. You have raids that came out, personally I haven't tried, but I am a big fan of raids and challenging content. My philosophy is to git gud or die trying.
  46. JulianSullivan
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The new specializations removed a lot of the stealth meta from PvP, which made it a lot more fun. The story of the living world is a lot more dramatic and Game of Throne-y. The open world is a legitimate challenge instead of everything dying in a single hit. The missions are tuned a bit low right now, but that might change. Everything about this game is absolutely beautiful, even at theThe new specializations removed a lot of the stealth meta from PvP, which made it a lot more fun. The story of the living world is a lot more dramatic and Game of Throne-y. The open world is a legitimate challenge instead of everything dying in a single hit. The missions are tuned a bit low right now, but that might change. Everything about this game is absolutely beautiful, even at the lowest settings (which I have to use because I run it on a potato). There's a tiny bit of grind to get mastery points, but you really don't need that many and the "grind" is doing distinctive missions and quests in the open world. That's hardly a grind. It's slightly annoying that you have to move away from the story, but honestly it's making me take it in small chunks so the game is lasting a bit longer.… Expand
  47. Grahaka47
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    awesome expansion,Anet is really daring to take a different approach considering the current generic MMO market.

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

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

    best expansion i hve played in years in any game.

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

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

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

    this expansion is not aimed at players who have experienced linear progression its for explorers, adventures, lore searchers and hard core people not filthy casuals who want instant gratification and then yell for more content and complaint the game lacks end game.    … Expand
  48. Volphy
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Despite the brigade that is plaguing this page with negative reviews, Heart of Thorns is a wonderful expansion designed by Anet. Despite the few issues that we have at launch concerning the amount of XP it takes to level up masteries, and the issues that Druid has since the changes from beta, Heart of Thorns is a huge, lovely, and downright masterful expansion. On release day it's serversDespite the brigade that is plaguing this page with negative reviews, Heart of Thorns is a wonderful expansion designed by Anet. Despite the few issues that we have at launch concerning the amount of XP it takes to level up masteries, and the issues that Druid has since the changes from beta, Heart of Thorns is a huge, lovely, and downright masterful expansion. On release day it's servers remained rock-solid too, something I have not seen in MMOs to this very day.

    I give Heart of Thorns an outstanding review of 9/10. The extra point is there because of all of the low-score brigading that is happening. Two days after release.    … Expand
  49. Derrian
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Example of expansion done right. Level cap wasn't increased and youc an easily level up ALL your masteries while exploring. Play this if you don't have the classic millenial "must have ALL the shinies now" complex
  50. Daraku9
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Heart of Thorns adds to GW2 by improving the combat, adding better late game content, improving the story and tons of other things that you can find out more about on GW2's website. At the moment the only problems that people have found is that a couple of the quests are bugged so you might have to restart your client or the instance to fix them. Considering that the bugs can be fixedHeart of Thorns adds to GW2 by improving the combat, adding better late game content, improving the story and tons of other things that you can find out more about on GW2's website. At the moment the only problems that people have found is that a couple of the quests are bugged so you might have to restart your client or the instance to fix them. Considering that the bugs can be fixed and none of the bugged content was in the beta weekend so none of it was thoroughly playtested it isn't much of a problem. Some people claim that the expansion is grindy but I'm honestly not sure what they were expecting as content that can be played over and over again will eventually become grindy and since im 36 hours into the expansion and I haven't even explored all the maps yet it's going to take a long while to reach that point.… Expand
  51. Sagath
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    Don't believe all the haters about this game. Getting an elite spec is time taking but worth it, it's like a training sequence for your character. Jungle is tough place to be but Anet wants to bring players together to fight Mordremoth, just find nearby friends to play with. Be social.

