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. UnclearImage
    Aug 31, 2012
    4
    I preordered the game, and although they did have some start up issues and a few very unfortunate people got hacked- it had a fairly good start. So I will stick to the game itself.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Overall- Honestly I waited for GW2 to come out, it FINALLY get- I logged in, played for 3-4 days for a couple hours a day then logged off. I have no real desire to play it, even free. I have no enjoyment, farming for xp because the quests don't get me leveled, wandering into areas that are 3-4 levels above me and doubling back to find a event that's my level. Trying to craft but realizing I didn't farm mobs enough and having to go back and grind to get mats to craft to get gear so I can do more dps. It may appeal to some people, but right now- I'm writing this review instead of playing the game, because it seemed more enjoyable to me at the time.    … Expand
  2. austenite
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    -----Two words. WoW KIller.----- Anet took everything that sucks, everything that was annoying, everything that didn't work in the Multiplayer RPG Genre and turned it into solid gold.
  3. drwebs
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    Awesome game, no subscriptions. This game is perfect for what you want in an mmo. Arena net set a standard here folks. Don't be shy come join in on the fun and no more subscription based games!
  4. Atreidesx
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    I started Guild Wars 2 a skeptic. It looked like WoW, controlled like WoW, and follows the same basic structure that revolutionized the genre, but grew stale (for me) over the years. Comparisons to WoW are definitely fair, but somehow Guild Wars 2 makes everything fresh and fun again. The ability to instantly teleport to any waypoint you have visited is incredible. The action packedI started Guild Wars 2 a skeptic. It looked like WoW, controlled like WoW, and follows the same basic structure that revolutionized the genre, but grew stale (for me) over the years. Comparisons to WoW are definitely fair, but somehow Guild Wars 2 makes everything fresh and fun again. The ability to instantly teleport to any waypoint you have visited is incredible. The action packed combat feels like more then a numbers game. You don't just stand next to your foe exchanging blows and cycling skills. Rather, you jump and dodge, switching weapons on the fly. Colossal world bosses inhabit even the starting zones, and I love the jumping puzzles (essentially platforming segments) that inhabit hidden caves and lead to treasure. The way that higher level characters get downleveled in lower zones in brilliant. It makes it fun to run around with friends that are higher/lower level then you. When you face a boss, you both get to contribute (instead of a max level character one shotting it for you). So yes, I give this a 10. I wanted to be disappointed by this one, but I'm having a blast so far.… Expand
  5. Twitch375
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    10/10 damn it! This game is amazing. Not by any means, a average mmo. In fact it blows all others out of the park. There is absolutely no grinding for levels, (unless you of course wan't to get to lvl 80 fast) no annoying unresponsive combat, and is a beautiful game graphically. Separate pvp is a seamless addition to the game and is fun when you want to take a break. Best part no10/10 damn it! This game is amazing. Not by any means, a average mmo. In fact it blows all others out of the park. There is absolutely no grinding for levels, (unless you of course wan't to get to lvl 80 fast) no annoying unresponsive combat, and is a beautiful game graphically. Separate pvp is a seamless addition to the game and is fun when you want to take a break. Best part no subscription fee.… Expand
  6. OneGamer
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    I finally figured out an analogy for why this game deserves it's critical acclaim rating, it's the iPhone of MMO's and ArenaNet is it's Apple Inc. The basic idea of most of the mechanics here in Guild Wars 2 have been done by previous games, but the incredible care and polish ArenaNet has spent the past 5 years making this game truly make it "magical".

    Even ArenaNet's perceived heavy    I finally figured out an analogy for why this game deserves it's critical acclaim rating, it's the iPhone of MMO's and ArenaNet is it's Apple Inc. The basic idea of most of the mechanics here in Guild Wars 2 have been done by previous games, but the incredible care and polish ArenaNet has spent the past 5 years making this game truly make it "magical".

    Even ArenaNet's perceived heavy hand on exploiters and the amount of work they put into fostering a strong community around the game has a bit of Apple like strong arming on maintaining UI quality in developer apps. Where ArenaNet far surpasses the Apple comparison is the full openness ArenaNet shows in speaking with it's community directly, from developer to gamer directly on sites like Reddit.

    I'm currently level 33 and I didn't even notice getting here, which is a great compliment to ArenaNet's work making Guild Wars 2 an immersive and smooth experience.

    While this game is definitely not a sandbox, in many ways it feels like they've created an entire world on their own. In some ways Guild Wars 2 is even it's own alternative, if you get tired of PvE, you can jump into the massive and amazing WvWvW battles, or it's well designed structured PvP.

    If you didn't like Guild Wars 1, this game is NOT Guild Wars 1, and if you did like Guild Wars 1, then play this game because it's like Team Fortress 2, Assassin's Creed, and hosts of other gameplay elements rolled in with the spirit of Guild Wars 1's gameplay goals.

    If your new to MMO's, give it a shot, it's a one time payment and it's a definitely not your Dad's MMO.    … Expand
  7. 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
  8. pasmelman
    Aug 31, 2012
    6
    why some many 10 ?i got screwed buying that game for the wrong review.....i stoped playing wow 2 years ago and wow is still way better than gw2......the pve questing is soo boring ,i tried wvw my server is dominating like 80%.... the only thing i did in wvw is exploring ,isn't supose to be pvp ?
  9. teejaymmk
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    Really a big breath of fresh air after playing countless WoW clones for the better part of 10 years now. If you are like me and have long been bored of the tried and true formula approach to all MMOS for the past 10 years, this is what you have been looking for. Just give it a shot, its free so why not?
  10. Danomeon
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    I'm choosing to rate this game a 10 not because I think it is a perfect game, but rather because it is the most fun playing an MMORPG I have ever had. The game does a good job of retaining what makes MMO's great while innovating and finding new and creative ways to deliver content to players. Rather than the standard actionbar keypressing combat, we instead have a system that allows forI'm choosing to rate this game a 10 not because I think it is a perfect game, but rather because it is the most fun playing an MMORPG I have ever had. The game does a good job of retaining what makes MMO's great while innovating and finding new and creative ways to deliver content to players. Rather than the standard actionbar keypressing combat, we instead have a system that allows for dodging and one can use all of their abilities while moving. Instead of a traditional party system with tank, healer, and DPS (where really most people only want to do damage) we have abolished the trinity system and have replaced it with damage dealing classes and support classes, all fun player options that makes grouping up for dungeons easy and fun. Instead of the traditional questing structure of heading to a hub, picking up a huge bundle of quests, completing them all, and returning them, progressing through an environment in this game involves doing a combination of different events including exploration and platforming challenges as well as dynamic events and Guild Wars 2's answer to quests, reknown hearts. The game also takes a unique approach to PVE with the absolutely massive boss battles and invasions one can take up arms against as they wander throughout the world in the form of dynamic events. The game's PvP content is also innovative, including an awesome server-vs-server-vs-server option where three servers duke it out. These battles can get absolutely massive - even classic "Huge" battlefields in MMOs like old school Alterac Valley from WoW or Warhammer's massive battlegrounds don't compare. Then there are the small details - the little things that improve the game even more. The personal story is a nice touch to add some context to the game, the graphics and sound design are beautiful, being de-leveled upon entering lower level zones to be able to complete the content without feeling too powerful makes group play easy and allows you to play whatever you want whenever you want, having the ability to immediately deposit the items you collect for crafting into a tab of the bank from anywhere in the world is genius, and having an overflow server that prevents players from having to sit in a que just to play the game are all little strokes of awesome that make this game great.

    To top it all off, unlike other MMO's once one purchases this game there are no subscription fees whatsoever, and the cash shop in no way is pay for power. It's an incredible value that I would be willing to pay 15 dollars a month for if it were subscription-based.

    This is the most fun I've had playing an MMO in ages, and I think a lot of people share my opinion as I can see by the high user score (especially for an MMO, SWTOR and WoW expansions usually get yellow and red user scores) not to mention a really nice critic score thus far. I can't wait to see what will be happening to this wonderful game in the future.    … Expand
  11. plaguebourne
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    This game impressed me in closed beta both in quality and amount of things to keep me busy. The map flow is impressive given the event locations are nonlinear. It's the first time I've played an MMO in years that has offered me a challenge, looked beautiful, and kept me wanting more. I also am impressed with the fact that the dev team made leveling a bit of a challenge and seemed to wantThis game impressed me in closed beta both in quality and amount of things to keep me busy. The map flow is impressive given the event locations are nonlinear. It's the first time I've played an MMO in years that has offered me a challenge, looked beautiful, and kept me wanting more. I also am impressed with the fact that the dev team made leveling a bit of a challenge and seemed to want it to be an important part of the game rather than a quick grind to max level/endgame content... and looking at the amount of leveling content and the quality of it, I can see why. This game makes me want to explore every corner of every map, tame as many creatures as I can, and learn as much about the lore of the world as I can absorb. Also, the crafting system is fun, allowing you to discover new recipes and enhancement items rather than just serving you up the recipes and making you sit and grind out a hundred of one item.

