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. beladrim
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    Remember all those MMO's that were supposed to take world of craft down? Well... GW2 might be the messiah we were hoping for!

    The put it in one word, GW2 is "dynamic"! You walk around the world and random events occur, and player all gather to fight back what ever threath is coming. No grouping, no kill still. Everyone fight together and get's rewards. Seriously, you will NEVER need to    Remember all those MMO's that were supposed to take world of craft down? Well... GW2 might be the messiah we were hoping for!

    The put it in one word, GW2 is "dynamic"! You walk around the world and random events occur, and player all gather to fight back what ever threath is coming. No grouping, no kill still. Everyone fight together and get's rewards. Seriously, you will NEVER need to call for help or search a group in this game. You never fell alone as you do quest. Arenanet did a perfect job to encourage players to work together and make it FUN at the same time.

    The game is also very beautifull, and things like points of interests and views encourage you to explore.

    The combat system can be confusing at time, and the camera dosn't allow you to zoom out enough. As range class it's ok but as a melee you often don't see what's going on behind you and finding your next target can be a bit challenging. Still, the combat is very FUN!

    The story : I am going to have to compare with SWTOR, as the story is THE factor that was suppose to make TOR better than GW2. Well... In a way, story in TOR play a much more important part than in GW2, and i really loved the fact that all side quests in starwars add dialogues options. Still GW2 as a main story quest arc that is interesting enough to keep you interested and unlike TOR, you will make decisions that will trully affect the outcome.

    PvP is not an afterthough in this game, the WvW maps are hudge and still it's easy to find something to do on them. The game really succeds in making you believe that you are taking part in a war. It's not as simple as capturing a flag and getting points. You must fight off enemy invaders, gather ressources to repair the door, construct siege weapons... But because those battles are so massive, it will put your rig to the test.

    Crafting is also interesting in this game. I can't say much about it yet but i really enjoy experimenting with materials to get new reciepes.

    Dungeons are nice but i have yet to try the end game content on that part. Overall, GW 2 is by far the best MMO that came out since WoW, and the fact that it has no subcription fee makes it the biggest threath that WoW ever faced.    … Expand
  2. afterburner
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    It's rare to have my expectations for a game met. While the launch hasn't been without it's problems, this is the best game I have played in the last decade. I love doing everything in it so far. Played all 3 beta weekends and bought the collector's edition. It's refreshing to have a gaming company that's willing to put user experience before profits. A company of gamers for gamers :D
  3. haberman13
    Sep 1, 2012
    10
    What a game. Better than any MMO before it, for someone who likes a hardcore game, but doesn't want the 'life investment' that comes with WoW. Caters to all types, quick PVP, perfect MMO world, big battles, easy grouping, fun combat. Truly the next big MMO, no doubt.
  4. kendrickdk
    Sep 2, 2012
    9
    I've now played the game for a couple days and have to say it's really good. The character creation is top notch, the game mechanics are smooth and the graphics look great. The game seems to run really nice but did have to put it in windowed mode to clear up a pixalation issue. I also like how you don't have to reset key binds every time you make a new toon. The quests was confusing atI've now played the game for a couple days and have to say it's really good. The character creation is top notch, the game mechanics are smooth and the graphics look great. The game seems to run really nice but did have to put it in windowed mode to clear up a pixalation issue. I also like how you don't have to reset key binds every time you make a new toon. The quests was confusing at first but now I get it. I also like how a quest automatically will add people to it, kind of like rift. This have is well worth $60, especially when you don't have any monthly fee's.… Expand
  5. Stormie
    Aug 29, 2012
    8
    A solid and innovative piece of work, in a genre where it's rare and pleasing to see a game that is either of those two things, let alone both.

    I admire the fact that there is a real focus on encouraging players to enjoy the game together, rather than via a carrot & stick approach of forced grouping. Game mechanics appear to have been designed by a genuine design effort, it's hard to    A solid and innovative piece of work, in a genre where it's rare and pleasing to see a game that is either of those two things, let alone both.

    I admire the fact that there is a real focus on encouraging players to enjoy the game together, rather than via a carrot & stick approach of forced grouping. Game mechanics appear to have been designed by a genuine design effort, it's hard to point a finger at any mechanics which simply ape what has been seem frequently before. Art direction is excellent. Gameplay is free-flowing and has a definite ability to make you lose track of time.

    My main negative is the poor writing and voice-acting on the personal stories. It's easily the weakest aspect of the game, and really unnecessary in an MMORPG - save the single-player stories for single-player games. Additionally, while I don't want to be one of the raging ranters that give a game 0/10 due to server problems, there HAVE been plenty of them. We still don't have a functioning trading post five days after launch, and guilds have been plagued with errors inviting players and with players trying to use guild functionality.    … Expand
  6. wizegamer
    Sep 21, 2012
    10
    with a decent machine you can play this game with almost max graphics and it looks amazing. small things make a big diffrence birds and small forest animals cover the forests you never feel alone even in big zones. the events and collecting are made so that you are not competeing with other people which is a plus can tell you how many times ive run for a tree or collection spot to havewith a decent machine you can play this game with almost max graphics and it looks amazing. small things make a big diffrence birds and small forest animals cover the forests you never feel alone even in big zones. the events and collecting are made so that you are not competeing with other people which is a plus can tell you how many times ive run for a tree or collection spot to have another person beet me only to realize that hey i get to collect to. when you die you get a grace period to bring your self back or others to raise you. and dont get me started on the fact that its FREE TO PLAY best mmo as of right now.… Expand
  7. squidbiskets
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing. It is not in anyway your typical MMO game. It does almost everything differently. Play any character you want, however you want. You don't need to rely on people to tank or heal you. For PvP you can jump in right away with a max level character and gear and start pvping right away, as It is skill based not gear based.
  8. Piata
    Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Phenomenal game. It removes a lot of the things I hate about MMOs (monthly fee, gear grinds, pointless time sinks, the holy trinity of classes) and adds a bunch of great things (rewards for exploration, jumping puzzles, dynamic combat, branching story lines, "open" quests). There's a lot of value here for $60.
  9. donewithD3
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    After playing for 5 days all I have to say is WOW. You can really tell the developers loved making this game and I personally love playing it. The world is incredible and engrossing, each of the classes are unique and have several playstyles, the pvp especially World vs. World (which gives PvE benefits) is incredibly fun. The game is full of options too if you dont like killing monstersAfter playing for 5 days all I have to say is WOW. You can really tell the developers loved making this game and I personally love playing it. The world is incredible and engrossing, each of the classes are unique and have several playstyles, the pvp especially World vs. World (which gives PvE benefits) is incredibly fun. The game is full of options too if you dont like killing monsters for experience you can hop right onto PvP and level there (it transfers over to PvE) you can craft, you can simply explore, you can do the story quests, you can do achievements. Literally everything in the game rewards players in someway. The community itself is very helpful and the guild system is amazing if you have some friends (or meet new ones). All in all a must-buy. The initial product is amazing and the future is brighter than the sun.… Expand
  10. Nyel
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    There is not that much to say about this game.

    It's a masterpiece, a living and breathing piece of wonderful art.

    Thank you, ArenaNet, for creating one of the most beautiful MMORPG's ever.
  11. rive
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Is this game a 10 right now? No. Does it have the potential to be a 10 once all the bugs are worked out and a few needed features are added. Yes? Do any other MMOs have the potential to be 10s. In my opinion, no. Not after GW2. All other MMOs are built on antiquated systems that can no longer rate 10 in my book. At one point I would have rated WOW a 10, but there is no way I could anymore.Is this game a 10 right now? No. Does it have the potential to be a 10 once all the bugs are worked out and a few needed features are added. Yes? Do any other MMOs have the potential to be 10s. In my opinion, no. Not after GW2. All other MMOs are built on antiquated systems that can no longer rate 10 in my book. At one point I would have rated WOW a 10, but there is no way I could anymore.

    So why I am rating it 10? Because, as I said before, it can be a 10. I am willing to give them three months. If after three months it is not a 10, I will revise my review. Also, I feel compelled to combat the unnecessary 0's. Seriously, why zero? It is not that bad, not even close. This game should be a 10 right now, but ArenaNet dropped the ball by not having a open beta. They absolutely should have had two week open beta and then announced a release date.

    The only reason I am willing to be lenient is because WOW and others were given time to correct their problems. WOW's release was a atrocious, but people gave it time to work itself out. Why can't we give this game a little bit of time to get things right? The standard MMO's are held to these days is absurd, and makes it insanely difficult for any company to compete with Blizzard. Now Blizzard with their 5000+ employees can put out an unfinished game and set sales records. ArenaNet with their 300+ employees should be given some time to iron things out.    … Expand
  12. Xaia
    Sep 4, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is literally the best MMO I have played since World of Warcraft VANILLA. From the graphics to the combat, to the amazing questing system; this game delivers on all fronts. Anyone that rates this game negative is a real life loser or a fanboy hater.
  13. Dasor
    Sep 10, 2012
    10
    One of the best game ever developed.
    The secret Jumping Puzzles are just amazing, a new feature in mmorpgs that should be added everywhere.
    I've been waiting this game since 2007 and i'm very satisfied.
  14. Zonzai
    Dec 30, 2012
    8
    Story: 4 ---------------- The great overarching plot from GW1 is replaced by hundreds of meaningless (but fun) mini-events and some often contrived personal quests.

    Visuals: 10 ----------- It doesn't get a whole lot better for an MMO and the ANet art team is great at creating visual interest. Sound: 9 --------------- Jeremy Soul is a genius. The only reason this isn't a 10 is because    Story: 4 ---------------- The great overarching plot from GW1 is replaced by hundreds of meaningless (but fun) mini-events and some often contrived personal quests.

    Visuals: 10 ----------- It doesn't get a whole lot better for an MMO and the ANet art team is great at creating visual interest.

    Sound: 9 --------------- Jeremy Soul is a genius. The only reason this isn't a 10 is because of the headache-inducing noise of necromancer spells and deafeningly cacophonous boss fights.

    Combat: 7 ------------- It's good for an MMO but if you've ever played any action RPG you know exactly what you're missing. It's not as good as TERA's combat but it's good.

    Game Design: 8 ----- In all aspects the game is well-designed but it seems that ArenaNet is not immune to problems with class balance. Certain classes suffer from crippling class-specific design issues and poor skill synergy so much that the player must master every available skill and use them in every fight (engineer, elementalist). Others need do only know how to use a few skills to win most NPC encounters (guardian, thief, warrior). Basically, it's the same situation as with every other MMORPG.

    Fun Factor: 10 ------- Yeah, it's fun. It still gets repetitive, there isn't enough end game content yet and choosing one of the inferior classes can really be a downer but compared to any other MMORPG, it's the best there is. That means it deserves a 10 even if it isn't quite perfect.

