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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Jyiiga
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    I've been playing MMORPGs since the days of Asheron's Call. Rarely now do I find a new title as engaging as Guild Wars 2. Everywhere I go in the game I stumble into fun, the hours roll by and never do I feel like I am grinding. The dynamic events have been a joy and the combat refreshing. The trinity is gone and I could not be happier. On top of all of that no subscription fee. My one andI've been playing MMORPGs since the days of Asheron's Call. Rarely now do I find a new title as engaging as Guild Wars 2. Everywhere I go in the game I stumble into fun, the hours roll by and never do I feel like I am grinding. The dynamic events have been a joy and the combat refreshing. The trinity is gone and I could not be happier. On top of all of that no subscription fee. My one and only complaint at this time is WVW drags down the FPS a bit, but never to unplayable levels. If you like MMOs, buy this game...… Expand
  2. ASams
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    I usually don't give things, 10's this game is an easy 9 though. The 10 is just too offset all the 0's. I really think metacritic should take the user rating system down.
  3. Bl4ck3nD
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    So much content and so much to look at, the combat is fun and fluid, there are a few minor bugs atm but they will be ironed out.
    Overall it's money well spent and there is plenty more I haven't seen
  4. ueppa80
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This game is AWESOME. The best MMOPRG since WoW The Burning Crusade. One of the most beautiful game EVER. Don't trust the haters that give a negative scores. Haters gonna hate. Buy this game. Play this game. Love this game.
  5. Marth
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Love the game. Best of all, no monthly fee. We'll see how things are 6 months from now content-wise. One small downside is the way you pick servers and how all your toons are solely on that server.
  6. casshern09
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    Absolutely superb game. It does have some issues right now with server stability etc, but what MMO doesn't on launch?
    I love the dynamic questing, really makes you feel part of the world. beautiful artistic style throughout. Can't praise it enough.
  7. Firemind
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    I played just WoW the last. seven years and whenever another MMO came out, I always said, that all people leaving WoW will soon rejoin. I thought this (and often was right) because of the strategy, all the other MMOs had: they copied WoW. Now I play Guild Wars 2 the fifth day and I can say: playing GW2 30 Level I have seen more and had more fun, than in WoW with 6 lvl 85 the last years.I played just WoW the last. seven years and whenever another MMO came out, I always said, that all people leaving WoW will soon rejoin. I thought this (and often was right) because of the strategy, all the other MMOs had: they copied WoW. Now I play Guild Wars 2 the fifth day and I can say: playing GW2 30 Level I have seen more and had more fun, than in WoW with 6 lvl 85 the last years. The dynamic world and quests, the changing goals, even with failing an event, make GW2 so much fun and sort of unpredictable. For me, RPGs always were MMOs and not MMOs. MMOs always had a worse story and less of that 'I am the hero'-feeling. Not MMOs indeed had the perfect storyline and the feeling of being a hero - but no other gamers. GW2 for me is the perfect symbiosis of both, even decisions are included. Awesome game.… Expand
  8. HelloWTF22
    Aug 29, 2012
    0
    We'll start with the dated graphics. once again an MMO designer makes a game to run in the lowest systems making a mediocre graphics experience for everyone. Then we continue with the character controls. Floaty and disconnected. You start an attack and your character takes over - you don't have real control over it.. Just like a dog you tell "attack" and "stop" and lead by a leash.We'll start with the dated graphics. once again an MMO designer makes a game to run in the lowest systems making a mediocre graphics experience for everyone. Then we continue with the character controls. Floaty and disconnected. You start an attack and your character takes over - you don't have real control over it.. Just like a dog you tell "attack" and "stop" and lead by a leash. Auto-attacks and tab target, once more. Not even SWTOR relied on auto-attacks and they criticized its combat as WoW clone. This is far more clonish to WoW than anything else I've played in the genre. In fact, Ranger plays the exact same as Hunter. Their in game Cash Store is ever present like any F2P title, hounding you to conveniently purchase with cash things that will take you more work to get online. People already simply purchase advantages in PvP and save themselves the time. Finally its players are very much like a cult - they'll hound anyone not sharing a perfect opinion of GW like a pariah. Death threats have been lobbed on personal emails, that's how fanatical they get. Between the mediocre gameplay, dated graphics, and mindless- aggressive cult core of players it's something to stay away from.… Expand
  9. DocMad
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    Really good game.
    I played GW1 a lot, and my first impression on GW2 was not so good I was expecting. But in a couple of hour, all my doubts disappear. Musics are just magic.
    The game is fun and dynamic. Pve and Pvp are both really good. The only thing who didn't convince me is the story because some dialogs are bad (but not awful). It take a lot of pleasure with this game, and no    Really good game.
    I played GW1 a lot, and my first impression on GW2 was not so good I was expecting. But in a couple of hour, all my doubts disappear. Musics are just magic.
    The game is fun and dynamic.
    Pve and Pvp are both really good.

