Guild Wars 2

 PC
  • Publisher: NCSOFT
  • Release Date: Aug 28, 2012
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3192 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,380 out of 3192
  2. Mixed: 386 out of 3192
  3. Negative: 426 out of 3192
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  1. Coeco
    Dec 3, 2012
    4
    Ah, Guild Wars 2. How the Internet have been waiting for you so long. What are they greeted with? A polished wow-clone. Channeling spells, lag, outdated graphics for it's time and an insane amount of bribes going to the critiques to cough out "Unique combat system" quotes whenever possible. As much as I like one-time fees, like with single-player games, it will only do harm to MMORPG'sAh, Guild Wars 2. How the Internet have been waiting for you so long. What are they greeted with? A polished wow-clone. Channeling spells, lag, outdated graphics for it's time and an insane amount of bribes going to the critiques to cough out "Unique combat system" quotes whenever possible. As much as I like one-time fees, like with single-player games, it will only do harm to MMORPG's because they will need a steady stream of income to offer a continuous service. Otherwise, bankruptcy or P2W is inevitable. This fate can already be hinted towards on how they locked out the ability to purchase the game, being too cheap to have an adequate amount of availability on the servers while banning more users than Origin, clever NCsoft. In It's core, the game isn't by any means bad but it's just very, very, very average.… Expand
  2. Durayne
    Sep 13, 2014
    4
    So at release I would have given that game a 8/10 - 9/10, but today I can give it no more than 4/10.

    Why is that, you may ask? On one hand several bugs are still in the game after 2 years. But thats not the problem. The Problem is the content. PVE: As for normal dungeons there is ONE new path in one dungeon and fractals. Fractals have been added as a vicious grind circle    So at release I would have given that game a 8/10 - 9/10, but today I can give it no more than 4/10.

    Why is that, you may ask?

    On one hand several bugs are still in the game after 2 years. But thats not the problem.

    The Problem is the content.

    PVE:

    As for normal dungeons there is ONE new path in one dungeon and fractals.
    Fractals have been added as a vicious grind circle were you repeat the same instances over and over again on different difficultiy levels in order to get items to play the same instance on a higher "difficulty" level.
    The other thing you can do in endgame is either casually strolling around or farming for your "endgame gear", because the old ingame gear was pretty easy to get (what they promised), they added a new time-gated money grind tier of gear in order to keep ppl playing.
    But that new tier doesnt have to do anything with skill or archieving something, it is just a time-gated money grind. Money grind cause you cant even farm specific items, so you have to farm money in order to buy what you need.
    Overall the game is driving into the direction of a very repetitve asia grinder (especially since china release)
    Since the last feature patch now a big button is placed inside the tradingpost (the gw2 form of an auction house) it states "Need some Gold?", and is a concrete statement:
    "You want ingame money?
    Buy it from us!"

    The last Feature Patch even ruined the part of the game that distinguished it from every other one in the best way: The leveling. Now its time-gated and annoying as well.

    PVP:
    Has many issues, balance, 4vs5 match-ups just to name a few.

    2 Maps have been added one removed (cause they couldnt balance it).
    One of the added maps is even more unbalanced than the one that got removed and is thus being hated by a majority of the forum community (Id say 70-80%).
    Hated that much that some ppl even willingly go AFK in rated queues, accepting defeat, just in order not to play on it. (leaderboards are not trustworthy anyway, thats quite another topic)

    Anets response on this is silence, okay when one of the "top players" asked them about it on their overhyped tournament of legends(which's final was watched live by only 1500 ppl)
    they stated that forum community wouldnt at all represent player community, which might be true, but I ask myself how they know that if they didnt make a ingame poll about it.

    Due to the lack of love for PvP , PvP has become pretty much dead, even though a lot of ppl got attracted to it first, especially because of the greatness of GW1 in that regard.

    My advice , if you want a good game , buy Guild Wars 1 (all 4 parts), you cant jump there but in almost every other aspect it is superior.    … Expand
  3. Amadus
    Sep 1, 2012
    4
    I won't spoil anything here, but the game is no super marvel. This is just another cog in the great MMO wheel migration. Another game churned out, another spin taken by a huge nomad gaming community. The perk being that you only pay once is a huge draw, and yes you can assume I am a player who is hardly pleased by the MMO spectrum. To break it down, the controls are a 2.5 for me. TheI won't spoil anything here, but the game is no super marvel. This is just another cog in the great MMO wheel migration. Another game churned out, another spin taken by a huge nomad gaming community. The perk being that you only pay once is a huge draw, and yes you can assume I am a player who is hardly pleased by the MMO spectrum. To break it down, the controls are a 2.5 for me. The characters reactions to my inputs are a 2.5, this goes for movement animation gliding and the such. Yes, I am nit picky. (Not a latency issue unless it's server side, my ISP services are Broadband 250Mbps DL and 15 Mbps upload with no network interference.) The Graphics are amazing, absolutely and I won't touch that because lets face it, that's not what makes a game fun.

