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. Labenthal
    Sep 8, 2012
    10
    For the hardcore raiders, I wouldn't suggest buying this game. At least not buying it yet. For the casual gamer who normally doesn't have time for MMO's, this game is worth every penny and then some. You won't feel the need to play everyday to keep up, and you won't feel like your getting screwed for doing so. It is a very fun game to just play and enjoy, so far (2 weeks of play), it hasFor the hardcore raiders, I wouldn't suggest buying this game. At least not buying it yet. For the casual gamer who normally doesn't have time for MMO's, this game is worth every penny and then some. You won't feel the need to play everyday to keep up, and you won't feel like your getting screwed for doing so. It is a very fun game to just play and enjoy, so far (2 weeks of play), it has yet to give off the "This is becoming work" feel to me. To sum it up, when I log on to guild wars 2, I don't feel like I'm playing another mainstream MMO. This game gives off a very unique feel. I have been playing games as a hardcore gamer for over 4 years now with a friend of mine. We both bought this game being super excited about the PvP, and turned around to love just about everything there was to love about this game. Upon our first two days of playing together we kept talking to each other and asking, "Dude, what should I do?" But it wasn't a negative what should I do. This game is so overwhelming with choices when you first start off, its simply astonishing. With that in mind, me and my friend have always been in a rush to hit max level and be the first to do everything, which meant no exploring the world, and no stopping every 3 seconds to grab a crafting node. Last night we hopped on looking to progress some more and continue leveling, instead we found over selves quick traveling around the world and collecting tons of crafting nodes for xp, all the vistas, points of interest, skill challenges, and way points.

    This game has a very appealing feel to it, I highly suggest trying it out. *Note* I'd really like to give this game a 9.5 instead of a 10 since i feel it leans closer to 10. However, I choose 10 over 9,because a 9 just doesn't do this game justice.    … Expand
  2. The_Ommadawn
    Sep 17, 2013
    8
    I like Guild Wars 2 a lot, but feel the MMO genre as a whole is losing touch with the world. There will always be a fan base and this is clear by the number of reviews. However, having played through the MMO's of years gone by I'm finding it a struggle to get through GW2. Maybe I'm just getting older and the patience reqired to climb the level ladder eludes me. It's a beautiful game and II like Guild Wars 2 a lot, but feel the MMO genre as a whole is losing touch with the world. There will always be a fan base and this is clear by the number of reviews. However, having played through the MMO's of years gone by I'm finding it a struggle to get through GW2. Maybe I'm just getting older and the patience reqired to climb the level ladder eludes me. It's a beautiful game and I applaud the creators. The combat is solid, graphics are very good, the score top draw and gameplay as near to perfection (in an MMO) as I've experienced. It is missing some basic tutorials (crafting in particular). There's logic to it but for the novice MMO player some hand holding would have been nice. GW2 is a stellar release and if MMO's are your thing it's worth you money. Having now monthly sub fees alone makes this an essential buy. Enjoy.… Expand
  3. Dethstar
    Dec 2, 2012
    5
    This is never going to be your primary MMO unless your a student maybe. The lack of a subscription is nice meaning that you can keep it on a back burner just in case you want to play it one day. The launch went well with less bugs than normal and the graphics are pretty enough. However, boy does this get tedious fast. For once, its not the quests that make it dull but the combat. I haveThis is never going to be your primary MMO unless your a student maybe. The lack of a subscription is nice meaning that you can keep it on a back burner just in case you want to play it one day. The launch went well with less bugs than normal and the graphics are pretty enough. However, boy does this get tedious fast. For once, its not the quests that make it dull but the combat. I have tried a couple of different classes so far but they share one thing. Click target hit attack then repetetively hit one button (maybe 2 if you can be arsed) over and over. So many characters all the same as you wander around that it should be renamed clone world. This really kills the game for me. The skill tree just doesn't have diversity and the drip feeding of rewards is not satisfying enough. Compare this a game with much more diverse character development like Rift for an example of what is better. This is a new MMO. Massive Mediocrity Online. Nothing to detest here, but may as well move along because there is nothing to see here either.… Expand
  4. Azill
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    Easily the best MMORPG I've played since Pre-BC WoW. The only things missing are no FOV slider (which would really help to show off the beautiful world Arena Net made), no camera zoom out distance option, the zoom out distance is pretty low and it can cause headaches for some. Class balance issues are also a small problem which will for sure be balanced out in the next few months so it'sEasily the best MMORPG I've played since Pre-BC WoW. The only things missing are no FOV slider (which would really help to show off the beautiful world Arena Net made), no camera zoom out distance option, the zoom out distance is pretty low and it can cause headaches for some. Class balance issues are also a small problem which will for sure be balanced out in the next few months so it's not really a big deal. The good parts of the game is everything else. The combat is all skill based, where you have to swap between weapon sets, use your dodges at the appropriate times, and be careful of which skills you choose to use at certain times. The world is MASSIVE, the biggest i've ever seen in a game. There are also tons of incentives and rewards for exploring it which is amazing. There is no end game, as the end game is all throughout the game as events, which are incredible fun, especially if you have a group of friends to level together with. The zones all look gorgeous and highly detailed. Your personal story also has tons of choice with consequences based on your choices as well. The skill points and trait skills are all based on personal preference, and there is no cookie cutter build. You build your class however you want to build him. The cash shop is interesting, in the fact that it's all cosmetics or some minor bonuses. The minor bonuses can also be found in the world as well. You don't even have to pay money for the cash shop as you can actually convert gold you earned in game for the in game cash shop currency. Overall, the game is easily a solid 9 for me and it's for sure going to be my choice MMORPG for a longgggg time. If you are sick of WoW and your typical WoW style cookie cutter mmo's this will be a huge breath of fresh air for you.… Expand
  5. shadow822
    Sep 3, 2012
    10
    The game is amazing. I've put about 40 hours into it already and I haven't had a moment of doubt. Buy this game. Do not listen to any of the complainers that gave the game below a 5 or 6, or even a zero, that's retarded because this game in no possible way deserves a score like that. It is the most fun you will ever have playing an mmo
  6. BloodyRandy
    Sep 4, 2012
    10
    One of those games where you can tell the artists just sat back and enjoyed themselves. They level of detail to areas shows that the designers put their hearts into each and every little thing. I couldn't really compare the level of detail with any other mmo. I think it looks more like Dark Souls and even has the combat moves influenced by it. Each move does something distinct. MostOne of those games where you can tell the artists just sat back and enjoyed themselves. They level of detail to areas shows that the designers put their hearts into each and every little thing. I couldn't really compare the level of detail with any other mmo. I think it looks more like Dark Souls and even has the combat moves influenced by it. Each move does something distinct. Most mmos have the problem with having too much clutter. In Guild wars, you have the option. You can switch between weapons at level 11 making your combat even more unique. Ultimately the game is 60 bucks with no monthly fee. They don't ask for a credit card to keep on hold. Why is it that when a company has your credit card information they are bound to take at least one payment? I don't remember guild wars that much but it doesn't matter, Guild Wars 2 doesn't want you to. It does everything new, it's a new game with great features and an easy to get into but difficult to master atmosphere. This is no baby mmo like Wow. It has it's fair share of challenges and some stages can require some tact. Still if you have a decent PC pick this up you won't regret it.… Expand
  7. thekidd
    Sep 10, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is a revolution. The way how it all works together is amazing. You gain experience almost from everything you do, so you no longer need to play it for 20 000 hours to reach the best equip and to enjoy high level instances. I am playing a norn ranger and it is so much fun, with all the pets you can tame and all the skillsets you can use. Another thing is the enviroment, it isGuild Wars 2 is a revolution. The way how it all works together is amazing. You gain experience almost from everything you do, so you no longer need to play it for 20 000 hours to reach the best equip and to enjoy high level instances. I am playing a norn ranger and it is so much fun, with all the pets you can tame and all the skillsets you can use. Another thing is the enviroment, it is stunning. Despite the problems with the trading post I must say it is a game that really deserves the 10/10… Expand
  8. n00854180t
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    I've played MMORPGs since their earliest days with MUDs, Everquest etc. and seen the evolution of the genre, and also it's stagnation for the past decade.

    Guild Wars 2 hearkens back to the true potential of MMOGs to be *fun games* taken massively multiplayer. While most MMORPGs of the past decade have seen fit to lazily copy off of the major contenders of the genre, ArenaNet had the    I've played MMORPGs since their earliest days with MUDs, Everquest etc. and seen the evolution of the genre, and also it's stagnation for the past decade.

    Guild Wars 2 hearkens back to the true potential of MMOGs to be *fun games* taken massively multiplayer. While most MMORPGs of the past decade have seen fit to lazily copy off of the major contenders of the genre, ArenaNet had the courage and foresight to do something radically different.

    The game boasts extremely fun combat (unlike most MMOs), a dynamic, living world to adventure in, and some of the most competitive PvP gameplay ever to come to the MMO space.