    Overall: 8 -------------- A very good game with the potential for greatness. Here's hoping ArenaNet can tap that potential in future updates and class balance patches.    … Expand
  15. MornFuin
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    So many WoW fanboys hating this lol best game ever. The game artstyle, gameplay and music are just amazing. The launch wasn't that bad many mmo games had a much worse launch.
  16. DeFrank
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Exceeded my expectations in every way. A ton of content with little to no compulsion to grind. PvP and WvW alone will provide months of solid gameplay.
  17. cambria
    Jan 24, 2014
    9
    This is the only MMO I still enjoy after 3000 hours. I've done all the content, built a 300-adult superguild, made legendaries, full top-tier everything, a 600gold emperor title just for fun... And there's STILL STUFF COMING OUT! Sometimes the living story gets kinda boring but this is definitely redefining what good MMO's require. Kudos arenanet.
  18. WaterWoman
    Aug 28, 2012
    9
    It's hard for me to give a game a 10; perfection. With this game, yes I don't like doing some tasks like pick up stuff for 15 minutes, blah, blah, blah, so I can't give it a 10. But overall this game is addicting, more polished than GW1, fun to play, massive amount of content, smooth, nice to look out, great character builds, good weapons, good enemies, etc.... It's my favorite MMO.
  19. rvrd
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    GW2 will win GOTY 2012. Basically aside from the launch issues... when it works it's fun as hell! Very addicting gameplay. Anything you do in the game is interesting and engaging. ANet will constantly be improving the game so it's just going to get better and better! Worth every penny and I am already thinking about what new content and expansions will come out in the future. Goodbye realGW2 will win GOTY 2012. Basically aside from the launch issues... when it works it's fun as hell! Very addicting gameplay. Anything you do in the game is interesting and engaging. ANet will constantly be improving the game so it's just going to get better and better! Worth every penny and I am already thinking about what new content and expansions will come out in the future. Goodbye real life. Hello GW2!… Expand
  20. Wynnyelle
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    So far, so great! it's a solid game, and a very solid MMO. I normally get burned out on MMOs fairly quickly, so it's up in the air whether the feeling will last, but all of the other MMO releases the past couple of years have just felt stagnant compared to this. It's not your typical MMO and I can understand why some people wouldn't like it because it doesn't have the traditionalSo far, so great! it's a solid game, and a very solid MMO. I normally get burned out on MMOs fairly quickly, so it's up in the air whether the feeling will last, but all of the other MMO releases the past couple of years have just felt stagnant compared to this. It's not your typical MMO and I can understand why some people wouldn't like it because it doesn't have the traditional instanced raiding, but the game pretty much delivers on everything that it says it does, so if you like what you read, give it a shot! You'll get your money's worth.… Expand
  21. Slayus666
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    This game is exactly what the MMO world needed. It is a breath of fresh air into a genre that has recently become very stale. This is a great MMO for anyone that has a life as you can very seemlessly hop in and out of the action. It's not about chasing a carrot on a stick it's about having fun and I really appreciate all the hard work that has gone into developing it.
  22. Manifoldgodhead
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    What is there not to like? The amount of depth in ArenaNet's new MMO Guild Wars 2 is simply astounding. While the graphics are relatively average the attention detail makes up for it. Everything from players leaving footprint trails and idly toying with their weapons while out of combat to the sheer volume and depth of the dynamic event system is mind blowing. The action based combatWhat is there not to like? The amount of depth in ArenaNet's new MMO Guild Wars 2 is simply astounding. While the graphics are relatively average the attention detail makes up for it. Everything from players leaving footprint trails and idly toying with their weapons while out of combat to the sheer volume and depth of the dynamic event system is mind blowing. The action based combat brings a whole new level to the MMO experience and the dodge mechanic feels natural and responsive. Emphasis is placed on well timed dodges and skill usage instead of mindlessly spamming ability rotations.

    The map completion mechanic combined with gathering nodes being individual player based along with the dynamic events really makes the leveling fun and rewards exploration. While no single mechanic is revolutionary the combination of many great ideas and how well they all flow together really just makes this game work.

    P.S. I have been dropping the F bomb in general chat all day for 3 days and not been banned. Those others must have been really abusive. There is a profanity filter for a reason.    … Expand
  23. Margos101
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    One of the best mmorpgs of this generation.Well let me say that apart from being innovative,it is fun to progress in the game.The game itself is different from other mmos as it takes a different approach to the mmorpg genre.There is no trinity,no grind for gear,no trinity and last but not least smooth leveling.These elements are implemented excellently to make the game more fun than otherOne of the best mmorpgs of this generation.Well let me say that apart from being innovative,it is fun to progress in the game.The game itself is different from other mmos as it takes a different approach to the mmorpg genre.There is no trinity,no grind for gear,no trinity and last but not least smooth leveling.These elements are implemented excellently to make the game more fun than other mmorpgs.It is buy to play so you need to pay a one time fee to access the full game with an optional cash shop containing no pay to win items.The most important part is the fun of the game.No mmorpg has been this fun to level all the way to max level.Quests are not a chore but an exciting experience that are easy to complete.Apart from quests there are Dynamic events which pits you in an event to make a certain objective with other players,these involve centaurs attacking a village,aiding npc to cross a certain ground,defending a fort,killing an epic boss and much more.Thats not only that make Guild Wras 2 excellent but the World vs World is a nice addition to the game.You can at anyime hop into this mode where you are against 2 other servers(worlds) to take territory.You will siege castles,towers,camps,raid supplys and even take a single road.Keep in mind doing this solo is not going to work,teaming up with 60+ players is required to siege a tower and maybe 6 for a supply camp but it is very easy to find a group so you can venture with.You can also upgrade your buildings to make them more defensive,buy siege equipment and make guild claiming.You can also level up by killing players and npcs that defend the territory.Apart from WvW, there is also structured pvp where matches will be held for competitive play.In pvp you are geared in endgame gear and maxed to level 80.This method is so efficient because some mmorpgs are usually gear requiring making the pvp less skillful.Others are pay to win where you pay to increase your stats and armor to own players.In both WvW and PvP you are maxed to level 80 but in WvW you remain in your pve gear.This does not affect you in any other way because as I said before gear isn't the main thing.All in all Guild Wars 2 is an excellent game that any mmorpg lover should play.Even singleplayer rpg gamers should play this because it caters an overall experience that appeals to a large audience.… Expand
  24. keithianw
    Aug 28, 2012
    8
    This has to be the most fun I have had since my first experience with WOW when that was released. Maybe because just about every game that followed WOW for the last decade have basically duplicated those elements with minor variations. GW2 just feels fresh. I don't feel as if I've played this game before. There really are some idiotic comments in these threads, especially about Graphics.This has to be the most fun I have had since my first experience with WOW when that was released. Maybe because just about every game that followed WOW for the last decade have basically duplicated those elements with minor variations. GW2 just feels fresh. I don't feel as if I've played this game before. There really are some idiotic comments in these threads, especially about Graphics. Most of the first impressions from professional outlets state that the graphics are superb. For me, the awe I had in Divinity Reach and some of these Vistas was above what I was expecting. Also, the game has soul. It feels MUCH more alive then other games such as SWTOR, AION, Rift, etc. The NPCs seem to be doing more and the world in general just feels as if it has a lot going on. Also, the sound effects of the environment are well above average. The only negative I had was some lag with World versus World and Im not a fan of the Overflow system when grouping with friends, but I realize this is launch and these things will be ironed out. Anyone who thinks that there won't be issues at the release of an MMO are smokin something or this is there first MMO.… Expand
  25. wardenwells
    Aug 28, 2012
    9
    After years of MMOs failing to capture the same magic I felt playing WoW, there's finally a game to tear me away from Blizzard's cash cow once and for all. Not everyone will agree and some of the reviews here on both sides are pretty silly, but this game is absolutely amazing. It's not perfect, but it streamlines MMO gameplay to be less weighty and inconsistent for veterans and moreAfter years of MMOs failing to capture the same magic I felt playing WoW, there's finally a game to tear me away from Blizzard's cash cow once and for all. Not everyone will agree and some of the reviews here on both sides are pretty silly, but this game is absolutely amazing. It's not perfect, but it streamlines MMO gameplay to be less weighty and inconsistent for veterans and more accessible for casual gamers, while still maintaining challenging combat and touting a three server duel (WvW) that is really a blast to play. I never expected much from this game since I didn't like Guild Wars much, but ANet has crafted something very solid; not above average but excellent. Hopefully other companies will take note and put the same love and respect for their gamers into their products in the future and not simply try to mimic the champion, hoping to luck out. The B2P system with its unobtrusive cash shop really impressed me too, you don't need to pay money to stay competitive, but the store offers neat cosmetic items and other goodies and the money helps fund future expansions. If there's anything I didn't enjoy, it's the portal system between zones, leading to a less "full world" feel, but only in the rare times you even hit those barriers. The zones themselves are enormous with plenty to do, and due to the level scaling system, you never have to worry about keeping up with your friends in order to play with them. Simply put, this is the best MMO experience I've had since The Burning Crusade.… Expand
  26. Kharlos
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Its not the revolution of the gender, but an evolution. Subscriptions on MMORPGS are dead, and only buying the box (or a digital copy) you can play this tripleA MMORPG without worrying about wasting your money every moment you are not playing it.

    The story is great, sPvP combat is balanced and fun, the dynamic its a great upgrade to the typical "quest system" There is no reason to not    Its not the revolution of the gender, but an evolution. Subscriptions on MMORPGS are dead, and only buying the box (or a digital copy) you can play this tripleA MMORPG without worrying about wasting your money every moment you are not playing it.

    The story is great, sPvP combat is balanced and fun, the dynamic its a great upgrade to the typical "quest system" There is no reason to not pick up GW2 if you like MMORPGS, even if you dont like MMORPGS you should give it a shot, i heard ANET had refund money to people that didnt like the game after buying it.

    This is just my personal opinion, i think this is the best MMORPG for me, and it have all i were looking for in a game.    … Expand
  27. MetacriticalRaw
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    You know it's funny. Between 2005 and 2012 the reviews haven't changed much. I still remember these tears:

    - waaaaa, GW1 is just instanced so it's no MMORPG! - waaaaa, i can't use all my skills at the same time, so it's **** - waaaaa, you can't jump or swim, so banal! Doesn't change the fact that I have logged several thousand hours into GW1 (the only other game I have that many    You know it's funny. Between 2005 and 2012 the reviews haven't changed much. I still remember these tears:

    - waaaaa, GW1 is just instanced so it's no MMORPG!
    - waaaaa, i can't use all my skills at the same time, so it's ****
    - waaaaa, you can't jump or swim, so banal!