    The narrative and story is flat out suck, I won't bore you with this because I am comparing it to TOR and while that game is not the epitome of story, in the standards of MMO, it's the highest there is. The pvp system is interesting and plays similar to Warhammer online, albeit improved and it has it's own level of excitement. Combat mechanics are your standard fare but with some interesting twists on how things are utilized... Like the great sword for a certain stealthy caster class. It still comes down to being the exact same thing as any other game. Push this, cast that, move this way, avoid the fire, kite kite kite kite. Sadly, you can't escape this kind of mechanical build for the MMO genre, it's just what works best.

    Still, I feel this game will go the way of all current MMO types. The main base will work hard at it, play hard and at the 3 month mark, you will see the servers start to dwindle in population size. The 6 month mark we are going to see free server transfers and server merges. It will go the way of the Old Republic and settle into it's normal numbers and have a nice base of players. I will not likely be one of them but I will give the game 6 months of my time and post another review then. It's not awful, it's just another mmo that doesn't push or change anything in any extreme manner. Weapon swapping isn't new, it's just given a bit more range and utility other than stat dancing. The one thing I do like is how the Thief plays out and I will be looking to push this class as far as I can. In comparison to other MMO games of the current few years, TOR and GW2 are the only ones I will be bouncing between because the rest really can't touch either of them. TOR has a long ways to go and I hope GW2 is the motivation to make that game grow into a great f2p game to bounce to when I get sick of GW2 and vice-versa. My only other problem is that I feel coddled in this game. It does good for a large player base with a wide range of tastes but I feel there is nothing that will keep me tied to the game in the end of all my time spent. This is of course, my personal opinion and I don't expect to have anyone see it as I do.    … Expand
  4. UnclearImage
    Aug 31, 2012
    4
    I preordered the game, and although they did have some start up issues and a few very unfortunate people got hacked- it had a fairly good start. So I will stick to the game itself.

    The graphics are great, the chara customization is lacking- there's very little you can do to REALLY set yourself apart. The pre-sets range from good looking to not so good looking, and it seems you cannot    I preordered the game, and although they did have some start up issues and a few very unfortunate people got hacked- it had a fairly good start. So I will stick to the game itself.

    The graphics are great, the chara customization is lacking- there's very little you can do to REALLY set yourself apart. The pre-sets range from good looking to not so good looking, and it seems you cannot have a chara with red hair which is weird. Crafting -The crafting system is the real grind of this game, in order to craft you need to gather the mats from nodes AND npcs. In the form of farming mobs for a chance to drop a specific crafting component. You then craft the separate parts and combine with the npc dropped item to craft a weapon/piece of armor. Without those npc dropped 'tokens' or whatever they're called- you cannot craft. So you either farm, or buy that mat very disappointing when you're crafting and you hit a wall because you haven't been farming mobs lately.

    Leveling- Quests will only get you so far, i.e. a 1-15 area doing 100% completion according to the game, will leave you at level 12-13. The common solution from the player base is farm 'dynamic' events, pvp, craft, or do something else to level. If you just wanted to Quest, or Craft, PvP to level, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. It is possible to level doing 1 specific thing but it will require grinding, except questing since there are only so many quests available. Dynamic Events - Pre-scripted events that repeat on a random time scale, they attack you while you're crafting, and remove your waypoints so you can't warp. They never go off when you're around and need XP but seem to go off 2-3 at a time when you're busy. Mounts- They don't exist get used to running around taking 4-15 minutes of your life during WvW hoofing it.

    WvW - Great idea, good balance, great atmosphere, boring as heck to run around in, siege equipment seems to cost too much (at a low level) to make it worthwhile, would love to see more siege equipment.

    PvP - Fast paced chaos, I personally didn't like it. Everyone has a heal and when they're 'downed' they have a lot of stupid moves that delay the inevitable and WASTE your time. Irritating to have someone dead, surrounded by 4 of your teammates right about to be 'finished' magically teleport away, making us move to them, and restart the 3-4 second cast. Boring as crap, I joined PvP to PvP not play chase the guy that lost already.

    Weapons - If you roll a class, and get a weapon you get 5 skills- don't like em? Tough, that's what you get for the next couple of years you'll play GW2.

    Overall- Honestly I waited for GW2 to come out, it FINALLY get- I logged in, played for 3-4 days for a couple hours a day then logged off. I have no real desire to play it, even free. I have no enjoyment, farming for xp because the quests don't get me leveled, wandering into areas that are 3-4 levels above me and doubling back to find a event that's my level. Trying to craft but realizing I didn't farm mobs enough and having to go back and grind to get mats to craft to get gear so I can do more dps. It may appeal to some people, but right now- I'm writing this review instead of playing the game, because it seemed more enjoyable to me at the time.    … Expand
  5. Thunderballs
    Oct 26, 2013
    4
    Guild Wars 2 is a bad game Let me spell it out for you.

    The whole game can be defined by one coin phrase that is used over and over by the GW2 community. The phrase I am reffering to is, "ZERG!" Yeah, you know The Zerg... zombi-esque space aliens that infest victims they overrun with their sheer numerical advantage. The ironic part of this is that the origin of the zerg comes from a    Guild Wars 2 is a bad game Let me spell it out for you.

