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. zyndr0m
    Oct 26, 2015
    1
    HOWEVER. Everything is gated. Hard. ArenaNet is falling back on their pre-expansion ways of making everything a confusing chore, which is something I was hoping they would NOT do seeing as the expansion is already PAID.
    I can't play my elite spec properly until I've already completed 50-100% of the jungle including all masteries that gate those hero challenges, and some of them absolutely    HOWEVER. Everything is gated. Hard. ArenaNet is falling back on their pre-expansion ways of making everything a confusing chore, which is something I was hoping they would NOT do seeing as the expansion is already PAID.
    I can't play my elite spec properly until I've already completed 50-100% of the jungle including all masteries that gate those hero challenges, and some of them absolutely require groups. To make matters worse, some elite specs require pretty radical stat shifts from the previous meta, which are made more expensive by how ascended gear was changed to require more materials. Time-gated materials. I don't think I'm ever going to use Scrapper in any serious capacity because I simply don't have time to invest in the gear.
    I have to grind mindlessly for masteries. In the case of language masteries I'm grinding to have the opportunity to grind to purchase items, as if this is supposed to make me feel accomplished.    … Expand
  2. VeyVey
    Oct 26, 2015
    5
    Positive:
    The new zones are beautiful. We are getting raids. Guild halls are already in the game as of right now. PvP will be expanded with more competitive leagues and prestige items that are PvP exclusive. Action combat mode is great.
    Negative: ANET officially abandonded dungeons a while ago, but now they finished them off completely, by nerfing rewards into the ground. No new    Positive:
    The new zones are beautiful. We are getting raids. Guild halls are already in the game as of right now. PvP will be expanded with more competitive leagues and prestige items that are PvP exclusive. Action combat mode is great.

    Negative:
    ANET officially abandonded dungeons a while ago, but now they finished them off completely, by nerfing rewards into the ground. No new fractals, just a couple of new instabilities for 51-100. Fractal rewards are even worse than before. Golden fractal skins (again) rely on RNG one way or the other. Ascended gear is more expensive, even though raids are adjusted to this gear tier, which makes playing different classes in high-end PvE a lot harder. Especially since gold income was nerfed across the board for anything except farming SW/DT and "playing the TP". Elite specializations require a siginificant amount of time to unlock and the journey is (subjective opinion) very tedious and underwhelming. It is just open world PvE, with the usual mindless zerging. Parts of the personal story are also locked behind certain mastery levels. For players like me, who hate anything that's not challenging and revolves around zerging, this makes both elite specializations and the personal story line very frustrating.

    Neutral:
    Story. It's an MMO so there's only so much you can expect in terms of storytelling. Legendary precursor quest lines are only marignally cheaper than buying the pre (at least right now).

    Bottom line:
    For players who usually avoid open world PvE and would like to spend most of their time in either dungeons/fractals or personal story instances and who enjoy playing several characters in high-end PvE this expansion is a slap in the face.    … Expand
  3. mon34480
    Oct 26, 2015
    3
    I shall try to be unbiased as possible in this review:
    Pros:
    - Essentially newer game modes (raids), dungeons, maps, WvW, pvp...etc in an already good game who can complain? - New "classes" - New game mechanics such as gliders which bring new ways for those who enjoy jump puzzles. Cons: - One of the main selling points of the game (druid) which was marketed to bring in new play    I shall try to be unbiased as possible in this review:
    Pros:
    - Essentially newer game modes (raids), dungeons, maps, WvW, pvp...etc in an already good game who can complain?
    - New "classes"
    - New game mechanics such as gliders which bring new ways for those who enjoy jump puzzles.

    Cons:
    - One of the main selling points of the game (druid) which was marketed to bring in new play styles which place emphasis on more organisation, support and team based runs is entirely non-existent. After the beta week end the class was completely guttered making it a long drag which is virtually unplayable which takes out alot of the promised new play styles promised.
    - Everything is now a grind. Everything is time gated which turns what was a fun game into an endless grind.
    - There are many issues with the new classes, notably over power and/or severely over nerfed classes which bring along many issues where classes are deemed "unplayable" or classes which clearly need to be changed.
    - Dev response. There has been many beta weekends which occurred prior to the release of the game for the sole purpose of community feed back and testing. From the implementation of the new expansion it seems that very little of the feedback was actually reviewed which unfortunately resulted in the overnerfing of one of the key selling points of the game.
    - The game currently lacks any end game content and the new expansion does not improve upon this.

    For 50$ your hard earned cash is better off elsewhere for such little addition to the game. If you are a gw2 player you're planning on buying the expansion I would hold off until many of the glaring mechanics are fixed and addressed.
    The expansion isnt bad as it does expand on a great game however for the price you're paying you would expect a much more well rounded game and much more legitimate content.    … Expand
  4. Simbob
    Oct 26, 2015
    3
    The expansion in the current state is terrible. It basically wants you to eat soup with a fork, to gain access to the spoon. Everything is gated and grindy. It is a long way from the original GW2 philosophy of play your way.

    Anet have committed the cardinal sin in gaming of alienating their casual player. The casuals are the ones that keep a game ticking over, pay for the newest skin,    The expansion in the current state is terrible. It basically wants you to eat soup with a fork, to gain access to the spoon. Everything is gated and grindy. It is a long way from the original GW2 philosophy of play your way.

    Anet have committed the cardinal sin in gaming of alienating their casual player. The casuals are the ones that keep a game ticking over, pay for the newest skin, like to change their character design and pay for it. They have scrapped dungeons in favor for fractals, however, they do not give you any new fractals, so you are playing the same stuff over again.

    What have Anet been doing for the last 3 years? if this is their output of 3 years of work, they might as well call it a day now!    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. DiscoJacen
    Oct 26, 2015
    4
    Some really cool features, but way too many shortcuts taken...
    The mastery system is just a simple xp grind and just serves has a way to hinder your progression in the main story.
    Special masteries that were presented like "unique" (I'm looking at you Pact Mentor) are nothing more than just "get xp in the regular game". The story is cheap and would pass if it didn"'t try to shove in as    Some really cool features, but way too many shortcuts taken...
    The mastery system is just a simple xp grind and just serves has a way to hinder your progression in the main story.
    Special masteries that were presented like "unique" (I'm looking at you Pact Mentor) are nothing more than just "get xp in the regular game".
    The story is cheap and would pass if it didn"'t try to shove in as much social acceptance as possible.

    The elite specializations are cool but once again hidden behind a grindwall if you want to unlock them with hero points (unlike spvp who has them unlocked because #esportz...).
    Which is funny because WvW players STILL have to do the pve grind to get the elite specs....

    Some redeemable features like guild halls.
    Fighting in the jungle is satisfying and can be a real challenge.
    Once you unlock the glider it's a real pleasure to glide around.

    In the end had it been a 20 dollar expansion I'd have said "no problem". But for the price of a full game (even more for ppl who paid for the bigger packs) you just CAN'T release something with so many lazy shortcuts to avoid having to make intermediary missions or quests.    … Expand
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. Boterkoekje
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    This expansion is the smoothest to launch, and extremely high in content. It's got a bit of grind yes.. BUT THATS FOR 1 CHARACTER. After that it's on all your characters. If you spread it there is nothing wrong with it. The map is huge, and a tad confusing. But that makes it new and not the same lineair maps we are used to.

    Hero Points are hard to get IF you make a total new char, but    This expansion is the smoothest to launch, and extremely high in content. It's got a bit of grind yes.. BUT THATS FOR 1 CHARACTER. After that it's on all your characters. If you spread it there is nothing wrong with it. The map is huge, and a tad confusing. But that makes it new and not the same lineair maps we are used to.

    Hero Points are hard to get IF you make a total new char, but should you have it all on day 1? If you just play this game for 24 hours you will most likely have unlocked 80%+ of your character and enough masteries to keep you happy.

    ooh and did I mention, YOU CAN GLIDE. But not in Tyria sadly :(

    Finally this game is a bit more difficult, No more brainless zombies who attack but stay still.    … Expand
  11. RainbowSix
    Oct 26, 2015
    1
    I was extremely excited for H.O.T., I was looking forward to playing through the new maps using the new elite specs, turns out that they are locked behind a huge mind-numbing grind. In fact, just about everything in H.O.T. is locked behind a grind. Moving around in the new maps are extremely frustrating because of confusing map designs and brutal mobs that just one-shot you. Hero pointsI was extremely excited for H.O.T., I was looking forward to playing through the new maps using the new elite specs, turns out that they are locked behind a huge mind-numbing grind. In fact, just about everything in H.O.T. is locked behind a grind. Moving around in the new maps are extremely frustrating because of confusing map designs and brutal mobs that just one-shot you. Hero points cannot be soloed because most are champs with massive amounts of HP that are on a timer...good luck trying to get a group to help you out, with most zones being empty. Heart of Thorns turned out to be a huge let down, stay away from this poorly designed expac until ANET fixes this disaster.… Expand
  12. 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
  13. 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.
  14. MarkAttica
    Oct 26, 2015
    0
    The expansion is so limited and shallow that it begs the tough questions. What exactly has anet been doing for the past year and a half? And more importantly how could they just take my 50 bucks and deliver nothing in return?

    I feel robbed by a company that promised an expansion with specializations, essentially new versions of the old classes that you could play from day one. As it    The expansion is so limited and shallow that it begs the tough questions. What exactly has anet been doing for the past year and a half? And more importantly how could they just take my 50 bucks and deliver nothing in return?

    I feel robbed by a company that promised an expansion with specializations, essentially new versions of the old classes that you could play from day one. As it turns out they are playable but only after a 60 hour grind through the hellish jumping puzzles anet calls a map. An utter ripoff and a damn shame thats all this expansion is. Do not buy this.    … Expand
  15. 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.
  16. Nuri
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    The first expansion for the massive Guild Wars 2 world brings plenty of new things to the table. There is a bit of controversy about the new mechanics, specifically the need to train Elite specializations and Masteries, both of which take a bit of time. Now for a casual player like me, there is no problem in that - Guild Wars 2 is still the casual player's heaven, where it does not matterThe first expansion for the massive Guild Wars 2 world brings plenty of new things to the table. There is a bit of controversy about the new mechanics, specifically the need to train Elite specializations and Masteries, both of which take a bit of time. Now for a casual player like me, there is no problem in that - Guild Wars 2 is still the casual player's heaven, where it does not matter if you play 25 arenas or just 3, as you still have fun and get enough rewards for doing just that.

    Pros:
    Beautiful landscapes
    Immersive questline for HoT
    Interesting concept of daytime/night-time quests
    Elite professions
    Gliding (although it does get a bit infuriating when you miss that one ledge and fall to your death)
    New Guild Missions
    Guild Halls

    Cons:
    Slightly grindy (but you can prevent that by playing with friends/guildies)
    New Prof = everyone is revenant (Think of WotLK amounts of DKs)

    i am enjoying my time in Maguuma so far and I am very happy about how this expansion turned out.    … Expand
  17. Thaelan
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    The Heart of Thorns expansion is an expansion that adds alot of new and exciting features to Guild Wars 2, giving it a new endgame and a bunch of new activities. The game also adds to one of Guild Wars 2 "problems", namely the unclear definition of what people can / want to do after they hit lvl 80.

    These extra features include working towards Mastery's , which allow your account to    The Heart of Thorns expansion is an expansion that adds alot of new and exciting features to Guild Wars 2, giving it a new endgame and a bunch of new activities. The game also adds to one of Guild Wars 2 "problems", namely the unclear definition of what people can / want to do after they hit lvl 80.