    Congratulations to the ArenaNet team on an amazing accomplishment. You've taken a bitter old hardcore MMO gamer and made her a believer in the genre again.    … Expand
  12. Twocents
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    Too many people giving this game an undeserved zero. While the worse elements of this game could be rated as low as a 7.5, the best elements could easily be given a perfect 10. Having scrutinized this game over anything and everything, my rating would range from 8.5 to 9.5, with my consistent rating at 9.25. My advice for anyone reading user reviews, ignore anyone who put down a zero. ReadToo many people giving this game an undeserved zero. While the worse elements of this game could be rated as low as a 7.5, the best elements could easily be given a perfect 10. Having scrutinized this game over anything and everything, my rating would range from 8.5 to 9.5, with my consistent rating at 9.25. My advice for anyone reading user reviews, ignore anyone who put down a zero. Read what people wrote who gave this game anywhere from a 6 to a 9, as their reviews aren't driven off some immature emotional outcry. Also, if you are still unsure about this game, wait a while. Watch videos, read reviews, read about the classes and gameplay. If you are still on the fence, don't buy it, or play it at a friends house. Just don't buy it and rate it a zero for no real reason, as no game really deserves a 0 unless it flat out does not work.… Expand
  13. AcFree
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    An excellent breath of fresh air in the field of MMO's: While not ground breakingly different from the standard formula it does more than enough to keep both MMO veterans, and new comers alike entertained for hours on end.
  14. Kallwren
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    I'm a bit of an mmo fanatic, I tend to try out (if not purchase) nearly every major mmo release. I'm a long-time WoW player (I started on day one of release and only very recently stopped playing regularly), and I've also made my way through FFXI, Rift, SWTOR, Warhammer, FFXIV, The Secret World, Tera, and a number of others. For years I found myself returning to WoW because other games,I'm a bit of an mmo fanatic, I tend to try out (if not purchase) nearly every major mmo release. I'm a long-time WoW player (I started on day one of release and only very recently stopped playing regularly), and I've also made my way through FFXI, Rift, SWTOR, Warhammer, FFXIV, The Secret World, Tera, and a number of others. For years I found myself returning to WoW because other games, while ambitious, frequently fell down in one area or another and failed to really capture my attention. Often the graphics lacked any real art style, or the questing was repetitive or the story lacked distinction. Guild Wars 2 finally seems to have gotten it right. Unlike many games I don't get the impression that they were trying to make the next wow-killer. Rather they seemed focused on just making the most engaging game they could and it really shows. The art and graphics are beautiful and atmospheric, I often enter a new area and find myself screeching to a halt to stop and appreciate the environment. The story, while unfamiliar to me (I didn't really play GW1) seems well crafted and the personal storyline is drawing me in to this new world and making me care about characters that aren't Thrall or Jaina. I recently received a msg in my game mail in response to a completed quest that was so charming that I haven't wanted to delete it and frequently my guildmates and I are sharing snippets of npc conversation that we overhear as we travel this online world.
    As for gameplay, I'll admit that initially part of me was doubtful about doing away with the holy trinity of tank, dps and healer. But removing these set roles seems to make everyone have to focus on working together, an interesting and at times difficult challenge but it's proving to be rewarding. Being able to change up abilities by swapping weapons really helps keep combat fresh and interesting and the combo system encourages you yet again to learn how to play well with others and then rewards you substantially for doing so.
    Above all I love the questing system, I feel like my job is to go off and explore and find adventure rather than to follow a trail of breadcrumbs and perform a list of chores and that's why I play games, so I can be a big damn hero. GW2 has definitely won me over.    … Expand
  15. Emerica
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    This game is by no stretch a perfect game but I would say it certainly meets its expectations in almost every way. The graphics are excellent, and anyone who doesn't think so needs to realize the difference between an FPS and an MMO. MMO graphics are notorious for being a bit outdated due to performance issues, if a software company pumped out an MMO with top tier graphics you best beThis game is by no stretch a perfect game but I would say it certainly meets its expectations in almost every way. The graphics are excellent, and anyone who doesn't think so needs to realize the difference between an FPS and an MMO. MMO graphics are notorious for being a bit outdated due to performance issues, if a software company pumped out an MMO with top tier graphics you best be ready to shell out serious cash for top tier hardware. The combat system is excellent with plenty of dynamics to vary each confrontation. Things such as skill swapping, weapon swapping and dodging make combat less linear. The quest system while not new is a bit refreshing becasue you have plenty of ways to accomplish the same common goal and you never have to return or even talk to the quest giver at all. The downlevling system is flawless and amazing in every way making every piece of content challenging and new. The crafting system although not innovative is thouroughly enjoyable and well worth the time and effort. For all of those complaining about the bans going around for the "exploit". I totaly agree that it is not fair to punish people for not knowingly or knowingly exploiting a blatant developing mistake, but it is fair for them to warn the players that doing this in the future will have consequences. Problems like this can ruin the economy of the game almost indefintley. A-net spoke on Reddit about it, not to brag but to warn: we are watching and we will punish you for your actions. For all of those saying that the launch was horrible, you clearly have never been a part of a launch of an MMO ever. The Guild Wars 2 launch was almost perfect with very small hiccups along the way. If you will all remember the Diablo 3 launch, or SWTOR launch or even WoW launch. They all had some game crippling issues out of the gate. Arena net gave us what they could with what they had and didn't compeltley kick us out. Although with all of the great things there are still aspects of the game that are left undetermined. First off the issue of the endgame. Without a gear grind or treadmill what will be left to do? Will WvWvW and PvP be enough to keep this game alive? Right now we are all acting on blind faith that Arena Net will patch in content and make end game whatever we dream it to be, well thats what they are saying anyway. But like anything there will always be a hint out doubt, we will have to wait and see. Secondly the ban hammer may be a little to liberal and Arena net needs to chose their battles, banning people for being racist is one thing but banning people for mild remarks about a player is a totally different thing.

    Through all the great aspects of this game there are some things that are still unclear and may end up becomming shortcomings.

    TL;DR: Games not perfect, but well worth $60. It is a pick up and play MMO with no monthly fees. Hopefully Arena Net will continue to support it with new content regularly. For now 8.5 (Rounded to 9 becasue of the massive amount of trash 0 reviews)    … Expand
  16. konawolv
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    This game is everything it was hyped up to be. It is a gorgeous and lush fantasy world, with tons of exploration to be had. Dynamic events/heart events allow for a very smooth and unique grind (it doesnt seem like a grind, because what you do changes the world around you). This is not a game that you want to rush to max level in. Take your time, explore, have fun.

    You know what's great?    This game is everything it was hyped up to be. It is a gorgeous and lush fantasy world, with tons of exploration to be had. Dynamic events/heart events allow for a very smooth and unique grind (it doesnt seem like a grind, because what you do changes the world around you). This is not a game that you want to rush to max level in. Take your time, explore, have fun.

    You know what's great? You dont have to level if you dont want to!! You can head straight to max level pvp if that is what you enjoy! Or, you could do WvWvW and level while doing pvp. This is what you are headed for if you buy this game (personal experience):
    I was looking for a Point of Interest on the map which was located behind a waterfall in an underground cavern. I ended up traveling to the wrong of the creek by accident and went into a different cavern. While there i met a random person on an overflow server, and we found ourselves scaling and platforming down about 300 feet. We kill the misc. monsters and continued another 200 yards through the cavern and popped out at the other end of the map. There, we snagged some strawberries from the pasture and nabbed a view point that had us looking out over the vast ocean.

    My favorite thing however about this game is the Mass Effect style personal story.

    Pros:
    Gorgeous looking game in every aspect.
    Script writing is bar none in any MMO and rivals that of strict RPG's
    Combat is 60% skill based, 40% gear (good balance) in pve, and 100% skill based in pvp
    15 hour long WvWvW battles
    Dynamic events    … Expand
  17. Best-DA
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    This is the best mmo right now. Don't listen the negative review they are just a bunch of kids who lost there friends on wow and cant afford the game right now. Best graphic ever best map exploration ever best fighting style ever.
  18. Apolyon
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    This game got old mechanics, improved them and put them all together into an awesome fantastic world. Quests have been replaced by dynamic event chains, that react to player actions (success/failure will lead to different events). World versus world is a three faction world pvp mode with towers, castles, siege weapons, and lots of strategy... going zergway will lead you to disaster,This game got old mechanics, improved them and put them all together into an awesome fantastic world. Quests have been replaced by dynamic event chains, that react to player actions (success/failure will lead to different events). World versus world is a three faction world pvp mode with towers, castles, siege weapons, and lots of strategy... going zergway will lead you to disaster, cooperation is a must. Structured PvP is very competitive and demands ability. The personal story lines are fantastic, served with the perfect dose of fun and drama.… Expand
  19. Smilezey
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    This game deserves a perfect score, in my opinion. The game is structured to be a fun experience and not a chore that might reward you in the end. The "fun" element has been missing from mmo's for a while now. The elements of this game that make it fun are the immersive story, fantastic combat, constant rewards, ect. No other game has made your character's combat and story as personal asThis game deserves a perfect score, in my opinion. The game is structured to be a fun experience and not a chore that might reward you in the end. The "fun" element has been missing from mmo's for a while now. The elements of this game that make it fun are the immersive story, fantastic combat, constant rewards, ect. No other game has made your character's combat and story as personal as Guild wars 2 has. There might be a few problems here and there but they are so small and nit-picky that they aren't even worth mentioning. The game has a theme of teamwork and that(including previously mentioned points) makes the game new and refreshing. In the end, this game deserves its perfect score for being what video games should be....fun!… Expand
  20. nodq
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    Really? Really? .... Really? The best MMO since WoW, and this time for SURE people! You can not compare WoW and GW2 but you can compare MMO releases and the fun of it and the feeling it brings at release + bugs etc. and GW2/Arenanet made an awesome job for sure. 9.5! Giving 10 because of 0 rating trolls here.
  21. OverweightNerd
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    Amusing to see that all the 0 and 1 reviews are hit and runs from guys who gave Secret World 10s. Regardless GW2 is fun, challenging, and has no sub fee. It is incredibly detailed with a huge variety of things to do at any given time, and has a shocking depth to it's combat and PvP. There are a couple launch bugs that exclude me from giving it a 10, but since I've already thrown 60hrs intoAmusing to see that all the 0 and 1 reviews are hit and runs from guys who gave Secret World 10s. Regardless GW2 is fun, challenging, and has no sub fee. It is incredibly detailed with a huge variety of things to do at any given time, and has a shocking depth to it's combat and PvP. There are a couple launch bugs that exclude me from giving it a 10, but since I've already thrown 60hrs into the game and only paid $60, I'd say I've gotten my moneys worth. ADDENUM: So one thing I've noticed in the last few days are all the scrubs quitting. Its working people! All the bads are leaving because the game is too hard for them. What a wonderful community this game is breeding.… Expand
  22. stocean
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    This game made me think that Arenanet might be the new Blizzard at least for me. The quality and quantity, effort put in, and fun you expected from Blizzard but couldn't get recently, this game has them all. The game looks amazing especially for an mmo The music, voice acting, and sound effects are top notch The gameplay is very fun and challenging. The game's longevity also seems veryThis game made me think that Arenanet might be the new Blizzard at least for me. The quality and quantity, effort put in, and fun you expected from Blizzard but couldn't get recently, this game has them all. The game looks amazing especially for an mmo The music, voice acting, and sound effects are top notch The gameplay is very fun and challenging. The game's longevity also seems very optimistic. Firstly there's no subscription fee! So you could come back anytime you want. Also there are many different stories, professions to play through in a variety of ways. Lastly the game's endgame focuses on horizontal scale rather than vertical scale. Vertical scale is your typical WoW raid or D3 tier system in which you get higher and higher gears as you play. In vertical scale, once the contents are gone, there's not much to do. Since GW2 is a Horizontally scaling game it focuses more on customization and PvP where your skill, choice, and play rather than your gear, gold, and playtime matter. High-end dungeons only reward cosmetic items and don't really give you a gameplay edge over others. This is generally much better for replayability unless you add contents faster than gamers consume. Anyways, this game really can't go wrong with its great quality and huge amount of contents. I urge you to go buy this game if you want a very decent mmo with both good PvE and PvP.… Expand
  23. Leijona
    Aug 31, 2012
    6
    So, this is my first critic.
    GW2 is nice. Not more, not less. I have never seen so many problems at a mmo start. From account security over hackers to guild chat / menu problems. I have never seen such a horrible communication as Arenanet is having it. No patch notes, no forums, only twitter and reddit.
    Group play is more like a lottery right now, overflow server system not working as it    So, this is my first critic.
    GW2 is nice. Not more, not less. I have never seen so many problems at a mmo start. From account security over hackers to guild chat / menu problems. I have never seen such a horrible communication as Arenanet is having it. No patch notes, no forums, only twitter and reddit.
    Group play is more like a lottery right now, overflow server system not working as it should. And all you hear is "We are working on it".
    Dynamic events aren't as dynamic, as they seem to be. They are more like static-events-that-appear-at-random-times.
    XP balancing is not working right now.
    All the lore, that can be found in the wiki and the books is not really in the game. Even TOR had better a story. They could have put lore in the vistas, some text with information about the place. Something. But no, there's nothing.
    Over all, the game is nice. I play it, I will go on playing, but only because it is F2P. Otherwise, I wouldn't.    … Expand
  24. trollhunter
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    This game is brilliant, ive played most mmo's and the king obviously was wow but its was seriously flawed, the problem with wow was that it was relying on the 'carrot on a string' princible where it teased you with power with each level and better items making it insanely addictive... but for the game and combat itself it wasnt much fun.
    GW2 on the other hand does away with these major    This game is brilliant, ive played most mmo's and the king obviously was wow but its was seriously flawed, the problem with wow was that it was relying on the 'carrot on a string' princible where it teased you with power with each level and better items making it insanely addictive... but for the game and combat itself it wasnt much fun.
    GW2 on the other hand does away with these major flaws and makes each level have a very small impact also with gear especially in the case of PVP, making it a much more balanced experience, but i could go on and on and on regarding the improvements made that gives it the 'evolutionary' title, but the HUGE difference is the most important one and a very simple one at that... its actually a huge amount of FUN *gasp* yes the combat and none existence of the 'grind' makes it great fun to play and you find yourself exploring and enjoying the experience as intended, so if u like rpgs or mmos or especially if you haven't.. go get it, you wont be disappointed, and regarding those 0 scores they are obvious trolls as 99% have only given negatives with most only for this amazing game :)    … Expand
  25. Conure
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    When I first logged in, and for the first half hour, I thought this game was just like World of Warcraft - I was wrong.