    Guild Wars 2 isn't just a good MMO, and it's actually held back by the baggage that genre carries. Instead, it plays as a *great* RPG first and foremost, and just happens to be a great MMO as a bonus.    … Expand
  9. Hazax
    Sep 6, 2012
    8
    Guild Wars 2 does it different but in the same skin as its competitors. In terms of setting it evolves upon GW-1, still having a storyline focused upon you the player as several political factions try to oppose the dragons and other powers that threaten the civilized races that form the loose alliance set around Lions Arch. The combat at first glance seems the same as WoW (hit button 1 toGuild Wars 2 does it different but in the same skin as its competitors. In terms of setting it evolves upon GW-1, still having a storyline focused upon you the player as several political factions try to oppose the dragons and other powers that threaten the civilized races that form the loose alliance set around Lions Arch. The combat at first glance seems the same as WoW (hit button 1 to use skill 1) but once you delve into it, it is nowhere close. Each class has skills tied to weapons (skills 1-5) and then 5 that are unlocked as you earn skillpoints to unlock them, beyond this each class has unique mechanics which further sets it apart… Expand
  10. Opulet
    Sep 10, 2012
    7
    PROS: $60 flat, WvW, sPvP 5v5 Tournaments, Latter parts of PvE without Heart-Quests, Dungeons, Puzzles, Top Tier Boss fights in both instanced and open world situations, Non-invasive money shop. CONS: Weak Personal Storyline during early-mid game, Early Heart-Quests, Random 16 player sPvP, Lack of more game-modes in sPvP, OVERALL: Top quality content at $60, no monthly fee. Better thanPROS: $60 flat, WvW, sPvP 5v5 Tournaments, Latter parts of PvE without Heart-Quests, Dungeons, Puzzles, Top Tier Boss fights in both instanced and open world situations, Non-invasive money shop. CONS: Weak Personal Storyline during early-mid game, Early Heart-Quests, Random 16 player sPvP, Lack of more game-modes in sPvP, OVERALL: Top quality content at $60, no monthly fee. Better than anything else on the market at the moment.… Expand
  11. Paulo-Maciel
    Dec 25, 2012
    6
    This game may have a lot of positive things, but for people adicted to MMORPG. My experience from this game it´s just fight the same enemys in the same place, in the same way, over and over again until I level up to go to a new place and repeat it all.
    Think before buy this game, it´s not for everyone.
  12. Its_Nice_In_RW
    Sep 29, 2012
    7
    I played GW1 it was a decent game not great but decent. I played WOW it was a very poor game graphically and had the worst player base in any game I played but it had something that drew you back to it (gameplay). I now play GW2 (and others) graphically very nice not as spectacular as Tera but nice. Like Tera does not offer much at end game level. If you want to experience some differentI played GW1 it was a decent game not great but decent. I played WOW it was a very poor game graphically and had the worst player base in any game I played but it had something that drew you back to it (gameplay). I now play GW2 (and others) graphically very nice not as spectacular as Tera but nice. Like Tera does not offer much at end game level. If you want to experience some different aspects of MMO I would suggest GW2 is a good place to start. Be aware though (WOW rips a monthy sub from your hands) GW2 is one off payment for game though the aggressive shop influence make it less attractive from a costing level. Its a mix mash of different good things taken mostly from Korean MMO's nothing particularly new but all in one game rather than spread over many MMO's. If you play MMO's it will be interesting for about a month then probably you will move on to next one (like me). The game plays like a cash shop mico payment game which is very sad but people seem to like this genre at the moment. People thinking free to play is actually that which in fact it is much more expensive than a sub game IMO and IME. The famous problem of bagsize is here in all its glory. Lastly the game whats new hmmmm well I have seen everything in this game in other MMO's I have played so nothing I could say the events as in other games they tend to be GM initiated but happen on a timer in this game so that :) Enough to keep me playing ? Not at the moment. I will give it an 7/10. I can return to the game at any time for no fee so that is a big plus but the rabid cash shop element makes it in the minus for me. On the whole the community is very nice so that is a big bonus.… Expand
  13. max1c
    Apr 13, 2013
    9
    A fantastic game worth every penny. A game everyone should try playing. Fabulous graphics along with great original new ideas in game play make this game great. Story of Guild Wars 2 is decent, but having tons of variations in a story depending on ones selections is very cool and adds a whole another layer to this great game. I have to admit that not everything is perfect about this game,A fantastic game worth every penny. A game everyone should try playing. Fabulous graphics along with great original new ideas in game play make this game great. Story of Guild Wars 2 is decent, but having tons of variations in a story depending on ones selections is very cool and adds a whole another layer to this great game. I have to admit that not everything is perfect about this game, thats why I gave it a 9. Unfortunately the end game of the game is underwhelming. Your character doesn't feel that strong and generally game becomes boring by the end. Hopefully Arenanet will be able to improve on their shortcomings in the addon for Guild Wars 2.… Expand
  14. ACESsiggy
    Feb 25, 2014
    10
    Pretty amazing MMO to say the least. Beautiful world and very engaging.

    Leveling the character was enjoyable! As you level the game engages the player by telling a story and continues as you level. Along with the story, zones have "events" or aka quests that players can take part in and help out npc's earning xp and karma (form of currency). Plenty of dungeons to enjoy once at a    Pretty amazing MMO to say the least. Beautiful world and very engaging.

    Leveling the character was enjoyable!
    As you level the game engages the player by telling a story and continues as you level. Along with the story, zones have "events" or aka quests that players can take part in and help out npc's earning xp and karma (form of currency).

    Plenty of dungeons to enjoy once at a certain level but once you are capped at 80 you can go back and try "explore" mode which provides a higher difficulty.

    PvP and WvW content plenty of action to take part in.

    Crafting professions were well done.    … Expand
  15. howdydoody
    Sep 7, 2012
    10
    This is a very enjoyable game. I have been playing MMO's for several years and i would say this is my favourite. Nice look, sound and gameplay is very active. Some hiccups to the launch but everything seems to be settling down and from my Arenanet experience gamer support is awesome. Security was a concern but new email verification has kept me from getting hacked. Come join the fun don'tThis is a very enjoyable game. I have been playing MMO's for several years and i would say this is my favourite. Nice look, sound and gameplay is very active. Some hiccups to the launch but everything seems to be settling down and from my Arenanet experience gamer support is awesome. Security was a concern but new email verification has kept me from getting hacked. Come join the fun don't miss out on a new style MMO.… Expand
  16. Ghostte
    Oct 12, 2012
    7
    I liked GW2 but i was disappointed that I did not LOVE GW2. While not a huge fan of MMO's i thought this would be the game that brought me into this genre. However, i was bored by the time i reached level 60 with my necromancer and i couldn't take how slow my character moved and how the camera had a little sway to it.. I alo hated how immersion breaking the story was. As a necromancer II liked GW2 but i was disappointed that I did not LOVE GW2. While not a huge fan of MMO's i thought this would be the game that brought me into this genre. However, i was bored by the time i reached level 60 with my necromancer and i couldn't take how slow my character moved and how the camera had a little sway to it.. I alo hated how immersion breaking the story was. As a necromancer I would have not made the decisions my character was making. I wish there were more voice choices and speech options. Overall well polished game with fun PVP.....but just not for me.… Expand
  17. Landiien
    Dec 27, 2012
    6
    I really wanted to like GW2, and I tried. Different classes, different races. I kept asking myself, "So many people like this game, and the reviews are great; what am I not getting, here?" The story is weak, and the voice acting is often laughably bad. The questing system is a hot mess, and it just seems as though the world is constantly throwing these objectives at you without anyI really wanted to like GW2, and I tried. Different classes, different races. I kept asking myself, "So many people like this game, and the reviews are great; what am I not getting, here?" The story is weak, and the voice acting is often laughably bad. The questing system is a hot mess, and it just seems as though the world is constantly throwing these objectives at you without any back-story or sense of purpose (unless you go looking for the NPC with the heart over their head, but even then, the story is usually not worth reading). The combat is extremely dull and simple. I could engage in combat, walk away from my computer for a minute or two, and return to find I'd won.

    Even when playing with friends, I could never stomach more than an hour before things got boring. In other MMOs, when I needed to break-up the monotony, I'd jump into PvP. But this is the same effect-spamming, insta-cast, running in circles and jumping all over the place crap that has become the MMO norm.

    Nothing about it felt revolutionary. In fact, some much was streamlined in the U/I and party systems that the experience felt cheapened. Coupled with the mediocre production values and lackluster visuals, I was extremely aware at all times that I was playing a free game. In the end, I decided that I'm not actually "missing" anything. GW2 is insanely overhyped and completely overrated because it's free-to-play. Would the reviews be so high if you had to pay monthly to play?    … Expand
  18. DivinityItself
    Jan 23, 2013
    5
    ArenaNet's Core Dev team thought up a wonderful change for the MMO genre. But the game was so big to develop, that they had to bring in more employees. And as with any big company, leadership needs to be strong en directive. This is not a cosy and warm enthusiast project. This is a real gargantuan challenge. And sorry to say: it fails for me. It is judged by the criterium that all gamesArenaNet's Core Dev team thought up a wonderful change for the MMO genre. But the game was so big to develop, that they had to bring in more employees. And as with any big company, leadership needs to be strong en directive. This is not a cosy and warm enthusiast project. This is a real gargantuan challenge. And sorry to say: it fails for me. It is judged by the criterium that all games are judged by: engagement. Remember the 8-bit games? Visually prehistoric, but by times excellent to keep you interested due to the mechanics of the game-design. Fast-forward to GW2. It does not commit you to your character development, role or affairs in the GW2 world. The player does not matter to the world, and the game mechanics autonomously does its thing. This is not a MMORPG, it's a MMO. I know that over time it will enhance on its features and get more polished. But will not change in its core design that sins on the first rule of successful gaming: engagement.… Expand
  19. EuanMcKenna
    Mar 18, 2014
    10
    As a massive fan of MMORPG's, I can finally say I've finally found the MMORPG for me. First off, no monthly subscriptions, I buy it and it's all mine ! And as well, the content, wow. The amount of content on this game is never-ending and it's all for £30 ! (Even bigger than WOW, Skyrim and Oblivion) I've played this game for months on end and still haven't seen every piece this game has toAs a massive fan of MMORPG's, I can finally say I've finally found the MMORPG for me. First off, no monthly subscriptions, I buy it and it's all mine ! And as well, the content, wow. The amount of content on this game is never-ending and it's all for £30 ! (Even bigger than WOW, Skyrim and Oblivion) I've played this game for months on end and still haven't seen every piece this game has to offer. The amount of ontent is just unreal.Every player has their own unique storyline so it's different everytime you play the game, unlike a lot of MMORPG's out there and it's all for £30 ! The music and voice acting is outstanding and above all probably the best out of all the games I've played and it's all for £30 !
    Hey, did I mention all this is for £30 ! This isn't even close to summarising how intense this game is, I just wanna go back to playing it right now cause it's so good ! Playing Guild Wars 2, I can never go back to another MMORPG with monthly subscirptions ever again. It's like ESO, I'll still be playing GW2 FREE OF MONTHLY SUBSCIPTIONS ! GUILD WARS 2 IS THE GOD DAMN **** GAME CHANGER FOR MMORPGS! And I sincerely hope game dev companies planning on making MMOs learn from this.    … Expand
  20. gamer4life1
    Mar 12, 2014
    5
    GW2...bought it because of all the hype, all the adverts and reviews. Well, once again disappointed. Feel as though people rant and rave about this mmo for some hidden agenda or reason. I bought it and played it for awhile. Then after a few months hiatus I thought my interest or viewpoint would be renewed so I returned and lo and behold; Nope....It just feels generic and the visuals areGW2...bought it because of all the hype, all the adverts and reviews. Well, once again disappointed. Feel as though people rant and rave about this mmo for some hidden agenda or reason. I bought it and played it for awhile. Then after a few months hiatus I thought my interest or viewpoint would be renewed so I returned and lo and behold; Nope....It just feels generic and the visuals are hollow and flat.