    Doesn't change the fact that I have logged several thousand hours into GW1 (the only other game I have that many hours is Starcraft) and had one of the best internet-times of my life with my Guild. Rock on, A.Net!    … Expand
  28. Rejuvinator
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This has been a great game so far and I predict hours of fun from it to come. It's a nice change from the blandness of other MMO's like WoW and the recent flop of ToR. No subscription fee is of course, always a bonus.
    Recommended to my friends? Yes!
  29. Jyiiga
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    I've been playing MMORPGs since the days of Asheron's Call. Rarely now do I find a new title as engaging as Guild Wars 2. Everywhere I go in the game I stumble into fun, the hours roll by and never do I feel like I am grinding. The dynamic events have been a joy and the combat refreshing. The trinity is gone and I could not be happier. On top of all of that no subscription fee. My one andI've been playing MMORPGs since the days of Asheron's Call. Rarely now do I find a new title as engaging as Guild Wars 2. Everywhere I go in the game I stumble into fun, the hours roll by and never do I feel like I am grinding. The dynamic events have been a joy and the combat refreshing. The trinity is gone and I could not be happier. On top of all of that no subscription fee. My one and only complaint at this time is WVW drags down the FPS a bit, but never to unplayable levels. If you like MMOs, buy this game...… Expand
  30. Bea_Arthur
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    I've been playing this since the early days of beta, and I'm happy to have played the Head Start for the last few days. There have been a few launch issues (downed trading post, unevenly matched WvW, etc.), but I'm not going to factor any of those minor quibbles into my review since they are easily fixed.

    As an grown-up gamer with a 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM job and a wife, it's been harder and    I've been playing this since the early days of beta, and I'm happy to have played the Head Start for the last few days. There have been a few launch issues (downed trading post, unevenly matched WvW, etc.), but I'm not going to factor any of those minor quibbles into my review since they are easily fixed.

    As an grown-up gamer with a 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM job and a wife, it's been harder and harder to justify and maintain my love of MMOs. I cancelled my World of Warcraft account in 2010 because I didn't have time (and quite frankly got bored of the constant raiding, grinding, repeating process). Since then I've tried Rift, Tera, Lord of the Rings Online, D&D Online, and numerous other MMOs, hoping to recapture the magic I had lost with WoW, and hoping they had systems to cater to the less-than-consistent player that I am. Unfortunately, none offered what I wanted.

    Then along comes Guild Wars 2. Not only does the gameplay lend well to jumping in for an hour at a time (dynamic events, quests, etc.), but the game also provides good incentive to explore and enjoy the world (Vistas, POIs, etc.). Not feeling like grinding out a level? That's fine; try and see all the locations on the map. You get achievements, EXP, and items for exploring 100%. I've seen some reviews that indicate that the actual combat is "nothing revolutionary", but I'm not sure if they actually PLAYED the game or just wanted to complain. The dodge mechanic (which WORKS, contrary to several reviews on here) is an integral part of the experience. As an Engineer I use is constantly to avoid damage and gain distance between enemies and myself. It's not on the level of TERA in terms of active combat, but it's still a leap ahead.

    The hotbar (a staple of most MMOs) is still present and changes skills depending on the weapon you're using. For an engineer I have different abilities for pistols (dual and single wielding with shield), rifles, and any kits I might be using (flamethrower, tool kit, etc.). It's an amazing breath of fresh air to have your skills be determined by whatever weapon you're holding in your hand. That said, there are only 5 major skills (beyond utility, healing, etc.) for each weapon. You'll learn those skills VERY well over the course of 80 levels, which might irk some people.

    My only minor complaint with the game (and why I gave it a 9) is that while they minimized the grinding within the game, it's still present. It's a different form, but still there. In order to keep up with the zones and story quests I needed to do all the dynamic events I possibly could, explore 100% of the map, craft, and clear every "heart" (essentially quest hubs) for all the zones I've been through so far. Some may dismiss that as "part of MMOs", but does it need to be? There have been numerous forums conversations (even with the developers) to address this, and I appreciate their willingness to accept positive criticism to make the game better.

    All-in-all, I look forward to playing it for years to come. It's a solid buy for anyone who wants something new in their MMOs.    … Expand
  31. underxgroundx
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This is the best mmo ive ever played, nothing can beat the awesomeness level of guild wars 2. If you're not playing this game you are missing on your mmo life. Anyway, buy it now and i need to go back to guild wars 2 because im wasting my in game time.
  32. Dusty_Hayes
    Sep 14, 2012
    9
    Guild Wars 2 is one of the best MMO's to be released in many years, its skill based mechanics is superb creating a really fun and addictive PvE PvP and WvWvW content and environment. ArenaNet has crafted their game very well, the aesthetics have been carefully crafted and fitted together, coupled with Jeremy Soule score it makes Guild Wars 2 look, sound and feel amazing while stillGuild Wars 2 is one of the best MMO's to be released in many years, its skill based mechanics is superb creating a really fun and addictive PvE PvP and WvWvW content and environment. ArenaNet has crafted their game very well, the aesthetics have been carefully crafted and fitted together, coupled with Jeremy Soule score it makes Guild Wars 2 look, sound and feel amazing while still setting its grim yet beautiful tone within the Guild Wars lore. Guild Wars 2 innovates the genre with very simple and yet very effective innovations and sets new high standards and mile stones for future MMO and all this with no subscription fees, ArenaNet as just not only put everything else in the genre to shame, but most of the MMO developers and their publishers too deep shame.… Expand
  33. ohtwo
    Oct 2, 2012
    8
    Good game, good graphics, but nothing too amazing. After about 15 levels of leveling it starts to feel very much like WaR. Very boring after level 15 or so.. I'm still playing to try to keep a feel for the game and hopefully something will peak my interest.

    Experience: I've been playing MMOs ever since Meridian 59.
  34. Jadagar
    Sep 21, 2012
    8
    After some time with Guild Wars 2, I can safely say that we're not looking at anything new here. Although, there -is- an absence of annoying quest-givers, questing is still essentially a hub-to-hub grindfest of tedious errands made occasionally interesting with zerg-dependent events and world raid bosses. PvP has about the same level of depth, lots of zerging involved with WvWvW with aAfter some time with Guild Wars 2, I can safely say that we're not looking at anything new here. Although, there -is- an absence of annoying quest-givers, questing is still essentially a hub-to-hub grindfest of tedious errands made occasionally interesting with zerg-dependent events and world raid bosses. PvP has about the same level of depth, lots of zerging involved with WvWvW with a handful of amusing tournament-based ordeals involving fewer players. I won't lie that I keep hoping for something revolutionary and GW2 doesn't necessarily exceed (or even meet) those lofty expectations. HOWEVER, for all its shortcomings, Guild Wars 2 does set the bar a little higher in a few ways, the foremost being is that it is executed very well. Shaky start notwithstanding, great depth is incorporated into the interface mechanics. In fact, I would argue that GW2 has taken from mainstream MMO's that which we love and trimmed the fat in an effort to minimize tedium. The result is quick and easy auctioneering, fun and rewarding crafting, and great variety in terms of sorting and customization. It is very clean, easy to manage, and altogether fulfilling. Sadly, while all the streamlining may appeal to the majority, the handful of dungeons and short list of pvp options will not be adequate fodder for the hardcore audience. Flaws aside, the sheer vastness and relative splendor of Guild Wars 2 is well worth $60, and that's really all you have to pay to keep playing; the game is easily playable without having to spend a dime on the micro-transactions, which are essentially non-vital extravagances you can purchase with in-game money given a little time and effort. All things considered, this is a good start, and the fact that Arena.net has promised more and more free features as time goes by makes the one-time payment for GW2 all the more worthwhile. 8/10.… Expand
  35. Kavortino
    May 5, 2013
    10
    Now I want to start of saying 10/10 does not mean a perfect game. It simply means it is worth every penny you spend on it. Now on the the review

    GW2 (short to save characters) is an amazing MMO. While other MMOs have your teams compete for loot and the reward for killing something, GW2 rewards everyone, and better yet, you get even more rewarded for helping each other. So MMO camping is    Now I want to start of saying 10/10 does not mean a perfect game. It simply means it is worth every penny you spend on it. Now on the the review

    GW2 (short to save characters) is an amazing MMO. While other MMOs have your teams compete for loot and the reward for killing something, GW2 rewards everyone, and better yet, you get even more rewarded for helping each other. So MMO camping is eliminated. The combat and skills are amazing, since all professions and weapons are balanced, and there is no "best weapon". Truth is, it's based on your skill and your preference. This also applies to professions.

    The bosses are also spectacular. They are usually massive battles, spawning amazing loot everyone can get. This accompanied by the beautiful environments and music create the perfect atmosphere for this game. You can do small things as well, like cook food or break up fights in a bar, which I love to do in this game whenever I do not feel like exploring, which is also recommended. Exploring gives exp, and if you explore a whole area, you get a huge exp boost plus some items as a reward.

    Social interaction is recommended, as they keep you playing the game. This is why when you first play, I recommend you quickly ask the map for an open guild. PVP is also fun and requires strategy to it, so definitely check that out.

    A game is not a game without flaws, and there are plentiful.
    First dungeons feel a bit overpowering, especially for new players. Also some low level equipment do not look to special, and skins can only be used once. However these are just some nit picky problems, and are not to bothersome.

    Again, BUY THIS GAME!    … Expand
  36. iToast
    Nov 21, 2013
    10
    In my opinion, this is the best MMORPG ever. Better than the first Guild Wars, better than WoW and better than Lineage. Awesome graphics (artistic style), fantastic world, interesting story, balanced PvP, awesome soundtrack, good gameplay, monthly events, no monthly fee and more!
  37. kperez991
    Nov 27, 2013
    10
    Best mmorpg out there to date. Graphics are stellar the gameplay is smooth and entertaining the old boring questing system is done. There is 0 reasons to pay monthly for a game when something like this is out there.
  38. OberonNL
    Jan 9, 2014
    10
    This game is still awesome with great graphics and great game play. The intuitive interface is still one of the best. The constant expansions, upgrades, updates etc... keep this game interesting. The satisfying feeling of discovering new areas and new things keeps coming all the time. After one year one notices the growth of the game to maturity. So with the rate te growth is going now,This game is still awesome with great graphics and great game play. The intuitive interface is still one of the best. The constant expansions, upgrades, updates etc... keep this game interesting. The satisfying feeling of discovering new areas and new things keeps coming all the time. After one year one notices the growth of the game to maturity. So with the rate te growth is going now, imagine what the game will be offering next year. Awesomeness I think all over again. The style of the graphics is catching and sucks one into the world of Guild Wars 2.… Expand
  39. Proxzki
    Jan 21, 2014
    10
    Absolutely incredible. I'm not an MMO guy at all, really. I played WoW, Aion, ERA, The Secret World, SWTOR, all of the cheesy stuff put out by the P2W item mall companies, and this game had something the others did not. It was different. Very different in its presentation. It was gorgeous like TERA, but the
    combat was a little more challenging because you couldn't dodge as much as you    Absolutely incredible. I'm not an MMO guy at all, really. I played WoW, Aion, ERA, The Secret World, SWTOR, all of the cheesy stuff put out by the P2W item mall companies, and this game had something the others did not. It was different. Very different in its presentation. It was gorgeous like TERA, but the
    combat was a little more challenging because you couldn't dodge as much as you wanted. It finally did away with standards set by WoW. There were more options in ways to level, it let newbies PvP as soon as they wanted, and best of all every class could play any role in their own unique ways. That sort of This game is the only reason I do not hate every MMO. Literally, this degree of flexibility is unprecedented in the genre, except maybe by SWG, though I never got to play it.