    The more you play, the more you realise that Guild Wars 2 is a significant step forward for the genre. The music and visuals lend to a highly engaging atmosphere, and I never feel as though I am grinding. The entire world has been lovingly crafted with the type of    When I first logged in, and for the first half hour, I thought this game was just like World of Warcraft - I was wrong.

    The more you play, the more you realise that Guild Wars 2 is a significant step forward for the genre. The music and visuals lend to a highly engaging atmosphere, and I never feel as though I am grinding. The entire world has been lovingly crafted with the type of detail rarely seen in games of this scale. The "quest system", if you could call it that, allows you to play how you want, where you want. For example, there are often multiple ways to complete a quest, and should you grow bored of one area (unlikely!) then you can easily go elsewhere. the game has a real sense of exploration which you would find in a game like Skyrim, but with the detail of The Witcher 2.

    After disappointing releases over the past 12 months with The Old Republic and Tera, this game is a welcome and fantastic game. I will give the game a ten, based on the fact that after a weeks play it is the best early/mid game MMORPG that I have ever played.    … Expand
  26. Lheim
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    GW2 is an excellent mix of some of the best features of many predecessor MMOs, combined with a frenetic combat style that is more about using the right ability at the right time than watching your cooldowns. It's hard to describe the experience of playing this game, except to say that once you start, you're so pulled along by the temptations of one more dynamic event popping up, or oneGW2 is an excellent mix of some of the best features of many predecessor MMOs, combined with a frenetic combat style that is more about using the right ability at the right time than watching your cooldowns. It's hard to describe the experience of playing this game, except to say that once you start, you're so pulled along by the temptations of one more dynamic event popping up, or one more vista to try to find, or one more skill challenge nearby, that you find yourself not noticing that you've levelled, or what time it is. It's the first mmo I've played that has been so perfectly, intuitively designed in such a way to encourage and reward cooperation - no stealing each other's loot or nodes, no being on different stages of quests; if you're in the area you're assisting other people in what they're doing by default, and you even get XP for rezzing downed players.

    The game has some technical flaws right now, with outages of the auction house and mail system, and some issues with getting together on the same shard as your groupmates - but these are visibly clearing up as the launch frenzy goes on. I can't honestly base my review on these temporary factors. The only real criticisms I can make is that sometimes, tuning can seem off - the scaling of some dynamic events, in particular, can go from too easy to rediculous hard, and some areas of the world have respawn rates that are so rediculous you can find yourself backing up into monsters you just looted.

    All in all? Buy. The game world is lusciously detailed, the sound is lovely, and the cash shop contains little more than fluff. I can see so many of the interface and user-experience features that GW2 comes with becoming absolute must-have standards for future releases.    … Expand
  27. Dianoia
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is WoW mashed with WAR, SWTOR, FFXIV and Tera in all the right ways. There are innovations, certainly, but it really is just borrowing a cornucopia of great ideas and perfecting them.
  28. InfinityBlaze
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is amazing. There is no other word for it. The art style is minimalistic and charming. The combat is fun and fast paced. And there's no tedious, addictive gameplay with the $15 sub fee. Not to say its not addicting though. Guild wars 2 has great PvP, an engaging story, and fantastic crafting. MMO player or not, GW2 is a must buy.
  29. Reaktorblue
    Aug 30, 2012
    3
    The game has been a complete disappointment. Graphically I'm not impressed. You would think in 2012 the graphics would be better. In addition I find the movement to feel very unnatural. While the game started fun, it quickly became a chore.

    Worse came when on the second day a plethora of accounts getting hacked. Just a complete disappointment altogether.
  30. musicjerm
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    If you're into MMO's you'll love this game. If you're into RPG's you'll love this game. If you're into pvp you'll love this game. This is the game you've been waiting for and there was no one better to do it than Arena Net.
  31. BackslashAZ
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    I signed up for an account here specifically to review this game. This is the best MMO I
  32. 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
  33. Innocente
    Aug 30, 2012
    5
    There is much to like in GW2, and much to dislike as well. I had high hopes for great gameplay and a long lasting home in GW2, but I fear that is not to be the case. My review is of the game AS IT IS NOW, not of some 'future' GW2 after it has had months and months of refinement. That sort of refinement should have been done before launching. *Player Market is broken. * WvWvW is broken.There is much to like in GW2, and much to dislike as well. I had high hopes for great gameplay and a long lasting home in GW2, but I fear that is not to be the case. My review is of the game AS IT IS NOW, not of some 'future' GW2 after it has had months and months of refinement. That sort of refinement should have been done before launching. *Player Market is broken. * WvWvW is broken. * Cross-Server Guesting is Broken. * Dungeon group management is broken. * Many World Bosses are broken. * Game Stability (crashes & lockups) is broken. * Game Balance scaling is broken (Solo challenges are to hard, and Group challenges are to easy). * Overflow Server mechanics are broken. * Crafting scaling and balance is broken. **** Overall, GW2 needed another 6 months to 12 months 'in the oven', so to speak. I do not know why it was rushed out in this condition, but there were indications of known issues at the Beta Weekend Event 2. At that time, they had 100 servers online. That must have led to empty worlds, as they very quickly cut that down to 15ish for the next beta. That led to a host of stability and overflow issues that persist to this day; not fun. GW2 is worth a look, but one needs to play a character to Lvl 30ish or so to get a real feal as to how the game plays, and what to look forward to. Or not, as the case may be.… Expand
  34. Wofwof
    Aug 30, 2012
    5
    1..Creating character:
    At start you chose your Home -server.
    There is a decent amount of options for character customization. You can chose from 5 races and 8 professions. That's all nice but you can create only 5 characters in game (not on server, but in whole game). You can unlock more slots buying it for real money. So you can't even try all professions. 2.PvE Personal story- you    1..Creating character:
    At start you chose your Home -server.
    There is a decent amount of options for character customization. You can chose from 5 races and 8 professions. That's all nice but you can create only 5 characters in game (not on server, but in whole game). You can unlock more slots buying it for real money. So you can't even try all professions. 2.PvE
    Personal story- you have this personal story which are linear story's in instanced part 's of world. Story is in my opinion generic fantasy and not so good and it's badly voice over-ed and narrated. It can+t go even in same sentence with SWOTOR story's and story quests.
    Questing- there is no actual questing but you still go to NPC with black heart mark over head and take quest. Than everybody doing that quest (event) until it's over. There is also those "you entered this area help legion and kill 10 ghosts" quests (but hey game don't have quests!). It's so sad because they said there will never be those "mobs just standing near road and you have to kill 10 or 5 of them" quests but there are. Other event-ing (questing) is basically you have this text what to do and a progress bar. Everybody is killing something or collecting something and when bar is full you get your XP, karma and money based on your contribution. Nice idea. You also have this big event's who are basically escort this guy, than kill those, than fight boss or defend/attack outpost. Problem is when there is not enough players events are smaller, often not doable or even frustrating. The same is for those heart/quests where you see like 50 enemies spawning and just standing or fighting. If you don't engage them you don't care what is happening. They just keep standing still or fighting. If you engage you can change that part of world (for example black polluted lake becomes clean blue). But we saw all that in wow. In Litch King you take quest, game fazes, enemies are rushing on the hill, you kill them all and you get new flight point and new base. So it's all old news but now on every step. And that is the main concerns for PvE . When you clean one area it all starts again in other so it's quickly becomes all seen - all boring but with less seans of progression because there is not that i compleated quests feeling. The second concern is that if you only do hearts and some events you can't level fast enough to follow zone difficulty. You need to explore,do story quest and go in pvp or do vistas to keep your level high enough to continue. The final concern for me is that there is no reason to level to level 80 or even do those few dungeons while questing. You got nothing at that level. There are no raids and all equipment have the same stats but just looks different.