    This expansion is what core game should have been all about.
  52. Graith
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The fact that this expansion is getting even a single negative review is appalling to me. This expansion is everything that Guild Wars 2 was in desperate need of. Most of these negative reviews are people complaining about having to play content in order to get mastery points. You’re actually complaining about having new content to play? Is this even a real complaint? Mastery Points areThe fact that this expansion is getting even a single negative review is appalling to me. This expansion is everything that Guild Wars 2 was in desperate need of. Most of these negative reviews are people complaining about having to play content in order to get mastery points. You’re actually complaining about having new content to play? Is this even a real complaint? Mastery Points are something you earn from doing that thing in games we all love to do which is have fun in new content. The fact that people are complaining about it is disgusting. Go back to WoW you can buy yourself a character there and do nothing, it will be more fun for you scrubs.
    Next let’s talk about elite specs. People are complaining that they need hero points to get them. Once again.. play the content. More importantly what have you been doing over the last 3 years? I was able to get my elite spec on two of my characters day one upon log in.. because I play the content. The elite specs are all extremely fun and it’s clear that a good amount of time and balance effort has been put into making them feel right. They are a joy to play and I am looking forward to leveling my 3rd.
    This expansion is fantastic… so much new content to explore and new things to work towards in the coming years. I hope Anet does not even waste time reading these negative unfounded reviews. There is nothing but awesome things to explore and discover in this expansion. Each new event is met with new challenges that take tactics to bring down instead of zerging a boss to death. Sorry kids this means again you will have to play the content, which seems like a challenging notion.
    There is no pay gate to fractals or any other content in the game. There does seem to be a competence gate, based on players who want to actually work for things and those that just want them handed to them. Keep up the fantastic work Anet, I’m not someone that has endless hours to play and I can’t wait to spend even more time in your new world.    … Expand
  53. shaitanbek
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    I just don't like new WvW map, everything else is just fine. I'm laughing at people who whine that they cannot complete new content in one day. There's no grind unless you choose to grind.
  54. Blucky87
    Oct 25, 2015
    10
    I recently restarted playing after about 2 years and the exp pack areas provide a lot of fun but I wish the way you get hero points and mastery levels in the new expansion were reversed,
  55. CheriWonderland
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    This game is fantastic, and what you see here is the trend of entitlement that people figure they should get everything instantly, with no effort. When ArenaNET handed out free episodes every 2 weeks, people complained that there wasn't enough and it was forcing them to keep coming back. So, ArenaNET bows to the angry unwashed and creates an expansion, designed so that people don't finishThis game is fantastic, and what you see here is the trend of entitlement that people figure they should get everything instantly, with no effort. When ArenaNET handed out free episodes every 2 weeks, people complained that there wasn't enough and it was forcing them to keep coming back. So, ArenaNET bows to the angry unwashed and creates an expansion, designed so that people don't finish it in one weekend.

    Sure enough, rage ensues with cheap shots of "gates" and "paywalls," when any adventure game player should know that the point is to progress over time and get better. Otherwise, what's the point?

    I have over 7,000 hours into the original game, and even people whom I played with previously and left the game have returned and are extremely enthusiastic about the new content.

    The maps are beautiful. The events scale to work with a few people or a hundred, better than ever - and many of the old boss mechanics have been updated to keep things fresh and challenging.

    Finally, ArenaNET outdid themselves by released not only the expansion, but the Halloween temporary games for the Play for Free people to get something new.

    Play for free, stay for the best community .. these idiots aren't a fair example of what's in game.    … Expand
  56. Keorl
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Engaging story and veyr well designed story missions. Lots of beautiful landscapes. 4 huge nd very different map-wide meta events. Tons of features, including a few details that were asked for a long time. Lots of progression added for your characters and account. Good amounts of new stuff to do, from story to exploration to events to progression to fractals to lots of nice journeysEngaging story and veyr well designed story missions. Lots of beautiful landscapes. 4 huge nd very different map-wide meta events. Tons of features, including a few details that were asked for a long time. Lots of progression added for your characters and account. Good amounts of new stuff to do, from story to exploration to events to progression to fractals to lots of nice journeys (collections) ...

    This expansion is really great.

    Ignore the amount of negative reviews : they are the result of a call for bombing, from a few people who dislike a detail, didn't understand the non-linear for of exploration in HoT (can't do something in 1st map ? Come back later when you have naturally learned the mastery, you don't have to grind for it) and/or want everything served to them immediately (insta-unlock of masteries and elite specs, which in fact build the mid term progression for the game ... it's an MMO; you have to work a bit to progress, you can't have all that on DAY1. There is no grind needed for those things unless you decide to make them a grind by yourself)    … Expand
  57. Luckygecko
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    I love the expansion, the jungle is challenging, but it's doable solo. the new specialisation are great, the jungle maps feels epic. The new guild system look great. the musics are good. I am enjoying it a lot and so does all my guild members
  58. plexon21
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    I am already loving this addon. Great story,ine and some very amazing maps with a huge variety and a lot of verticality. Totally worth checking out.
    ArenaNet did a great job with this expansion. The only problem I have with it are all the people whining about not being able to finish all of it in the first weekend.
  59. Rayzer
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Love this expansion the story is definitely way better than the old one and the new maps and the music that accompanies these maps are just superb the composers and map designers did an freaking amazing job especially with the meta events. The mastery system is really good been especially the gilding that one is really fun to use.I still progressing through my elite spec at a steady paceLove this expansion the story is definitely way better than the old one and the new maps and the music that accompanies these maps are just superb the composers and map designers did an freaking amazing job especially with the meta events. The mastery system is really good been especially the gilding that one is really fun to use.I still progressing through my elite spec at a steady pace so far its been fun playing my druid. I don't get what people are saying about being grind I mean you gotta do it once then the masteries are your for all your characters I didn't expect them to be handed to me in the first few days same goes for the elites specs they may not be account unlocked but getting the masteries the first really brings down the amount time for you spend unlocking them. I can pretty much assure you that the people complaining about grinding would be the same people who would have complained if they were to easy to get and then leave the game saying that it was to easy and "lol no endgame"

    I strongly recommend getting expac if your level 80 atleast if not try the game out using the Play 4 Free option    … Expand
  60. Blanc0
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Heart of thorns, the very first expansion for an amazing game that has been going strong for years now. Anet tried to do things differently then most mmo's and not raise the lvl cap or add better gear, cause who wants to grind for more gear cause their old max gear has become useless?