    The music is great though and the character creation and classes are unique enough to warrant a small bit of interest, but beyond that it seems bland. The dialogue is atrocious and does nothing to move the story. Most of the time I was just clicking "next" or "skip" really fast. Overall Guild wars 2 is sorely lacking and unfortunately most games published in markets outside Europe and America are sorely lacking in the development department...they always seem "aloof" or "floaty" for some odd reason. No offense to any, but it's to much of a fact to be disregarded or dismissed.    … Expand
  21. Hadjimina
    Feb 23, 2014
    9
    This game is as a welcomed change from all the other MMORPGs on the market. It's not like LOTRO where you have to pay for any kind of additional content (you can buy cosmetics as stuff like that, but that won't give you an advantage over other players). It will completely change your view on all MMORPGS and they bring out new content every two weeks which is amazing since you don't pay aThis game is as a welcomed change from all the other MMORPGs on the market. It's not like LOTRO where you have to pay for any kind of additional content (you can buy cosmetics as stuff like that, but that won't give you an advantage over other players). It will completely change your view on all MMORPGS and they bring out new content every two weeks which is amazing since you don't pay a monthly subscription.
    Overall it's a great game where you get an unbelievable amount of content for your money.    … Expand
  22. Shener04
    Feb 24, 2014
    9
    Очень хорошая игра, если вам надоели бесконечные квесты варкрафта, незаурядное вырезание пяти тысяч монстров в л2 - это ира для вас. Отличная графика, хорошая физика, интересная история у каждой расы, осады в режиме пвп, открытые ворлд боссы, тысячи рандомных событий в мире и многое другое. 9 из 10. Поставил бы десятку, но для меня шалит пинг на Eu регионе, ну и нет ру-локалицазии :)Очень хорошая игра, если вам надоели бесконечные квесты варкрафта, незаурядное вырезание пяти тысяч монстров в л2 - это ира для вас. Отличная графика, хорошая физика, интересная история у каждой расы, осады в режиме пвп, открытые ворлд боссы, тысячи рандомных событий в мире и многое другое. 9 из 10. Поставил бы десятку, но для меня шалит пинг на Eu регионе, ну и нет ру-локалицазии :)
  23. Tenarus
    Apr 22, 2021
    2
    The phrase "never play on patch.-day" never fitted any game better then guild wars 2. Well and from patch-day I went to patch-week to patch-month, because not only are patches released incredibly buggy - they stay bugged for SEVERAL months if not years.
    Overall the storytelling is ok-ish. I've seen better, I've seen worse.
    The quality of the patches got worse and worse with every    The phrase "never play on patch.-day" never fitted any game better then guild wars 2. Well and from patch-day I went to patch-week to patch-month, because not only are patches released incredibly buggy - they stay bugged for SEVERAL months if not years.
    Overall the storytelling is ok-ish. I've seen better, I've seen worse.
    The quality of the patches got worse and worse with every release. The content feels like the same thing over and over again. Most things you do ingame are not rewarding at all. For players that spend a longer time ingame there is simply not enough to do. What do I mean by that? Let me tell you what my playtime looks like: Mondays I jump in the game, just to do the weekly raid reclears in like 2 hours (raids, that have been in the game for years. The release of the last raidwing is more than a year ago...) Some evenings I do a quick fractal run which cant keep my group entertained for more than 30 minutes. Farming at this point is pointless - you cant progress gear and I dont want to build duplicate legendaries. But Arenanet stated - against what players want - that there will be no more dungeons and as far as I know no more raids. Content draught which gets me to stop playing.

    And lastly the cashshop: What started off as some nice cosmetic rewards got a dump of putting new stuff in every other week just to earn more and more money. This isnt bad in itself, but selling CHAIRS? The shop got quite ridicculous...

    TL;DR So all in all: A game that started off good a while ago, but cant deliver any content that keeps you playing. To top all of this off the content that is currently in the game is severely bugged. Content in the game keeps you doing stuff for max ~4h/week if you clear all of it.    … Expand
  24. 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
  25. 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!
  26. JunkMazz
    Aug 28, 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    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 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
  27. ringruXeeh_Bitz
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    How can this game get anything less than a 10, £40 for a game ill be playing for years, NO MONTHLY FEES, of course there are bugs, rating the game 0 because the trading post doesn't work is stupid, bugs will get fixed, updates expanding the world for free, Rewarded for working together, exploring, nothing feels like a choir, just fun. Highly Recommended!
  28. ChalleCHezz
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    This game is just too AWESOME! No problems with the game has had any impact on me 'cause the PVE and WvW has been designed in a great way. THANK YOU ARENANET for this great game, one of the absolute best I've ever played!
  29. Steven121121
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    Great game. The graphics are in fact wonderful if they aren't your computer is to blame not the game. It's a good plot and although it doesn't feel like the old guild wars I am enjoying it all the same. It's not a pay2win. You can get exp boosts with them but there isn't an exchange for gold using gems! You would have to trade it to another player for gold. It has a good plot and a betterGreat game. The graphics are in fact wonderful if they aren't your computer is to blame not the game. It's a good plot and although it doesn't feel like the old guild wars I am enjoying it all the same. It's not a pay2win. You can get exp boosts with them but there isn't an exchange for gold using gems! You would have to trade it to another player for gold. It has a good plot and a better combat system than the old guild wars. Although the customization for skills isn't the same it's still there the focus has been shifted from what you play with such as builds anyone can use to how you play.… Expand
  30. 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
  31. 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
  32. 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.
  33. starphaser
    Sep 29, 2012
    9
    This game is genre defining. It really sets the bar for everything coming up next. The quest system is fantastic, unlike any other mmorpg on the market, the classes are filled with possibilities and you never feel trapped into a system or "cookie cutter builds" that degrade the experience. Not to mention the great graphics, incredible soundtrack, colourful characters filled withThis game is genre defining. It really sets the bar for everything coming up next. The quest system is fantastic, unlike any other mmorpg on the market, the classes are filled with possibilities and you never feel trapped into a system or "cookie cutter builds" that degrade the experience. Not to mention the great graphics, incredible soundtrack, colourful characters filled with personality, giant dragons to lay down... I know it may sound childish, but this game is full of win. This was the MMO we've all been waiting for. If you haven't played it yet, just go and get it.… Expand
  34. Accurate
    Jan 28, 2014
    3
    having played this for a year these are my impressions

    this game has a lot going for it excellent animation and art, several good improvements on the genre standard ( node sharing, quests that complete when in range) much of the good design is front loaded into the starting levels however after around level 30 the game starts to suffer and become repetitive the dungeon design is    having played this for a year these are my impressions

    this game has a lot going for it excellent animation and art, several good improvements on the genre standard ( node sharing, quests that complete when in range) much of the good design is front loaded into the starting levels however after around level 30 the game starts to suffer and become repetitive

    the dungeon design is good thematically, but terrible in terms of a gaming standpoint, there are arbitrary difficulty spikes everywhere ( this boss will 1 shot you dodge or die) there is improved difficulty across most enemies but no comparable reward increase with many of your trash mobs dropping nothing or grey items,
    this is worsened by not having standard loot tables, instead each player is individually assigned a roll on everything in the game, with a few added dungeon specific items thrown in i.e. dungeon themed consumables. and a meager amount of tokens/gold for your accounts first run of the day

    the above issue is more widespread than dungeons however, with the majority of loot at any time being down to luck, there is no way to gravitate to more rewarding content as all content is equally unrewarding, beat the hardest content in the game ? have some vendor trash while that guy that was face down for the fight gets something cool, the entire loot system is based on RNG

    which ties in nicely with their monetisation, RNG cash shop boxes for weapon skins pets and so on are prevalent, as is the option to convert your real money to in game gold, this is further encouraged by allowing the legendary weapons (BIS forever) to be bought with gold (current exchange is ~$300 worth)and through the coming replacement of things like pvp currency with gold. They have further added diminishing returns to all open world mob drops so that you cannot farm for the required end game components to craft yourself, and must instead farm gold to buy them.

    over the last year they have have used their frequent update schedule as a marketing point, however over 90% of all the content in these updates is no longer in the game, and will never be experienced by new players, in addition to removing content to keep the players on each server focused in one area to mitigate population issues the game has repeatedly added more vertical progression widening the gap between old and new players, with the new ascended tier taking over 6 months to acquire for one build, which they may then nerf in a balance patch.

    ultimately this game is a classic example of bait and switch, the released marketing advertising a game with no grind and, easy to quire bis and more horizontal design, it has delivered the opposite with ridiculous grinds of 100 000 tokens for a pet
    a new tier of gear drip fed to players over a year and repeated vertical progression paths that lock you into a specialization with no way to refund them if you change your mind.