    3.Combat
    What weapon you equip that 5 skills you get. Why is only one unlocked at start and 4 you need to unlock i don't know when unlocking those is 5 minute job. Combat is mouse clicking like in wow but here you can move all the time and you can manually dodge. Rest 5 skills are basically your class buffs, heals, and one epic ability. That and traits are only things you unlock. So sad for RPG.

    4. PvP
    You have WvWvW which is nice in idea but it's almost unplayable and not so fun, at least for me. You have this ever ongoing 3 server battles on special map(4 big maps). Playing is now really lagy, unplayable when there is like 30 players on same place and half a day i spent destroying doors spamming my ability's. And you have classic PvP in which you can enter from start and play like a level 80 character. That's why i say there is no sens to do PvE leveling because it quickly get boring and it don't have any sense or reward. So this is basically a game for PvP-ers which will enjoy WvWvW and same gear pvp maps all over again... 5. Graphics:
    Graphic is a little out of my taste but very pretty on max settings. Problem is that on average PC you will look at very ugly textures and you will have a real hassle with a FPS which gave me a headache. 6. Social
    Current problems are -you can't play with your friends. Finding in world your 4 friends in 5 man group is a 30 minute job. You are on same server in same area but who knows in what instance. Constant overflowing and phasing get you lost. Guild's are very buggy and often GM can't see any players. Auction house is down. Adding friends had some issues but now is ok. 7. Conclusion
    A nice game especially for PvP players. It's trying to be different and in some way it succeeds. It don't have subscription because it couldn't sustain it, it miss so much (raids, PvE daily's, heroics, mounts, flying...) and imo it don't have really long - life time. It put some nice things from other MMO's and try to sell it for revolutionary. It's not but it's nice done. It's ok game but missing so much to compete with other AAA MMO's and lacks optimization    … Expand
  35. Bone_White
    Aug 30, 2012
    9
    Yes, the game has problems on release, which will like most mmos, be fixed in due time. If there was a less flawed release, then the review would me a 10. This game encompasses such fine attention to detail, from the way a character stands on uneven ground whilst fighting, to the branching (and I'm not talking single figures here) story-lines. I will be playing this game for years toYes, the game has problems on release, which will like most mmos, be fixed in due time. If there was a less flawed release, then the review would me a 10. This game encompasses such fine attention to detail, from the way a character stands on uneven ground whilst fighting, to the branching (and I'm not talking single figures here) story-lines. I will be playing this game for years to come, and it's by far superior to any competitors, subscription based or not.… Expand
  36. shingoukieh
    Aug 30, 2012
    9
    This game was very confusing at first. You just dont know what is going on and what everything means. after a while you will learn what and where things are and it will grow on you. This is a mmorpg where you will actually take your time and level and talk to townspeople and explore. I played games such as Perfect World, Aion, Tera, EVE, SWTOR and wow up to burning crusade. I can honestlyThis game was very confusing at first. You just dont know what is going on and what everything means. after a while you will learn what and where things are and it will grow on you. This is a mmorpg where you will actually take your time and level and talk to townspeople and explore. I played games such as Perfect World, Aion, Tera, EVE, SWTOR and wow up to burning crusade. I can honestly tell you that this game is downright better than all the ones i listed above. Its not perfect but it is quite enjoyable to play. With each profession you have a vast amount of skills to use. Most professions can do melee ,cast range, or magic attacks so you get a little bit of everything with one profession. Questing is also pretty interesting. The dynamic quests are very fun. If by chance you want to go off and fight mobs by yourself you can engage in the story quest. The story quests are entertaining and so far they provide a real sense of adventure. The only downside I can see so far is the lack of tutorial in game. While they do have a tutorial it is very basic and doesnt really explain alot of things. With a little bit of research this can be overcame very fast. All in all this is a great mmorpg and would recommend it to casual rpg and hardcore mmorpg players alike. I didnt pvp much yet but from the chat on the forums and in game channels it is definitly worth checking out its that what you like. Just from the weapon switching mechanics and traitsI can tell the pvp will be very deep with different ways of building.… Expand
  37. dravus
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    Deserves a 9.5. Ive played almost every MMO since UO in 97. Each game had its perks:
    Shadowbane: city building and ruthless pvp
    Horizons: best player housing ever made (own premade plots of land, not like UO where it was citysprawl) Warcraft: pve gods. look back at 2004 reviews. they made the MMO accessible to 'nongamers'. Just to name a few that left a good impression. For    Deserves a 9.5. Ive played almost every MMO since UO in 97. Each game had its perks:
    Shadowbane: city building and ruthless pvp
    Horizons: best player housing ever made (own premade plots of land, not like UO where it was citysprawl)
    Warcraft: pve gods. look back at 2004 reviews. they made the MMO accessible to 'nongamers'.

    Just to name a few that left a good impression.

    For GW2, this game gave everything I was getting bored with in an MMO a new look. Grouping, no more node stealing, COMMUNITY! (server pride), discoveries in crafting, and PVP... crazy pvp goodness.

    I cant tell you how great it is to be able to dodge and use position, to fight an elite that will 2 shot you and, with proper skill use and dodging, be able to bring it down. Very satisfying. (I went back to other MMO's after the guildwars2 beta ended so I could kill the MMO itch i had until GW2 was released. It suddenly felt strange to not be able to get out of the way of an incoming attack, couldn't actively block an attack i knew that was on its way to hit me. Basically i wasn't rewarded for being aware of the next move)

    And teamwork: everyone can rez (get exp for helping), everyone gets credit for helping bring down a mob, etc. You get rewarded for helping each other. but never forced to.

    TLDR: Overall the game feels like the next step in MMO's. I believe future MMOs will continue with dynamic events/questing. combat will be more involved and personal stories will be the norm. Not saying these are revolutionary and all new ideas, but much like warcraft did in 2004, gw2 brings in the best ideas into 1 game and adds to it. 2 thumbs up! see you in game    … Expand
  38. Nipatran
    Aug 30, 2012
    5
    soo, for starters i pre-ordered the game waiting to see something awsome...

    this is not the case on this game, feels kinda like when i bought Diablo 3. It has the nice name GW2 and really nice artwork and music is stunning, even that´s huge part of the game it cant hide the fact that the gameplay is inferior and feels like im playing free and unfinished MMO. control feels sluggish    soo, for starters i pre-ordered the game waiting to see something awsome...

    this is not the case on this game, feels kinda like when i bought Diablo 3. It has the nice name GW2 and really nice artwork and music is stunning, even that´s huge part of the game it cant hide the fact that the gameplay is inferior and feels like im playing free and unfinished MMO. control feels sluggish and akward. another thing i dont like is that if you aggro more than 2 enemies alone you can only run away or fight and hope you survive. im not lying when i say that i feel like scammed when i payed 60bucks from this

    its really sad that this gem is covered with turd    … Expand
  39. 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
  40. 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
  41. 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
  42. dotnka
    Aug 30, 2012
    1
    I would love to be able to review the game. However I find myself in impossible situation to do it although I pre-purchased it. I was able to play for two days during the Headstart during which I have encountered all possible errors and aberrant behavior. The client kept telling me it can't log-in in my account because of my firewall while my friend's account worked just fine on the sameI would love to be able to review the game. However I find myself in impossible situation to do it although I pre-purchased it. I was able to play for two days during the Headstart during which I have encountered all possible errors and aberrant behavior. The client kept telling me it can't log-in in my account because of my firewall while my friend's account worked just fine on the same machine. Nothing unexpected till third day when I am informed by the log-in error that my account has been banned. I did not receive any kind of notification from NCSoft/ArenaNet or any other kind of messages but welcoming emails. I filed a support ticket, I got an automated copy-paste of the Support FAQ. I wait three days without knowing what is going on. After that my temporary ban is turned into a permanent ban and it seems GW2 staff does this when it believes an account has been compromised. I update my support ticket, the only reaction is that the log-in screen is now telling me the account is permanently terminated for selling gold and in-game items for real-world money. Apparently I did all that during the ban.