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

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

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

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

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

    There are lots of changes in Heart of Thorns and the way it is set up it will require some time to unlock every new addition to the core game Guild Wars 2. Just like it took time to lvl from 1 to 80 in the core game, masteries and elite specs are just a new and fresh way of levelling without raising the lvl cap or adding a new gear tier. It will keep you busy and it will keep you exploring every nook and cranny of the new amazing jungle maps. Those who love Guild Wars 2, will love Heart of Thorns.    … Expand
  61. nanananana
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    While there's some things to work out for Anet, the game is literally the most fun I've had with an mmo in so many years. In a game with no subscription fee. That I got for 33 euro. I mean, come on man. What is up with these negative reviews. Sure, whenever there's a problem you need time to work it out. It's like that with all expansions and game releases. The expansion is tons of fun.While there's some things to work out for Anet, the game is literally the most fun I've had with an mmo in so many years. In a game with no subscription fee. That I got for 33 euro. I mean, come on man. What is up with these negative reviews. Sure, whenever there's a problem you need time to work it out. It's like that with all expansions and game releases. The expansion is tons of fun. Can't emphasize enough on that.… Expand
  62. lordklod
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    great exp with good content. Not done in a day and a lot of fun things to do. The story is amazing and the music in the game is lovely. The mastery system is good.
  63. Swoo
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The hew zone design is amazing. If you are an explorer you will love it. It starts a bit slow for the first couple of hours as you unlock gliding and mushroom mastery, but then it is a blast.
  64. AnonyLol
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Its a great expansion. Very very fun to play, and the most important part, it fully integrates into the existing world (so not like wow where everyone moves on to a new area and the existing areas get completly empty). All the people who are giving bad reviews are just crying because of some problems which will be fixed by arenanet soon.
  65. harveyaddams
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    This is quite possibly the best MMO expansion I have played. The game encounters can get quite difficult, getting mobbed by monsters is as devastating as it should be, and the progression feels earned for once. The storyline and cinematics are magnificent, dwarfed only by the amazing soundtrack. I am normally very anti-grind, but this feels far more productive than simply smashing "X" mobsThis is quite possibly the best MMO expansion I have played. The game encounters can get quite difficult, getting mobbed by monsters is as devastating as it should be, and the progression feels earned for once. The storyline and cinematics are magnificent, dwarfed only by the amazing soundtrack. I am normally very anti-grind, but this feels far more productive than simply smashing "X" mobs for gold. The difficulty is reminiscent of classic EverQuest, with the mastery system feeling earned, rather than just given. I have been thrilled so far, and expect the thrills to continue as the living story unfolds in the future.… Expand
  66. Keridos
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The expansion is awesome, a lot of new content, old content was balanced. The new maps are gorgeous, hard enough to be a challenge and still feel rewarding and are a lot of fun to play for me. The new Mastery system also is pretty well designed except for a few minor things like the mentor badge.
    Gliding is super awesome in the new maps!
    Did not check out the elite specs yet but they    The expansion is awesome, a lot of new content, old content was balanced. The new maps are gorgeous, hard enough to be a challenge and still feel rewarding and are a lot of fun to play for me. The new Mastery system also is pretty well designed except for a few minor things like the mentor badge.
    Gliding is super awesome in the new maps!
    Did not check out the elite specs yet but they were pretty cool in the BWE. Cost quite much Hero Points to unlock them, but it feels good to not rush through the content as is was before the expansion. Most of the stuff does not really feel that grindy for me, at least compared to other MMO's, if you think GW2 is grindy, go play Ragnarok Online (on Vanilla EXP rates) for a few months and then come back. Some of the new content is rather hard to get, but it was pretty much the same in the original GW2 and GW1. Fancy Armor/Weapons often means farming materials for a prolonged time. The new "grindy" content however is very versatile in what you have to do, so in my opinion it does not really feel that much like a grind.

    The launch was one of the smoothest launches for Expansions/MMO's I have ever seen. Almost no lag, just a few minor bugs, almost no crashes and none other inconveniences.