    they have repeatedly reset players progress by resetting achievement points, changing cash shop items after people have bought them changing gear stats after waiting till people had invested in a full set and so on while leaving exploitable bugs in the game for over a year, allowing players to exploit walls etc in dungeons to solo bosses and so on, many of the problems made in this game are so jarring because we have seen them before, the better part of a decade ago, when other mmos fixed them
    it seems Anet is determined to repeat the mistakes of the past as a result i would not recommend this game

    if your looking for a game with vertical progression this isn't for you
    if you are looking for a game with horizontal progression this definitely isn't for you    … Expand
  35. Nerdlife
    Sep 1, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 set a new standard for MMOGs. It's a polished game with everything you could want in a massive game. A very well balanced and fun PvP experience and some amazing PvE moments. But GW2 shines when it gives the player to option to play as he likes. You will be rewarded for exploring, killing or crafting. You might play the game the way you want and not the way the devs want youGuild Wars 2 set a new standard for MMOGs. It's a polished game with everything you could want in a massive game. A very well balanced and fun PvP experience and some amazing PvE moments. But GW2 shines when it gives the player to option to play as he likes. You will be rewarded for exploring, killing or crafting. You might play the game the way you want and not the way the devs want you to do it. The story is well written and the world is alive with events. You might arrive in a small town and see it under siege by hordes of centaurs and when you save it you see the soldiers regrouping to counter-attack and you join them. It's highly polished and really well done. It's not a revolution, but an evolution of the genre. A must have for MMO gamers. Technically the graphics are amazing and the sound effects are well done. Music ? Well, Jeremy Soule, that's all i have to say. The game have flaws ? Of course it does, but they don't make it less fun and all of them will be fixed in due time. Without a doubt this game has everything to be the new king of the genre.… Expand
  36. 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.
  37. JunasLB
    Sep 1, 2012
    10
    This game is just the perfect MMO for me. Why? Because it allows casual gameplay. The game is very polished and despite some bugs here at launch, has definitely been one of the most smooth MMO launches ever. One of the most fantastic things about the game is how it's built to encourage cooperation - not competition - in PvE. Resource nodes are not shared, so it doesn't matter that someoneThis game is just the perfect MMO for me. Why? Because it allows casual gameplay. The game is very polished and despite some bugs here at launch, has definitely been one of the most smooth MMO launches ever. One of the most fantastic things about the game is how it's built to encourage cooperation - not competition - in PvE. Resource nodes are not shared, so it doesn't matter that someone gets to it before you. You can't tag monsters, you get credit for a kill even if you didn't hit first. Everyone gets rewarded simply for helping - and thus GW2 is a much nicer game to play.… Expand
  38. 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
  39. intruder313
    Sep 21, 2012
    9
    Having played almost every MMO since the dawn of the genre (right back to MUDs) I've been jaded for a very long time and was almost hesitant to try yet another - the fact it was Subs-Free helped me overcome that reticence.
    I love it. While I've yet to reach the "Endgame" I can certainly say that so far it appears to be the best MMO ever - to the point that I've got 7 characters already    Having played almost every MMO since the dawn of the genre (right back to MUDs) I've been jaded for a very long time and was almost hesitant to try yet another - the fact it was Subs-Free helped me overcome that reticence.
    I love it. While I've yet to reach the "Endgame" I can certainly say that so far it appears to be the best MMO ever - to the point that I've got 7 characters already and regularly playing 5 of them without feeling bored or feel like I'm wasting time I should be spending on my "Main" (the fact that a lot of the game is Account-shared helps). Dynamic Events are fun without being annoying like Rift's Rifts, the Hearts revolutionize questing and deliver on the promises WAR made about questing but absolutely failed to deliver.
    It's almost a no-brainer this one: once you've bought the box it's free forever. You'll probably find you do spend money on increasing the stingy Bank space and you might want more than 5 characters but otherwise the rest of the opportunities to spend money look easy to ignore/resist.    … Expand
  40. Morgora
    Sep 10, 2012
    10
    A nice mix of single-player RPG and MMORPG. Lots of character customization (face, hair, body, etc.). A branching personal story for each race and profession chosen. Cooperative gameplay is encouraged and rewarded. Dynamic Events are engaging and some can change the map depending on whether you win or lose. Game mechanics prevent ninja-looting, mob camping, and resource node contention.A nice mix of single-player RPG and MMORPG. Lots of character customization (face, hair, body, etc.). A branching personal story for each race and profession chosen. Cooperative gameplay is encouraged and rewarded. Dynamic Events are engaging and some can change the map depending on whether you win or lose. Game mechanics prevent ninja-looting, mob camping, and resource node contention. Lots of NPC to NPC dialog that can be quite funny. PvP that's actually skill-based and not gear-based. IMHO, GW2 is better than UO, EQ, and WoW. Your mileage may vary.… Expand
  41. Ozimandeus
    Sep 4, 2012
    10
    The Best MMORPG on the market today, no.. the best MMORPG on the market since Ultima Online. This is close to perfection and Arenanet have delivered everything they said they would, a near flawless release and an experience unsurpassed in its genre.
  42. fingfrenchy
    Sep 8, 2012
    10
    You've heard all the pros, and some cons that are actually constructive... It's an awesome game, It's so much fun, I'd give it a 9, but it's a 10 to off set the spamming trolling fan boiedom that is trying to drag the deserved score down. Get it, play it, and I'll see you out there!!
  43. Dalpian
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    This game is fantastic, a milestone. Not only the overall level of quality and detail is above almost any other MMO in the market, but it also innovates the genre in many ways. No more single task, static questing, but a living world where events are not waiting for you to click on an NPC to happen: you explore, you see things happening, you join them and your actions have consequences. NoThis game is fantastic, a milestone. Not only the overall level of quality and detail is above almost any other MMO in the market, but it also innovates the genre in many ways. No more single task, static questing, but a living world where events are not waiting for you to click on an NPC to happen: you explore, you see things happening, you join them and your actions have consequences. No more gear grind: both in PvE and PvP, you won't need to farm gear for ages just to be able to join the action. At max level everybody is on the same gear level, the outcomes of the challenge is determined by your skill, finally. No more being pigeon holed within one single class role. Every class can finally be ranged and melee, healing or dpsing. Shift your weapons, manage your countless skills, dodge and parry the incoming attacks. This is finally an engaging combat! No more waiting for a healer or a tank to show up: you want to do that dungeon with 5 warriors or 5 necromancers? You can, it works. No more subscription fees: you by the game and you play it as much as you want, at your pace. Content will be periodically added, and it will be free. You just have to buy the official expansion when they will come out. This game is different in mechanics, is gigantic in scope, is beautiful and intriguing. Do yourself a favour and don't miss it. It's not "marketing" or advertisement. It's how the game is, as a matter of fact. (Final note: I read some of the few "0" rated reviews here and I am appalled by the false information they spread. One thing is expressing opinions, one thing is spreading clear lies. Only 5 skills? False. I cannot play with my friends? False. Give the game a try, you'll see by yourself what's true and what's false..… Expand
  44. chrisbougs
    Sep 1, 2012
    9
    This game is a lot of fun. People who get involved in the story and want to quickly move to the next chapters might get frustrated at higher levels, as the game encourages (forces, rather) non-linear play. Other than that, the experience is unmatched by any other MMO. Rewarding PvE and PvP combat, beautiful environments, clean interfaces, and great voice acting and music.
  45. Zucheto
    Sep 20, 2012
    9
    I have been looking for a game to keep my attention since I got bored of WoW a couple years ago, but nothing really has kept me too entertained for very long... until Guild Wars 2. Within the first 2 days I had put 20 hours into the game, and I have not even scratched the surface. Tons of stuff to do, great combat system, that is very interactive and actually takes skill to do well. IfI have been looking for a game to keep my attention since I got bored of WoW a couple years ago, but nothing really has kept me too entertained for very long... until Guild Wars 2. Within the first 2 days I had put 20 hours into the game, and I have not even scratched the surface. Tons of stuff to do, great combat system, that is very interactive and actually takes skill to do well. If you're trying to get off the WoW train, then this is where you want to go.… Expand
  46. 2Netz
    Sep 4, 2012
    10
    New era in MMO has begun! The main feature of the Guild Wars 2 is completely new level of quality, brand new and exciting combat system and a dynamic world, we did not know before. The game is very complex and multilayered. But oddly enough she gets a lot more exciting. The fact is that in addition to the latitude of the world, we get also the depth and breadth of the game mechanics withNew era in MMO has begun! The main feature of the Guild Wars 2 is completely new level of quality, brand new and exciting combat system and a dynamic world, we did not know before. The game is very complex and multilayered. But oddly enough she gets a lot more exciting. The fact is that in addition to the latitude of the world, we get also the depth and breadth of the game mechanics with all its newness.
    Absolute hit, game grabs you for a long time.    … Expand
  47. edjiang
    Oct 9, 2012
    7
    Great artwork, clean combat, and a VERY nice PvP system. However, the game simply couldn't hold my attention for more than a month. Definitely worth trying out though.
  48. zaphod6502
    Sep 4, 2012
    10
    GW2 is a groundbreaking, genre busting MMO. It introduces so many new gameplay concepts in the areas of combat, questing, crafting, travel, and more. The gameplay in GW2 emphasises minimal downtime and maximises fun activities. No grouping is required and there is no such thing as kill stealing. It naturally funnels players together to cooperate to complete quests, explore, and take downGW2 is a groundbreaking, genre busting MMO. It introduces so many new gameplay concepts in the areas of combat, questing, crafting, travel, and more. The gameplay in GW2 emphasises minimal downtime and maximises fun activities. No grouping is required and there is no such thing as kill stealing. It naturally funnels players together to cooperate to complete quests, explore, and take down world bosses. The combat system is active and direction based. There is no holy trinity and any player can fulfill many roles.