    Even during the short game time I had, a poor experience doesn't even begin to cover it. The all so praised dynamic events are nothing more then scripted events that trigger themselves over and over again. You end up performing the same invasion 10 times in a row if you don't like wandering around. There is no world reacting to what you do, quests are as tedious and boring as in other MMOS, they just don't show you the numbers any more: you don't even know when you will be done with killing X number of critters. The combat system is nothing they advertised, it's a combat system very similar to all other MMOs where you need to select a target and perform an ability.
    The only good and innovative part, for which I give it a 1, is that groups are not needed to share the progress of a quest or the kill of a mob and all resources and loot is client-side so you don't need to fight with other players for a resource node.
    They've spent 5 years working on this game: It's design is 5 years old with a quick patch of recent ideas and the worst customer support and automated hacking detection system yet.    … Expand
  43. rideatlga
    Aug 30, 2012
    9
    This has been my return to PC gaming after about a 2 year hiatus. I came in with mixed expectations because people were hyping it up pretty bad. I would have to say that the hype was deserved on most accounts. This game is different from most other MMOs. I find myself just running around from place to place killing with no real agenda, which is great. Dynamic events are fun, but theyThis has been my return to PC gaming after about a 2 year hiatus. I came in with mixed expectations because people were hyping it up pretty bad. I would have to say that the hype was deserved on most accounts. This game is different from most other MMOs. I find myself just running around from place to place killing with no real agenda, which is great. Dynamic events are fun, but they are a little bit overcrowded due to the high concentration of players at my level due to the recent launch. There are a few glitches currently being worked on by Arena Net, which is to be expected. The only reason it does not get a 10 is due to the trading post being down for launch.… Expand
  44. 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.
  45. 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
  46. sandal
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    The sequel to Guild-wars set within the same world, 8 fun classes and 5 which are each different and have there own story, Graphics are superb and the music is beautiful with nice combat sounds. The combat is fun and compelling with a dodge system and fast paced action.
    Highly recommended to anyone looking for a new rpg or mmorpg to play.
  47. NinjaPepeprs
    Aug 30, 2012
    9
    This game is fun. To start the, the game is action-packed, the quest system is unique, the graphics and art style are beautiful and the music is pleasant. It took me about 1-2 hours to work out how to play the game. By no means does Guild Wars 2 hold your hand, it instead takes the approach of throwing you in the middle of the pool so to speak, not the deep end. They give you just what youThis game is fun. To start the, the game is action-packed, the quest system is unique, the graphics and art style are beautiful and the music is pleasant. It took me about 1-2 hours to work out how to play the game. By no means does Guild Wars 2 hold your hand, it instead takes the approach of throwing you in the middle of the pool so to speak, not the deep end. They give you just what you need to go off and learn for yourself. I think this is refreshing compared to most other modern games. I can't pick to many negatives with this game other then it will be confusing to work out some of the mechanics; but as previously mentioned it is enjoyable in its own right.… Expand
  48. Mudget
    Aug 30, 2012
    8
    This is an -initial- review, as the game just came out and my guess is as I become more familiar with it, the score will go up. But from a die-hard Guild Wars fan who has been sitting on the edge of his chair waiting YEARS (and then years on top of years) for this sequel - some of the air has been let out of my balloon. I'll just say what every other poster has said, because it's true inThis is an -initial- review, as the game just came out and my guess is as I become more familiar with it, the score will go up. But from a die-hard Guild Wars fan who has been sitting on the edge of his chair waiting YEARS (and then years on top of years) for this sequel - some of the air has been let out of my balloon. I'll just say what every other poster has said, because it's true in my case, too - I'm a die-hard MMORPG and RPG fan in general - have played every single major MMORPG release (and many minor ones) over the years since 1997 when I was addicted, truly addicted, to the original EverQuest. I'm much more a single-player RPG'er and will build an entirely new computer just for new releases like The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim (which lived up to the hype and was worth the PC construction). But EverQuest hooked me, DAoC hooked me, WoW hooked me, Conan hooked me, and, most recently, Star Wars hooked me. But none of those experience even barely hold a candle to the good times I had in the surprise hit of (2005 was it? 2004?) - Guild Wars. GW was so completely different. Absolutely re-wrote the book for MMORPGs and was underappreciated in this regard by both critics and players alike. Not just because it didn't cost a monthly fee, but because the game was more a hybrid between a collectible game like Magic: The Gathering, and a standard grinder like WoW. It was the collectible skill system that was the most innovative feature, and the endless hours of PvP trying out different combinations of found skills that kept me coming back.

    So I'll begin by saying that the move by Guild Wars 2 away from the collectible skill set system of the original game to a hybrid of very typical WoW grinding, Warhammer Online/RIFT area event quest generation, and so forth - was the first thing that let air out of my balloon. This line sums it up for me - GW2 is not the innovative MMORPG that GW was. It's not that it's a -different- game, like GW was, it's that it is a combination of many very -typical- games. Happily, the combination does work on many levels, and it is generally fun, albeit quite confusing at first. And VERY confusing if you're a diehard Guild Wars fan who expected this to be a sequel of some sort. Aside from the lore, there's not a lot of similarity between the first GW and this one. As with so many games nowadays in which critics praise the graphics as the "BEST IN ANY MMORPG TO DATE" - the graphics are actually just nice. They're not ground-shakingly good or making use of anything new in the genre, necessarily, but there are some nice vistas and good looking character models and animations. Still, I find myself saying that with almost every release nowadays. Finding one's way around massive cities is one of the more aggravating experiences in a new MMORPG, and GW2 is no exception, compounding this problem with multi-level cities in which you must hop into portals to get to some upper levels (took me quite a while to figure that one out). Slightly goofy camera controls add to this frustration a bit. But overall, the world is fun to explore and the new ability to JUMP in a GW game is nice. (Although again, this doesn't really feel like a sequel to me at all, but an entirely new game, more a spiritual successor to Aion or RIFT than to the original Guild Wars). There is indeed a TON to do in this game and you will never, ever be bored. Collect stuff and craft, dye armors, hop into a big local event that just sprung up, PvP in a smaller setting or PvP in a World-vs-World setting, follow the main quest, or just explore (you are rewarded for just exploring, which is awesome) ... there's never a dull moment. I guess so far for me this is the big selling point. But at this writing, I just can't get past the fact that I am still heartbroken that this isn't a sequel to the Guild Wars system of collecting, mixing and matching "skill cards". Oh well, over time, this may make me a whole new fan in a whole new way. For now though, I give this game a solid 8, because it stands strongly on its own. Can it pull me out of Skyrim (as I originally thought would be a no-brainer)? That's a tough question. When I get home from work and log into my computer my finger first hovers over the Skyrim icon and then hesitantly heads over to GW2. So, yeah, so far it's working. But only barely. This isn't the innovative ALL NEW game I thought it might be - we've seen all these elements in other games before (unlike in the original GW) - but they've been put together in a new way, and I think it might just stand a chance of being the trendy game to play for a few months before everyone either sinks back into their WoW comatose or goes back to the game they're truly in love with. Then again, maybe this will become the go-to game. Too early to tell.

    I'll update in a few months.    … Expand
  49. nKoshi
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    Sequel to the first and it keeps the great formula going. No subscription fee, cash shop that allows you to buy boosts for PvE and cosmetic stuff. The shop works in a way that you exchange game currency for store currency thus you can buy everything you'd want by just playing the game, no need for cash (though it is faster to do so ofcourse).
    And naturally you could also spend the money    Sequel to the first and it keeps the great formula going. No subscription fee, cash shop that allows you to buy boosts for PvE and cosmetic stuff. The shop works in a way that you exchange game currency for store currency thus you can buy everything you'd want by just playing the game, no need for cash (though it is faster to do so ofcourse).
    And naturally you could also spend the money you would normally spend on a subscription fee and get some goodies for it instead!

    The main gripes I keep hearing about are no endgame PvE. Thus you get bored.
    I personally have been max level for some days now and I'm simply enjoying the crafting, getting achievements, PVP'ing and I started another class as an alt.
    The PvE is also quite good with the 5 man instances. Exploration mode is fantastic and a good challenge!

    Plus with the no subscription fee you can put it aside and resume any time you want.