    The whole game can be defined by one coin phrase that is used over and over by the GW2 community. The phrase I am reffering to is, "ZERG!" Yeah, you know The Zerg... zombi-esque space aliens that infest victims they overrun with their sheer numerical advantage. The ironic part of this is that the origin of the zerg comes from a game that's not a total steaming pile of dog crap. This must be why people can relate to the zerg so well, because most people know what game they are from. Even more ironically, the same people that developed the zerg... also developed another little fantastic game that goes by the name of World of Warcraft The single biggest and ruthless MMORPG out there that caters to PvE and PvP players alike.

    This one single term (ZEEEEEEEEEEEERG) pretty much sums up the entirety of PvP and PvE in GW2.

    For instance early level gameplay revolves around farming... Now if that doesn't sound boring already let me extrapolate on that even more. In the low level zones, people form a "zerg" (a large group of people who skip around the map without a care for zone content). The sole purpose of the group is to farm a few specific bosses on a spawn rotation over and over until they either get bored, give up, get trolled by other people farming the same bosses, or are satisfied to move on to other content.

    Further continuing on the explanation of PvE, are instances (dungeons). These group based zones consist of simply overwhelming enemies, running through them, or beating them by exploiting clearly broken mechanics that have not been fixed by ArenaNet since the games launch. Example being something along the lines of killing a group of enemies through a wall, while they cannot fight back and would normally be a challenge if the exploit did not exist.

    Now the game rewards high level players for playing low level content. I like this because it encourages group play, but when this aspect of the game BECOMES the endgame, it gets pretty boring pretty fast.

    So, what about PvP? The original Guild Wars had a fantastic PvP setup, so surely GW2 would expand upon that system right? No... Not at all. The game adopts an identical model to World of Warcraft.
    There are 2 different types of PvP.
    There are small arenas consisting of around 5 players. These PvP instances require you to obtain PvP specific gear. Before joining one of these instances you enter a lobby where you have access to vendors, all skills you would have at level 80, and all usable item types. Just another grind earn currency and spend it on PvP gear, which is only usable in the instanced pvp arenas.

    World vs World is pretty much the most disappointing thing I have seen in the game. This “crowning” development of PvP has been prasied by GW2 fans since pre-release. The sad fact is that it isn't anything we haven't already seen in World of Warcraft. Several realms (servers) compete over control of instanced zones for +benifits to things like crafting and experience gains. The zones have large keeps and trade routes making it seem very expansive. However, in order to get to these zones you have to queue for them through the interface. Yes they are instanced and yes their is a limit as to how many people can be in them. The only difference from WoW is that these zones are an ongoing conflict. In WoW a battleground lasts 30 minutes. In GW2 these WvW zones are essentially perpetual, resetting weekly to match the highest rated realms against one another. In WoW you can expect to wait about 30-40 seconds before your PvP queue pops and you can queue for ALL battlegrounds available to you. In GW2 you are limited to queuing for one WvW zone at a time and expect to wait anywhere from 30min to 4hours in queue. Once inside WvW we move back to that word again... A commander plays follow the leader by creating a zerg. People follow the commander and attempt to take out objectives along the way.

    However, TRUE WORLD PVP does exist in WoW, where it does not exist in GW2. In WoW a player can go to any zone (aside from the newbie zones) and slaughter people mercilessly. There are also world PvP objectives (that start around level 50) that players must take to secure PvE benefits for their faction.

    I am honestly surprised that no system like this was implemented into GW2. Why is that? Well the answer comes to us in the solo quest storyline. (I am level 68/80 and it’s fair to say that I gave an honest effort at attempting to enjoy this game.) The storyline pointed out that the races of Tyria (GW2) are banding together and setting aside their differences to play nicely together and live in harmony after they defeat the evil dragons. So, it's possible ArenaNet didn't want to make this type of hostile PvP enviorment simply due to the nature of the story.    … Expand
  6. ntall1
    May 26, 2013
    4
    The game is not great, that is for sure. Its not that bad if you are only looking for weeks worth of gaming. But as a lasting MMO it leaves much to be desired.

    First of all GW2 is nothing like GW1. The PVP in GW2 is very generic, and pretty much crap. They made it so you can get to max level in a very short amount of time.. You can probably do it in 2 3 days if you really try, but    The game is not great, that is for sure. Its not that bad if you are only looking for weeks worth of gaming. But as a lasting MMO it leaves much to be desired.

    First of all GW2 is nothing like GW1. The PVP in GW2 is very generic, and pretty much crap. They made it so you can get to max level in a very short amount of time.. You can probably do it in 2 3 days if you really try, but will take the average player about a week maybe two.

    The dungeons are all broken with all the players just exploiting their way to bosses that they kill for useless loot. For the amount of time this game has been out they should have fixed a lot of the exploits that allow players to complete dungeons in 5 10 minutes.

    You can obtain the best gear in the game in a very short amount of time, (less than a month of game time), and whats left to do is basically repeating the same mindless content every day so you can get loot that looks different. It wont improve your character or change your stats, but you can make yourself look different. You basically continue playing so you can earn different skins.

    The world bosses are very mindless. 10 50 players just chaotically attacking a giant mobs foot. No strategy is required, and no skill in using your generic weapon based skills.