    GW2 has a high level of polish and the artwork and music are sublime. The achievement system is extensive and there is also a guild achievement system. Everything you do in the game will earn you achievements, money, and experience. If you are tired of the same old MMO gameplay then you must try GW2. Leave what you know about "traditional" MMO's at the door and embrace the new gameplay concepts GW2 offers. This is the best MMO I have played in almost 8 years and has rejuvenated my interest in the genre. You won't be disappointed!    … Expand
  49. Siegy
    Sep 3, 2012
    10
    This is the MMO that we all have been waiting for all this years, the best word we can use to describe this game is fun, thats it, its simple as that, the game is FUN in every way possible, the gameplay is awesome, you can move freely in the battlefield, there is plenty of content to do and there is a little of everything to everyone, give it a shot and you will definetely not stop playing it!
  50. EchoedTruth
    Sep 4, 2012
    10
    I felt compelled to register for metacritic just to write this review. Guild Wars 2 is a game that any PC gamer who enjoys RPGs, MMORPGs, MMOs, Action Adventure, just about any genre, could enjoy. The world is massive - and by far the most interactive I have seen in my 20+ years of gaming. I am thoroughly impressed with the job that ArenaNET has done. You owe it to yourself to play thisI felt compelled to register for metacritic just to write this review. Guild Wars 2 is a game that any PC gamer who enjoys RPGs, MMORPGs, MMOs, Action Adventure, just about any genre, could enjoy. The world is massive - and by far the most interactive I have seen in my 20+ years of gaming. I am thoroughly impressed with the job that ArenaNET has done. You owe it to yourself to play this game (a nice PC is recommended!).… Expand
  51. mmomaster
    Sep 16, 2012
    10
    Before I write my review, I just want to get something out there. It is really frustrating for me to see all these bad reviews based solely on account hackings, launch hiccups, or poor customer service due to the unexpected influx of new players. These issues have nothing to do with the overall quality of the game, and will have no impact on prospective buyers in a few months time. ThisBefore I write my review, I just want to get something out there. It is really frustrating for me to see all these bad reviews based solely on account hackings, launch hiccups, or poor customer service due to the unexpected influx of new players. These issues have nothing to do with the overall quality of the game, and will have no impact on prospective buyers in a few months time. This creates a severe imbalance in terms of user reviews, as those who encounter problems such as those I mentioned above come here to rage, while those who have a had a great customer service experience or no hackings just expect that from such a well polished, fantastic game and don't bother coming here to review. And don't get me started on people just flat-out lying on here. Yes, you can play with friends. Yes, you have more than 5 skills. I honestly think most of the people on here rating less than 6 are either being bought out by rival companies, or played the game for 30 minutes during the initial launch. Anyways, now that that's off my chest. This is the without a doubt the best MMO out there. The visuals are picturesque, and the stories are entertaining and even humorous. But when it comes to an MMO, the most important things (at least in my opinion) are combat and questing system. These areas in MMOS have sat relatively stagnant since basically forever. Gear based combat with little focus on player skill, and quest-hub based fetch/kill quests. Guildwars 2 takes huge steps towards remedying these awful aspects of MMOs. The questing system is incredible, with a great balance of the random dynamic events, exploration and renown hearts. And the combat is extremely skill based, with gear mostly being used to compliment your build. (I'm not going to go into a bunch of detail here, hopefully any potential players are interested enough to read some detailed reviews on these systems by people who can actually write)

    One of my favorite non gameplay related features is the complete lack of subscription fees. Becasue of this, Arenanet is not incentivized to make boring, grindy content to keep players busy while they drain 15$ a month out of them. This means that (no matter how sad this sounds) I'm actually excited to play this game because its fun, not because I'm being dragged through it by a carrot-on-a-stick leveling/gear treadmill.    … Expand
  52. Zockling
    Sep 9, 2012
    9
    The general consensus is that GW2 gets ridiculously many things right, so I won't reiterate its great aspects. Instead, I will put into perspective some of the most common criticisms a few people seem to think justify sub-5 scores (hint: they don't).

    Complaint: The removal of the trinity makes the game a zerg fest. Translation: I prefer a different genre of MMO. The removal of the    The general consensus is that GW2 gets ridiculously many things right, so I won't reiterate its great aspects. Instead, I will put into perspective some of the most common criticisms a few people seem to think justify sub-5 scores (hint: they don't).

    Complaint: The removal of the trinity makes the game a zerg fest.
    Translation: I prefer a different genre of MMO.

    The removal of the trinity is a tradeoff. ANet sacrificed group structure and scalability for the ability to play with anyone, anywhere, without hassle. This is a vital point of distinction from the WoW-type games, without which the game would be doomed just like SWTOR, Rift, Aion, etc. The outcome is totally a matter of taste and people who prefer the more structured ways of the trinity should play the other excellent MMO, WoW, instead. I don't like beat 'em ups but I wouldn't give one a 0 score just because it's not my cup of tea.

    Complaint: Hearts/dynamic events are just "gather 10 boar butts" questing in disguise.
    Translation: I dislike world PvE in MMOs.

    You see, there's only so many ways a character can interact with the world that scale to a persistent MMO environment. A big chunk of that is just killing and gathering. GW2's weapon-based skill bar improves this a bit by allowing a broader range of interaction with world items in hearts/events. But at the end of the day, MMOs will always be more repetitive than single player games. Which makes GW2's achievement of making world PvE fun again for the vast majority of players even more impressive.

    Complaint: The graphics suck.
    Translation: I didn't bother cranking up the graphics from the very conservative defaults.

    There's not much to say about this one. GW2's graphics are extremely scalable. On the lowest settings the game looks like vanilla WoW, on the highest it's one of the best-looking games out there. That's not to say there shouldn't be improvements to performance on the higher quality levels so more people can enjoy the game at its shiniest.

    Complaint: The voice acting sucks.
    Translation: I am not playing the English client.

    Unless you haven't noticed, game developers stopped making quality foreign localizations some 15 years ago. While this is certainly a deficiency of the product, I'd rather ANet concentrate on improving the game as a whole than make sure the clients in the lesser languages are on par with the English one. This comes from someone who isn't a native English speaker.

    Complaint: I was suspended or banned.
    Translation A: I am a notoriously unpleasant individual and should stick to single player games.

    The more guilty they are the louder they whine when a developer exercises their zero tolerance harassment policy. Feel free to check out ANet's infamous Reddit thread "Suspensions for offensive names and inappropriate behavior" for the hilarious details.

    Translation B: I (re-)use weak passwords and/or don't know how to secure my computer.

    The issue that accounts could be hijacked without the email password is inexcusable, but that doesn't change the fact that the account would have had to be hacked in the first place. Which in most cases would have resulted in a ban even without the attacker hijacking the account. It's important to understand that whoever gets his or her account hacked is not the only one suffering the consequences, but the game as a whole. That's why ANet have to be adamant with banning compromised accounts. Hey, it's the internet. Be careful out there.    … Expand
  53. Jokica
    Sep 10, 2012
    10
    Well I need to say that this is the MMO of the year, if I compare it to WoW there is almost no grinding, you can play your own story, which is great btw. When you level, you are just "falling" in to the events/quest, so no need to go to NPC take a Q and then go to location A, and so on... Not mentioning you can complete almost all events by killing mobs or you can collect something or doWell I need to say that this is the MMO of the year, if I compare it to WoW there is almost no grinding, you can play your own story, which is great btw. When you level, you are just "falling" in to the events/quest, so no need to go to NPC take a Q and then go to location A, and so on... Not mentioning you can complete almost all events by killing mobs or you can collect something or do various things, just brilliant.
    Jesus, you can even level by collecting materials for crafting and by crafting, I was cooking a sue and I gain level, WTF???
    PvP je great, pure action you need to take cover, jump, doge... it is totally different than the one in WoW.
    And so on, for now I just couldn't find a really bad thing in it, that's why I am giving it 10.    … Expand
  54. Gonko
    Sep 13, 2012
    10
    Fantastic game, closest mmo to "perfect" I've seen since wow, Plus, with no sub fee, you don't feel pressured to play to get your moneys-worth out of it, staggeringly good PvE exploration and WvW is fantastic.
  55. BrinZalazar
    Sep 13, 2012
    10
    I'm very happy with GW2, I have enjoyed every second I have played the game and look forward to being able to spend more time with it. There is so much depth, but it's easy for me to pick up and play and learn new things. If you are on the fence I'd say now is a great time to start playing. :)
  56. Tykune
    Sep 14, 2012
    7
    This game is better than the other moderately entertaining games out there, such as TERA and some of the other F2P games out there, but while the graphics are stunning and the story play is stellar, there are some flaws that this game acquired. I am not at all saying that this game is bad, but has a lot of potential, and has a long way to go to fix itself up to from that cracked crystalThis game is better than the other moderately entertaining games out there, such as TERA and some of the other F2P games out there, but while the graphics are stunning and the story play is stellar, there are some flaws that this game acquired. I am not at all saying that this game is bad, but has a lot of potential, and has a long way to go to fix itself up to from that cracked crystal gem to a flawless diamond gem.

    Pros: Great Graphics - It is rare to find awesome, cutting edge graphics in any other game. This one in particular, takes the cake in being unique and note-worthy.

    Excellent Story - The fact you can pick your own background and progress through the story on a global scale, yet blend together with other players in the world around you, is a very rare thing to find in an MMORPG. This is what makes the game in itself unique and fun to play.

    Cons: Buggy and Unfulfilling Events - The events themselves are quite buggy and they leave a feeling of unfulfillment. You could litrally kill 3 things, and go take a dump while they event wears out, and you will get a gold medal and max rewards. This is something in my opinion should get fixed right away.

    Unbalanced Classes - Some of the classes are boring and unpolished, and as NCsoft stated 'unfinished', except for warrior of course. Some of the classes are useless in PvP and in some cases, nearly useless when soloing.. or at least makes it extremely difficult.

    Summary - In general, this game is not too bad at all.. in fact, it is great and holds a lot of potential, but it needs some sprucing up and fixes here and there, and a bit of changes before it can really be worth its money. I'd honestly say let the game mature a bit, then maybe NCsoft can clean it up.    … Expand
  57. mranere
    Sep 20, 2012
    9
    The only problems I have with this title are the dungeons are a annoying, everything is a boss it seems and there are a lot of them. The rewards are, generally speaking useless and when they are good, it's not for your class. But I don't dungeon much. The other is that rewards seems to be on the weak side of things, specifically the loot. WvW - it's a blast, I love it! Overall, outstandingThe only problems I have with this title are the dungeons are a annoying, everything is a boss it seems and there are a lot of them. The rewards are, generally speaking useless and when they are good, it's not for your class. But I don't dungeon much. The other is that rewards seems to be on the weak side of things, specifically the loot. WvW - it's a blast, I love it! Overall, outstanding title I intend on playing for years to come.… Expand
  58. RedMattis
    Oct 28, 2012
    5
    The lack of clear character roles such as a clear tank, healer, damagers, crowd controllers and so on unfortunately reduces the teamwork in the game to beating up monsters and dodging their attacks... in group! As opposed to beating up monsters and dodging their attack alone!