    The only thing who didn't convince me is the story because some dialogs are bad (but not awful).

    It take a lot of pleasure with this game, and no technical problem, so a great game for me.    … Expand
  10. Crow86
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This is honestly the game that made me remember why I'm a PC gamer and brought all my hope back to PC gaming.I give it a 10 because it deserves it. The things I noticed that were wrong were very little and they had no effect on the actual game-play so I didn't care. When you focus on the small bugs about a game and say the game sucks because of it, you should just give up right thereThis is honestly the game that made me remember why I'm a PC gamer and brought all my hope back to PC gaming.I give it a 10 because it deserves it. The things I noticed that were wrong were very little and they had no effect on the actual game-play so I didn't care. When you focus on the small bugs about a game and say the game sucks because of it, you should just give up right there because there is no hope for you in the video game world. Anyway, the devs pretty much thought of everything in this game. No more grinding enemies, no more loading up on quests. It's all about the dynamic events and exploration that make this game so incredible. I keep forgetting that I have a story mission to do because I keep getting caught up in doing events and exploring all the areas. When I play this, I play it for hours on end because there is so much to do and I have to force myself to stop playing. One problem I've had with other MMOs are, what I call, stand-stills, where you run out of quests for your level and you are no where near leveling and you stand there trying to figure out what to do so then are forced to grind enemies. This game doesn't have that at all because of all the events you can do. After reading what the negative users have said about this game makes me sick. This is, in my opinion, an incredibly awesome-made game. Just a few things: 1. MMOs are bound to have a few bugs at first but the ones in this game are so minimal to the actual game-play that I just carry on with the game. 2. This game doesn't have quests so what is broken? All it has is your story mission, tasks, and events and all of them are fine with me and I should know because I played a different character in all the beta events and stress tests and found very little problems and guess what, they didn't bother me. 3. The graphics in this game are awesome. It is hard to make a game look original these days so quit crying because it looks too much like WoW which, also in my opinion, it looks nothing like WoW. Also, one thing that I think is just pure genius when it comes to this game is the W v W (World vs. World). It basically takes after Dark Age of Camelot with the sieges and keep raids. I loved that game 10 years ago and this game brought back so many good memories of it. This game is so much better then WoW that words cannot describe it. So anyway, to sum it up, Guild Wars 2 was definitely worth the wait. I was excited for the release just as much as I was just to play it during a beta event for 3 days or a stress test for 3 hours. I love this game. That's all I can say.… Expand
  11. Hobnobb
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Awesome game. Everything just falls into place. Nothing bad to say about it. I like everything from the PvE content, to the WvWvW, to the sPvP. Even crafting is exciting.
  12. shinta42
    Aug 29, 2012
    7
    The character model is too 2d sprite-like and does not have a feeling of solidness. The graphic engine of DAOC which released so many years ago feel more right than this game. Otherwise I would give it a higher score.
  13. Haajib
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Playing this game feels like taking a aspirin, after the disappointing game releases of 2012. Unlike other games of this genera out on the market, this is the first one that encourages open world exploration, teamwork, and also encourages people into being friendly because they are rewarded for such a feat. If you see a other player in peril you are rewarded for helping him, The open worldPlaying this game feels like taking a aspirin, after the disappointing game releases of 2012. Unlike other games of this genera out on the market, this is the first one that encourages open world exploration, teamwork, and also encourages people into being friendly because they are rewarded for such a feat. If you see a other player in peril you are rewarded for helping him, The open world pvp is balanced, (believe it or not) with every class using their special trait in massively open world pvp. Guardians taking the vanguard, with warriors on the flanks, rangers, and engineers behind them ready to unleash a sea of arrows upon the enemy horde. And spell casters to protect the armies with barriers and enchantments.… Expand
  14. Rejuvinator
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This has been a great game so far and I predict hours of fun from it to come. It's a nice change from the blandness of other MMO's like WoW and the recent flop of ToR. No subscription fee is of course, always a bonus.
    Recommended to my friends? Yes!
  15. Katabug
    Aug 29, 2012
    3
    Try this game before you buy it! Borrow a friends account or wait for a free trial or something, but don't spend money on it until you actually know what you're buying into. There's not much more I can say that the other negative reviewers haven't already covered. But this game is simply not worth $60 ($20 maybe). Don't fall for the hype!
  16. MetacriticalRaw
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    You know it's funny. Between 2005 and 2012 the reviews haven't changed much. I still remember these tears:

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

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

    Doesn't change the fact that I have logged several thousand hours into GW1 (the only other game I have that many hours is Starcraft) and had one of the best internet-times of my life with my Guild. Rock on, A.Net!    … Expand
  17. LexKnife
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    For what the game is worth I can say it is far better than most of the MMO's released on market. I played it days before it was even launched and I have encountered absolutely no bugs with any function except for the trade market, which I honestly could care less about. Seriously, if you feel in any way let down by this game then you are just being a brat. I love the atmosphere of thisFor what the game is worth I can say it is far better than most of the MMO's released on market. I played it days before it was even launched and I have encountered absolutely no bugs with any function except for the trade market, which I honestly could care less about. Seriously, if you feel in any way let down by this game then you are just being a brat. I love the atmosphere of this game, it truly breathes with the help of dynamic events making you feel actually involved in the new lands you discover. The fact that the game gives you an incentive to explore and reach unexplored points for XP is a fantastic feature. It gives you reason to reach the corners of the world and not just grind monsters. Enjoy it for what it's worth, nobody's asking you to pay 10-15 bucks a month for this polished and well thought game.… Expand
  18. EvilShadowX11
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This game is really good. Just saying that is an understatement. If your board with World of Warcraft, tired of the same old same old, buy this. Honestly, they should have a monthly fee cause the way this plays and how good it is really expands what FREE MMORPGs can do.