    So far so good!    … Expand
  50. Demonio
    Aug 30, 2012
    1
    It is a zerg fest, fun in the first hour of play but then really boring ... loading everywhere ... queue for open rvr LOL
    This game really suck a lot!!!
  51. Kingmannie
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is utterly fantastic. I'm not even going to begin to compare it to other MMO's because this game is in a league of its own. Apart from the hiccups that every huge MMO gets during launch, Guild Wars 2 has drawn me straight into its amazing story based PVE experience, exciting PVP (wvw) experience plus its enthralling and beautiful world. I get all this without having toGuild Wars 2 is utterly fantastic. I'm not even going to begin to compare it to other MMO's because this game is in a league of its own. Apart from the hiccups that every huge MMO gets during launch, Guild Wars 2 has drawn me straight into its amazing story based PVE experience, exciting PVP (wvw) experience plus its enthralling and beautiful world. I get all this without having to worry about money coming out of my bank account each month and how much 'value' I'm getting. I can pick this up or leave this down yet I find myself unable to stop playing and I can anticipate based on the history of their expansions that it will have me hooked for a very very long time. Some of the pros I see immediately in terms of gameplay are; The lack of grinding due to interesting and varied approach to experience rewards... yes that right you can travel the whole map and PVP and level up at the same time. When your actually doing the PVE content you can do dynamic events which number in the hundreds across a sprawling beautiful map, they are fun varied and interesting. When you get to the story, its presented in a more personal light, you don't just click on an NPC and click the text off again. You actually see your character in all his/her glory with the gear and your creative input on the screen. Whether you love PVP, PVE, story based content, exploring content or just sheer messing about Guild War 2 has it all at a low cost without the super addicting but highly negative push of a monthly fee. Guild Wars 2 does it all and does it with style, do yourself a favour and take the chance. SB… Expand
  52. 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
  53. Elfminster
    Aug 30, 2012
    6
    I did not attend any beta events for Guild Wars 2, but after all the hype surrounding this game I took the chance and purchased it. I was really disappointed I did. The animations are horrible, and the controls/combat feel very clunky. As do quest mechanics, and interface. I am not too keen on the character models either. Performance wise, I have an Intel i5 3570k and nVidia GTX 680 butI did not attend any beta events for Guild Wars 2, but after all the hype surrounding this game I took the chance and purchased it. I was really disappointed I did. The animations are horrible, and the controls/combat feel very clunky. As do quest mechanics, and interface. I am not too keen on the character models either. Performance wise, I have an Intel i5 3570k and nVidia GTX 680 but my FPS still dips to 30 FPS regularly. The environments and ambient music are both nice, but that is about all. I paid 75 Euro for this and I expected much more from ArenaNET.… Expand
  54. WeTehPeople
    Aug 30, 2012
    9
    I'll admit, at first I was skeptical about Guild Wars 2. My overall impression of the gameplay and information collected by internet sources made me think this game had a lot of promise. Problem is, I felt that way about a lot of MMO's that also emanated "Promise". Turns out this is actually quite a fantastic game. Not to mention F2P? I mean come on. The concern people express in theirI'll admit, at first I was skeptical about Guild Wars 2. My overall impression of the gameplay and information collected by internet sources made me think this game had a lot of promise. Problem is, I felt that way about a lot of MMO's that also emanated "Promise". Turns out this is actually quite a fantastic game. Not to mention F2P? I mean come on. The concern people express in their negative views is quite minimal. Okay, lets get this straight, this isn't going to be some ground breaking "New Age" of MMO where everyone is going to go ape sh*t over it. If you've never played an MMO you might not like it...on the other hand you might fall in love with it. Its a quality game, combats fun, visuals are good, voice acting is okay, but most of all the community is awesome! 9/10. Finally an MMO WORTH my time.… Expand
  55. Kangamangus
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    The game is good bang for your buck, especially if you don't want to pay over and over again for content that will probably become routine if you crack out on it. No monthly fee is a strong point. Some people will say Diablo 3 is good for that reason, but I never got a chance to connect to the servers before I got my money back. Also, you don't have to worry about your account beingThe game is good bang for your buck, especially if you don't want to pay over and over again for content that will probably become routine if you crack out on it. No monthly fee is a strong point. Some people will say Diablo 3 is good for that reason, but I never got a chance to connect to the servers before I got my money back. Also, you don't have to worry about your account being banned if someone hacks it, because it's your fault if you get hacked in the world of Blizzard. As far as the game goes, it's familiar MMO in interface and typical fantasy themes, but some unique twists keep it interesting. I never found myself bored or wishing I didn't have to cross the map, because no matter where you are, there are usually world events happening nearby. These are missions or objectives that vary in size and difficulty, and anyone can participate. You don't have to worry about competing for kills or drops, though, as you get your own loot. Most of the time, other people's contribution counts towards yours. Kinda neat, making the community and players friends instead of foes, more often than not. Yes, someone can still draw adds to your fight and get you killed. You'll never stop stupid people or jerks from being on the internet. Blizzard and their junkie whore fan base is proof of this. A lot of concessions were made for the player. You can send mail from anywhere in the world, and download crafting resources to your bank from any where in the world, meaning you can loot an insane amount before you'll need to sell stuff or visit your stash. This game was working 3 days before launch, and has been working very consistently since official launch. No need to defend that.… Expand
  56. kelvinlatif
    Aug 30, 2012
    8
    Crafting still useless like another games, does not really help progression, Dynamic Event's rewards are much better than crafting stuffs. Sidekick feature is not enough, only base lvl is reduced to be matched with area level, but equipments and skills are not, still a 30 lvl character would one hit kill lvl 5 monsters. It would be better if equipments and skills are matched too, as theCrafting still useless like another games, does not really help progression, Dynamic Event's rewards are much better than crafting stuffs. Sidekick feature is not enough, only base lvl is reduced to be matched with area level, but equipments and skills are not, still a 30 lvl character would one hit kill lvl 5 monsters. It would be better if equipments and skills are matched too, as the result that would be lot of things to do because low lvl events would not be fun with overpower/lvl character. Events are good (marked with hearth icons on the map), it actually same with quest in another games, but most of them could be completed without talking to npc first. Dynamic events are great, but most of them are too difficult to be completed with public people, it need a deeper organization to finish the dynamic event successfully. Personal story is good, but nothing special. sPVP like other games. WvW is great, but the matchmaking is still bad, a server could own two servers with more than double scores. Combat is good with little actions, but still click to attack view mostly. I have not tried dungeons, but as I see on serveral videos and heard from friends same as another games dungeons (WOW, Rift, etc.).… Expand
  57. dansamy
    Aug 30, 2012
    9
    Great game. Some launch issues, but a better launch than many other recent games. If you want to rush through the level treadmill and do large-scale end-game raiding, this isn't your game. If you're about the journey, you'll like this game.
  58. ImJustaBilly
    Aug 30, 2012
    8
    DE's arently really innovative. They are basically the exact same questing system as any other MMO except ANET does a decent job of hiding it. Instead of having to accept quests you just do them. It's streamlined but still incredibly repetitive. You either kill things, collect things, or protect things. Sometimes raising the heart bar requires you to just click on an object and that's it.DE's arently really innovative. They are basically the exact same questing system as any other MMO except ANET does a decent job of hiding it. Instead of having to accept quests you just do them. It's streamlined but still incredibly repetitive. You either kill things, collect things, or protect things. Sometimes raising the heart bar requires you to just click on an object and that's it. Which feels kind of lazy. "Light this torch." (Click) Done. It's not all that fun after awhile and it's not very interesting except when you have some sort of story line tied into it that affects the environment. And that's another problem I have.

    I wouldn't have a problem with the repetitiveness of the game if the whole "Persistent" world thing were more persistent to begin with. I wanted to affect the world and feel like I'm doing things important. But most of the time I revive or free a prisoner just to have them end up in a freaking cell after 30 minutes. What the heck is up with that? Repel the damn wave just to have them come back an hour later? I felt like a hero when I revived the dead quaggan in the water but felt like a chump when I realized they just die again. I know ANET resets these things so that everybody could participate but they shouldn't have made it seem like things would persist for a long time when it really doesn't. One of the biggest reasons why I play video games is for the cinematic story experience. Games like Mass Effect 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4 are the types of cinematic quality I    … Expand
  59. Alargus
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    BEST GAME EVER! Definately a great sequel to the legendary Guild Wars. I am very excited to max to max out all of my characters. They mastered every aspect of MMO's
  60. 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
  61. runefromoslo
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    First off, as usual, don't believe most of the negative user reviews. They are by and large written by so-called "fanboys" of other competing MMORPGs. You will find the same phenomenon going on with all of those types of games, as well as "COD" vs "BF" fans etc.

    Guild Wars II is, in one word, refreshing. I'm someone who has been playing MMOs since the mid 90s when they first came on    First off, as usual, don't believe most of the negative user reviews. They are by and large written by so-called "fanboys" of other competing MMORPGs. You will find the same phenomenon going on with all of those types of games, as well as "COD" vs "BF" fans etc.

    Guild Wars II is, in one word, refreshing.

    I'm someone who has been playing MMOs since the mid 90s when they first came on the market as graphical MUDs, like Sierra's The Realm. I've played great games like Lineage, EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot and many others. The first breathe of fresh air injected into MMO's came with the highly polished and now legendary World of Warcraft. But it's now 2012 and even legends get old and dull when you've played them for several years, let alone 7-8. Other major MMO releases of late have never been able to compare to WoW. Until now.

    Guild Wars II is a breathe of fresh air, and sets entirely new standards for graphics, environments, combat, and flexibility of game systems. The game lets YOU decide what you want to do. No grinding involved. The PVP is massive and very well balanced and enjoyable even for non-PVP fans like me. The PVE system has no real quests per se apart from your personal story which is based on your character race, and a 'task' system where you go around helping certain NPCs how you see fit. But where Guild Wars 2 really shines is in dynamic events. The world changes according to player input. And the result feels... massive.

    Best of all: No subscription.    … Expand
  62. evokerz
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    - No subscription fee -
    - An ever changing PvE world -True action combat - Your level scale to zone - No more tank-healer-dps role system
    - No more grinding to level before I can start PvP - Skill based pvp where no more grinding for PvP gears so I can steam roll others or others can steam roll me because they have higher PvP rank and playing longer than me (sPvP) - Huge PvPvE world    - No subscription fee -
    - An ever changing PvE world -True action combat - Your level scale to zone - No more tank-healer-dps role system
    - No more grinding to level before I can start PvP - Skill based pvp where no more grinding for PvP gears so I can steam roll others or others can steam roll me because they have higher PvP rank and playing longer than me (sPvP)
    - Huge PvPvE world with myriad of different objectives (W v W v W)
    - Huge PvE maps and a lot of zones to explore

    What else can you asked? This game worth every penny of your dollar spent to purchase the box.    … Expand
  63. 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
  64. 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.
  65. you_aint_Z
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Face.
  66. Teepster
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    I am scoring GW2 a 10 despite the minor issues with the trading post and forums being down because it is simply an amazing game. It is visually stunning and just plain fun to play. And, I have not even tried the PvP aspect which I am looking forward to experiencing. GW2 literally has me at PvE. But, the biggest factor for me is the design. The elimination of the trinity, the fact thatI am scoring GW2 a 10 despite the minor issues with the trading post and forums being down because it is simply an amazing game. It is visually stunning and just plain fun to play. And, I have not even tried the PvP aspect which I am looking forward to experiencing. GW2 literally has me at PvE. But, the biggest factor for me is the design. The elimination of the trinity, the fact that it is B2P, the focus on skill over gear, the questing system, dynamic events, accessibility due to way points and the beautiful art direction make GW2 a game that I want to support as well play. I hope that other developers take a good look at GW2. I genuinely believe that this is the direction that MMOs should take going forward.… Expand
  67. DurielAtreus
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is the next stage in MMO evolution -- bigger than the jump from EverQuest to World of Warcraft. Some points to consider: - Free to Play + Cash Store means spend money on what you want, when you want, if you want. Not pay to win. - Personal stories based on your decisions when making your character and branches during the story quest itself mean every character you make hasGuild Wars 2 is the next stage in MMO evolution -- bigger than the jump from EverQuest to World of Warcraft. Some points to consider: - Free to Play + Cash Store means spend money on what you want, when you want, if you want. Not pay to win. - Personal stories based on your decisions when making your character and branches during the story quest itself mean every character you make has slightly different lore progression. - No more immersion crushing yellow punctuation hovering over people's heads. (yes!) - Everyone gets EXP for hitting your mob. It encourages interactivity. - Everyone can resurrect everyone else. Down? Anyone can come by and help you up. - Every class can heal and fight ranged. Brilliant -- no more "tanks" healers" and "DPS" Every profession (class) is a bit of everything, but in its own particular way. - EXP for crafting. Tons of it. Pacifist? You can level to 80 by crafting -- no joke. - Dye your armor whenever you want. Collect from the hundreds of possible dye colors and create a unique look. There's plenty more -- read the official sight -- but, to sum up, if you're like I was, playing every AAA MMO title released hoping for the next big thing and continually being disappointed, you'll breathe a sigh of relief that, finally, a post-WoW MMO lived up to its pre-release hype.… Expand
  68. sua6
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    I don't understand the nitpicking from the reviews previously posted. This game is phenomenal. First off: this game looks amazing. Not amazing because it looks incredibly realistic, but because of the art style that the developers chose to pursue. I'm not entirely sure what some of these other authors were looking for in terms of graphics but quite honestly, either they're playing aI don't understand the nitpicking from the reviews previously posted. This game is phenomenal. First off: this game looks amazing. Not amazing because it looks incredibly realistic, but because of the art style that the developers chose to pursue. I'm not entirely sure what some of these other authors were looking for in terms of graphics but quite honestly, either they're playing a different game or are playing on a very outdated rig. From distance, structures and landscapes look like concept art. The idea is amazing. When's the last time you played an MMO with the graphics of Crysis? I'm not trying to say that Guild Wars 2 is a leader in the category, but it certainly does NOT fall short.

    As far as connectivity issues goes, I played all throughout the three day head start on a mediocre internet connection and had very few problems. Even such, this was the smoothest launch that I've been apart of (Cataclysm, Diablo 3, Tera, Rift). Giving this game a 1 rating because the pre-launch head start was a little rocky? That's a bit critical. You're not even paying a monthly fee to play the game and you're still complaining. I absolutely hate the idea of rating a game based off of other reviews, but unfortunately I feel the need to counter out the unneeded negative reviews given by authors who obviously have other problems with the game. I would otherwise give the game a 9.    … Expand
  69. Randomsub
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    In a genre dominated by World of Warcraft and other similar games Guild Wars 2 is refreshingly different. It ditches static tank and heal group gameplay for action based gameplay. No subscription fee means the game does not have to introduce tedious but psychologically addictive gameplay to keep its player base. Instead I'm playing simply because it's engaging and above all embodies what aIn a genre dominated by World of Warcraft and other similar games Guild Wars 2 is refreshingly different. It ditches static tank and heal group gameplay for action based gameplay. No subscription fee means the game does not have to introduce tedious but psychologically addictive gameplay to keep its player base. Instead I'm playing simply because it's engaging and above all embodies what a game should be and what the rest of the MMO genre is lacking: FUN!… Expand
  70. scorthyn
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    THIS GAME IS THE NEXT STEP IN THE MMO GENRE, being a experience MMO player and played wow for more than 5 years with other mmos in between, I can tell this is the only game that can provide the same amount of fun I had as the first mmo ever played. The world is alive, you'll never get bored and there's always something to do!
  71. Gratson
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Great game. Only problem at launch is the lag, they got more players than they expected obviously. And I've encountered a few bugs. But given that the game is just out, I'll let that pass. The design is excellent, love the atmosphere of the game. It's better than WoW in my opinion as a leveling game, but I've yet to experience the end-game content so this rating may change in the future.
  72. Wiesengrund
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    If you're truly not a friend of mmo's this game is for you. The reason? It's the only game i played yet wich deserves the title "massive" multiplayer online - rpg. No matter what people will play actually together instead of worrying to steal eachothers xp or loot. While it's not the revolution everybody was hyping for, it definately makes things better in many ways. Also, without aIf you're truly not a friend of mmo's this game is for you. The reason? It's the only game i played yet wich deserves the title "massive" multiplayer online - rpg. No matter what people will play actually together instead of worrying to steal eachothers xp or loot. While it's not the revolution everybody was hyping for, it definately makes things better in many ways. Also, without a monthly subscription fee you're not forced to play as much as possible for not loosing gametime. Perfect for a casual player like me. Only downside for many mmo players is probably the lack of classic questing and the so called endgame for the timegobbling hunt for being the most op geared player on the whole server (and in pvp). Only gear you can archive later on are pure cosmetic.… Expand
  73. 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
  74. martjan
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    I do not know who the hell says that this game has bad graphics. Environments are beautifully crafted and checking vistas was my top priority when I started playing. Characters are detailed and very well animated. Special effects are good too, maybe little bit too flashy to my taste but still very playable. The events are fun as well, even when ANet in some of them is just trying to wrapI do not know who the hell says that this game has bad graphics. Environments are beautifully crafted and checking vistas was my top priority when I started playing. Characters are detailed and very well animated. Special effects are good too, maybe little bit too flashy to my taste but still very playable. The events are fun as well, even when ANet in some of them is just trying to wrap fetching x number of this or killing y number of that in a prettier package. I am not sure about the dungeons, did not get that far yet, but friends say that they are challenging. I did not encounter any major bugs, the only thing that pisses me off sometimes are the overflow servers. Each time you use a waypoint you go to an overflow server and wait your turn. Finding your friends is a pain too because of that. I would rather have a regular queue and wait 30 minutes to get to the map, but when I am there, I am there until I log out. No stability issues or anything like that for me. Overall very solid launch and a major contender to WoW… Expand
  75. UPRC
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Before I start, I never review on Metacritic. I registered just to post this and, as an amateur game reviewer who takes this sort of thing very seriously, I'm not just blindly gushing in fanboy fashion. This game is just plain awesome.

    As a veteran of WoW (since 2005), Rift, TOR, and others... I can say that this is a fantastic MMORPG that really reinvents how we progress. EVERYTHING    Before I start, I never review on Metacritic. I registered just to post this and, as an amateur game reviewer who takes this sort of thing very seriously, I'm not just blindly gushing in fanboy fashion. This game is just plain awesome.

    As a veteran of WoW (since 2005), Rift, TOR, and others... I can say that this is a fantastic MMORPG that really reinvents how we progress. EVERYTHING counts as character progression in this game, it's really amazing. You literally do almost anything to gain experience, which allows you to personalize the game to match your play style. ArenaNet made exploring more fun than in any MMO I have played since vanilla WoW in 2005. After playing so many MMOs, the feeling of exploration and wonder wears off and many of the games feel so similar and everything becomes routine... but that is NOT the case here. Exploring has become really interesting and exciting again. There's just so much to do in every zone that it blows my mind. You'll constantly be saying "what's over here/is there anything going on over there?" as you play. It's just so well done. Kudos to ArenaNet. I was tired out from playing MMOs. The same ol' structure that EQ and WoW popularized was getting boring. GW2 shakes things up enough to make even me, someone who was burned out entirely of MMOs, become a fierce addict. This game lives up to the hype that beta players spoke of. I'm hearing no negative comments (that are legit and not juvenile) from players of this game and everyone ingame is having a blast. I'm calling it now, this will be the new king of MMOs. With a free to play business model (after initial purchase of the game) wrapping around such extremely high quality MMO, you'd be crazy not to at least try GW2. This game blows every other MMO out of the water. The hype was real. This is the future of MMOs.    … Expand
  76. ninjakeisari
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Finally a game where the focus is in the adventure itself, not in the item level of the gear you wear!
    Guild Wars 2 gives the players a beautiful, lovingly crafted world to be explored. The graphics are gorgeous and the game's unique art style is brought to life in amazing detail. The combat is fluid and skill based and in SPvP you'll win because you're a better player than the other, not    Finally a game where the focus is in the adventure itself, not in the item level of the gear you wear!
    Guild Wars 2 gives the players a beautiful, lovingly crafted world to be explored. The graphics are gorgeous and the game's unique art style is brought to life in amazing detail. The combat is fluid and skill based and in SPvP you'll win because you're a better player than the other, not because your gear has more stats in it. The world is vast and there is always something to do, actually the best way to level is to just wander around and explore the world as you gain experience from gathering, events, crafting and finding locations.

    Of course every game has its flaws as no game is perfect, but for me the recipe of Guild Wars 2 is spot on. The combat is challenging but still very enjoyable once you get the hang of it, you'll need to think of it more akin to Dark Souls instead of typical MMOs, you can't just stand there and take those hits after the first zone. Dynamic Events are basically randomly occurring chain quests that have different branches on success and failure, but they've been so well made that it's hard to complain. Jumping Puzzles may be insanely hard for some (I love them though), but they're completely optional, you're not forced to do them if you don't want to. Actually the great thing about this game is that almost everything is optional, you can do what you enjoy instead of being forced to do something else. You like PvP? You'll have lvl 80 character and equal gear with everyone else from lvl 1. Enjoy WvW? You can level there, everything you need from experience to gear can be gained in the eternal battlegrounds. You happen to be a pacifist? Crafting, gathering and exploration both give loads of experience.

    tl;dr: Guild Wars 2 is a beautiful game which has something for everyone, it may not re-invent the whole MMO-genre completely but it does everything so perfectly that it's hard to not enjoy it. Of course some may dislike certain aspects of the game but for me this is the game I've been waiting for years, the game of adventure and...fun! When my biggest personal complaints about the game are the lack of first person camera and the difficulty of choosing the profession to play as they're all equally fantastic, you know I'm forced to give it a 10.    … Expand
  77. pablobosa
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    A lot of effort went into every detail. You can tell this game was made with love and patience. The art is outstanding, the gameplay hard and innovative, and there is so much to do. As a completionist i cant leave an area without checking it all and its so worth it. Even the crafting is fun.
  78. Tikvaw
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    Nice graphics and immersive world, very detailed and made with love. Beautiful main cities. Interesting combat mechanics, with different skills for different weapons additional to traits and other skills. Meaningful crafting with discovery of new reciepes and xp gain. Travel instantly from anywhere to designated teleporters. Funny events and quests. WvW is very funny and gives bonuses toNice graphics and immersive world, very detailed and made with love. Beautiful main cities. Interesting combat mechanics, with different skills for different weapons additional to traits and other skills. Meaningful crafting with discovery of new reciepes and xp gain. Travel instantly from anywhere to designated teleporters. Funny events and quests. WvW is very funny and gives bonuses to the whole server. Game runs smooth. Only downside yet, trading post still isn't working and they have sometimes connectivity issues.… Expand
  79. Mutica
    Aug 29, 2012
    7
    The problem with metacrtic... well there are many... but one big thing is the inflation/deflation by all the fanboys and haters. Not to mention that the critic reviews are almost always worthless, critics pretty much love any AAA or AA title. Ok this is not a 10/10 game... and it is not a 0/10 game either. If you are thinking about buying this game, the most honest thing I can say isThe problem with metacrtic... well there are many... but one big thing is the inflation/deflation by all the fanboys and haters. Not to mention that the critic reviews are almost always worthless, critics pretty much love any AAA or AA title. Ok this is not a 10/10 game... and it is not a 0/10 game either. If you are thinking about buying this game, the most honest thing I can say is WAIT. Wait till the dust has settled, remember SWTOR, started out with a metacritic score of around 8.5... its now in the 5.6 - 5.8 range. This game is still an mmo, it does a few thing different, but if you've played mmo's, it will still feel like an mmo. Questing does feel a little less grindy and seems to be an improvement from the standard quest chain; its implemented differently in GW2 so it is more fluid, but essentially the same. The world/graphics are well made, however there are limited FOV options and camera pull in and pull back it too limited atm. They say its by design, but in the end limited FOV makes certain dungeons and small area fights more annoying than fun. The lack of a true trinity system makes 1 v 1 skirmishes feel more dependent on skill... however most pvp encounters will not be 1 v 1. The lack of a trinity is an interesting and bold attempt to do something different... I found however, that it creates more of a zerg mentality, whether in pve or pvp. Attacks are well coordinated with a tank or dps initiating, and a healer for support. People don't seem to target assist during multiple mob encouters in GW2. In the end World Events and PvP feels a bit zergy and more chaotic than truly requiring skill and strategy. But this is a new system, so it could be that in a month people will find ways to be strategic without a trinity system. However, I'm not that optimistic, I do like the dodge mechanic, but still feel that battlegrounds or large scale pvp in other mmo that employed the trinity resulted in more tactical thinking and more natural coordination. Also there is no dueling system atm, which is sort of a pity, especially when there is no open world pvp. You have to zone into a pvp area in order to pvp.

    Limited options in some of the keybindings... for instance now the "F" seems to do everything, from interact with objects/players to looting/ to rezzing other players... this gets really annoying at times when you are trying to loot but can't since there is an npc or other items there. Trading post is still not in, but probably will be soon; Also, there is no system for personal trading or C.O.D. in the game, which seems bizarre, particularly for a modern mmo with a large crafting system. The crafting system seems good, although I didn't really get into it; There is an annoying thing about not being able to auto use crafting items stored in your bank. In the end it makes crafting a bit annoying at times. The Game still has psuedo-ques to get into your server, you log in right away but into an overflow server, probably in a few weeks or less this will remedied as server populations and login times stabilize. That said, zoning while in group can sometimes still be problematic and annoying, sometimes you will go to a new area, but members of you party will be in another instance of that area.

    The questing and story telling are a step up from WoW for sure, not as immersive as SWTOR with everything fully voiced, but an improvement from the standard mmo fare, albeit a small one. There are definitely plenty of moments of weak voice acting or just poor writing that snap your immersion. If you are an mmo player used to complete free speech in your game, also be warned. GW2 devs are not shy about using the ban hammer if you choose an inappropriate name or choose to say something offensive to another player. In some ways this does sort of force a respectful environment, but it does treat you like a kid. I don't know, if people want to curse and insult each other in pvp or pve I doesn't bother me. In some ways it adds a little flavor to the community... yes it can get excessive. But it does seem they've drawn the line a bit too close; although I wasn't banned... the internet seems rife with the complaints of several banned players (note banns are usually only for a day or 2). If people are offended with another player, they should just add them to the ignore list. It also seems at the moment that there are security issues with accounts getting hacked/stolen etc. I'm sure that this a high, maybe the highest priority issue for Arenanet atm. But it is a little disconcerting that they really seemed to have missed the boat here on account security. Pick a strong password if you play and make sure it is different from the email password for your email account tied to the game. In this day and age I think a AAA/AA mmo should probably always ship with an authenticator or have authentication software available.    … Expand
  80. ozymandiasza
    Aug 29, 2012
    8
    I've played Ultima Online, World of Warcraft, Star Trek online, Dungeons and Dragons online, Rift, Guild Wars 1 and this is by far the best MMO I've ever played. I would recommend it to everyone!
  81. rebelyankee
    Aug 29, 2012
    1
    This is a dang fun game. The graphics are great (don't listen to the naysayers who compare MMO graphics to single-player games; these games are made for a wider audience, online at the same time).
    There's plenty to see, plenty to do, the mechanics are engaging but not impossible to figure out. Almost all aspects of this game are fun, starting with a very in-depth character and story    This is a dang fun game. The graphics are great (don't listen to the naysayers who compare MMO graphics to single-player games; these games are made for a wider audience, online at the same time).
    There's plenty to see, plenty to do, the mechanics are engaging but not impossible to figure out. Almost all aspects of this game are fun, starting with a very in-depth character and story creator. I feel as if I'm rambling, but this game really does have a little bit of everything, tossing out some of the junk of "classic MMOs" in a "why does an MMO have to have that" philosophy.
    My only complaint is that some things ARE more complex than they need to be, or are broken (the auction house - known as the Black Lion Trading Company). PVP is kind of messy to figure out. In many games, you hit a hot button, bring up the pvp panel, and click to join either a random event, a specific pvp map, and always with the option to join up your entire group.
    That quibble aside, this is a game I'm going to enjoy playing for some time (provided the content gets udpated in a reasonably timely fashion).
    And did I mention there's no sub fee? Once you buy the box, you don't need to buy anything else to play Guild Wars 2.    … Expand
  82. GameExcuse
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Overwhelming! I've already logged over ten hours and feel like I've just scratched the surface. Gorgeous artwork - I feel like I'm actually playing a cut-scene. Character creation on all five species is amazing. And unlike the first Guild Wars, the writing here is really clever. Take time to stop and talk to the NPC's. Especially the Asura, who are downright hilarious. Even if youOverwhelming! I've already logged over ten hours and feel like I've just scratched the surface. Gorgeous artwork - I feel like I'm actually playing a cut-scene. Character creation on all five species is amazing. And unlike the first Guild Wars, the writing here is really clever. Take time to stop and talk to the NPC's. Especially the Asura, who are downright hilarious. Even if you don't do any missions, just loiter and eavesdrop. Soak up the local color, and THEN go off questing.… Expand
  83. 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
  84. 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
  85. 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
  86. 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.
  87. 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
  88. 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
  89. 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.
  90. Homergdog
    Aug 29, 2012
    7
    Well, the game itself has more hype than I've seen out of any MMORPG, which is saying something, but its a good game. Will I be playing it months from now? probably not. Is it worth the price of admission? yes. A couple issues I have with the game, its pretty simplified, which is a good and bad thing. The login issues are a HUGE problem. I can't verify my email and my home PC can't loginWell, the game itself has more hype than I've seen out of any MMORPG, which is saying something, but its a good game. Will I be playing it months from now? probably not. Is it worth the price of admission? yes. A couple issues I have with the game, its pretty simplified, which is a good and bad thing. The login issues are a HUGE problem. I can't verify my email and my home PC can't login to GW2 at all. These are all initial problems with any MMO, but the login issues can be pretty severe. I figure it might be as late as next week before this gets worked out (Error 42, firewall issue. Even though my PC is a DMZ, UAC off, Run as Admin, with no firewalls.) Funny enough my work pc logins in just fine LOL. Other than the above issues, GW2 seems to have taken the best of all MMOs, and I really like how they have redone the typical quest leveling. No more Quest hubs with ! above peoples heads, its still kinda there, but is dressed up and forces you to engage in the quest story and only do 1 at a time. Don't expect the hype you are seeing from the reviews, but expect a good MMO, with some growing pains. If MMOs aren't your thing, stay away from this game, but if you are a WoW player looking for something different, go buy it NOW! Me, I'm an old school EQ player that will probably play it for a couple months as a casual. Now if your from ArenaNet reading this review, fix your LOGIN Issues!… Expand
  91. Fevered_Dreamer
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    While I worry that it might still be too early to make any lasting judgments, through my time in beta and playing live GW2 is one of the best MMO experiences I've had to date. The game shines as much for its innovations and new ideas as it does for the decision not to include some of what has become standard fare in MMOs over the last decade. The level of polish and detail in the game isWhile I worry that it might still be too early to make any lasting judgments, through my time in beta and playing live GW2 is one of the best MMO experiences I've had to date. The game shines as much for its innovations and new ideas as it does for the decision not to include some of what has become standard fare in MMOs over the last decade. The level of polish and detail in the game is deeply impressive, visuals are wonderful and the creative approach to flexible play is a breath of fresh air.

    Many will write on the quality of dynamic events, the A+ PvP and other popular aspects of GW2 but one of the aspects I've most appreciated is the subtle rewarding of exploration. Progression in GW2 is easy if one is a progression-minded player, but for those of us who like to search around and relax throughout the game there are a host of treats and surprises that might otherwise go easily overlooked.    … Expand
  92. Shcotte
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    Guild Wars 2 is a rich game with a fun environment that feels alive. The questing is fun and you are rewarded for exploration. The combat is very smooth and intuitive, the skill dodge element is a nice touch. The world is huge, the art style and graphics are pretty. Overall I have enjoyed my time in GW2 thus far and would recommend it to any who is a fan of the MMO genre.
  93. 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.
  94. 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.
  95. BillHicks
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Epic game, character conversation that I would normally pass by, living world, amazing art, combat system, using your brain, discovery, mechanic, sound, challenge, puzzles, community, magnificent launch, personal story, different starting zones for all races, choices, questing, exploring, crafting, free to play with no pay to win items from cashshop, endless endgame-game in lower zonesEpic game, character conversation that I would normally pass by, living world, amazing art, combat system, using your brain, discovery, mechanic, sound, challenge, puzzles, community, magnificent launch, personal story, different starting zones for all races, choices, questing, exploring, crafting, free to play with no pay to win items from cashshop, endless endgame-game in lower zones downgrade you to appropriate level so there is ALWAYS a challenge, AMAZING, guild management, guild upgrading, PvP, world PvP.

    Now, if you have WoW Syndrome, you will be in trouble, because this game force you to use your brain.    … Expand
  96. 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
  97. MrUnpredictable
    Aug 29, 2012
    6
    Very unoriginal game, it steals a lot from Warhammer Online. Dynamic Events are no better than regular quests not to mention a lot of events never fail because events are way too easy. The overflow servers were a horrible idea. They prevent players from actually playing together. There is no room for error in Guild Wars 2. The game was made so players can succeed with ease. GW2 is only theVery unoriginal game, it steals a lot from Warhammer Online. Dynamic Events are no better than regular quests not to mention a lot of events never fail because events are way too easy. The overflow servers were a horrible idea. They prevent players from actually playing together. There is no room for error in Guild Wars 2. The game was made so players can succeed with ease. GW2 is only the flavor of the month. As soon as people reach max level there isn't much replayability left because dynamic events are boring, easy and too repetitive.… Expand
  98. midiankomidian
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    absolutely stunning,full of detail with new possibilities like never before...dynamic events are perfect and they are shifting and changing the world of Tyria. The art style is absolutely gorgeous, I am very excited about the game it is a absolute must not only for an MMO player,but for every gamer out there..10/10 without a doubt
  99. 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
  100. 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
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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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