    Being a relatively shy player, getting into a party was a pain in the average MMO, and it was a requirement to progress most of the time since dungeons/raiding is a staple in many if not all MMOs. Which is sad, because the alternative staple is to grind away at generic quests. TERA said its quests would be different, the devs lied. GW2 said it'd be different and they delivered. Sure you could kill stuff most of the time to do quests, but you had other avenues to progress through your quests. The alternate ways to complete quests were often reasonable and creative. Anyway, I digressed, but the dynamic party system is fantastic and puts an end to the kill-stealing of mobs by other players in some of the genre's other games.

    The game may be a little P2W, but it is only technically so. You can convert the item mall and in-game currency between each other, allowing paying players to buy in-game items with essentially purchase gold. It's likely a glaring issue to many players, but it doesn't affect PvP or World vs World vs World in meaningful ways, and it doesn't affect the small-scale PvP at all as it uses its own special set of gear in place of your normal gear. In World vs World vs World stats aren't as noticeable because everyone is level 80 while there. Bought gear gives an advantage, but in the midst of 50+ vs 50+ battle, these advantages play a negligible role, which shows when you look at the WvWvW leaderboards. They are usually very close.

    I think sour players dislike the game for the wrong reasons. Maybe it's because it isn't a clone of GW? Or WoW? I think they are a minority. I think most people dislike this game because they saw currency conversion and looked no further before quitting/brushing the game off. Maybe they didn't like how they didn't have 100+ skills littering their screen to distract them from the game's beauty. Or how you could join as many guilds as you wanted, but could only represent one at a time. There's also the 'level grind' that doesn't exist. I level fast. I went up twenty levels in a day with WvWvW. The XP rewards scale.

    The only downside to this game is the currency conversion. Yes I know I shrugged at it earlier, but for people who gauge success by level(which hardly applies to GW2 outside of gear aesthetic), it can be lame. You can use gems to get gold to get crafting materials, and use the crafting system to max a character and a buy a set of max gear. As far as player interaction goes, this matters very little, as explained earlier.

    Kudos to Arena Net/NCSoft for having the courage to take risks and execute them well. May they carry this innovative philosophy on to other games they produce.    … Expand
  40. EMG
    Feb 25, 2014
    10
    By far the best MMO I have ever have the joy of playing, Guild Wars 2 never fails to impress whether your fighting a world boss, going on a raid with 50 or so other players, exploring the vast detailed polished world of Tyria or even the very well made and addicting WVW/PVP game play which adds the competitive play to GW2. All in all the game feels smooth and easy to get used to while alsoBy far the best MMO I have ever have the joy of playing, Guild Wars 2 never fails to impress whether your fighting a world boss, going on a raid with 50 or so other players, exploring the vast detailed polished world of Tyria or even the very well made and addicting WVW/PVP game play which adds the competitive play to GW2. All in all the game feels smooth and easy to get used to while also taking skill and patience in other areas of the game at later levels. The constant monthly living world updates also leave more to do after the end game or reaching the final level. 10/10… Expand
  41. kresa3333
    Dec 10, 2014
    10
    The game worth its price tag and even more so when its on sale. It has altough many problems and i think it would have been better if it went for something like DLC content updates. But overall if its not worth 30$ ( since its on sale like 50% of the time ) then i dont know what is.
  42. wuwei
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Pay2Win is nonexistent. Ridiculous complaint. Everything in the shop is cosmetic or "boosts", and leveling is already really short. Plus the same also accepts in-game gold, just needs to be converted. (3gold will basically buy you anything in the store plus change) Actions appear disjointed until one gets used to them. Not as flashy as TERA, but actually more indepth in terms of not justPay2Win is nonexistent. Ridiculous complaint. Everything in the shop is cosmetic or "boosts", and leveling is already really short. Plus the same also accepts in-game gold, just needs to be converted. (3gold will basically buy you anything in the store plus change) Actions appear disjointed until one gets used to them. Not as flashy as TERA, but actually more indepth in terms of not just tab+attack. Incredibly huge world. Perhaps the greatest World PVP system since DAOC. Dungeons similar to WoW, Aion, and TERA. A bit harder. By far the most content of any MMO besides WoW. This is a real competitor, and a great game.… Expand
  43. MsSpecialEd
    Sep 19, 2012
    10
    Most fun I've had in an MMO. The game is beautiful, tons of fun and addicting for all! The pve, pvp, and WvWvW is all amazing and really well done. Finally a game where you can do whatever you want.. Explore, do dungeons, pvp, WvW, and more! Also, this game is harder than your average MMO. Which is good! Who doesn't like a challenge?
  44. EvilShadowX11
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This game is really good. Just saying that is an understatement. If your board with World of Warcraft, tired of the same old same old, buy this. Honestly, they should have a monthly fee cause the way this plays and how good it is really expands what FREE MMORPGs can do.

    Everything, everything is just that amazing. Read other reviews for specifics. I can't even wrap my mind around it!
  45. MrMT
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    The game is tremendous. Obviously it's early days, and there have been some issues here and there, but the playing experience is top of the line in every way. A vast world to explore. A good range of interesting classes and races. Excellent pvp, which can handle many players. (My only small gripe is that I would have enjoyed pvp in the main game world, but the game has large pvp zonesThe game is tremendous. Obviously it's early days, and there have been some issues here and there, but the playing experience is top of the line in every way. A vast world to explore. A good range of interesting classes and races. Excellent pvp, which can handle many players. (My only small gripe is that I would have enjoyed pvp in the main game world, but the game has large pvp zones which work very well). The world is alive with action and sounds. The draw distance is impressive. I have high hopes for this one - long may it prosper.… Expand
  46. Cell1e
    Sep 11, 2014
    9
    I am changing my original score for an up to date score. I have put in over 1500 hours into this game which is the most time I have ever invested in a mmorpg so I think GW2 deserves a really really good score.
    Some Good Points
    Beautiful graphics Good character creation, the ability to change your character hairstyles and other cosmetic stuff can be bought from cash shop which is ok by    I am changing my original score for an up to date score. I have put in over 1500 hours into this game which is the most time I have ever invested in a mmorpg so I think GW2 deserves a really really good score.
    Some Good Points
    Beautiful graphics Good character creation, the ability to change your character hairstyles and other cosmetic stuff can be bought from cash shop which is ok by me.

    Interesting and alive world with funny NPC's having funny conversations.
    Achievements are fun and rewarding.

    Lovely and feminine armours. Being able to dye my armours is such a bonus and the new system of once you buy an armour that skin is unlocked for all your characters is really fantastic! BEST THING EVER!! Of course you have to buy the transmutation token things to change your skins but again I can live with that!
    Armours are made from different fabrics which show colours differently when they are dyed. Such great attention to detail from the artists in this game. There are hundreds of dyes to unlock and they are cheap and easy to obtain and are unlocked account wide. Each dye looks slightly different based on what material your armour is made from. It gives you the opportunity for a lot of experimenting with colours and fabrics and each armour can look so different depending on the colours you use. I have never seen an mmo use this system- it is fantastic!!!

    The open world events are a great way to level up collect loot. Your character feels really powerful when you are levelling, I love that and I love some of the fun skills you have with each class. Like electricity for mage, bombs for engineer, cutie pie pets for ranger, Mesmers and their mirror images and the love hearts and pink effects everywhere, a girl gamers paradise!

    You are not limited by your level in open world questing. I like the way the achievements work and the chests of reward everything so often.
    Crafting is nice and easy and levels well. It’s great to craft stuff to gear up my own character with and sell too.

    Map Exploration is a lot of fun with events and loot. Anet seems to be on the ball with updates and improvements, new armours and weapon skins.

    The Not So Good

    The story in this game is pretty meh, not much excitement level. For each character I created I played the story up to about level 60 just for the odd chest key you sometimes get as a reward. I never got the chance to finish my personal story as for the very last story you need a well trained and equipped group. We tried one night and wiped out so badly, my husband and I decided to watch the ending on YouTube. I'm not sure having a storyline that you can play solo all the way to 80 and then forcing you into a group suddenly is the way to go, at least not for me and my tastes.

    The Bad

    For me this would be the dungeons. As you level you get a series of invitations to go and do various story dungeons. The first arrives just before level 40 I believe. However if you make the mistake to pop along and join a dungeon using the dungeon finder you might find yourself at the mercy of dungeon elitists who will either see you there and leave the group, kick you out or politely tell you that the dungeons really are too difficult for low levels and to wait until you are level 80 and geared in exotic stuff. I actually did wait and ended up doing many dungeons with many types of players and some of whom were much lower level than 80 to find that yes, groups with lower level players would wipe and very often too. It would be disheartening and a struggle and unnecessarily stressful. It certainly makes me wonder why the dungeons are opened to low levels at all when they are exceedingly way too hard for all but the most experienced. Of course in my time learning the dungeons (a steep learning curve it is too for someone with mostly PVE background) I met many nasty, impatient, rude people who just wanted to rush through the content, skipping mobs and leaving the less experienced to die and respawn over and over or to be kicked out by other group members. Of course there are some SAINTS doing those dungeons who you might be lucky enough to get teamed with, but for every one of those there of plenty of the other type. Behaviour of players is obviously not strictly monitored or policed and you can really tell this in the course of a month of doing dungeons every day.

    So for the more genteel, soft of heart or just light hearted players out there I would recommend giving that aspect of GW2 a miss.

    Its got so much going for it though I would say buy this game and play it and enjoy the parts that make you happy. That's what I do.