    Everything, everything is just that amazing. Read other reviews for specifics. I can't even wrap my mind around it!
  19. requiamer
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    The game is absolutely gorgeous, they are tons of stuff to do in this game and very varied ones, you really are never bored playing it and want to stay a bit longer each time you have to go to bed :p One of my best mmo and i'm a computer gamer since the first apple c. Thumbs up to Anet and thank you for that great game.
  20. angryovari
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    The most immersive mmorpg i have ever played, having played wow and many f2p ones to name a few, Combat is amazing, "questing" (dynamic events, personal storyline) is something i look forward to, never rushed. Graphic and art style is beautiful and unique, sound is great although in game music is hard to notice at times. Engine is optimized heavilly, i can run the game at 110fps on mostlyThe most immersive mmorpg i have ever played, having played wow and many f2p ones to name a few, Combat is amazing, "questing" (dynamic events, personal storyline) is something i look forward to, never rushed. Graphic and art style is beautiful and unique, sound is great although in game music is hard to notice at times. Engine is optimized heavilly, i can run the game at 110fps on mostly high dropping to the lowest 25fps on huge world pvp battles (hundreds of players onscreen) on an average system. The wow-killer is here
    guy gw2 today    … Expand
  21. themetacritic
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    This game is one of the best mmo's I've played. Smoothest release compared to any other and the gameplay is just fun. Most MMO's require a holy trinity(tanks, healers, dps) but not this game. It's been erased and for the better. Now there's never a reason to sit around waiting for a group. The scenery is breath taking. Community in this game is amazing and everyone is friendly. CraftingThis game is one of the best mmo's I've played. Smoothest release compared to any other and the gameplay is just fun. Most MMO's require a holy trinity(tanks, healers, dps) but not this game. It's been erased and for the better. Now there's never a reason to sit around waiting for a group. The scenery is breath taking. Community in this game is amazing and everyone is friendly. Crafting and farming is very easy. Minimal bugs get worked out quickly. The only cost for Guilds Wars 2 is $60.00 with no reoccuring monthly charges and it's a steal. There is no pay to win in this game, which makes everything balanced. There honestly isn't any better way to make a mmo. GW2 is a great mmo and is not going away anytime soon!… Expand
  22. kurtbarlow
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Best MMO-RPG in many years. Beautiful graphics, fun and great game play. PVE is excellent but what takes this game on another level is best PVP ever. And world vs world vs world is even better.
  23. raynr
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    "Guild Wars 2 is fun" is an extreme understatement. There is always something to do, something to see, something to discover. Moving away from linear, grindy gameplay found in some MMORPG's, ArenaNet moves away from the pack and immerses us in a world that is truly amazing and begs to be explored. sPvP is excellent, the maps are great, and class balance is definitely there. No one class"Guild Wars 2 is fun" is an extreme understatement. There is always something to do, something to see, something to discover. Moving away from linear, grindy gameplay found in some MMORPG's, ArenaNet moves away from the pack and immerses us in a world that is truly amazing and begs to be explored. sPvP is excellent, the maps are great, and class balance is definitely there. No one class has the edge over another, and each class has many ways they can be played. You know what else is amazing? No subscription fee. You pay $60 and get your hands on a milestone of the MMORPG's. For all you MMORPG lurkers out there looking for a gamechanger, this one is sure to deliver.… Expand
  24. gromit
    Aug 29, 2012
    6
    maybe my expectations were just too high. It isn't a bad game, nice graphics and smooth gameplay, but everything in the game is just a rehash of every other MMO, nothing innovative, nothing to really get you excited that this is something new and different, also nothing really to get you hooked early on.
  25. op8
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Absolutely fantastic!.....Give it a year, and this actually IS the MMO that will knock WoW off the top, and it deserves to......................................Dark Souls, GW2 and a even more fantastic looking games coming up... its a great time to be a gamer!
  26. MornFuin
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    So many WoW fanboys hating this lol best game ever. The game artstyle, gameplay and music are just amazing. The launch wasn't that bad many mmo games had a much worse launch.
  27. truncks1
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Simply an amazing game. I've played many of the major MMOs (EQ, WoW, GW1, Tera, +many more), and this game (thus far) contains more depth and breath taking artwork than the rest combined. While more work needs to be done, this is the most complete MMO at launch I've ever played. It takes all the lessons that have been learned from other MMOs and solves them in a great way. From DynamicSimply an amazing game. I've played many of the major MMOs (EQ, WoW, GW1, Tera, +many more), and this game (thus far) contains more depth and breath taking artwork than the rest combined. While more work needs to be done, this is the most complete MMO at launch I've ever played. It takes all the lessons that have been learned from other MMOs and solves them in a great way. From Dynamic quests to the crafting system, this game makes me feel like its my first MMO all over again. The combat system is simple yet full of depth and the talent/skill system allows for more personalization than you first realize. Just exploring the world and doing whatever you want always has rewards ready for you. From xp, to armor, to power ups - the game makes you want to continue playing at every turn. The personal story is very well done - though I have to admit the Asura and Sylvari (for me) have been strikingly great. It makes it very rare that any two people will choose the same choices and the dye system/personal character customization makes sure that no two characters look exactly the same. I highly recommend this game to anyone starting in the MMO genre or anyone that knows MMOs and wants to feel renewed. The game will only get better as Anet solves the small problems that any game with this hype/size will suffer.… Expand
  28. nuclear12346
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    There is simply no way this game could receive anything less than a 5 in a legit manner. It pains me to say this but obstruction of user score by another company appears to be what is happening here. On reddit there is several documented instances of user reviews here giving a 0 but giving Diablo 3 a 10.

    http://www.metacritic.com/user/Tamer http://www.metacritic.com/user/RasputinMD    There is simply no way this game could receive anything less than a 5 in a legit manner. It pains me to say this but obstruction of user score by another company appears to be what is happening here. On reddit there is several documented instances of user reviews here giving a 0 but giving Diablo 3 a 10.

    http://www.metacritic.com/user/Tamer
    http://www.metacritic.com/user/RasputinMD And here are some for The Secret World

    http://www.metacritic.com/user/kennethx
    http://www.metacritic.com/user/st185cs
    http://www.metacritic.com/user/Miramaxx11

    This obvious trolling is the only thing keeping the user score out of the 9 range.

    But no matter, onto the reason why it deserves a high score:

    -The promotion of exploration and multiple routes of solid leveling paths is excellent in relation to the rest of the mmo market. Vistas and waypoint/poi discovering provide solid complimentary experience while levelling up and in some cases keep you up to date with your zone. I've actually played for hours without bothering about what l am, which leads into point two.

