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.
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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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