    Unfortunately everyone basically just runs their own race, and aside of "combo fields" it typically works    The lack of clear character roles such as a clear tank, healer, damagers, crowd controllers and so on unfortunately reduces the teamwork in the game to beating up monsters and dodging their attacks... in group! As opposed to beating up monsters and dodging their attack alone!

    Unfortunately everyone basically just runs their own race, and aside of "combo fields" it typically works better that way. Working together alongside strangers is obviously even more devoid of sophisticated teamwork.

    Next problem is the attack numbers, and this is something almost every bad review mentions. There are only 5 attacks per weapon and a few support abilities used more rarely. This in turn means that you'll be using the same tricks again and again and again until you start getting bored.

    The World versus World is very well done though, and some features such as jumping puzzles can be a fun diversion.

    Overall this is not a bad game, but the non-dedicated character classes don't quite work out, and it drags down the entire game.    … Expand
  59. Stars_Cream
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    Loot drops like Diablo
    RvR better than DAoC
    PvP better than WoW
    Public Quests better than WAR
    Crafting and Gathering that means something
    Personal Story like SWToR
    Exploration better than any MMO
    Bosses are awesome
    NO MONTHLY FEE

    Dungeons are OK, not great
    Some map completion bugs STILL
    ArenaNet over-nerfs stuff habitually

    WORTH EVERY PENNY!
  60. rptb1
    Nov 16, 2012
    5
    Whichever class you play, wherever you go, whatever you do, Guild Wars 2 feels the same. In making all choices equally valid and rewarding, they've made a game in which nothing is special. There is nothing much to find out, few tips or tricks to share, little player skill to develop. Just do anything and make progress. It doesn't matter. Press any key to continue.
  61. goettel
    Sep 3, 2012
    10
    GW2 is remarkable, not for bringing fresh ideas to the table, but taking fresh ideas and polishing them until they shine and shine. The finest MMO so far, and that includes WoW. If you're just into MMO's for raiding, it won't cater to you. If you're into them for a huge,explorable mountain of fresh content, artwork, amazing combat and previously unseen production quality in an MMO: get it,GW2 is remarkable, not for bringing fresh ideas to the table, but taking fresh ideas and polishing them until they shine and shine. The finest MMO so far, and that includes WoW. If you're just into MMO's for raiding, it won't cater to you. If you're into them for a huge,explorable mountain of fresh content, artwork, amazing combat and previously unseen production quality in an MMO: get it, there's no MMO out or even on the horizon which can stand next to it.… Expand
  62. Durayne
    Sep 13, 2014
    4
    So at release I would have given that game a 8/10 - 9/10, but today I can give it no more than 4/10.

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

    Why is that, you may ask?

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

    The Problem is the content.

    PVE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

    My advice , if you want a good game , buy Guild Wars 1 (all 4 parts), you cant jump there but in almost every other aspect it is superior.    … Expand
  63. 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
  64. normyp
    May 18, 2013
    5
    3rd review all in all this game was meh and i wish I hadn't wasted my money on it tbh. the first few months of when it came out was good because you had people all over the starting zones etc. they're now dead graveyards with noone in them. all the casual gamers have left the game and u hv a load of people at end game wondering what to do. its lost its edge for me as a casual gamer. i3rd review all in all this game was meh and i wish I hadn't wasted my money on it tbh. the first few months of when it came out was good because you had people all over the starting zones etc. they're now dead graveyards with noone in them. all the casual gamers have left the game and u hv a load of people at end game wondering what to do. its lost its edge for me as a casual gamer. i think the thing is mmorpgs get good when u devote a lot of time to them. i hate running around a map getting somewhere for ages, and u hv to do that quite a bit in gw2 but if ur willing to put the time in the game is hella awesome and im sure ull hv a blast. i just find the events hv dried up now, noone does them in the starting zones.… Expand
  65. 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
  66. kendro1200
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Smoothest MMO launch in the history of the genre and one of the most innovative MMOs in the industry, as well as just plainly fun.
    Take everything that you thought you knew about MMORPGs and throw it out the window, this game isn't anything like what you've played in the past. All of the boring, and dull things that run rampant in the MMO genre like a disease are absent in this game.    Smoothest MMO launch in the history of the genre and one of the most innovative MMOs in the industry, as well as just plainly fun.
    Take everything that you thought you knew about MMORPGs and throw it out the window, this game isn't anything like what you've played in the past. All of the boring, and dull things that run rampant in the MMO genre like a disease are absent in this game.
    Skills, attacks and combat are dynamic and everything matters. For once standing behind a pillar when something attacks you will actually save you, and sometimes the pillar may even crumble under a brutal attack, leaving you exposed to another attack. You can dodge out of the way of attacks, avoiding damage all together. You can actually move while attacking. If you like to explore virtual worlds then are you in for a treat, there are tons of areas to explore and a very large chunk of experience to reward you for exploring regions of the map.
    The sidekick system keeps you from drastically out leveling content, by scaling down your character to at most of 2 levels above the content of the area the character is in. You can actually go play with your friends and/or family without having to waste time or feel generally unrewarded for doing so, because guess what you'll still gain all the relevant rewards as if you were out and about in an area more appropriate to your character's actual level. When armor or weapon loot drops the item level is in a very close range of what you're character's actual level is, sometimes even above, so yes you can kill a level 1 centaur and get a level 80 2 handed axe while helping out someone new to the game.
    Speaking of helping people out, this game removes any form of penalty MMORPG's usually place on playing with other people. Mobs don't get tagged, if you do damage to it, you are rewarded xp and loot. People working on the same quests or events in your area doesn't slow down your progression, it actually speeds it up. Loot is always dropped on a personal basis, no loot roles or fights.
    Speaking of loots and fights, the game has truly epic fights, the scale of which has not been seen in the genre for a long time. The game by design has zero raiding, as set up by EQ and WoW. There is no instance of a dungeon where you need to gather a large number of people in order to then decide who gets what on boss drops. Instead there are these huge outdoor dynamic events that players can trigger and participate in. Then when all is said and done, everyone gets their own loot, with at least once piece (usually get anywhere from 3 to 5) being an upgrade of some sort.

    The pvp in the game is awesome. The game was built nearly from the ground up to support PvP rather than have PvE built first with PvP then added on later, hence why the combat for the game is so amazing. There are two general forms, there is the Structured pvp, and the World vs World pvp.
    Structured pvp are capture the area to accumulate point races.
    Then World vs World is an insanely large map where servers are pitted against one another with keeps, castles, siege weapons, varried terrain, npc mercenaries, basically everything needed to make huge epic battles. To top it all off it's not just one server against another, it's three servers in a free for all, and the fight is always going on. Various landmarks such as towers, farms, lumber camps, keeps and castles are tallied up every hour or so and the servers holding them are awarded points, with a final point count made at the end of a week. Then servers are ranked and then everything starts over again with evenly ranked servers fighting against one another.

    Going back to PvE the personal story and level of customization for characters is amazing and blows away anything done in the past. The personal story you set up puts a lot of emphasis on your choices, make poor choices, or choose things that you don't have your heart set and you'll probably end up with a crummy story. On the other hand if you pick your choices carefully you can end up with a truly awesome story, like a 007 pirate (yes that is a real option, pick carefully!).

    The crafting system is awesome and I've run into a lot of people that have gotten just absorbed into it, people who normally don't like crafting systems. To start off with, crafting supplies don't take room in your inventory for the most part, you pick them up, and you can then send them to a personal stash from anywhere in the world, and then when you go to a crafting table inside a major city or town you then have access to that stash, and you can begin crafting. You can either stick with recipes trainers will give you, or you can try to experiment with various pieces and if you discover something new you are rewarded with lots of skill points in that craft.    … Expand
  67. Mercenary222
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Awesome game and awesome value. The game is well designed and highly refined. The graphics and the world they created are incredible. This game is so deep, there is so much to do and so much to learn, and every thing is well thought out and balanced. It definitely has a different feel from any other MMO I've played, in a good way. There are a lot of good ideas here that have beenAwesome game and awesome value. The game is well designed and highly refined. The graphics and the world they created are incredible. This game is so deep, there is so much to do and so much to learn, and every thing is well thought out and balanced. It definitely has a different feel from any other MMO I've played, in a good way. There are a lot of good ideas here that have been executed well. The PvP is blast. I have experienced no server issues, no bugs nothing.
    I will be playing this game for years to come because there is so much here. This game is highly recommended.    … Expand
  68. lioncross
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    While I could rant on and on about why I think this game is amazing, I will say that unlike other recent MMORPGs (that feel like single player), Guild Wars 2 brings back the Massive Multiplayer Online in MMORPGs. And I wouln't want it any other ways in the MMORPGs I play.
  69. 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
  70. carbondeity
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Amazing! More content that you will know what to do with, all in a gorgeous environment with active, FUN combat. Much love to Arenanet for releasing such an awesome game. Granted it's not perfect, but for every one scuff mark, there are 10 things that will blow your mind.
  71. Roflmywaffle
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is a fun time. There is obviously room for improvement and they are patching it constantly. This headstart weekend there were 3? patches that improved stability and fixed some issues. I have not dabbled in the PvP because between the PvE and WvW I have my hands full. To address some of the lower reviews. If you hit a wall where you have run out of quests to do in your area youGuild Wars 2 is a fun time. There is obviously room for improvement and they are patching it constantly. This headstart weekend there were 3? patches that improved stability and fixed some issues. I have not dabbled in the PvP because between the PvE and WvW I have my hands full. To address some of the lower reviews. If you hit a wall where you have run out of quests to do in your area you can simply go to any other area in the game and GW2 will "equalize" you to that areas level. If you get banned from the game for 3 days it is in the TOS - that is your warning. Again the game is missing some things - like a functioning Trading Post, along with some other things from your typical MMO that are missed - such as an inspect function and a trade function; everything is via mail. On a completely unrelated note - the dyes are awesome.… Expand
  72. maddoctor
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    The game is absolutely stunning. Although it is lacking some dx11 features, the graphic artists created a beautiful world, the presentation and the art direction as simply spectacular. The old boring quest system has been replaced with an intuitive and unique mechanic called Dynamic Events. These change the landscape considerably and offer a variety of ways to progress them, there areThe game is absolutely stunning. Although it is lacking some dx11 features, the graphic artists created a beautiful world, the presentation and the art direction as simply spectacular. The old boring quest system has been replaced with an intuitive and unique mechanic called Dynamic Events. These change the landscape considerably and offer a variety of ways to progress them, there are events that spawn after a failure. NPCs don't just stand still waiting to give quests to players, they interract with each other and then environment. The NPCs tell a story, and it is a mistake not to stay awhile and listen and to that story unfold in front of your eyes (and ears) and instead run for the exp. This creates a living breathing world that responds to player action, the game feels alive like no other and your actions actually have a meaning, they change the surroundings and offer new posibilities.
    Exploring is key in the game, there is just so much to be found in the world of Tyria, coupled with the amazing scenery and art direction, you are never bored of looking to the vast landscape and exploring to your heart's content. There are well hidden places to be found, jumping puzzles and hidden treasures that are there to be found by expert explorers.
    Combat is very well done, active and up-close and personal. There is no aggro mechanic or any kind of passive block and to-hit mechanisms, it's all up to the player to either hit or be hit by enemies. The game has distinct professions that offer variable abilities for every situation. Each one can perform control damage and support tasks, to a certain extend, marking the end of the holy trinity that plagued RPGs for so long.    … Expand
  73. JeremyJo
    Jan 31, 2013
    0
    Absoluty,insanely bad, boring, repetitive, pointless game. Glad I could sell my account to another poor soul. Bleh. Arenanet is a horrible company and the whole game concept is full of fail. The cutscenes are as ugly and boring as the game.
  74. domz
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    I have to the say, this is the best MMO I have played in years. Most new MMOs that came out are WOW clones (or same style) and nothing new. This one has all the best features of the best mmos out there, dynamic quests -> Rift.

    Only thing that is lacking is the dungeons. They are too hard to do without the standard TANK/HEALER/DMG. Needs a better dungeon strategy.
  75. TMAXXPUNISHER
    Sep 29, 2012
    10
    One of the best games out there. It's clear as day that the large majority of these "negative reviews" are coming from people who have not even played the game and are either just trolling to be miserable trolls or are mad because their game might be failing in some way (SWTOR, Kung Fu Panda)
  76. stayBlind
    Aug 28, 2012
    9
    Great game. Awesome combat mechanics, graphics, sounds, animations, etc. Currently missing the trading post and with some minor bugs; haven't found any game breaking bugs
  77. Lazer
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    This game makes me feel like the biggest completionist. As a long-time MMO fan who never could get into WoW, I have been hinging my hopes on GW2 to deliver a solid, genuinely fun experience. It does all this and more. Suddenly gameplay doesn't feel like a grind and I focus less on what my level is and more on exploration, discovery, and just enjoying the gorgeous variety of the world. TheThis game makes me feel like the biggest completionist. As a long-time MMO fan who never could get into WoW, I have been hinging my hopes on GW2 to deliver a solid, genuinely fun experience. It does all this and more. Suddenly gameplay doesn't feel like a grind and I focus less on what my level is and more on exploration, discovery, and just enjoying the gorgeous variety of the world. The great thing is that this game is perfectly suited for all kinds of players - those who just want to experience the story, those who are interested solely in PvP, crafters, achievement-hunters, explorers. The game is massive, yet nothing feels like it was stretched too thin. The long wait for Guild Wars 2 was more than worth it for me.… Expand
  78. mrsmor
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    The absolute stunning beauty in this game is alone worth a score of 10. As a friend of mine said "I've never walked around in a game for hours just looking at things, I didn't even care where I was going or why." There is so much depth to the art it's truly amazing.
  79. bogey1337
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    The is game is the revolution. Ive been waiting for 5 years for this game and exceeded all of my expectations and then some! It just raised the bar for not just for mmo standards but on how to make a game in general.
  80. Jetillian
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    So people are going to complain about certain things broke? Fine, but when you're dealing with 400k CONCURRENT users online, unforeseen issues will occur. For what it's worth, it is THE smoothest launch of ANY game. Yes, even Warcraft. They have delivered on numerous occasions, spilled their souls into the story, content, and technical systems. It's not about pressing "1" multipleSo people are going to complain about certain things broke? Fine, but when you're dealing with 400k CONCURRENT users online, unforeseen issues will occur. For what it's worth, it is THE smoothest launch of ANY game. Yes, even Warcraft. They have delivered on numerous occasions, spilled their souls into the story, content, and technical systems. It's not about pressing "1" multiple times: it's about knowing when to use your abilities at the proper times. There is something that has been missing to MMO's: fun. This game delivers that on so many levels WITHOUT Skinner box feelies through the levels. This allows the person playing to feel fulfilled even to the end of their PVE route of levels, without the taste of ash. Those who base their judgments or parallel this game with others: you just can't. You can't say that every fantasy setting is the same as the next. You want to parallel it with a game then do it with Warhammer--the game it was set out to be for in the first place. Guild Wars 2 has no hype train: it's the people playing the game telling others it's time to try something unique and higher quality. As for graphics, if you don't apply some kind of spectrum of quality for people, you limit the amount of people to play the game. Sure, it doesn't have SUPER QUAD GRAPHICS OF NEXT GENNING but there is a masterwork level of art direction with ALL of their choices in that regard.

    If you are looking to sink your teeth in with tons of story, get this. If you are looking for hardcore PvP--siege or battlegrounds-esque fighting--get this. There will always be the naysayer, but everyone will ALWAYS have their preferences either way.    … Expand
  81. 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
  82. 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
  83. 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
  84. Dear
    Sep 13, 2012
    10
    I followed the creation and production of Guild Wars 2 for the past three years, and I have to say it has lived up to and even surpassed my greatest expectations. I love this game, from the gorgeous artistry in every detail, to the way gameplay is so seamless you progress without meaning to, to the masterfully executed storytelling that truly makes you feel important, a direct force in anI followed the creation and production of Guild Wars 2 for the past three years, and I have to say it has lived up to and even surpassed my greatest expectations. I love this game, from the gorgeous artistry in every detail, to the way gameplay is so seamless you progress without meaning to, to the masterfully executed storytelling that truly makes you feel important, a direct force in an actually, really, truly epic fight to save the world. Arenanet has been brilliant the whole time, by the way. They've done a most commendable job in communicating with and paying attention to their fans/playerbase on a refreshingly personal level. 10/10, 5 stars, two thumbs up, and a standing ovation.… Expand
  85. CurtisQ
    Sep 13, 2012
    10
    This is one of the finest games I have ever played. It succeeds in all areas that I care about in an MMO. It is fun to play by myself and interact with other people I don't know and its also fun to play with friends you know. You can play with any of your friends thanks to the downleveling system which I think is an awesome idea. The world is beautiful and charters look great, the storyThis is one of the finest games I have ever played. It succeeds in all areas that I care about in an MMO. It is fun to play by myself and interact with other people I don't know and its also fun to play with friends you know. You can play with any of your friends thanks to the downleveling system which I think is an awesome idea. The world is beautiful and charters look great, the story quests are also great in my opinion, its the only MMO I have ever played that has made me care about the story in any way shape or form. All around an amazing MMO and no subscription fees! It doesnt get much better than this for $60 if you ask me.… Expand
  86. Tacoss23
    Sep 29, 2012
    10
    Masterpiece of an MMO-RPG game. Let me start by saying I'm not a fanboy of GW or Arenanet, nor I'm a person that takes sides first before critically thinking, or devotes himself to a product/idea/politics, etc etc before having an objective analysis. I'm simply extremely happy with this game and I praise Arenanet (a company unknown to me before this) for what they have accomplished here.Masterpiece of an MMO-RPG game. Let me start by saying I'm not a fanboy of GW or Arenanet, nor I'm a person that takes sides first before critically thinking, or devotes himself to a product/idea/politics, etc etc before having an objective analysis. I'm simply extremely happy with this game and I praise Arenanet (a company unknown to me before this) for what they have accomplished here. GW2 is better in almost everysingle aspect than any other MMO out there right now. Their PvP, Classes, Dungeons, Combat (TERA might arguably be better), inventory, UI, questing, Storyline (SWTOR was equally as good), itemization, gathering, community (oh boy, this is the best part), side-dishes (things to do extra), crafting, graphics, major cities.....(I could go on for a while), are far superior and well done than their competition (WoW). All this put together, gives the player a sense of adventure, challenge, journey, community, and above all Epicness. This is something that a lot of MMOs are losing (WoW spearheading the idea) in favor of faster, easier on demand mindless GRIND. I can't simply understand how Blizzard has the face to charge their customer $15/month for their junk, after watching what Arenanet did with this game, it's even more unbelievable is the fact that people would still pay for it. Bottom line, this game is as good as it gets in MMOs, and best part is that I see Arenanet very much involved in listening their customers and taking the game in the right direction.… Expand
  87. Whiskey78
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    Fun and innovative in the sense that you level up quickly without realizing that your doing it. Combat is fast paced and smooth, graphics are beautifully done, and over all game play is extremely enjoyable.
  88. gendu
    Oct 16, 2012
    10
    /age : You have played 242 hours played across all characters.

    My first "mmo" was the original Guild Wars, I loved it from the first moment I started playing and I continued to play it for almost 5 years. When I started to loose interest in GW I tried out other mmo's but none could capture my interest long enough to warrant a subscription beyond the second month. Among them: WoW, Lotro,    /age : You have played 242 hours played across all characters.

    My first "mmo" was the original Guild Wars, I loved it from the first moment I started playing and I continued to play it for almost 5 years. When I started to loose interest in GW I tried out other mmo's but none could capture my interest long enough to warrant a subscription beyond the second month. Among them: WoW, Lotro, Conan, Tabula Rasa, Rift.
    I came to a decision then to ignore subscription based mmo's as I really hated the feeling that I was wasting my money when I was not playing.

    I tried GW2 first during the beta weekends, I was shocked to see how different it felt from the original GW and I must admit it did not convince me at first, it felt more like the other "classic" mmo's and I felt overwhelmed by all the content and lost, unsure what to do or what was happening.
    Still, I put my trust in the dev team that brought me the original GW which I loved so much, closed my eyes and pushed that prepurchase button.
    When the game launched I took 2 weeks off from work to indulge in some good old gaming marathon (much more modest now since the wife and the baby ;-) ).

    It took me about 3-4 days learning to play the game, starting from running around like a headless chicken, rolling from one event to the next. Once I understood the basics of the game and the various reward systems it all fell in place for me, my trust in the dev team paid off. Now I am completely hooked, for the first time in 5 years I am again completely hooked to a game.

    things I like
    - the distinct pve areas, each with it's own setting (forest, snowy, desert,..) it's own story and special events
    - the downleveling makes it possible to enjoy lower level area's as they were meant to be played
    - dynamic events encourages players to fight together, a nice change in pace for someone like me who normally plays solo
    - trading post/auction house, gem system, you never need to buy gems with real money because you can buy it with ingame earned gold, buying and selling is simplicity - ingame goals: maxing out titles, level, crafting skills, daily achievements, monthly achievements, exploring (vista's, points of interests)
    - WvWvW, still a noob here but very thrilling, it's is basically the same as the pve areas, only there are enemy players of 2 other servers fighting in the same map, the maps are almost as big as the pve area's filled with all the same challenges (vista's, poi's, harvesting, quests and events,..) but also towers and keeps controlled by player factions that can be fortified and repaired and of course captured. You enter with your own gear but your level is boosted to max level in order to give you a fighting chance. - crafting and discovering new recipes (you will have to buy ingredients from the trading post if you don't want to grind harvesting jute, copper,...), the chef makes consumables that can be used to give time limited buffs, the tailor (and others) can make bigger bags...
    - personal story: changes by race and choices made ingame, plenty of variety to make each story different things I haven't tried yet
    - dungeons
    - guilds
    - structured PvP
    - high level (70+) areas

    My current main is a level 67 guardian with 62% map completion.
    My ranger is played to become a survivor, currently level 22 and going (slowly)
    My mesmer is played to become max crafter in everything (and so also become a survivor) and sits permanently in Lion's Arch next to the mystic forge
    My engineer was the first character I made and is currently waiting for my attention stuck at level 42.
    My warrior, elementalist, necromancer and thief are still in their starting area's neglected for the moment.

    Seeing how Arenanet supported the original GW, the enhancements that were added over the years, the special holiday events, I expect the same support for GW2 and I see myself enjoying at least the next 5 years playing GW2.    … Expand
  89. marc5477
    Dec 31, 2014
    7
    Probably the best MMO available and fits a wide range of audience. Anyone can pick it up and be successful at the casual level yet there is enough intricacy that the hardcore crowd can do their customary min/maxing. They nice thing about this MMO is it receives a lot of love from its developer. World events are frequent and the stories are always moving along to keep people interested inProbably the best MMO available and fits a wide range of audience. Anyone can pick it up and be successful at the casual level yet there is enough intricacy that the hardcore crowd can do their customary min/maxing. They nice thing about this MMO is it receives a lot of love from its developer. World events are frequent and the stories are always moving along to keep people interested in raids and bosses. The bad news is that the game is easy... then again, all MMO's have devolve to this problem since WoW became successful and I cannot fault the developers for wanting to make enough money to keep their jobs. There are some nice features in this game that others lack, most notably, exploration is rewarded and it really is fun to run into random puzzles in the world and try to figure them out. Some of those jumping puzzles are very memorable and well placed. In fact, if you are not alert or reading a guide, you can miss them altogether which is really cool when you find them on your own. The game has your standard crafting professions as well as class trees that are fairly well balanced allowing for many viable builds. PvP is ok and world PvP is somewhat fun but I was never a PvP guy so I didnt play as much of it. I personally enjoy exploring new areas and getting the best gear within reason (kind of like trophies for me). The nice thing about Guild Wars 2 is that everyone has means to get some of the best weapons in the game. You can do it the old fashion way of raiding or your can earn it in other ways such as PvP or crafting or just through in game wealth. I like the mini-instances in the game but the one thing that I dont like is itemization. Loot in the game just feels useless and most items only have value because they are torn down via crafting. I suppose there is no way around this in an MMO (or even 1 player games) and it has been a gripe of mine since my early gaming days. Anyway, its a great MMO. No subscription fees to worry about and most anything can be bought with in game currency and time. You can buy some cosmetic upgrades or more storage slots but honestly, there is no reason to do so. I would recommend playing the game normally and saving up for the upgrades since there is nothing else worth spending in-game money on anyway.… Expand
  90. femmefatal
    Sep 23, 2012
    9
    Don't listen to the naysayers they are just WOW fanbabies who are upset that GW2 is so popular and good. It really is fantastic and the graphics are some of the best I've ever seen. It also puts RIFT to shame and the world is HUGE and you get 5 starting areas and several classes and 5 races. It has one of the most unique skills systems I've ever seen with 5 of the skills out of the 10+ youDon't listen to the naysayers they are just WOW fanbabies who are upset that GW2 is so popular and good. It really is fantastic and the graphics are some of the best I've ever seen. It also puts RIFT to shame and the world is HUGE and you get 5 starting areas and several classes and 5 races. It has one of the most unique skills systems I've ever seen with 5 of the skills out of the 10+ you get attached to each type of weapon you use. It truely is one of the best MMO's on the market now and well worth the $60 I paid for it. There is lots to explore and an very simple combat system but still enough to do to make it skillful and not just a roll face type of combat system.
    It has daily achievements for you to do, monthly and many many more types to grant you titles and money.
    The endgame is well not really an endgame because there's really no raiding required, there's no grind required UNLESS you want to grind for OPTIONAL ARMOR and WEAPONS that are PURELY COSMETIC and nothing more. Too many WOWbabies whine because it's not easy to get in 3 weeks time playing lol.

    Trust me if you want a great fun MMO to play that doesn't take all your time away this is the one. Nothing out there is as good as this and so much fun. :)    … Expand
  91. Sloppyjoe
    Jun 19, 2015
    0
    Doesn't matter. Any company that cheat or lies to their customers are scum. I really hope the devs weren't in tandem with the decisions ArenaNet are making. See Heart of Thorns pre-purchase controversy for further details.
  92. 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
  93. theNILE
    Sep 2, 2013
    2
    Terrible RvR system where the map is too big, Planetside 2 did it better tbh. Loot is boring, always crap, you craft your gear and then you're done...you don't even need to grind/hunt for gear. Event drops are crap too. Puzzle drops are even worse. Raids are a terrible bore because enemies have tons of health. Stat system is simple there is no allocation and only a few secondary stats.Terrible RvR system where the map is too big, Planetside 2 did it better tbh. Loot is boring, always crap, you craft your gear and then you're done...you don't even need to grind/hunt for gear. Event drops are crap too. Puzzle drops are even worse. Raids are a terrible bore because enemies have tons of health. Stat system is simple there is no allocation and only a few secondary stats. The grind is pretty easy but boring because you have 4-8 skills and no tactics required to level in high level areas...you can just solo and mechanics and skill required is no problem. Gear is generic with no interesting abilities/stat variations. GW2 is pretty though.… Expand
  94. 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
  95. Eceliion
    Oct 2, 2012
    10
    No commitment fun. I'm not tied down by a subscription - which is great. But most importantly, the game is beautiful. I'm happy they worked on it an extra two years. Quality really shines through.
  96. Cleric22
    Oct 19, 2012
    10
    I often wonder whether people who give this game a negative review really put the time in the appreciate the mechanics of GW2. One person says there is no end game content and is infuriated. The other says there is end game content...and he is infuriated. I myself along with my group am enjoying this game thoroughly. I find the waypoint mechanic essential to getting around since there areI often wonder whether people who give this game a negative review really put the time in the appreciate the mechanics of GW2. One person says there is no end game content and is infuriated. The other says there is end game content...and he is infuriated. I myself along with my group am enjoying this game thoroughly. I find the waypoint mechanic essential to getting around since there are no mounts, but being able to stay in the field longer means more gameplay, which in turns means time not wasted.

    The combat is fluid enough for a MMORPG, the dodge mechanic especially useful for the larger bosses, and a sense of thrill as you feel the narrow escape of a lethal attack. The races and classes have fun diversities from other games of this setting and style. Fans of Skyrim may enjoy the Norn class, a Norse like people standing at 9 feet tall and following the ways of the mountain. In other parts of the world technology, nobility and nature may rule in place. It's steampunk at times without the self aware humor that sometimes comes along with it.

    Ascetically the game has plenty to offer. Being able to change color patterns on the fly means never being bored of feeling mixed match unless you want that. Even items can be found that will combine the look of one item with the stats of another. Making a friendly PVE world has opened up the potential for this game. Taking down a monster with dozens of people gives a thrill as a complete stranger will lend you a buff, or even pick you up if you're knocked over.

    PVP has great potential allowing anyone to dive in from the character screen, and leveling has been so much fun I'm working on three characters!    … Expand
  97. 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
  98. 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
  99. 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
  100. Bmane
    Jan 10, 2015
    4
    Guild Wars 2 is probably, as of now, the current best MMO on the market. And that's really an insight into the current trend of MMO's. The idea that an MMO is about exploration and living in a new world, reaping the benefits of what should be fun non-stagnant gameplay, has now become set in stone as a repetitive grindfest upon a treadmill that you, as the player, now thread on.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Honestly, despite the fact that I said GW2 is the best mmo on the market, there are a few contenders. Age of Conan is for one a rather enjoyable affair. GW2 just happens to be the big elephant in the room that dwarfs all the others, and it is a damn shame that it's not as revolutionary as it could be, and all it is, is a rather mundane bland adventure into a fantasy land.    … Expand
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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

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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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