    -Scaling down in lower level zones keeps you on your feet and stops the standard steamroll of lower level zones. Even if you are a high level player you will have to pay attention when seeking completion of lower level zones that aren't yours. Being able to assist friends that are just starting without ruining their fun is also a solid gameplay choice.

    -The combat itself is rock solid and feels responsive, with the ability to dodge and roll away bringing unique gameplay choices to what would otherwise be standard mmo combat. There is some complaint about underwater combat but its such a minor issue that it doesn't deserve to overshadow anything else.

    -World vs World is very fun and highly rewarding. The thrill of large scale combat is there for those who wish to enjoy it. PVP itself hasn't been an area I've spent much time in outside of a few hours in WvW but what I have done has been rich and exciting. There is nothing like storming through a gate of an opposing realms keep and slaughtering the players inside. -Questing has been ingeniously dressed up to get away from the old yellow exclamation point style. Multiple ways to complete the same quest give options for players to perform actions the way they want, not by a rigidly defined set of requirements. -I've found myself with plenty of things to do despite several large parts of the game not being touched yet. Auction house playing is something I usually spend hours with but they haven't even enabled that and I'm still enjoying myself greatly. Once the launch issues are resolved the game can move forward to address its list of minor issues. The overall feel while playing this game can't be matched except by the wonder that I got out of play the first iteration of world of warcraft back shortly after its launch. That kind excitement hasn't been felt by me for a long time and its refreshing. I've played SWTOR and RIFT but neither have approached the level of enjoyment I am getting right now. Give this game a try, because there is something for everybody. You won't be punished for doing what you love to do. You will be rewarded for all of your exploits, all the way down to making your first crafting items.    … Expand
  29. Poisonthemonkey
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    What is there to say? It's a lovingly crafted, very fun game. There's constantly things to do and joys to find, and yet no monthly fee. Beautiful, engaging, often hilarious and full of wit. The devs are hard not to love for what they've created here.
  30. maghrebi
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    realy realy realy beautifull!

    i havn't had this feeling since vanilla/tbc WoW. and i'm serious! have been waiting on diablo 3 since WOTLK and i got very dissapointed after all those years waiting, and i must say that i havn't felt this feeling that i have in GW 2 in YEARS. this game rocks, it looks nice, combat is cool, environment rocks!, custumization is nice, most important it    realy realy realy beautifull!

    i havn't had this feeling since vanilla/tbc WoW. and i'm serious!
    have been waiting on diablo 3 since WOTLK and i got very dissapointed after all those years waiting, and i must say that i havn't felt this feeling that i have in GW 2 in YEARS.

    this game rocks, it looks nice, combat is cool, environment rocks!, custumization is nice, most important it plays fluid en cool! and heck it has no subscribtion!

    I thought i was going to play diablo3 for 5/10 years, but i havn't seen this fun since the release of it!
    Guild wars took my heart within the beta's and now when it is released it swallowed me even more.

    Can't wait to get home and continue the pvp tournament i started yesterday :D

    i'm on my work right now and i realy miss it to play my character, well if that occurs i really know the game is good!    … Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 69
  3. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    90
    GW2 has made a powerful impact on the MMO scene, confirming years of expectations. Stunning presentation and revolutionary design guarantee a thoroughly enjoyable experience. However, it’s not flawless, nor complete. The beautiful vistas, the massive PvP element, the rich leveling experience- those can offer hours of gameplay, but the endgame is desperately seeking for enrichment. [November 2012]
  2. Gaming Nexus
    Jan 2, 2013
    95
    Guild Wars 2 surpasses the original in every aspect, from its massive and atmospheric world to its addictive and engrossing gameplay.
    Read full review
  3. RPG Fan
    Nov 28, 2012
    80
    After spending fifty hours with GW2, I have a lot of praise for ArenaNet's work and the way it changes up some of the typical trappings of the MMO. And yet, I find myself thinking less and less about it each day. It's not a declaration against the product, mind you, but simply a fact that this game still is very much an MMO, and your enjoyment will directly relate to how much you enjoy the genre. For many who were hoping for a clean break from MMO design philosophy, Guild Wars 2 will probably come across as a slight disappointment. It pushes the genre slightly forward, however, and could lead to even further development in the future.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »