Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 does what MMOs have been promising for years: it provides players with a dynamic virtual world filled with discovery, adventure and cooperation. The game combines the unpredictability of hardcore sandbox games like EVE and Asheron's Call with the accessibility and fun of World of Warcraft. After years of EverQuest clones the genre finally makes a great leap forward.

I can count on two hands the games I've loved as much as I now love Guild Wars 2. This isn't just a great example of the genre and arguably the Second Coming of MMOs. It isn't even just one of the best games I've ever played. This is what happens when a group of talented, smart, dedicated, imaginative, bold, consumer-friendly creators get together and spend years solving problems and making something wonderful.

In closing, Guild Wars 2 is a staggeringly ambitious project that makes a bold statement about the future of the MMORPG. It is living proof that a game of this manner can thrive outside of the subscription business model and the genre's established conventions.

There are still many annoying or silly things we've seen in the last decade-plus worth of MMOs that Guild Wars 2 didn't fix, but ArenaNet's efforts so far have delivered a huge range of disruptive changes that should pique the interest of any dedicated player.

More than anything, however, I have to say that Guild Wars 2 is just fresh. It's new, it's innovative and more than anything, it's a welcome change for fans that may want something different.

An explorative PvE packed with dynamic events, PvP competitive challenges, a new crafting system and many more innovations make Guild Wars 2 an MMO for everyone, from casual to hardcore gamers. Choose your character and join the battle alongside with your friends: it's free!

This game is awesome to play and will add hours upon hours of fun for any type of player casual or hardcore.

Guild Wars 2 surpasses the original in every aspect, from its massive and atmospheric world to its addictive and engrossing gameplay.

Pretty much everything here appeals to me. Guild Wars 2 is a game that meets most requirements and it will definitely stay on my hard drive for a long time (and I can't say that about The Old Republic). Playing this game reminded me of the first impressions after launching World of Warcraft. I'm not comparing these two games in terms of content or which game will become victorious in a long run. It's about this strange feeling I had after playing WoW - that MMO games can be so pleasant and cool to play. Guild Wars 2 is just like that. It's a new quality in the genre, a standard for others to implement in their games.

A fast, slick and beautiful community-driven MMO experience featuring all the content and mechanics you'd expect from a game with a monthly fee, and a good deal more besides. With that in mind, I cannot recommend it enough.

Guild Wars 2 has a lot to offer, and on the top of that, it's technically and artistically amazing. It innovates, offers a unbelievable PvP (with a unique combat system), it is localized and doesn't rely on subscription fees. The success of Guild Wars 2 relies on its future, even though right now it's one of the best PC games so far, and it will work for experienced players or casual ones.

I would be reasonably loathe to consider Guild Wars 2 a "revolution" in MMO mechanics, since at its core there is still a theme park here, albeit an extraordinarily well-designed one. But it's obvious that its creators took on and smashed existing tropes with an aim to significantly improve on that experience that many millions of players currently fork out money for every month.

The high watermark by which the future of the genre shall be measured. [Dec 2012, p.88]

An accomplished and rewarding online RPG that does a great deal to reclaim the promise of its genre.

This is the first time I could make the following statement: This MMO, in its current state, poses a serious threat to World of Warcraft.

When ArenaNet first released its MMO Manifesto we knew they were aiming for something revolutionary with Guild Wars 2. What we got is the first worthy successor to World of Warcraft.

What faults I've found in my time with the title are minor in comparison to the leaps and bounds the game has made towards taking MMORPGs to new places. ArenaNet set out to make a game they wanted to play. Along the way, they've created one of the best titles of the year in any genre, and indeed one of the best MMORPGs ever made.

Guild Wars 2 is not perfect by any means, but you will not find the same amount of content anywhere at no monthly fee. It is an innovative - perhaps too much at times, deeply customizable and gorgeous new standard for the entire genre.

Guild Wars 2 represents a raising of the bar for MMOs, taking the best aspects of a great many titles that have come before it and polishing them up in a way that makes it addictive and fun for all. Given the rate that ArenaNet has been addressing player concerns and patching them, I think we can expect great things from Guild Wars 2.

Guild Wars 2 sets a new standard for all upcoming MMORPGs. It may be too early to state that this game will dethrone World of Warcraft but it does a great job in trying. Nice graphics, an abundance of content and new takes on many MMO aspects ensure a great gameplay experience.

There is so much to write about Guild Wars 2, so much to see and so much to discover. Reading a review won't do the game justice, you'll have to discover the magical world of Tyria for yourself. Be surprised at how simple, yet amazingly complex a world can be. And above all: you can leave your credit card safely tucked away in your wallet, because monthly costs is one of the few things Guild Wars 2 does not have.

Guild Wars 2 is the game that fans of MMO have been waiting for, but is also the occasion for the new players looking for a new incredible experience. Funny, complete and free of subscription fee.