    (Anet I removed 1 point from your perfect score as the abuse and nastiness going on in the dungeons is really unpleasant)    … Expand
  47. Hobnobb
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Awesome game. Everything just falls into place. Nothing bad to say about it. I like everything from the PvE content, to the WvWvW, to the sPvP. Even crafting is exciting.
  48. Redstripe420
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    WOW... and not world of warcraft, this game is amazing. i cant belive this game is so good the way it is. i also have come to the conclusion that why the **** did i have to pay for wow when this game is better than it??? in a nutshell this game is GREAT dont think about it, just buy it. im happy that i actualy bought a game that is actualy fun.

    diablo 3 sucks so bad, im very thankful    WOW... and not world of warcraft, this game is amazing. i cant belive this game is so good the way it is. i also have come to the conclusion that why the **** did i have to pay for wow when this game is better than it??? in a nutshell this game is GREAT dont think about it, just buy it. im happy that i actualy bought a game that is actualy fun.

    diablo 3 sucks so bad, im very thankful for this game to come as i felt we were doomed!!    … Expand
  49. Axiom
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    14 year MMO vet here. GW2 is the best MMO since WoW, maybe in forever. Massive, immersive world, tons of fun content and fun over all game play. Definitely one of the largest, most beautiful MMO worlds since Vanilla WoW, with plenty of redundancy to further increase re-playability. Combat is fun and dynamic. Professions are well designed and offer a lot of variety. Everyone has a self14 year MMO vet here. GW2 is the best MMO since WoW, maybe in forever. Massive, immersive world, tons of fun content and fun over all game play. Definitely one of the largest, most beautiful MMO worlds since Vanilla WoW, with plenty of redundancy to further increase re-playability. Combat is fun and dynamic. Professions are well designed and offer a lot of variety. Everyone has a self heal, no dedicated healers in this game. The game has a lot of innovative features that not only work well on their own, but the entire game comes together to produce something much greater than the sum of all it's parts.

    Between beta events and the three day head start, I've already logged 200 hours of game play. The fun and sense of discovery has never waned and I look forward to playing this game for the long haul!

    Too many MMOs in recent years have failed to offer much beyond a month of play for many players. It's great to see a new MMO that has the content, world and game play to support a long term commitment from the players. Guild Wars 2 sets a new bar for MMO design that will be very difficult to match or exceed in the next few years. Unless there is some game in development somewhere that can outdo what GW2 has done, this is going to be THE game for many MMO players for the next year, or even a few years, depending on how well Arenanet are able to build upon the game via future expansion.

    A final note, there is no subscription fee, which is amazing, since the game offers more than any game since WoW launched as far as world size, content, features, etc... You aren't getting a discount experience due to the lack of subscription fee. If you do like the game and keep playing, you might want to consider making use of the Gem Store, as a way to support the game and it's further development financially. Nothing in the store is pay to Win or even provides an unfair advantage, but there are things like character slots, expanded vault space, etc... that will be useful to almost everyone. Dropping $10 on gems every once in a while, in lieu of a subscription fee, will provide some nice account upgrades or even some fluff cosmetic items, while ensuring the future successful expansion of the game moving forward. To sum up, the game is massive, fun, immersive, with a huge world space, tons of content, breadth of features and depth of game play pretty much unparalleled by other current games in the MMORPG genre. If you are an MMO fan, you can't go wrong for $60. For many, this is a game that will provide hundreds or even thousands of hours of game play. There is no better entertainment value for your dollar!    … Expand
  50. ueppa80
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This game is AWESOME. The best MMOPRG since WoW The Burning Crusade. One of the most beautiful game EVER. Don't trust the haters that give a negative scores. Haters gonna hate. Buy this game. Play this game. Love this game.
  51. Vaash
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing, there has been many hyped-uped games this year, SWTOR, TERA , Diablo III. none lived up to my expectations, but GW2, not just lived up, but exceeded it. i've never enjoyed a game so much in a long long time. Great job Arenanet!
  52. TheangryOne
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    From the ashes of the long burned-out MMO genre emerges Guild Wars 2. The original Guild Wars, which I still say is better tham WoW, should have set the standard for MMOs, but instead was marketed into obscurity; not this time. This time around the differences are noticeable and long-overdue for the genre. It's not just the gameplay, it's the choice. For once in an MMO, the illusion ofFrom the ashes of the long burned-out MMO genre emerges Guild Wars 2. The original Guild Wars, which I still say is better tham WoW, should have set the standard for MMOs, but instead was marketed into obscurity; not this time. This time around the differences are noticeable and long-overdue for the genre. It's not just the gameplay, it's the choice. For once in an MMO, the illusion of choice is no longer an illusion. Tank, DPS, and Healer are no longer specializations, just positions. To say that all professions (as the game's classes are called) can do all three is abit of a misnomer. ArenaNet has officially ended the need and use for Tanks, DPS, and Healers altogether! All classes have self-heal, tank, and damage skills built right in, and when downed, can still fight and revive themselves, so wipes are almost completely eliminated. Each class also has access to a wide variety of skills that are almost completely dependent on what kind of weapon you're using (utility skills, as they're called, can only be unlocked by skill points). What's more: The pregame character custimozation actually does have an effect on character progression--by influencing the entire story! Quests? Sorry, the WoW,TOR, and TSW reviews are two pages away. In Guild Wars 2, action finds you. True, there are still some static quests, but the vast majority happen in real time and are completely indiscriminate of one another (you can be doing a quest to deliver a message only to be caught in the middle of a massive undead invasion), and if you fail one of these massive public events (numbers are no guarantee of success, as I found out the hard way), the game shows the results of failure and opens the door to more events that would be unavailable otherwise. To top all of this off, the game is subscription free! THANK YOU ARENANET, you're the smart ones in this industry; keep up the good work.… Expand
  53. op8
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Absolutely fantastic!.....Give it a year, and this actually IS the MMO that will knock WoW off the top, and it deserves to......................................Dark Souls, GW2 and a even more fantastic looking games coming up... its a great time to be a gamer!
  54. KristofER20
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Absolutely amazing game, everything from the world, characters, story, gameplay, style, this is truly a piece of art. It was the best 50£ I have ever spent on a game in my life, and I hope that Arenanet will keep up the good work, and will amaze me/us again with new content in the future.
  55. Raeven1301
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    The finest hour for MMO's, I started playing MMO's with World of Warcraft at launch, I have since played most of the MMO's that have come since and a few that came before also and I feel I speak with some authority when I say that this is by far the best game I've played at launch in this genre. Please feel free to ignore any comments whining about lack of end game content as these peopleThe finest hour for MMO's, I started playing MMO's with World of Warcraft at launch, I have since played most of the MMO's that have come since and a few that came before also and I feel I speak with some authority when I say that this is by far the best game I've played at launch in this genre. Please feel free to ignore any comments whining about lack of end game content as these people fall into two distinct categories: 1. People who raced to 80 as fast as possible and didn;t even wait for others to join them and didn't try out any of the end content. 2. People who simply haven't played but are upset that WoW servers are becoming quieter these days. Either way, there is plenty to do at end game, far more than WoW at launch which had zero end game content, no raids, no BG's, basically you could do UBRS, help lowbie guildies or save for an epic mount and that was it....oh, or go to Hillsbrad and lag out for 30 minutes. Apologies for comparing so much with WoW but someone needs to counteract all the whining WoW fanboys.

    Thankfully, GW2 addresses the modern day problems with all MMO's, there's no kill stealing, no imbalanced gear-based PvP to deter new players from trying it. No fetch and return quests, no ninja looting, no easy mode levelling where you simply round up as many mobs as you can aggro, not even those rude players who always seem angry and hateful....because there's no need to be angry, no one can steal your kills, loot or even nodes, you can only help fellow players and this makes for a fantastic community where I find myself regularly aided by passers by, healed and thanked, just like the good old days :)

    The PvP is amazing also, would like some CTF maps but again, as a brand new game I am certain more will be added to both PvE and PvP as with WoW. Thank goodness for GW2 because I was sick of MMO's where everything before max level was geared to get you to max level and joining the grind as soon as possible and I was sick of MMO's where end game felt like a part time job. By far the best game I have played and I genuinely cannot recommend it enough.

    However, a small word on new players, the first 3 days or so are confusing, you have to get used to the new way of doing things and learn how things work. I would say they needed a tutorial but finding these things out is a huge part of the experience for me and something you will remember with fondness when you're a seasoned veteran.    … Expand
  56. Crow86
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This is honestly the game that made me remember why I'm a PC gamer and brought all my hope back to PC gaming.I give it a 10 because it deserves it. The things I noticed that were wrong were very little and they had no effect on the actual game-play so I didn't care. When you focus on the small bugs about a game and say the game sucks because of it, you should just give up right thereThis is honestly the game that made me remember why I'm a PC gamer and brought all my hope back to PC gaming.I give it a 10 because it deserves it. The things I noticed that were wrong were very little and they had no effect on the actual game-play so I didn't care. When you focus on the small bugs about a game and say the game sucks because of it, you should just give up right there because there is no hope for you in the video game world. Anyway, the devs pretty much thought of everything in this game. No more grinding enemies, no more loading up on quests. It's all about the dynamic events and exploration that make this game so incredible. I keep forgetting that I have a story mission to do because I keep getting caught up in doing events and exploring all the areas. When I play this, I play it for hours on end because there is so much to do and I have to force myself to stop playing. One problem I've had with other MMOs are, what I call, stand-stills, where you run out of quests for your level and you are no where near leveling and you stand there trying to figure out what to do so then are forced to grind enemies. This game doesn't have that at all because of all the events you can do. After reading what the negative users have said about this game makes me sick. This is, in my opinion, an incredibly awesome-made game. Just a few things: 1. MMOs are bound to have a few bugs at first but the ones in this game are so minimal to the actual game-play that I just carry on with the game. 2. This game doesn't have quests so what is broken? All it has is your story mission, tasks, and events and all of them are fine with me and I should know because I played a different character in all the beta events and stress tests and found very little problems and guess what, they didn't bother me. 3. The graphics in this game are awesome. It is hard to make a game look original these days so quit crying because it looks too much like WoW which, also in my opinion, it looks nothing like WoW. Also, one thing that I think is just pure genius when it comes to this game is the W v W (World vs. World). It basically takes after Dark Age of Camelot with the sieges and keep raids. I loved that game 10 years ago and this game brought back so many good memories of it. This game is so much better then WoW that words cannot describe it. So anyway, to sum it up, Guild Wars 2 was definitely worth the wait. I was excited for the release just as much as I was just to play it during a beta event for 3 days or a stress test for 3 hours. I love this game. That's all I can say.… Expand
  57. Kooltastic
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great game, I leveled to 40 in the last few days and it's so fun! Instant lvl 80 PvP is great and the combat feels very smooth. I also did the first dungeon which was quite the challenge, I can't wait to to lvl 80 dungeons. The MMO tasks you do are the same like in other MMO's but the content is presented in a very unique way. Dynamic events are brilliant and really make the world seem alive. The servers were only down for 3 hours so far which is great for a such a big launch. Only downside are some bugs with the trading post but I'll forgive them for that.… Expand
  58. David-b
    Sep 2, 2012
    10
    So nice with a game that finally dared to mix things up a little. Or not "a little", but a lot actually. Doing so many bold moves, people aren't familiar with and it works. Also a massive community feedback on every little error or bug there is. Never seen anything like it, and definitely also counts in on the score, when it's this significant.
  59. Angelic_Dj
    Sep 24, 2012
    10
    I wish i could comment on some of these negative reviews. If you are hitting the same 2 buttons the entire game your doing it wrong. This is the most immersive game i have ever played. The pvp is slightly lacking in the number of maps and gametypes (more content is being made), BUT it is the most balanced pvp in any mmo. The reason some people don't like that is because they can no longerI wish i could comment on some of these negative reviews. If you are hitting the same 2 buttons the entire game your doing it wrong. This is the most immersive game i have ever played. The pvp is slightly lacking in the number of maps and gametypes (more content is being made), BUT it is the most balanced pvp in any mmo. The reason some people don't like that is because they can no longer faceroll noobs. If your looking for a $60 game you can spend hundreds of hours on without ever getting bored or frustrated, this is the game for you.… Expand
  60. lilioups
    Sep 3, 2012
    10
    best mmo in recent years and i dont i have to explain why

    all i can say its im playing mmo's since wow vanilla and gw2 simply crush it with eaze and style..i wont bother to mention other mmos since 90% of them are all wow clones.