    So after you do basically everything this game has to offer in 3 weeks of playing all you are left with is World vs World. WvW is the large server vs server PvP. Its ok, but not great, and definitely doesn't give a reason to continue playing. Its no Esport that's for sure.

    All in all, the game isnt horrible, but its not good either. Its a meh. Play it for a month, and you are pretty much done.    … Expand
  7. Midnightmare
    Feb 1, 2013
    4
    So i used to played guild wars 1 a LOT!!!!
    And i missed it and loved it........so i bought this and was hoping for more of the same.
    A game that didten focus on grinding but skill instead! A game were skill would matter more than time! But unfortunately guild wars 2 seems a bit the oppersite, only really skill based feature left fro me seems to be the dodging.......and thats only    So i used to played guild wars 1 a LOT!!!!
    And i missed it and loved it........so i bought this and was hoping for more of the same.

    A game that didten focus on grinding but skill instead!
    A game were skill would matter more than time!

    But unfortunately guild wars 2 seems a bit the oppersite, only really skill based feature left fro me seems to be the dodging.......and thats only really good vs range attacks.
    The PvE seems pointless easy, click and wait more or less.

    used to be fun and challenging, picking the right skill and weapon for the right mob.
    Sure it used to suck when you got a bad team for an instance....but it also gave a rewarding feeling when you made it.
    Now i get the feeling of "what happened? Did i win? Apprently so?"
    And again the grinding...."sigh"
    In guild wars 1 a "grinder" was a noob in a fancy armor that didten do anything.

    I dont even like what they done about the grafics.......seems you get a lightshow for just for swining a sword.
    I guess thats a personal opinion but I like magic and badass creatures in a world to feel magic. and not something that comes out of my belt buckel for no particular reason.

    Didten really like the skill system in guild wars 1 but now i miss it :P

    Once this was a skill based game.
    Now its just a standard MMORPG like all the others.    … Expand
  8. ryn
    Oct 15, 2012
    4
    I'll keep this short. The graphics and sound come together to form a breathtaking world. Unfortunately, this alone isn't enough to make a compelling game. The combat is fun and engaging (perhaps more so than in competing titles) for the first couple of days. But I have yet to play an MMO that manages to keep it interesting after that and GW2 is no exception. Unfortunately this hits GW2I'll keep this short. The graphics and sound come together to form a breathtaking world. Unfortunately, this alone isn't enough to make a compelling game. The combat is fun and engaging (perhaps more so than in competing titles) for the first couple of days. But I have yet to play an MMO that manages to keep it interesting after that and GW2 is no exception. Unfortunately this hits GW2 hard, because as the developers pointed out many times: there is no "carrot" in GW2. What's supposed to keep you playing is the fun of playing the game itself (walking around killing things, exploring, doing dynamic events, etc.) and NOT loot rewards. Well, general game-play quickly becomes sleep-inducing. Crafting is a major gold-sink and feels like a waste of time, even if the interface itself isn't bad. The economy is a complete joke, with 99% of items selling at vendor price and the other 1% climbing to insane new heights every day. Unless you've played from release and speculated your way to huge profits when various recipes were changed or discovered, you are going to be dirt-poor from 1-80 and beyond. The dungeons are boring and frustrating at the same time, but to expect differently when you put 5 classes that all do everything in a dungeon that you over-tune to hell to make it "challenging" is madness. World-vs-World PvP is a zerg-fest of epic proportions and if you think that structured PvP will appeal to you, go play Dota2 or LoL instead for a much more complete and fun experience. The personal story is decent up to level 50 or so, then it looses pretty much all it's appeal and turns into another terrible, unrewarding grind.… Expand
  9. BeatHour
    May 29, 2022
    4
    Just reviewing the story missions of the base game here. This is one of the worst story experiences I've ever had. Mediocre voice acting; a lot of the minor actors sound like they just wandered into the studio. Very strange mechanics, like turret sections where you have to press the number keys to move and shoot the turret, or escort missions where you have to stand right next to but alsoJust reviewing the story missions of the base game here. This is one of the worst story experiences I've ever had. Mediocre voice acting; a lot of the minor actors sound like they just wandered into the studio. Very strange mechanics, like turret sections where you have to press the number keys to move and shoot the turret, or escort missions where you have to stand right next to but also slightly ahead of the NPC at all times to get them to move. TERRIBLE story progression. All that happens is you meet a few new characters, they die or betray you, and the other characters (most of whom have no personality beyond their fantasy race) are surprised. Then you beat the main boss by hopping on a turret and spamming 1 for 5 minutes straight.

    After peaking ahead at some story content for the "Path of Fire" expansion, it does seem like their writing ability and use of mechanics gets better over time. But the base game is so atrocious and skippable, please do yourself a favor and just skip all the cutscenes. You don't need to know anything besides the Jolly Green Giant guy is the main hero for apparently no reason. That's it.    … Expand
  10. Tyron_87
    Feb 1, 2013
    4
    This game requires skill, the story is fairly flat (little people who make the engineers but that something new in short, you want to spend your money do not take well GW2.
  11. Bahska28
    Sep 7, 2012
    4
    PVP is the only part i care abut and it was ok but needs some work, specifically WvW play. Over half the time is spent running back to the fight that got boring fast. The other half was spent getting one shot by ranged and arrows from siege weapons.

    The game may be good in a few month to a year when they iron out some of its flaws but for now as a pvp it just didn't hold up to my expectations.
  12. Misjah
    Sep 2, 2012
    4
    Huge disappointment, completely over-hyped...
    World graphics are only slightly better then WoW and the quest system is a complete ripoff from Warhammer, just like Rift. WvW also reminds me much of warhammer open world PvP, the pvp could be great but has a big chance of ending up completely **** like warhammer did.
    The jumping puzzles were difficult and fun but nothing new having just    Huge disappointment, completely over-hyped...
    World graphics are only slightly better then WoW and the quest system is a complete ripoff from Warhammer, just like Rift. WvW also reminds me much of warhammer open world PvP, the pvp could be great but has a big chance of ending up completely **** like warhammer did.
    The jumping puzzles were difficult and fun but nothing new having just played SWToR.
    The engine was a HUGE disappointment, the game has a far view distance and lot's of character polys, NONE of which makes the game run very well, the input delays completely killed the experience for me, without without v-sync it was horrible!
    The most exciting part of GW2 was the weapon/ability system and i had completely discovered all my weapons and abilities by level 8, taking a quick glance of the unlockable abilities and traits did not boost my excitement one single bit!
    WoWHammer2 was just another theme park clone with slightly exciting pvp, the ONLY great thing about it is the little polished lore there was, a chance for some fun WvW PvP and the fact that's it's F2P.
    For that, I give it a 4/10.    … Expand
  13. Mcwalco
    Sep 5, 2012
    4
    Disney on steroids or PCP great graphics ,crafting looks well done but some what tedious.Characters are great stories weak least thief was .I found it little better than WOW or most the other fantasy MMOs out there. I have been playing MMos since before Ultima Online .Its good but not up to the hype .
  14. gameplayer
    Sep 17, 2012
    4
    buy if you like semi free to play pve and uncomplicated pvp with awkward, counter intuitive controls, avoid if you like games a little more challenging
  15. jmh05n
    Sep 27, 2012
    4
    Not a bad launch for an MMO but it had several issues like the trading post. They trying something innovative with classes being a jack of all trades. No specific tank, control, healer, dps classes. Each class is a little of each all rolled into one, its just they each do it a little different. This makes teamwork more difficult later on when people team up for dungeons causing severalNot a bad launch for an MMO but it had several issues like the trading post. They trying something innovative with classes being a jack of all trades. No specific tank, control, healer, dps classes. Each class is a little of each all rolled into one, its just they each do it a little different. This makes teamwork more difficult later on when people team up for dungeons causing several frustrating wipes. There are alot of pluses here but the class system is innovative but your either a like or hate it. I'm just too ingrained from other MMO's I have played like FF XI, DCUO, and SWTOR. If your willing to take a walk out of the MMO comfort zone, I suggest trying it. You may like it. I unfortunately did not.… Expand
  16. Undercover007
    Nov 20, 2012
    4
    Overhyped. The graphics are excellent at the time of launch, but the good features stop there. It has a disguised form of grinding that tries to fool players into thinking they are not grinding while doing exactly what grinding is: repeated kills over and over.
    The classes are a huge let down. Most have cool animations and effects but these have no impact on gameplay as the abilities are    Overhyped. The graphics are excellent at the time of launch, but the good features stop there. It has a disguised form of grinding that tries to fool players into thinking they are not grinding while doing exactly what grinding is: repeated kills over and over.
    The classes are a huge let down. Most have cool animations and effects but these have no impact on gameplay as the abilities are weak and generic. All classes can do all the functions as melee damage, ranged damage, healing and support and as such excel at none which just furthers the feeling of weak classes. Furthermore you can be up-leveled (rarely) or down-leveled (more commonly) to provide a fixed challenge level. While some people like the constant challenge, this only increases the feeling of weakness since you can never enjoy the power you accrued.
    Mobs are repeated through several areas, just leveled up and with maybe a different name (not always), which contributes to the tedium after a while.
    Add to all this that it has no demo nor trial nor the possibility to sell the game you bought (as per the aggreement) nor a money-back guarantee and we have a trap where we just sank our money. All this fear of losing money on the part of the company only reflects a lack of confidence on the tittle.

    Bottom-line: not worth it.    … Expand
  17. gabryatfendor
    Dec 24, 2012
    4
    I buy very few games usually. The hype of some friends about this made me buy it. A waste of money, for me. I got bored in the first 20 level. I simply doesn't feel part of a world. The first thing a good rpg, online or offline, should do is to have a great history/ world (Azeroth, for example) in wich you can feel part of something. I found nothing of it here. The event are somethingI buy very few games usually. The hype of some friends about this made me buy it. A waste of money, for me. I got bored in the first 20 level. I simply doesn't feel part of a world. The first thing a good rpg, online or offline, should do is to have a great history/ world (Azeroth, for example) in wich you can feel part of something. I found nothing of it here. The event are something funny... for the first 3 or 4 times. Then they are really boring. Also, the fact you can group with people basically whoever they are, is something that really is against the online experience. I want to make friends and allies in an online game. This, again, is not the case. Try the game before buy it!… Expand
  18. BalicanBreeze
    Apr 24, 2014
    4
    The graphics are nice and the quest system is nice. Sadly, a lack of interesting story lines makes the leveling process very boring. The lack of FoV slider makes the game unplayable for several people, and is inexcusable for a modern game.
  19. ZeroGama
    Feb 15, 2013
    4
    Let me start off saying that I played the original Guild Wars for 7 years, and loved every moment of it. I even bought the two books that were released to fill the lore in between GW1 and GW2 while pre ordering my collectors edition for the day it came out. I thought GW2 would have more of the same as GW1, but sadly it doesn't. First off, Instances are gone Poof.... No longer can youLet me start off saying that I played the original Guild Wars for 7 years, and loved every moment of it. I even bought the two books that were released to fill the lore in between GW1 and GW2 while pre ordering my collectors edition for the day it came out. I thought GW2 would have more of the same as GW1, but sadly it doesn't. First off, Instances are gone Poof.... No longer can you explore an area with you and a couple of ur closest friends. Now there's just a pile of people that you all manage to amalgamate, collectively attacking random things chaotically. There are no strategies anymore, just annoying-ass mindless spamming of 2 or 3 skills. Second off, the skill system and combat system is dead. Gone are the days when you could hunt down specific skills stretched across the world of Tyria to collect. Now, your skills are linked with your weapon. Which you then only have 5 per weapon, and are very limited in their diversity. Honestly, every weapon and skill feel almost identical per class. It's a shame really; I remember spending hours upon hours trying to build the perfect build for PvE. And then when that build didn't cut it anymore for a new quest or mission, I'd sit around and devise a new build for specific situations. Just as Diablo III had to dumb down it's game for the masses, so did GW2.

    Next, the new and innovative event system is a clever way of deceiving players of something new. In actuality, the even system is just another grind-fest to kill X number of enemies or collect Y number of items to complete it. Like I said earlier, it's a very clever system, because thousands of people have been duped to believe they're not playing the usual MMO that requires you to grind out the same exact quests/actions over and over again, the individuals at Arena Net just covered it with a different set of clothes and a wig to make it seem new. It isn't. And it's god damned awful and disgusting that not many people realize this.

    If you're a fan of WOW and MMO's similar to it's play style, then go on ahead an check out this game, it'll probably be the "change" you've been looking for in a game. Meanwhile, if you were a fan of the first installment, stay away from this game, stay far far away.If you're looking for instanced games to play check out Path of Exile or Phantasy Star Online 2, those games you'll surely enjoy.

    -Disheartened Fan    … Expand
  20. Radox0
    Jul 18, 2013
    4
    Two of the biggest problem of this game is the poor history and weakly content in max. lvl.
    But is the best mmorpg after world of warcraft, better than Tera, Rift, or Aion.
  21. Bmane
    Jan 10, 2015
    4
    Guild Wars 2 is probably, as of now, the current best MMO on the market. And that's really an insight into the current trend of MMO's. The idea that an MMO is about exploration and living in a new world, reaping the benefits of what should be fun non-stagnant gameplay, has now become set in stone as a repetitive grindfest upon a treadmill that you, as the player, now thread on.

    MMO's    Guild Wars 2 is probably, as of now, the current best MMO on the market. And that's really an insight into the current trend of MMO's. The idea that an MMO is about exploration and living in a new world, reaping the benefits of what should be fun non-stagnant gameplay, has now become set in stone as a repetitive grindfest upon a treadmill that you, as the player, now thread on.

    MMO's have not changed. Concepts might be new, in some cases, and the gameplay might take on different forms, but in the end, it is always the same. You do a quest. You level up. You kill stuff. you level up. You do dungeons together and level up, collect that epic loot at the end of the tunnel.

    So what's wrong with all that? Nothing, except for that the mechanics have not changed since the invention of the MMO. Guild Wars 2 was suppose to be revolutionary, instead, it only proved to be a clone of what has come prefer. A clone that comes in prettier graphics with different mechanics that are essentially unchanged, just done differently.

    Today's MMO's are a bit like candy: They come in all different flavors, and the consumer likes to take a nipple at each one now and again. When they come across a flavor that they like, they'll consume it until they are full and sick of it, and then move on to the next fad.

    Guild Wars 2 is quite cleverly designed in that it looks revolutionary from the outside, but once you get into it, and discover its rather bland and mundane crafting system that is really only useful at the top-tiers, or its horrendous spam loot system that spams you with useless loot, you'll see that it really is nothing different.

    Sure the graphics are quite good, probably the best of any current market MMO, but graphics will only get you so far. Guild Wars 2 is the prime example of stagnant. As a player who was in the beta and pumped a lot of hours into this game, I can tell you right now that having briefly jumped back into it recently, nothing has changed. Guild Wars 2 opened to the public on its launch day and has essentially been left as it is with no drastic improvements or features other than perhaps byte-size ones. The devs have adopted a policy of no expansions for the game, while they have not ruled it out completely, the issue is moot. Guild Wars 2 looks to remain as it is for quite sometime.

    Leveling up in Guild Wars 2 is also a dull affair. Some of the top weapons are not that great, crafting, as I said earlier, is really beneficial if you pump a load of hours into it. Low-tier and mid-tier crafting is useless other than getting your skills up. *yawn*

    Character progression is subtle and rather bland. You really do not feel that the extra 3% bonus you'll get from progression will help you, and it is incredibly boring when most of your level up is done in incredibly small increments.

    But the worse offender... and my main pet hate of Guild Wars 2, and any MMO for that matter, is the quests. O god the quests! The Hello Kitty Quests!

    Guild Wars 2 perhaps has the most non-offensive yet offensive quests imaginable. Did I create a Necromancer in this game just to go around and throw snowballs at unsupervised kids? Why do I have to be turned into a 'cat' and then to subsequently 'pee' on bushes to stir rabbits from them... Why do I have to help the farmer with catching her piglets? Yes... Anyone who has played MMO's knows the story here, nothing new...

    But Guild Wars 2 just took it to a whole new level. Lets not get into the rather mundane personal story quest that perhaps wins the award for the most anti-climatic end ever in a story. The Guild Wars 2 quests drove me mad. It's as if their target audience was that of a twelve year old girl who sits around and watches the Disney channel all day. That's the sort of level you can expect here. Sure, I'm not asking for Guild Wars 2 to contain a more mature content or a darker atmosphere (o wait, I am!) but I would have liked a lot less of the rather stupidly mundane quests. Even the first GW game was less annoying than this.

    Honestly, despite the fact that I said GW2 is the best mmo on the market, there are a few contenders. Age of Conan is for one a rather enjoyable affair. GW2 just happens to be the big elephant in the room that dwarfs all the others, and it is a damn shame that it's not as revolutionary as it could be, and all it is, is a rather mundane bland adventure into a fantasy land.    … Expand
  22. FlyToRainbowRay
    Jun 22, 2013
    4
    I played and enjoyed GW1 the day after it was released and overall I played around 100-150 hours. I was therefore looking forward to GW2 and had high expectations after they talked about how it would be so different to all those other boring mmos. Well, after 35 hours I know, not very much), I am very bored and not sure if I will play much more.

    The combat is the dull combat from every    I played and enjoyed GW1 the day after it was released and overall I played around 100-150 hours. I was therefore looking forward to GW2 and had high expectations after they talked about how it would be so different to all those other boring mmos. Well, after 35 hours I know, not very much), I am very bored and not sure if I will play much more.

    The combat is the dull combat from every other mmo I've played, with the dull kill this, kill that quests, but done slightly differently. Also,there has not been one interesting quest because there are no interesting stories or characters. The main story has some charm (I'm playing as an Asura), but overall I just don't care. You just do the same things over, and over, and over, and over again. That being said, this game is better than gw1, but gw1 came out 8 years ago and I need a lot more innovation and tricks to impress me than what GW2 offers.

    There are good things about this game. It is very pretty. Everything from the character designs to the world to the UI are great. The music is also great and there are no subscription fees.

    In the end, if you enjoy other mmos like WOW, or TOR then you will probably really enjoy this. If you don't enjoy those mmos, and you think this game is going to be some great leap forward, I think you will be quite disappointed.    … Expand
  23. RobertN
    Jul 15, 2013
    4
    Don't be deceived. The game is grindy, has a terrible story, and ruined the Guild Wars name. The PvE is grindy and repetitive. The game has some serious balance issues with classes as well. The PVP is a joke and doesn't exist in my opinion. Most everything in the PvE and PvP is just done by zerging. It's like they buff the enemies so you have to zerg them then say "SEE? THIS GAME IS FORDon't be deceived. The game is grindy, has a terrible story, and ruined the Guild Wars name. The PvE is grindy and repetitive. The game has some serious balance issues with classes as well. The PVP is a joke and doesn't exist in my opinion. Most everything in the PvE and PvP is just done by zerging. It's like they buff the enemies so you have to zerg them then say "SEE? THIS GAME IS FOR THE PROS!". There is limited freedom in choosing a build which is something I loved about the original. Lastly, the community is godawful. Stay away. I regret wasting my time in this "sequel".… Expand
  24. Fra-k
    Jan 11, 2014
    4
    a good, typical mmo. with fascinating graphics, a large open world.
    full of grinding farming and gold.

    but not what people were waiting for at the very beginning.
    not "a game for casuals". not "a game without grinding".
  25. BobbyM747
    Sep 7, 2015
    4
    Was one of my favorite games, until it was updated a while ago, and it started going down hill. I got this game a few days after launch, I can easily tell you, many hours of gameplay. But the update that made me hate Guild Wars 2 and made me switch to World of Warcraft. There is no more freely doing your storyline quests. You have to do it EVERY TEN levels. Used to be every 2-5 levels.Was one of my favorite games, until it was updated a while ago, and it started going down hill. I got this game a few days after launch, I can easily tell you, many hours of gameplay. But the update that made me hate Guild Wars 2 and made me switch to World of Warcraft. There is no more freely doing your storyline quests. You have to do it EVERY TEN levels. Used to be every 2-5 levels. Now, this game is a grind/farm simulator. Now that you have to wait every ten levels to do a quest, better get busy farming XP from enemies for a few days. This game is also going F2P, which is actually good, because the game is going bad anyways. Can't really find any players, microtransaction for jewels. This was in the game after launch day as well, when I paid over $60 for it. Save your money, and do not buy the expansion, don't even buy the game, unless you have so much time on your hands, and you are into killing the same enemies for hours on end.… Expand
  26. CalScott
    Nov 6, 2014
    4
    Amazing game. Outstanding game. Just a shame that PvP is trash and WvW gets boring after about a month. Dungeons are no challenge and too easy to farm. Gear is way too easy to obtain (yes including legendary). After level 80 the game slows down and creating another character is the most boring thing on the face of the earth. Not to mention the story is a big big let down towards the endAmazing game. Outstanding game. Just a shame that PvP is trash and WvW gets boring after about a month. Dungeons are no challenge and too easy to farm. Gear is way too easy to obtain (yes including legendary). After level 80 the game slows down and creating another character is the most boring thing on the face of the earth. Not to mention the story is a big big let down towards the end with small rewards and underwhelming plot. The living story was supposed to bring it back to life but that failed too and just felt like an extremely dragging way to coax players back which didn't work as I know my old guild has gone from 300 members to around 190 mid living story and gone to Archeage or a different MMO. It really is a let down and I expected to play it for more than I did.800-900 hours so not just a newbie with no experience. In comparison I have played Archeage for 375 hours since head start, so that is nearly half the game play in a quarter of the time and I haven't even started to craft, farm or gear up correctly. 110% a good game for the first character and first 500-600 hours but after that you're best of setting it down in a corner to let it gather dust.

    P.s. The boss fights are **** terrible and the only good part about this game that I couldn't fault it the art style and the fact that it isn't pay to play.    … Expand
  27. iamghost111
    Jul 14, 2015
    4
    This game has become a train wreck. When it was first released a lot of people were really amazed with this game. Stunning visuals, unique combat, and an innovative way to quest. However over the years Anet has continuously destroyed it one step at a time.

    Pro's of Guild Wars 2 currently: -Stunning Visuals -Interesting Lore -Interesting world Con's of Guild Wars 2:    This game has become a train wreck. When it was first released a lot of people were really amazed with this game. Stunning visuals, unique combat, and an innovative way to quest. However over the years Anet has continuously destroyed it one step at a time.

    Pro's of Guild Wars 2 currently:
    -Stunning Visuals
    -Interesting Lore
    -Interesting world

    Con's of Guild Wars 2:
    -unprofessional company
    -bugs are rarely fixed, the major ones get ignored
    -major balance issues, only a few classes are viable
    -major lack of content, it took 3 years to get an expansion and the xpac is very. very. very small
    -hack issues, players constantly hack in WvW, its biggest pvp feature
    -Turning into p2w with new pvp advantages being locked behind their cash shop
    -untrustworthy developing team, they treat it like its a beat and erase features of the game and start over. Character customization for example was completely scrapped and replaced with an inferior system.

    There really is no reason to play this game anymore. 2 years ago i'd still recommend it but the way it has become over those past 2 years is disturbing. For a f2p game this might be something worth playing for a month to stay occupied. However because the game is not f2p and costs around 120$ (including its "expansion") you should not play this game. There are much better mmo's out there currently that can do everything guild wars 2 can, but better.    … Expand
  28. WiLdEcaRd
    Dec 18, 2015
    4
    2012 - 8/10
    2013 - 6/10
    2014 - 2/10
    2015 - 3/10
    GW2 is now pay to win Gear Grind Fest
    I have to admit no other mmo have disappoint me so much as this one thx to probable the worst group of developer ever !
  29. abotogar
    Oct 29, 2021
    4
    the skyscale collection is the most frustrating quest i face in a videogame, it is almost impossible to do this quest without a group in cetain point, to make the matter worse it is not good for the business since guild wars if filed with cosmetics in game purchases.
  30. Jack91
    Oct 1, 2012
    3
    Got the game even at it's high cost because of the hype. Installed it levelled to 22 and still didn't like it. Graphically good yes but when I fight things, the moves you get just are not satisfying. I'm not sure why so many say WoW is graphically terrible, when I turn everything on Ultra with 4x AA and SSAO it's wonderful so clearly you either need to change the options or get a betterGot the game even at it's high cost because of the hype. Installed it levelled to 22 and still didn't like it. Graphically good yes but when I fight things, the moves you get just are not satisfying. I'm not sure why so many say WoW is graphically terrible, when I turn everything on Ultra with 4x AA and SSAO it's wonderful so clearly you either need to change the options or get a better card or LCD screen. The game still isn't a patch on WoW, I can see quests from explanation marks and not silly love heart icons. Joining PvP in wow is fun and easy, dungeons, raids, all because of integrated functions using the finder tool. This just doesn't have the edge at all and sorry but if your praising it just because it's free you need to open your eyes.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PC Game of 2012
5
#5 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 69
  3. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    90
    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]
  2. Gaming Nexus
    Jan 2, 2013
    95
    Guild Wars 2 surpasses the original in every aspect, from its massive and atmospheric world to its addictive and engrossing gameplay.
    Read full review
  3. RPG Fan
    Nov 28, 2012
    80
    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.
    Read full review
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