Guild Wars 2 is the best way to enjoy the MMO genre with a high quality experience without paying monthly fees. This game brings MMO gamers a whole new experience with interesting features in terms of gameplay, combat system, exploration, PvE and beyond. Do not forget to try World versus World, which is an impressive way to improve PvP in the genre. Welcome back to Tyria, welcome to one of the most interesting PC games of the year.

Visually, it's a feast for your eyes. Gameplay wise, the skill-based action combat system keeps encounters exciting even when fighting creatures below your level. ArenaNet has gone to great lengths to provide a variety of ways for players to occupy themselves as they explore the game world, harvest resources, craft and so on.

Quotation forthcoming.

GW2 has made a powerful impact on the MMO scene, confirming years of expectations. Stunning presentation and revolutionary design guarantee a thoroughly enjoyable experience. However, it’s not flawless, nor complete. The beautiful vistas, the massive PvP element, the rich leveling experience- those can offer hours of gameplay, but the endgame is desperately seeking for enrichment. [November 2012]

Guild Wars 2 can be what players want to make of (and take from) it, which is pretty much what every good MMO should aspire to. All up, it's been a resounding success.

Take the core successful mechanisms from other great MMORPGs, cut out everything that was boring, and blend it with a beautiful living world and personal storylines – you should get an almost perfect game. [Oct 2012]

An almost perfect MMO game and the first one in years that had the guts to drop outdated, 'tried and true' means and replaced them with new, fresh ideas. [11/2012, p.46]

Guild Wars 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but does a refreshing makeover to stale MMO mechanics. Great audiovisual quality and quest systems that draw you together with other players make this game really fun to play too. [Oct 2012]

"The best MMORPG game of today" is a phrase no reviewer wants to overuse in view of the fact that they do not know how the game is in a year. At the moment, however, I must say this: Guild Wars 2 is the most attractive online title on the scene.

The best aspect of Guild Wars 2 is its PvP, thanks to a brilliant idea: making it totally independent from the rest of the game.

The MMO industry has been tirelessly chasing the coat tails of a certain game, attempting to capitalize on being the same formula but with something like better storytelling or PVP. In a fresh contrast, the developers behind Guild Wars 2 have taken the time to truly examine the MMO from the ground up. Guild Wars 2 may not completely revolutionize the genre, but it certainly appears to be the new standard that future MMOs will look to.

If you value a ton of top-quality content for a not a lot of money, then Guild Wars 2 is the game to play. It's approachable, addictive, and immersive and above all refines MMO's in every conceivable way. While the gameplay and graphical glitches are disappointing, they aren't big enough to negate the impact of this wholly amazing online role-playing game that will keep you occupied for months on end. If anything, World of Warcraft can safely retire and instead pass the torch over Guild Wars 2.

You will not find a more beautiful world in a MMO than Tyria.

Guild Wars 2 is the first new MMO in a long time to offer a compelling and enjoyable gameplay experience, that doesn't leave the player alone and trying hard to make friends. As with any MMO, it's a complete waste of time. A joyful, well crafted, and highly entertaining waste of a whole lot of time, and one that is highly recommended.

The improvements are many, the story is enjoyable, and the gameplay is pretty refined; all of these make Guild Wars 2 a game worth playing.

Guild Wars 2 is a breath of fresh air in a genre that has had a hard time coming up with different ways of doing things. The world of Tyria is absolutely beautiful and the combat and adventuring is among the very best in the genre.

It's very slick, enormous fun, continually dynamic, and more than any other MMO it brings the genre closer to the ideal of a fantasy world filled with hundreds of players in which just about anyone can lose themselves. That sentiment, as much as anything else, makes it well worth playing.

It's not the levelling, it's the taking part that counts. That's what makes Guild Wars 2 great. Almost every aspect of its design serves the individual player and whole community equally, and there's a breezy willingness to put the content ahead of the grind throughout. It's a little lightweight, perhaps; its fantasy world is more picturesque than truly enveloping, and its social and gameplay hooks offer instant gratification over ties that bind. But it's still the most coherent, seamless, social and fun MMO in a long time - and the only one that can call itself truly modern.

Given that a monthly subscription is not required, there is no major reason not to return to the fantastic world of Tyria, and I can personally say that I intend to continue to play it in the future. That's the best compliment I can give to this game.

For me this is the best and most important online role-playing game since Mythic's Dark Age of Camelot. ArenaNet managed to eradicate the grind-treadmill with simple but very effective attention to detail. This excursion into the fantasy theme park named Tyria, where on every corner there's a new ride to experience in form of the many things you can discover, is well worth its entry fee.

Guild Wars 2 offers a glimpse of the future for online RPG. It really feels like something new, it's also really exciting and good fun.

ArenaNet has built one of the most exhaustively detailed and rewarding MMOs in existence, one that never unfairly penalizes and fosters an incredible urge to explore through a generous reward system and achingly pretty environment design.

It's simple: everything in Guild Wars 2 as a MMORPG title is attractive, starting with its free-to-play status. But Guild Wars 2 also proposes something new in the MMORPG world with its dynamic quests system, and its really ambitious fighting sequences that will surely please many players looking for a big and dangerous fantasy universe, holding many secrets to uncover.

The level of imagination, inspiration, and variety on display sets a high standard for other games to come. And with a payment model a good deal more generous than the majority of its competition, it puts to question just what other developers can get away with.

A paradise for explorers and thrill-seekers alike, and the best online role-playing game in years.

Everything a massively-multiplayer online RPG should be. It's original, massive in scope, and wonderfully social, removing many of the gates that held back the genre in the past. Being able to play with friends regardless of level or class is a gigantic leap forward, and one that, when mixed in with all of the other innovations in the genre, make Guild Wars 2 one of the best MMOs currently available.

Guild Wars 2 fine-tunes much of what we've come to expect from an MMORPG (crafting) while turning other aspects on their head (dynamic level adjustment), resulting in possibly the most refined, enjoyable game the genre's ever seen.

To Guild Wars 2's credit, its issues do little detract from the immensely rewarding experience of the whole. It doesn't overthrow the conventions of the MMORPG, but it presents them in fresher and livelier packaging than its competitors.

An exquisitely designed MMO that contains something for everyone, without charging a monthly fee.

The long awaited Guild Wars 2 is finally here. It's a true blockbuster MMO, and an amazing experience that may become the new face of the genre.

Offering everything that most players want in a multiplayer online dungeon crawler experience, gorgeous visuals and bold steps forward in gaming ideas, Guild Wars 2 is a true blockbuster given all of the tools it needs for success.

If you've been waiting for a MMO to come out that's well worth its price of admission then you're in luck. Guild Wars 2 presents a diverse repertoire of options ranging from an entertaining leveling experience that constantly rewards you to a deep PvP component that may become the new face of the genre.

Guild Wars 2 was long-awaited; it's now out, and its gigantic amount of content and polish are undeniable. What is, though, is its "revolutionary" tag. Because it's clearly not a revolution, just one of the most comprehensive, detailed, and rich "Theme Park" MMO ever, with a welcomed focus placed upon comfort for players. What may be a revolution, though, is having this rich a game with no subscription and a decent, not forced-down-your-throat online shop.

With several adjustments in crucial MMO features, set in a dynamic, living world, Guild Wars 2 casts the spell with its emergent gameplay to old and new players alike, making it the best the genre has had to offer in years.

At $60, Guild Wars 2 is easily one of the best MMO values in the pay realm this year, and it's superior to every free-to-play in the genre.

The guys and girls at ArenaNet and NCSoft can give themselves a pat on the back. Guild Wars 2 is a beautiful MMORPG. You can lose yourself for months in the beautiful fantasy world that is Tyria!

It rewards skill and variety rather than mindless grinding. And it does all of this in a massive, persistent world without asking for a subscription fee.

With a very unique take on the MMO genre, Guild Wars 2 is a great entry into the series.

After spending fifty hours with GW2, I have a lot of praise for ArenaNet's work and the way it changes up some of the typical trappings of the MMO. And yet, I find myself thinking less and less about it each day. It's not a declaration against the product, mind you, but simply a fact that this game still is very much an MMO, and your enjoyment will directly relate to how much you enjoy the genre. For many who were hoping for a clean break from MMO design philosophy, Guild Wars 2 will probably come across as a slight disappointment. It pushes the genre slightly forward, however, and could lead to even further development in the future.

A triumph of polished design. [Oct 2012, p.64]

Guild Wars 2 brings fresh ideas to a familiar genre, but it's in no way a revolution. It is very polished and thought-through, and a clear recommendation for fans of MMOs.

Subscription MMOs are dead. Guild Wars 2's size is incredible and its strong focus on exploration and community creates a bubbling liveliness. However, if you're looking for true innovation you will be left wanting. [Nov 2012, p.70]

But despite all that it gets right we do wish that Guild Wars 2 had been bolder with the art style and the setting of its game world. Or that it had pushed its combat system even further and created something genuinely unique. Although the fact that it has no subscription fee is an unqualified positive that needs to be adopted as standard before free-to-play ruins everything.

Guild Wars 2 is a few brushstrokes short of a masterpiece, then, but ArenaNet has succeeded in trying to paint over the worst of the genre's cracks. Thanks to a rigorous programme of restoration, only sometimes do its underlying imperfections show through the glossy veneer.

There's plenty to see and do, then, and I managed to whittle away 100 hours quite easily. But this isn't the transformative revival of the MMO genre that some were expecting, with many of the quests falling into the same pitfalls of repetition that often blights the genre. ArenaNet's efforts to encourage discovery and exploration are rewarded, and their efforts to streamline the genre help Guild Wars 2 raise the MMO bar ever so slightly.