    They have pretty much delivered what the promised us, so the pure negative reviews of HoT are mostly extremely one sided and ignore the fact that they did a damn good job on at least 90% of the content.
    Honestly, it was mentioned that Legendaries will still be not that easy to get, it also was mentioned that the new system was not fast to play through and that the high end content would need skill and good equip to get through. What do you think that means? People WANTED a more end game focused expansion and they exactly delivered that. Endgame focused means: Hard to master, you have to learn the content before you actually can do something effectively in there and it should provide fun and new things to see for the next year or longer. Now people are downvoting this after 3 DAYS(!) and complaining about how you have to grind for some of the new stuff. Just my 2 cents to the (kiddies giving) bad reviews here with no logical structure behind them and no real arguments.    … Expand
  67. thedarkess
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    People asked for end game content and they got expansion that focuses primarily on end game. We've got challenging content and no-faceroll PvE, character progression beyond max level, increadible story telling and most stunning zones I've ever seen. And yet people complain they can't get everything 1st day of expansion! Hypocrites.
  68. ToodleNoodles
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Huge amount of content added, things that will keep me busy for years to come. Anet has kept its vision of the game pure while being as transparent as possible in the design process giving the player base huge amounts of power over the state and direction it goes. They deal with problems as they come up and while some decisions are not always popular, they make them for good reasons thatHuge amount of content added, things that will keep me busy for years to come. Anet has kept its vision of the game pure while being as transparent as possible in the design process giving the player base huge amounts of power over the state and direction it goes. They deal with problems as they come up and while some decisions are not always popular, they make them for good reasons that can be plainly seen if one steps back and looks at it.

    The game itself is gorgeous, maps have a huge amount of love put into each one. The collections and achievements added will keep me engaged for long after the release hype has died down, and the elite specializations make me interested in trying out professions i don't usually play.    … Expand
  69. Gaaroth
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    *CONTENT*
    This expansion introduces a LOT of new stuff both in content and systems.
    Masteries - new horizontal way to unlock powers and capacities to improve you gameplay, like gliding and further improvements, lore masteries to unlock merchants, challenges or allow furter exploration in the new region, or bonuses and better rewards in core game dungeons. This allows progression with    *CONTENT*
    This expansion introduces a LOT of new stuff both in content and systems.

    Masteries - new horizontal way to unlock powers and capacities to improve you gameplay, like gliding and further improvements, lore masteries to unlock merchants, challenges or allow furter exploration in the new region, or bonuses and better rewards in core game dungeons. This allows progression with invalidation of previous progression both in gear and levels acquired.

    Elite specialization - a new traitline for each class with new gameplay possibilities.

    New Class - Revenant, tha cover the last heavy armor slot allowing for even more combination in the group setups.

    New story - that keeps where the last chapter of living story left us, moving us to fight against the elder dragon Mordremoth

    All those new systems blends togheter perfectly and despite people opinion they are not grindy to get. You are expected to play the content to unlock that and if you let that flow naturally is very enjoyable and fun. Masteries are even account bound so you have them ready for your alts.
    The new story is glorious and a huge step up from the previous content

    Art & Music
    I want to make this mention of honor because the new maps' design and the soundtrack are both astonishing. I can stare for hours at the beautiful sights and be thrilled everytime by the amazing musics.

    This expansion is what the community asked for and Arenanet delivered with flying (pun intended) colors.    … Expand
  70. JamEngulfer
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    I think Heart of Thorns is a brilliant expansion. The main thing I've noticed with it with respect to gameplay is that it is much harder than regular open world, with only 2 enemies being able to kill you outright. The jungle is meant to be hardcore endgame content and it really shows in the difficulty.

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

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

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

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

    I for one think it's great and that they produced a great expansion that lived up to the hype.    … Expand
  71. SonicShadow
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Excellent expansion. ANet shows how it should be done. Free yourselves of the gear treadmill and round robin loot rolls! Horizontal progression takes a little adapting to for those used to a tradtional grindfest, but it works.
  72. monzese
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    It's a fantastic expansion with tons of hard and large new areas to explore each with many interesting new event,quests, collectibles, puzzles, story... ecc
    Graphic and sound are simply awesome, so great that sometimes I forget it's an MMO.
    Adventuring through the jungle is a truly memorable endeavor. Almost all of the negative review are for Hero points . Yes they're quite hard to    It's a fantastic expansion with tons of hard and large new areas to explore each with many interesting new event,quests, collectibles, puzzles, story... ecc
    Graphic and sound are simply awesome, so great that sometimes I forget it's an MMO.
    Adventuring through the jungle is a truly memorable endeavor.
    Almost all of the negative review are for Hero points .
    Yes they're quite hard to get, but ask yourself : do you really like a game where you get all in 2-3 days ?
    No thanks.
    GW2 still remains the best mmo atm.    … Expand
  73. atatahir
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    This expansion is providing me the best gaming experience I have ever had, surpassing even my Vanilla WoW experience.
    First, the expansion is huge I mean really huge. There is so much to do that it is becoming difficult to focus on one thing a long.
    Like the base game of Guild Wars 2 this expansion also focuses on exploration and providing a journey in PvE. The Zones that you journey    This expansion is providing me the best gaming experience I have ever had, surpassing even my Vanilla WoW experience.
    First, the expansion is huge I mean really huge. There is so much to do that it is becoming difficult to focus on one thing a long.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    There is so much more I could write, but I have to go back and play more Guild Wars 2.    … Expand
  74. Caleca
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Lots of new content, huge new maps, a really nice new profession and finally a sense of progress over time. Mmos are all about character progress and as long the work to make my character better and better is fun, I wouldn't call it grind. From what I've seen until now, it seems it will be a lot of fun. Kids nowadays just wan everything instantly. I guess they would be happy if they couldLots of new content, huge new maps, a really nice new profession and finally a sense of progress over time. Mmos are all about character progress and as long the work to make my character better and better is fun, I wouldn't call it grind. From what I've seen until now, it seems it will be a lot of fun. Kids nowadays just wan everything instantly. I guess they would be happy if they could max every character in their account in one week. Another week after that they would be complaining they are bored because there is nothing else for them to do. Whiners gonna whine.… Expand
  75. Cjcrew
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    This is fairly simple,They give us new content we pay for it.,Just because you could get the Elite specializations from start in the beta weekends doesn't mean you won't have to "work" for them now that the expansion is out people need to stop whining about that and also for the people that thought 4 maps where too little i can say that atleast verdant brink alone is the size of 2This is fairly simple,They give us new content we pay for it.,Just because you could get the Elite specializations from start in the beta weekends doesn't mean you won't have to "work" for them now that the expansion is out people need to stop whining about that and also for the people that thought 4 maps where too little i can say that atleast verdant brink alone is the size of 2 queensdale with 3x times of content to go through.Nothing else i have to say the expansion is great and of course it has some flaws but it's anet's first expansion ... please people get your **** together and help make it better don't conspire to make bad reviews to get anet's attention on something very specific you personally don't like jesus christ.. just go and play the game enjoy it.Forget the "i need to get everything unlocked asap" mentality and just go and have fun! cya in the Maguuma Jungle.… Expand
  76. MrKurteous
    Nov 24, 2015
    10
    I've had an absolute blast with this game, the maps are beutiful and filled with captivating and just-enough-challenging events to entertain for hours and hours. The gameplay is absolutely amazing and the progression is incredibly rewarding. The changes to PvP are darn juicy too. That being said, it's not everyone's cup of tea. There is a fair amount of challenge and most of the moreI've had an absolute blast with this game, the maps are beutiful and filled with captivating and just-enough-challenging events to entertain for hours and hours. The gameplay is absolutely amazing and the progression is incredibly rewarding. The changes to PvP are darn juicy too. That being said, it's not everyone's cup of tea. There is a fair amount of challenge and most of the more attractive rewards require a decent amount of work. If you're not too fond of the new gameplay it might feel annoying to get them, but in general both hardcore players and more casuals can have a great time.… Expand
  77. bobrysh
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    its still good
    great Expansion the launch went smoothly for me and I have no major issue. Its everything I wanted in an expansion its harder and a lot of fun. The map design and music is just amazing! The new masteries are fun to level up and it's really nice to see myself become more powerful over time as I complete the masteries.
  78. Kyten
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The content is amazing and beautiful. People tend to complain about a so called grind but it's really sad to see how people are unwilling to do little effort to get anything out of the game there are people who already unlocked 3 full specs withing days of release. For someone that plays gw2 for more than 2 years I have to say well done ANET you outdid yourselves.
  79. Phoenix75
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Great story, Brilliant map design which requires work. Great new events system which lacks players at the moment. Anet have clearly put a lot of hard work into this expansion and it shows, from the mastery system, guild halls finally The game is however plagued by a lot of lazy people as shown in the game's forums who want everything handed to them on a plate with little effort. These areGreat story, Brilliant map design which requires work. Great new events system which lacks players at the moment. Anet have clearly put a lot of hard work into this expansion and it shows, from the mastery system, guild halls finally The game is however plagued by a lot of lazy people as shown in the game's forums who want everything handed to them on a plate with little effort. These are the trolls that are bombing Metacritic with bad reviews.These are the same people in a months time will be complaining that there's no content. I would ignore the trolls and let them throw there toys out of there prams as they usually do. The game isn't without it's problems have experienced a lot crashing to desktop, but I'm sure these will be ironed out. Great job on Heart of Thorns Anet.… Expand
  80. Bunkhead
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Lots of stuff to explore. Don't expect to finish this in one weekend and move on. It adds content to almost every part of endgame (dungeons are the only exception, but fractals are suppose to take their place).

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

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

    I like the new class specializations. In most MMOs, you would get a new skill that either upgrades or replaces the one you have. In HoT, you get a whole group of skills and weapons that compliment your character. You can swap to these at will (out of combat), and the specialization does not negate the base classes skills.    … Expand
  81. karaliuss300
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Amazing expansion, the enemies mechanics are interesting, new zones are freaking amazing. I can't stand grinding, but doing it ONCE for all the characters evens it out. Most of the bad reviews come from people that think grinding is what's not doable in 1 day. But then again, if there was no gating, people would play through it in a week and cry there's not enough content. You can't pleaseAmazing expansion, the enemies mechanics are interesting, new zones are freaking amazing. I can't stand grinding, but doing it ONCE for all the characters evens it out. Most of the bad reviews come from people that think grinding is what's not doable in 1 day. But then again, if there was no gating, people would play through it in a week and cry there's not enough content. You can't please everyone as it seems, but going and begging on forums to put bad reviews here isn't what a normal person should. They are literally trying to sink the game because of tiny things when the fact it's live for only 4 days, yet. This is the smoothest expansion release I've seen so far.

    About elite specs, I'm not sure what's wrong people. They cry about hard content but then when they get hard hero challenges, they go and cry that it's not possible to do solo, um how about you go and FIND SOME FRIENDS in a MMO. Some of these reasons of bad review are plain stupid.    … Expand
  82. Verthiss
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    This expansion feels amazing. I would never thought it will be that good, it dramatically changed my experience of the game. I didn't have much trust for ANet after the first season of living story, I had a little more after the second season, but expac exceeded all my expectations.
    Elite specs are great. New weapon, skills, traits and mechanic are more than enough to make me feel like    This expansion feels amazing. I would never thought it will be that good, it dramatically changed my experience of the game. I didn't have much trust for ANet after the first season of living story, I had a little more after the second season, but expac exceeded all my expectations.
    Elite specs are great. New weapon, skills, traits and mechanic are more than enough to make me feel like I'm playing something more than my regular profession. Earning new skill points is finally useful again, feels great too.

    Mastery system is freaking smart. It makes me feel like my characters become better and better, even if their level is still the same. I'm just a little bit afraid that Masteries are to easy to get, after 3 days of playing the game I earned most important Masteries already and I was just casually exploring maps and doing events, without trying to be efficent at all.

    New profession - Revenant is excellent. Since the day GW2 launched I wanted it to have Ritualist from GW1. Revenant is playing to the Rit idea, but better and even more ritualist-like than the original ritualist was :D

    New story is AMAZING. My largest disappoinment from the core game was personal story, which was boooooring, even for a lore junkie I am. On the other hand, story I've done in HoT so far was just brilliant - fast-paced, engaging, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes just epic. I absolutely love it.

    I could complain about the quantity of content because we have only 4 maps, 2 guild halls and 1 large raid map (still locked for us as of today), but I it would be just unfair for several reasons:
    a) New maps are huge. Maybe we don't have a lot of new maps, but those are just vast, with multiple layers and a lot of stuff going on.
    b) New maps are DENSE. In the core game, sometimes you could run for 20 minutes, looking for any activity without a succes. Here, you don't have to look even for a minute, because they are events going on non stop, anywhere, anytime.
    c) For me, this expac isn't even about the content, it's about features. It's not more of the same GW2, it's entirely new experience. ANet developed new systems that made the game more fun, more exciting and EASILY EXPANDABLE. They created Mastery System, Elite Specs System, Guild System and so on - systems that they can easily build new things on from now on, faster and better than ever before.    … Expand
  83. Guildwars1996
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Guild wars 2 heart of thorns brings things this community have wanted for a long time hardcore content with the new maps and raids in a few weeks. Things to work for the masteries and elite specs that aren't grindy at all. The story to be good its not just good its fantastic.
  84. monzesandrea
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Story = 9 / 10 anet and blizzy are second to no one.
    Audio = 9 / 10 best audio and environment sound ever found in a mmo.
    Gameplay = 8 / 10 : quite hard to master but a great step forward from the core game. Replayability = 10 / 10 : there are so many things to do that i ' m quite scared. xD Farm = 6 / 10 cause ONLY for the first time you need to farm: REMEMBER that Mastery point are    Story = 9 / 10 anet and blizzy are second to no one.
    Audio = 9 / 10 best audio and environment sound ever found in a mmo.
    Gameplay = 8 / 10 : quite hard to master but a great step forward from the core game.
    Replayability = 10 / 10 : there are so many things to do that i ' m quite scared. xD
    Farm = 6 / 10 cause ONLY for the first time you need to farm: REMEMBER that Mastery point are UNLOCKED FOR EVERY PG YOU HAVE when you get them !

    Be honest : I wonder how is possible to give this awesome work 0 / 10.... lol    … Expand
  85. lIttle_shroomy
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    I'm giving HoT a preliminary 10 based on what I've seen so far, and will update the review in a few weeks once I have actually experienced more of the things included in this expansion.

    As someone who has played a lot of gw2 but had more or less stopped playing barring the living story updates I was looking forward to check out what was new in the expansion. I think anyone who    I'm giving HoT a preliminary 10 based on what I've seen so far, and will update the review in a few weeks once I have actually experienced more of the things included in this expansion.

    As someone who has played a lot of gw2 but had more or less stopped playing barring the living story updates I was looking forward to check out what was new in the expansion. I think anyone who enjoyed/enjoys the original guild wars 2 should enjoy this expansion.

    The new maps and aesthetics are beautiful and the overall feel/design seems very well thought out. There have been complaints regarding the new mastery system being used to increase the grind/gate the content, but it doesn't feel that way to me, it seems more that the mastery and elite spec systems just finally give me as a player something to aim towards in the game that has been missing since reaching lvl 80.

    With previous updates I would generally just burn through the content in a few hours and then that was it. I would put the game back on the shelf and wait until the next update. With this expansion I can choose to work towards specific mastery skills that will enable me to further explore/unlock different areas of the pve maps, and I'm happy about not being able to experience everything all at once. The maps actually feel as if they require exploring and contain secrets to be discovered which I am looking forward to doing!

    Anyway aside from the pve maps/story missions (very nice story missions so far) I still need to check out the new wvw borderlands, guild halls (seems like fun + gives our guild more of a purpose), raids and at some point level up a new revenant character! + loads more stuff I'm sure.

    So to sum it up, it seems this expansion contains a ridiculous amount of content/hours of entertainment for your money, and for now that's clearly worth 10/10!    … Expand
  86. Fharfanin
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    This expansion blew my mind! It is gorgeous! Maps are so beautiful and very fun to traverse, especially when you learn gliding, mushroom jumping etc I haven't had that much fun to just explore in ages :) Story is amazing and absolutely shocking, filled with fun challenges. I love the new difficulty of mobs, while they don't have huge amount of HP, they do hit hard! and new mechanics isThis expansion blew my mind! It is gorgeous! Maps are so beautiful and very fun to traverse, especially when you learn gliding, mushroom jumping etc I haven't had that much fun to just explore in ages :) Story is amazing and absolutely shocking, filled with fun challenges. I love the new difficulty of mobs, while they don't have huge amount of HP, they do hit hard! and new mechanics is very nice! Camera action mode proved to be th one thing i wished they added from the start, can't play without it!

    New specializations are so much fun as well, great animations, great feel to them. Some people expected to get them straight at the start, but it is unreasonable to expect to unlock elite spec on day one, however that was still possible for some vets. If you just play the game, then unlocking masteries and getting Hero Points comes naturally without feeling any repetition as there are a lot of different ways to get those.    … Expand
  87. ambgri
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    This expansion so far is better then I imagined. Since it was released, I've been playing a lot and there is just so much to do that it felt overwhelming at first. I enjoy the new mastery system a lot, and specialization may take some time to unlock all of it, but i'm okay with that, it gives everyone something to do that isn't complete in a couple days. The only bad experience that IThis expansion so far is better then I imagined. Since it was released, I've been playing a lot and there is just so much to do that it felt overwhelming at first. I enjoy the new mastery system a lot, and specialization may take some time to unlock all of it, but i'm okay with that, it gives everyone something to do that isn't complete in a couple days. The only bad experience that I had so far, was having the game crash on me.… Expand
  88. CirdanValen
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Excellent content, great story, the art & environments in the new areas are TOP NOTCH. Lots of new content and things to work towards. If you are a GW2 fan, you will love this game.
  89. Leahkell
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The expansion took risks by making changes to game play, and I am truly enjoying the challenge. The new zones, including the WvW borderlands, are gorgeous and an explorer's paradise. The story drew me in more than ever before and I am honestly looking forward to the journey.
  90. Lacus
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Great smooth launch, new content has lots of things to do. Huge maps and fun enemies. This is new level 80 content and the difficulty scales accordingly. There is finally some real sense of danger when exploring the jungle with contested waypoints and stronger mobs. There is a solid sense of character progression with the elite specialization and overall progression with Mastery levels.Great smooth launch, new content has lots of things to do. Huge maps and fun enemies. This is new level 80 content and the difficulty scales accordingly. There is finally some real sense of danger when exploring the jungle with contested waypoints and stronger mobs. There is a solid sense of character progression with the elite specialization and overall progression with Mastery levels. Leveling your mastery does not feel like a grind at all, instead you get immersed by all the events and story going on in the new areas.
    The gliding mechanic is a real joy.
    The maps feel much denser and look gorgeous. The new quality of life features should not have come any later. The new class introduced in this expansion, the Revenant, plays smoothly and nice animations, full elite spec unlocked after 2 days of launch.
    Music playing in the new maps is done amazingly.