    These extra features include working towards Mastery's , which allow your account to reach new areas or get new bonuses, Guild Halls, a place to build your own safe spot with your Guild Mates and Raids, a more difficult challenge then current dungeons and more. I don't know what else to write here, but needless to say, I feel that if you enjoyed Guild Wars 2, you can only enjoy it more with the expansion seeing as it gives you new goals, new activities, new opportunities for fun!    … Expand
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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.
  22. Joejones
    Oct 26, 2015
    0
    The Heart of Thrones expansion is a major let down. I sat and watched and waited before purchasing it, and then bought one for myself and a friend. Now I feel like I got ripped off. Arenanet went on and on about how he new specializations were no better or stronger than any other classes, but threw the hero points needed to open them behind gated content and are charging a ridiculous amtThe Heart of Thrones expansion is a major let down. I sat and watched and waited before purchasing it, and then bought one for myself and a friend. Now I feel like I got ripped off. Arenanet went on and on about how he new specializations were no better or stronger than any other classes, but threw the hero points needed to open them behind gated content and are charging a ridiculous amt of points to fully open these specs. You can't go grab them, you can't do most alone, and the main story line is bugged and still hasn't been fixed. Please don't waste your time or money on this product.… Expand
  23. 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
  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. Gamermama
    Oct 26, 2015
    3
    The new WvW - cool with it's new challenges and change of maps. Guild Halls - just long over due (should have been a part of GW2 upon release). The new map - a basic waste of 74.99. I spent the whole weekend (even took a vacation day) to get level one in gliding LOL. This map is impossible for a gamer like me. Will not waste any more of my fun time in there. I'll gather my Hero PointsThe new WvW - cool with it's new challenges and change of maps. Guild Halls - just long over due (should have been a part of GW2 upon release). The new map - a basic waste of 74.99. I spent the whole weekend (even took a vacation day) to get level one in gliding LOL. This map is impossible for a gamer like me. Will not waste any more of my fun time in there. I'll gather my Hero Points other ways for specializations - even though it will take a year. Mostly disappointed it isn't soloable - which is what I prefer in my PvE time. Not the "play as you want" game I paid for.… Expand
  26. kennyljs
    Oct 26, 2015
    4
    Mediocre. I wonder if the reviewers that gave it 10/10 even played the game at all. They gated off the expansion pack so that you need to grind for mastery so that you can progress through the map. In the core game, you could get to whatever area you want to go without any restrictions. The only problem is that the level 80 mobs will one hit KO your level 2 character in a level 80 area.Mediocre. I wonder if the reviewers that gave it 10/10 even played the game at all. They gated off the expansion pack so that you need to grind for mastery so that you can progress through the map. In the core game, you could get to whatever area you want to go without any restrictions. The only problem is that the level 80 mobs will one hit KO your level 2 character in a level 80 area. But that is how open the core game is. This expansion build huge walls around the map that you need to break down before you can progress. Yes, the graphics are stunning. The game play is smooth. Some bugs here and there, but not game breaking. The only thing standing in your way if you want to open the maps is that huge wall. A wall too huge for many players. The elites can go kitten off!… Expand
  27. 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
  28. 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.
  29. MordinAshe
    Oct 26, 2015
    1
    Long time GW2 player here. TL;DR version> Avoid this for now, some poor game design decisions have serious impact right now.

    More elaborate version: GW2 were always about non-grinding and going directly for the fun stuff. This expansion is the antithesis of this, as was already mentioned. Core mechanics are either character-exclusive or require tens of hours of grinding. Who says    Long time GW2 player here. TL;DR version> Avoid this for now, some poor game design decisions have serious impact right now.

    More elaborate version: GW2 were always about non-grinding and going directly for the fun stuff. This expansion is the antithesis of this, as was already mentioned. Core mechanics are either character-exclusive or require tens of hours of grinding. Who says otherwise is lying, the only thing account bound in this expansion are masteries and you need 80+ hours of making a dent here.

    New locations are terrible by design. Too difficult for almost every solo player. That wouldn't be that bad if there were people around, but there aren't. You barely make any money on the map so when you finish it you move forward. As it is now most diehards already completed the map and it is now terribly empty, which means that almost no one can get those champion hero points you need for elite specialization that would make you stronger, which you need to be able to survive on this map. A loop of failed attempts of various kind is sure to follow.

    Another downside is that some game mechanics are still not as they should be. Anet tried to banish the holy trinity (DPS, tank, healer) but only achieved moderate success. DPS has its place, tanks have place too but healing characters are still ridiculously not worth the investment. It mattered little in original game but now when champions kill 30-40 people in a fight you really could use some healing. Sadly healing is as discouraged as ever, effectively shrinking the holy trinity to holy duo (tank, DPS).

    This expansion pack is difficult to assess right now because when there are hundreds of players on the new map it somehow works. When they leave for the rest of eternity it will be an empty, desolate place where no one will go because they won't have a chance at surviving. Diehards won't come back because there are no rewards and all of this will be for nothing.

    Many bad game design choices, and choices that go completely against the original intent of GW2. What made GW2 great is no more true in HoT.
    Also, I hope that Anet didn't spend too much money on paid meta critic reviews because this game moved from 3.8 to 6 in only a few hours. Coincidence?    … Expand
  30. matchsticks
    Oct 26, 2015
    9
    Fantastic game, awesome story and account-wide progression. People just want things handed to them on a shiny plate without any gameplay now. Yes, things are probably tuned a little bit too high, but there's plenty of content to make up for it. People just need to sit back and enjoy the content - don't rush it, explore and try to understand what they're complaining about before they getFantastic game, awesome story and account-wide progression. People just want things handed to them on a shiny plate without any gameplay now. Yes, things are probably tuned a little bit too high, but there's plenty of content to make up for it. People just need to sit back and enjoy the content - don't rush it, explore and try to understand what they're complaining about before they get all up in arms about 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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