    Proudly gw2 isnt and thats what make it the best mmo since wow:LK exp
  61. TheVindelator
    Sep 13, 2012
    10
    Loving this game so far. You'll see Guild Wars 2 clones in the coming years. WARNING: You need a really good computer to run this. The minimum system specs aren't going to cut it. This game is more demanding on your comp than anything I've ever seen.
  62. KevinCam
    Sep 21, 2012
    10
    great game, great graphics, not too happy that sPvP is seperate from the main game, I guess there is WvW for that. on that note, WvW brings back the good old memories of RvR from DAOC.
  63. DemigodChewtoy
    Oct 2, 2012
    10
    This is as good as any MMO has ever been. If you're still playing WoW and the Mists of Panderia daily grind, it's because you underestimated and/or misjudged GW2. This is the game to be playing, and any fan of WoW, Rift, or DAoC owes it to themselves to call GW2 their home for the foreseeable future. This is not another incremental evolution, this is an MMO revolution.

    The only thing    This is as good as any MMO has ever been. If you're still playing WoW and the Mists of Panderia daily grind, it's because you underestimated and/or misjudged GW2. This is the game to be playing, and any fan of WoW, Rift, or DAoC owes it to themselves to call GW2 their home for the foreseeable future. This is not another incremental evolution, this is an MMO revolution.

    The only thing you might miss are instanced raids at end-game. End-game now consists of open-world raids, 3-faction world vs. world PvP, character appearance and gear customization via dyes and dungeon systems, and legendary weapon grinds. In addition, there are still tons of places to explore, quests and events to complete, secret treasure chests to find, jumping puzzles to solve, scenario PvP, and plenty more surprises.

    The game might feel a lot like WoW at first, but that just means you're playing it wrong -- seriously. Don't worry, much like anything new, you will begin to understand it with time and effort invested.

    Ultimately, GW2 is a wholly unique experience that captures some of the magic that your favorite MMO used to have. Guild Wars 2 is as good as the genre has ever been.    … Expand
  64. monti_84
    Oct 5, 2012
    8
    I´ve been checking the bad reviews of the game, and mainly i read complaints of people who let themselves be fooled by all the hype around it. Just to be clear for the persons that are looking for some guidance about buying the game or not: it is a MMORPG, plain and simple, not that different from many others out there. But its the kind of game that can be released after many otherI´ve been checking the bad reviews of the game, and mainly i read complaints of people who let themselves be fooled by all the hype around it. Just to be clear for the persons that are looking for some guidance about buying the game or not: it is a MMORPG, plain and simple, not that different from many others out there. But its the kind of game that can be released after many other games had done thousands of mistakes the guild wars developers learned from. I´m comming from playing mainly WOW (which i stop playing, i mean pandas?, give me a break!), and I´m enjoying guild wars 2 a lot. I really appreciate not having to talk to npcs for getting/delivering quests, the huge world to explore, the lack of armor grinding, and the feature that has to be a must for any other future MMORPGs: the scaling system. The fact that you dont have to explore the world in a linear way based on your character level is priceless. You get to enjoy the challenge of a 1-10 area even if you are a level 40 or whatever. The same about the fact that if i want to pvp, i don´t have to level my character, then grind countless hours for pvp armor in order to get to endgame pvp. You may now create a character just to pvp, you dont have to level it, just create, get to the pvp zone, and go kill people. If you are looking for a completely different experience from other MMORPGs: DONT LOOK HERE! If you want to play a MMORPG that is thoughtful about your time (no grinding for armor, not waiting for parties, etc) and gets you fast into action, this may be your game. One thing I have to agree with other reviewers in here is that the game is not very social. I see this as a very huge advantage because a hate having to waste my time waiting for a healer or a tank or whatever, or spamming text to find a party to do an elite quest, etc. But one thing they did right is the fact that there is not mob locking, everybody can benefit from a kill if they participated in it (same with gathering), so the sight of other players in that particular elite mob that you cant solo is great, you actually get happy about encountering others instead of seeing them as competition, although you dont even have to talk to them to work together. The players that enjoy feeling important (i´m the best healer, i keep everyone alive!), socializing too much in game or armor grinding are definitely going to be disappointed. Me?, i hate all that stuff, so i am really having a blast playing it. Concerning the critics about the combat being repetitive, with auto attack and cooldowns, well, its true. But i havent found a MMORPG that makes it that much better either, so, not much to comment on that.… Expand
  65. Zackis
    Dec 19, 2012
    8
    Fun theme park style of game...DO not rush to the end. Sadly for the end game there really is NOT all that much to do. Worth the experience to try it though
  66. Vorch
    Aug 30, 2012
    9
    This game is beauty incarnate. When discussions involving games being works of art occur, this game will be up there with Shadows of the Colossus and ICO.

    Gameplay is brilliant. A mix between the old and the new really gives the combat its own unique flare. The leveling curve has you level up every 60-90 mins regardless of how close you are to the cap. In addition, you can level up in    This game is beauty incarnate. When discussions involving games being works of art occur, this game will be up there with Shadows of the Colossus and ICO.

    Gameplay is brilliant. A mix between the old and the new really gives the combat its own unique flare. The leveling curve has you level up every 60-90 mins regardless of how close you are to the cap. In addition, you can level up in so may different ways, if you're ever bored of doing something, you can try something else.

    This game is, imo, the best MMO on the market right now. I am giving it a 9 because even after all the stress tests, it still has a buggy trading post and mailing system. However, should those get fixed in the first week post launch, I'll change my score.

    In short: buy it now, or buy it later; just make sure you make this one part of your PC library.    … Expand
  67. Amiron
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    Combat; Pros - Fast paced, little downtime, reaction time oriented, utilizes action rpg mechanics such as real-time blocking and dodging, not based on stats and numbers but instead complimented by them, and higher level (10+) combat/skills is very fun. It doesn't grow stale because the PvE mobs are VERY smart as compared to traditional MMO's. They will dodge your attacks, block, knock youCombat; Pros - Fast paced, little downtime, reaction time oriented, utilizes action rpg mechanics such as real-time blocking and dodging, not based on stats and numbers but instead complimented by them, and higher level (10+) combat/skills is very fun. It doesn't grow stale because the PvE mobs are VERY smart as compared to traditional MMO's. They will dodge your attacks, block, knock you down, etc. This proves to be a fun combat system for PvP too, providing a more visceral experience.
    Cons - Early levels can prove to be a little slow, but discovering skills through fighting can be exciting for the first time.

    Crafting; Pros - Provides significant exp, has an interesting discovery mode that allows you to mix and match ingredients to discover new recipes, very easy to earn nodes while leveling because nodes are instanced to be personal to each player, therefore node-stealing is literally impossible. You can always farm ANY type of node as long as you have the farming equipment viable for it, even if you don't have a crafting discipline, and it ALWAYS provides exp, even if you farm something that is too high level and you get junk for it.
    Cons - Can be pricey depending on which crafting discipline you choose.

    Personal Story; Pros - Unique playthroughs; you could play the same race more than three times and have an entirely different personal story each and every time, depending on which backgrounds you choose for your character. Tons of voice acting that is for the most part high quality, with a few hiccups here and there. You get to make impacting decisions that affect your "home instance", which also screams for another playthrough.
    Cons - For those who like to completely define a unique character, it can take away from that and make you feel slightly standardized. Can't choose voice for character, either.

    Graphics; Pros - Unique and unlike most art styles I've ever seen, works well with game's design and engine, even low settings provides a very good looking game.
    Cons - My only complaints would be you can't push the graphics even farther.