    For the complainers who find it too hard, Queensdale is still accessible using waypoints (may cost up to a few silver to teleport though).    … Expand
  91. keirion
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Absolutely amazing. Pretty much the most polished expansion I've ever seen for a game. Almost no bugs, very well put together, and lots to do! I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys GW2. The new maps are absolutely huge and after 10 hours I've barely scratched the surface of the new content. This will definitely keep me busy for weeks.
  92. Lunar101
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Fantastic game. I see the '1' there from Rotondoman and read the comments and it's just worth a giggle. These are the people that go to the Grand Canyon with plasters over their eyes and complain that there's nothing to see. One doesn't even need imagination as the world is so breathtakingly beautiful. Extracts like 'boring' and 'unimaginative' make me think this person was paid to putFantastic game. I see the '1' there from Rotondoman and read the comments and it's just worth a giggle. These are the people that go to the Grand Canyon with plasters over their eyes and complain that there's nothing to see. One doesn't even need imagination as the world is so breathtakingly beautiful. Extracts like 'boring' and 'unimaginative' make me think this person was paid to put a review, as not even autism or Aspergers can account for this type of cognitive dysfunction. Events and such are amazing fun. It's not the usual structure...so ask people or do some research. The play style and event system may not be your thing, but anyone with eyes in their head and of sound mind can see this game just really is stunning.… Expand
  93. RayHawk
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    I've been absolutely blown away by this expansion in a wonderful way! My wife and I have been playing it together as much as possible since launch a few days ago and it's been some of the most fun I've ever had. So many new things and ways to progress without invalidating any of your existing progression is just awesome. Tons of new achievements, collections, and story -- it's everything II've been absolutely blown away by this expansion in a wonderful way! My wife and I have been playing it together as much as possible since launch a few days ago and it's been some of the most fun I've ever had. So many new things and ways to progress without invalidating any of your existing progression is just awesome. Tons of new achievements, collections, and story -- it's everything I was hoping for and more! Absolutely loving this game!… Expand
  94. Havanahbana
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Gorgeous. Really just gorgeous. So different from the 'pick up quest, hand in' linear style. And what a world. Such detail. I could take screenshots and hang them up all over my house. Just wow. And polished. Streamline, professional and without hick ups after launch. Amazing.
  95. mattmatch
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    For an expansion the amount of additional content extremely exceeds my expectations. Lots to do, and no way to accomplish it with even just a few days. This is what's great about MMOs, I'll be coming back for months.
  96. Ikoh
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The expansion most people were waiting for : story most interesting and engaging, challenging content, feeling of progression, lots of things to do, new version of classes, gorgeous maps, awsome music,... I've doubted ANet in the past mais they managed to impress me far beyond my expectations. Congratulations and have fun everyone!
  97. TopBeef
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Great expansion, lots of content, pretty areas, smooth launch with very few bugs. A bunch of minor QoL fixes and a handful of features set up to prepare for future changes. New areas are pleasantly enough not a complete faceroll like previous open world areas. Story has much improved since they started on the Living World seasons. The grind is minuscule, thought noticeably there it's notGreat expansion, lots of content, pretty areas, smooth launch with very few bugs. A bunch of minor QoL fixes and a handful of features set up to prepare for future changes. New areas are pleasantly enough not a complete faceroll like previous open world areas. Story has much improved since they started on the Living World seasons. The grind is minuscule, thought noticeably there it's not all that bad compared to most MMOs. Guild Halls are amazing.… Expand
  98. JellyFishcat
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    What can I say?.. This game is absolutely fantastic and it's first expansion just proved that again! Thank you Arena net for this great addition to Tyria. New maps really are something special, a work of art. Gliding through jungle is just .. something else, it feels so natural, they really nailed it here. I love the story and cut scenes are just out of this world - intricate, stunning,What can I say?.. This game is absolutely fantastic and it's first expansion just proved that again! Thank you Arena net for this great addition to Tyria. New maps really are something special, a work of art. Gliding through jungle is just .. something else, it feels so natural, they really nailed it here. I love the story and cut scenes are just out of this world - intricate, stunning, gorgeous!

    Love love love new dynamic events, a bit confusing at the start, but once you figured out what is what and what to do, then it is just exciting to do them, fills up my masteries pretty good, rarely even notice that i need to change to a new mastery :D

    Special thanks to Macleine Diemer and Lena Chappelle and everyone who worked on the sound team - music just adds that atmosphere of each zone fabulously!    … Expand
  99. rehpc
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Really amazing expansion to the open world content. The new events are fun and encourage map-wide cooperation. Wandering the world searching for mastery/hero points is really fun, especially in the maps with lots over overlap and verticality. The new elite specs are loads of fun, and the horizontal progression system (gliding, bouncing, etc) makes movement its own enjoyable piece of theReally amazing expansion to the open world content. The new events are fun and encourage map-wide cooperation. Wandering the world searching for mastery/hero points is really fun, especially in the maps with lots over overlap and verticality. The new elite specs are loads of fun, and the horizontal progression system (gliding, bouncing, etc) makes movement its own enjoyable piece of the content.… Expand
  100. Mister_Loki
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    For me is it the absolute best designed MMO experience I ever had, in over 10 years of playing several Online Games. Arena Net has taken Guild Wars 2 to the next level and with HoT you have so much to do. You can explore the beautiful Maguuma-jungle in (for now) 4 new Maps with hundreds of events, you can go for the Elite Spec of your class, can start the legendary journey for yourFor me is it the absolute best designed MMO experience I ever had, in over 10 years of playing several Online Games. Arena Net has taken Guild Wars 2 to the next level and with HoT you have so much to do. You can explore the beautiful Maguuma-jungle in (for now) 4 new Maps with hundreds of events, you can go for the Elite Spec of your class, can start the legendary journey for your Precursor and so on, and so on.
    BUT you have to enjoy gaming and exploring - If you are a person who (why ever) want have all the content seen in one day, want have all new items on the first day, then you maybe should not play HoT (And not downvote it!)    … Expand
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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

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

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