    Overall - Top all of that off with a one time purchase with no subscription fee, and you've got yourself an award winning MMORPG that is fresh, unique, and provides for an experience unlike any older MMORPG can provide. The main question; is it revolutionary in making you think differently about MMO gaming? I would say yes; among the action oriented combat which resembles a console game, stylized graphics, interesting and fresh crafting mechanics, and easy to use UI topping everything off with no subscription fee, this game is a candidate for Game of the Year, hands down. You owe it to yourself to try it.    … Expand
  68. throwback8
    Sep 2, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is the new revolution from the brilliant minds over at Arena Net. Playing GW2 for the first time is one of those exceptional feelings you experience only a certain number of times in you're gaming career. Incredible ideas converge with intense, masterfully crafted combat, and the most beautiful visuals ever seen in an MMO to create a mind-blowing masterpiece. The world isGuild Wars 2 is the new revolution from the brilliant minds over at Arena Net. Playing GW2 for the first time is one of those exceptional feelings you experience only a certain number of times in you're gaming career. Incredible ideas converge with intense, masterfully crafted combat, and the most beautiful visuals ever seen in an MMO to create a mind-blowing masterpiece. The world is alive in GW2 and exploring it on you're own or with friends really is astounding. There are times when you will have to just stop and slowly pan you're camera around you to take in the absolutely stunning sites you will see throughout the gameworld, combined with a rediculous amount of attention to detail. The dynamic events are perfectly placed throughout the world and calling out for help in "Map" chat to see 20 people rushing into a hidden underwater cave to team up against the mean Blood Witch really is one of those wow moments that shows how well GW2 brings players together without forcing them to party up. If you aren't playing GW2 already(which you should), please do yourself a favor and checkout what is MMO's best chance of knocking off the reigning MMO titan....lookout WoW, GW2 is here.… Expand
  69. IvanRic
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Not sure what game the people who gave Zero's were playing. One person said "Mediocre graphics" lol what?!?! Get a better rig man, the graphics are amazing! A huge lush, detailed World to explore, I absolutely love the way this games looks. The game play is awesome. It
  70. JadeZodiac
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Amazing game. The amount of detail that was put into this game is impressive and breathtaking. The combat is fluid. So many things were nailed on the head with this game that were stumbling blocks in previous MMOs (the crafting system, the gathering system, bank storage and collectibles, dynam. Was never a huge fan of Guild Wars 1, but this game has me and my wife completely hooked.
  71. Mogul
    Aug 28, 2012
    9
    Super early review time! After only a few days of being released, it isn't really appropriate to review an MMO, but I'm going to give it a shot. Let's start with the good news. Guild Wars 2, for me, basically grabbed a lot of the best ideas from other MMOs, and threw them all together, while adding a couple new things of it's own. You have dynamic events like Rifts, you have a qualitySuper early review time! After only a few days of being released, it isn't really appropriate to review an MMO, but I'm going to give it a shot. Let's start with the good news. Guild Wars 2, for me, basically grabbed a lot of the best ideas from other MMOs, and threw them all together, while adding a couple new things of it's own. You have dynamic events like Rifts, you have a quality personal story like you get in SWTOR, and you get "builds" and considerable class freedom like in the Secret World (although Guild Wars 2 does still have distinct classes). The biggest innovation is the "exploration" style gameplay. GW2 does not have quest hubs at all. You just run around the map exploring, tasks pop up on your screen, you do them if you feel like it, and then you run over to the next part of unexplored map, joining in dynamic events along the way (when they appear and if you feel like doing them). Even crafting has an explorer feel, as you mostly just make stuff and discover recipes through the "making stuff" process. In terms of running around wasting time, GW2 has mostly eliminated this. There's no flying around on a gryphon for 5 minutes in this game. If you want to go to a waypoint, you just click the icon on your map, and you go there. This is fantastic, and the game goes out of its way to not waste your time in most areas. This is probably linked to the wonderful lack of a subscription fee. Big points for that. Now for the bad news. Like the Hangover movies, in GW2, it's all just the same thing. Gameplay is very, very repetitive. In each zone, the scenery changes, but you're basically doing whatever you did in the previous zone. Your character also feels powerful at level 1, and doesn't really feel much more powerful as you level up and gain abilities. The feeling of "progression" seems a bit absent from this game. Also, in the "kind of bad" category, this game is addictive. It's really, really addictive, more so than other MMOs. This stems from the lack of natural breaks in the game (things like ok, I just cleared this quest hub, lets stop for today; GW2 lacks break points like this, it's just go go go). Even the standard pvp matches continually re-load new zones when your previous match finishes, and you have to actively quit to stop playing. This is great for not wasting your time, but bad for limiting the amount of time you spend in this game. You've been warned! On the whole, though, this is one of the best games of the year, and a must play for anyone that likes MMO style gameplay.… Expand
  72. pedro3113
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    In my opinion this is the best MMO ever! The soundtrack is amazing, it's very addicting and it has beautiful graphics! My friends, here we have INNOVATION, it's quite rare nowadays. You just have to pay one time, no monthly fees.
  73. oorunner
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    They really hit the mark with this one. From the masterpiece artwork, to the intense pvp. The world versus world battles are of epic scale. Just strolling through the world Immerses you in so many ways. Plus to top it off, no subs. Things will never be the same in mmos.
  74. Goosejuice
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This game is fantastic. I created an account on here just to write this review because ArenaNet deserves all the praise they get. I thought I would never play an MMO as I always liked FPS and every time I tried to get into them I always felt like it was grinding and boring and that really had little appeal. Every time I play this game there is an event going on in every part of the map.This game is fantastic. I created an account on here just to write this review because ArenaNet deserves all the praise they get. I thought I would never play an MMO as I always liked FPS and every time I tried to get into them I always felt like it was grinding and boring and that really had little appeal. Every time I play this game there is an event going on in every part of the map. The amount of focus the creators put on players helping out other players makes this game something truly special. You want to help a downed friend, not just because of the XP but because you've been there too and you know once you get that player up you can kill more together. The worlds are amazingly beautiful works of art as well. My first few days I just spent exploring because the thought put into designing the maps is just astounding. This game is hands down the best $60 I've ever spent. If you're a FPS only kind of guy and never thought you could play an MMO I highly recommend giving this one a try, you'll be glad you did. I sure am.… Expand
  75. HashuePoe
    Sep 14, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is the most original MMO in an over saturated market. This game continues to entertain and deliver new thrills. Arena Net has designed a game that encourages exploration and makes the world feel vast and alive. Guild Wars 2 has also created the most dynamic and interesting combat system. If you try to just button mash or spam an attack you will not succeed. The end gameGuild Wars 2 is the most original MMO in an over saturated market. This game continues to entertain and deliver new thrills. Arena Net has designed a game that encourages exploration and makes the world feel vast and alive. Guild Wars 2 has also created the most dynamic and interesting combat system. If you try to just button mash or spam an attack you will not succeed. The end game content is vast and very challenging. This creates an environment where everyone wants to compete and play since the dungeons are designed for 5 players only. Each one of the 5 players are required to play and if they have a weakness it will be exposed. The crafting system is a breath of fresh air and never feels tedious or awkward. I highly suggest this game to any type of gamer. Guild Wars 2 offers something for any game type.… Expand
  76. Anubis_RE
    Sep 29, 2012
    10
    Na, na, na, na, na, na, na na, na, na, na, na, na, na Guil Wars 2, no fees, no the boring trinity world vs world ......... .......

    Again, no fees, pay, play and play when ati, you exit the [.......]. There is NOTHING in the current market, you do shadow, NOTHING, not ever compare with the failed and rehash MOP WOW, that Bli $ $, not interested in their customers, they are interested    Na, na, na, na, na, na, na na, na, na, na, na, na, na Guil Wars 2, no fees, no the boring trinity world vs world ......... .......

    Again, no fees, pay, play and play when ati, you exit the [.......].

    There is NOTHING in the current market, you do shadow, NOTHING, not ever compare with the failed and rehash MOP WOW, that Bli $ $, not interested in their customers, they are interested in your wallet, good for all companies as well, but other caregivers better than others.    … Expand
  77. BrentNewbury
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is the long awaited sequel and it's been worth every day of the wait. Fun dynamic events that chain together, In-depth personal story, engaging combat. Guild Wars 2 is a well polished MMO. Worth every penny.
  78. mikejr
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    So many things to find, so many hidden areas, treasures that exist in incredibly out of the way places just for fun. My expectations were high going into this, they were exceeded.
  79. bgrier
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Great evolution of the Guild Wars story line. Quite enjoy the free-roaming sandbox nature of the game play. Minor 'fresh out of the box' bugs, but if the history of the Arenanet team is anything to go by, they'll be fixed up quickly.
  80. Marth
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Love the game. Best of all, no monthly fee. We'll see how things are 6 months from now content-wise. One small downside is the way you pick servers and how all your toons are solely on that server.
  81. TBackH
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 gives you an amazing fantasy world to explore. Many times have i been on a mission only to get sidetracked by something at the horizon, a group of players running past me clearly onto something interesting, NPC:s chatter hinting at hidden stuff and last but not least hidden jumping puzzles with even more hidden content!
    Do Not Play This Game As Other MMO:s!
    Dont just do the    Guild Wars 2 gives you an amazing fantasy world to explore. Many times have i been on a mission only to get sidetracked by something at the horizon, a group of players running past me clearly onto something interesting, NPC:s chatter hinting at hidden stuff and last but not least hidden jumping puzzles with even more hidden content!
    Do Not Play This Game As Other MMO:s!
    Dont just do the Renown hearts and think that thats it, explore, think outside the box and you will be rewarded with hundreds of hours of pure joy.
    The engine isnt the best out there but thanks to the fantastic artists at A-net the game looks astonishing with a new sight around every corner.
    At the moment of writing this theres some problem with the Party and Trading features but thats minor issues that will be sorted quickly im sure.

    This is a Must Buy!    … Expand
  82. Ayestes
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    Best MMO out there for old hardcore MMO veterans that have families. Doesn't matter if you have all the time in the world or only a few hours a day, Guild Wars 2 is the most enjoyable MMO out there. The PvP is visceral and skill-based, and most of all extremely engaging.
  83. Edmo
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    I followed the development of this game for years.
    I played all betas and I can say that the game delivers what it promises.
    Some problems occurred at launch, worse than in betas, but this is normal in any launch of a massive online game. Even with these problems the servers are full and yet I had no trouble logging in, the game has no queue, when an area is full you is sent to    I followed the development of this game for years.
    I played all betas and I can say that the game delivers what it promises.

    Some problems occurred at launch, worse than in betas, but this is normal in any launch of a massive online game. Even with these problems the servers are full and yet I had no trouble logging in, the game has no queue, when an area is full you is sent to overflow server to play the game while waiting for a vacancy on the real server, all what you do in the overflow is kept on your character, that's wonderful! The dynamic event system is also wonderful but not when you have over 100 people on it, when people spread the maps we can see how the events are fun with a reasonable amount of people, and how the events change the world! Many people make the events and leave the place without waiting a few minutes to see the change happening! The world seems Alive! NPCs have their tasks, they do not stand around waiting for the player, they do things without players!

    ArenaNet made no changes to spoil the game. If someone bought the game thinking that something is wrong then it should not have bought! They will not make drastic changes in their combat, PVP and quest systems to please the haters, just some tweaks that all MMOs have.

    The game delivers what it promises, then people should read up on the features before buying.
    One thing that you will only find with it on hands is that it is fun, but you need to learn how to play, do not play it thinking you know everything because you're a veteran of other MMOs    … Expand
  84. PresCthulhu
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    I play mmos since WoW came out. I literally tried out everything since then. I know there are more HC gamers, who started before me. For me this game is the best MMO I ever played with yet, I really do not have anything to add. Easily a 10/10 for the time being.
  85. GrayGhost79
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    10/10 definitely. DE's are an awesome change from the traditional questing system. Combat is more tactical, skill based and fun than any other MMO. WvWvW creates a setting for meaningful PvP. The game is one of the better looking MMO's on the market. It's got some issues atm though, traders down and the overflow system is a massive pain... but with that said, it's still a 10/10. Most fun10/10 definitely. DE's are an awesome change from the traditional questing system. Combat is more tactical, skill based and fun than any other MMO. WvWvW creates a setting for meaningful PvP. The game is one of the better looking MMO's on the market. It's got some issues atm though, traders down and the overflow system is a massive pain... but with that said, it's still a 10/10. Most fun I've had in an MMO in a very long time.… Expand
  86. you_aint_Z
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Face.
  87. zxeonz
    Nov 10, 2012
    10
    Best MMO I have played ever. It is really good. WoW fanbois dont like it, because it isnt reliant on a gear treadmill and requires skill. This game is REALLY good. I love it.
  88. joggy
    Aug 28, 2012
    9
    OK, cant logon to servers, so I'm taking my time to write this :). Took pre-purchase. Played for some 35 hours already. Now, I did have 1 guild wars 1 game, but I didnt like it, so I didnt play it very long, hence I cant compare this game to guild wars 1. But I can tell you that this game has been huge fun for me for the past 3 days, and thats only start :). It seems that people inOK, cant logon to servers, so I'm taking my time to write this :). Took pre-purchase. Played for some 35 hours already. Now, I did have 1 guild wars 1 game, but I didnt like it, so I didnt play it very long, hence I cant compare this game to guild wars 1. But I can tell you that this game has been huge fun for me for the past 3 days, and thats only start :). It seems that people in arenanet have done their research, looked for everything that players of MMO's didnt like, and found a way around that. Materials clogging your backpack? you can put them in a bank from anywhere in the world. Production made easy cause you can access the bank directly from that window. If an area is full of players, and the game would be laggy otherwise, you will be thrown into overflow (copy of that area) to wait your queue. Everything you do in overflow counts just as it would if youre on a main zone. I understand that some people find this a minus, but to me it's realistic solution to computer and networking limits we have today. World vs Word is everything I hoped Warhammer online would be (warhammer looks like a todlers game in comparison). Before I thought that 10 keys in total would be somewhat on a minus side, but trust me, combinations are endless and fun, and you will use that 10 keys, not like wow where you have ton of abilities of which you use what? 3 keys for pve and additional 2 for pvp?
    Graphic is nothing groundbraking, but looks very very nice. Caracter control are inferior to those of wow (again), but better than any other MMO I have tried, so close 2nd :). All in all, this is a game that knows the limits of todays technology, and deals with them in a right way. Programmers were not on drugs (hey, give us 300 million dollars, we will make you best game ever in the whole unknown and known universe, riight). And most importantly, this game is fun to play :).    … Expand
  89. NetherWitch
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    What the reviews say is in fact the truth. ^^
    Yes, some minor things need to be ironed out, but the game just launched. It is also really nice to see such a great community. Seems like a lot of sane people are playing this game...unlike let's say another MMO.
  90. insanewicked
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    So far so good. I absolutely love the art style and the combat, while very shallow at a first glance, is incredibly deep and demanding. The launch has been incredibly smooth and I have had no problems accessing the 3 day headstart. I am very pleased with the game and I am fully happy with my purchase.
  91. Orctownorc
    Oct 2, 2012
    10
    Fans of fantasy RPG have had to wait a long time for a game where they can imagine themselves as heroes in 'another world' without paying by the month for it. This game fills a gap that Witcher 2 and Dragon Age 2 both sorely failed to fill. Guild Wars 2 scratches the itch of Fantasy RPG fans with an expansive, beautifully presented world. There is exploration, crafting, swords and sorcery.Fans of fantasy RPG have had to wait a long time for a game where they can imagine themselves as heroes in 'another world' without paying by the month for it. This game fills a gap that Witcher 2 and Dragon Age 2 both sorely failed to fill. Guild Wars 2 scratches the itch of Fantasy RPG fans with an expansive, beautifully presented world. There is exploration, crafting, swords and sorcery. There are guilds and social elements if you need them, or you can solo if you prefer. If you want PVP. There are plenty of different builds to play around with, and five races to delve into. The developers appear to be doing their best to offer a gamer-friendly experience and have certainly worked very hard to make this game big enough and flexible enough for everyone except the most head-up-the-arse hard core-nutters. The elements of killing mobs and bosses, and grinding levels are all familiar, and not really better than youve already seen elsewhere. But the art IS better. Many small details of presentation ARE improved. And the pay-once play-forever model is a SUPERB challange for Blizzard to start trying to earn money with better games rather than milking and exploiting their customer base all the way. If you are an RPG fan, you can't go wrong with this game. If you haven't tried an MMO before THIS is the place to start. If you play WOW and are curious, play some of a friends account and choose whichever game you prefer. Thanks Arenanet for expanding our choices, and thanks for Trying to upgrade and evolve the model. If this game gets Blizzard to try harder we all win. For that reason alone... for daring to compete we should all appreciate and applaud what this game represents. The trolls giving this game 0s and 1s should understand just how this game might end up helping them enjoy better games at better prices and repost with scores that reflect an understanding of how Arenanet efforts will finally IMPROVE their gaming experience. 8/10 for the game. 10/10 due to its entirely positive influence on game design for those games to come which will be better and cheaper because of Guild Wars 2.… Expand
  92. requiamer
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    The game is absolutely gorgeous, they are tons of stuff to do in this game and very varied ones, you really are never bored playing it and want to stay a bit longer each time you have to go to bed :p One of my best mmo and i'm a computer gamer since the first apple c. Thumbs up to Anet and thank you for that great game.
  93. andvaree
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    Amazing game. So much stuff to do. Loving all the additional activities, art direction and music. I've actually uninstalled all other games from my PC and left only GW2, cause that's all I'll need for the months to come. And the biggest advantage over other AAA MMOs is the lack of subscription. You don't feel any rush to do anything, and you play when you want and have the time for it. NoAmazing game. So much stuff to do. Loving all the additional activities, art direction and music. I've actually uninstalled all other games from my PC and left only GW2, cause that's all I'll need for the months to come. And the biggest advantage over other AAA MMOs is the lack of subscription. You don't feel any rush to do anything, and you play when you want and have the time for it. No feeling of wasted money if you're busy and can't play. I absolutely love it!… Expand
  94. Anunnaki
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Reasons why I love guild wars 2 [not a review]
    Every MMO I played generally states that humans are a new race and they are so majestic, dignified and young race. Guild wars 2 is different instead they say they are a **** up race who **** up so much that they are left to such a small kingdom.
    Everything/Anything I do gives me XP, So i dont have to worry about grinding at all and the    Reasons why I love guild wars 2 [not a review]
    Every MMO I played generally states that humans are a new race and they are so majestic, dignified and young race. Guild wars 2 is different instead they say they are a **** up race who **** up so much that they are left to such a small kingdom.
    Everything/Anything I do gives me XP, So i dont have to worry about grinding at all and the dynamic events you like you are given the same XP for any number of times you try.
    Professions and their powers are way different than other MMOs, you dont have to reach level 30 to get a specific good spell. At level 7 you can have 10 different spells from 2 weapons you can swap, one healing power and one utility power. And the interface is so clean.
    you dont have to wait in queues, you can play all the time[thanks to overflow servers]. You can be level 80 anytime in W v W v W and have fun.
    And the best one No monthly fee

    there are so many articles, reviews stating their experiences in guild wars 2, which are so overwhelming, if you are reading this probably you have already read all those. So I am not gonna share my experiences all over again. I would just say "you know how MMO are supposed to be that alternate life where you lose yourself and enjoy and you can be awesome at it, GUILD WARS 2 does this best". If you enjoy RPG or MMO, this is a must buy. It is just 60$ for life, what is wrong with it. Buy it now.    … Expand
  95. Wombatkilla1
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    I am so sick and tired of community reviewers that feel it necessary to compare new MMO's to WOW which has had close to a decade to mature and polish itself. This game is amazing, and far more polished and entertaining as a 'new game' than WOW was. The graphics are great, you dont need a computer powerhouse to run it, and there is sooooo much to do. There are a few bugs, and problems withI am so sick and tired of community reviewers that feel it necessary to compare new MMO's to WOW which has had close to a decade to mature and polish itself. This game is amazing, and far more polished and entertaining as a 'new game' than WOW was. The graphics are great, you dont need a computer powerhouse to run it, and there is sooooo much to do. There are a few bugs, and problems with the system... of course. These things take time to correct, and im sure they will be. Enjoy the game, and the first MMO that really sets forth a legit challenge to the MMO throne.… Expand
  96. Kuse
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Definitely the next generation of MMOs and easily the MMO of the Year. World of Warcraft should learn something by Guild Wars 2. You don't alienate your fans just for the sake of the almighty bottom dollar. Guild Wars 2 is a lush, beautiful, vibrant game that takes you in and never lets you go. There is something for everyone here, whether you are a hardcore or casual player. The craftingDefinitely the next generation of MMOs and easily the MMO of the Year. World of Warcraft should learn something by Guild Wars 2. You don't alienate your fans just for the sake of the almighty bottom dollar. Guild Wars 2 is a lush, beautiful, vibrant game that takes you in and never lets you go. There is something for everyone here, whether you are a hardcore or casual player. The crafting is robust and fun and there is a reward lurking behind every little thing in this game which keeps you coming back time and time again. Herald in the new King of MMOs cause this bad boy is going no where anytime soon. Best of all its free to play! You have nothing to lose purchasing this game!… Expand
  97. casshern09
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    Absolutely superb game. It does have some issues right now with server stability etc, but what MMO doesn't on launch?
    I love the dynamic questing, really makes you feel part of the world. beautiful artistic style throughout. Can't praise it enough.
  98. omniblue
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    I played wow since the beginning. Aion, Rift, Terra, TSW, and SWTOR. I do not recall ever being this excited playing a game in a long time, probably not since wow was released. This game really started to bring back those old gaming excitement I thought may have died quite honestly. This game is about having extreme fun, even for the myself who I would label a Min/Maxer-PvPer. Game art isI played wow since the beginning. Aion, Rift, Terra, TSW, and SWTOR. I do not recall ever being this excited playing a game in a long time, probably not since wow was released. This game really started to bring back those old gaming excitement I thought may have died quite honestly. This game is about having extreme fun, even for the myself who I would label a Min/Maxer-PvPer. Game art is unreal, the story mode is actually something I like, first for an MMO. The lvling process is great. PvP is fantastic (EX S1,S2,S2,S4 Gladiator btw), finally a game gets CC done right.

    This game does so much right. This is going to be the clone of MMOs going forward, no doubt.    … Expand
  99. BrokenPipe
    Sep 16, 2012
    9
    Game in which everyone will find something for you. No matter how much time you can dedicate to game, you can fully enjoy it. I think this is what make it completely different from other MMO games.
  100. MrBungle420
    Sep 13, 2012
    10
    Seriously the most innovative MMO.

    Any low reviews are people with out-dated computers, WoW fanboys or outright Blizzard employees.

    There is NOTHING bad about this game.
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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.
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  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.
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