Guild Wars

 PC
  • Publisher: NCSOFT
  • Release Date: Apr 26, 2005
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 503 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 403 out of 503
  2. Mixed: 52 out of 503
  3. Negative: 48 out of 503
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  1. Aeryx
    Aug 2, 2017
    8
    Still by far one of the best MMORPGs I've ever played. The graphics back at the time were gorgeous and made me feel very much part of the world. Roaming the crystal desert in solitude was such a hauntingly beautiful experience. The concept art, music and vistas took me away so much I dreamed about this game in my sleep. Compared to today's MMORPGs that harass you BS monetization, backStill by far one of the best MMORPGs I've ever played. The graphics back at the time were gorgeous and made me feel very much part of the world. Roaming the crystal desert in solitude was such a hauntingly beautiful experience. The concept art, music and vistas took me away so much I dreamed about this game in my sleep. Compared to today's MMORPGs that harass you BS monetization, back then, once you bought the game, everything was yours to earn via in-game effort. Getting ectos was critical and the difficult areas, like Hall of Heroes required immense team work to pull off and luck to finish with an unstable internet connection. The PVP and multiplayer were also very enjoyable. Unfortunately Mesmers never found their place in this game, and were rejected by teams for difficult dungeons as they were poor in PVE although good in PVP. Jeremy Soule's music was a masterpiece for this, and I wish for him to return in GW3.… Expand
  2. DivinityItself
    Jan 23, 2013
    9
    All has been said in varied reviews about GW. All I can tell you is from 2005 up until now I've played for 7600+ hours. That's approximately 320 full days over a 7 year span. The only games that got me engaged in the past are Sword of Fargoal on the CBM64, Dungeon Master (and Chaos Strikes Back) by FTL on the Atari ST. I hope that ArenaNet never pulls the plug on it.
  3. gracjanski
    Apr 23, 2018
    10
    This game is an art. In combinations with all the 3 addons it deserves a much better succes and attention:
    The graphic is written geniously: beautiful and great performance.
    The gameplay gives you so many possiblities: great. And in the beginning it is easy to understand. So you see, the old easy to learn, hard to master principle. The idea of gathering all the players together to a town    This game is an art. In combinations with all the 3 addons it deserves a much better succes and attention:
    The graphic is written geniously: beautiful and great performance.
    The gameplay gives you so many possiblities: great. And in the beginning it is easy to understand. So you see, the old easy to learn, hard to master principle. The idea of gathering all the players together to a town and let them group there to go through an instance is simply perfect.
    The campaing is great, I didnt want to stop to play, because I wanted to know, what happens next.
    The music is great too, I still enjoy to listen to some tracks (I downloaded them separately).
    I dont see any weaknesses in this game (dont forget, the game has 3 addons, that improves the basic game too)    … Expand
  4. kirbman101
    Sep 10, 2013
    10
    I played this game for years and enjoyed every moment of it. It plays a bit differently than other MMOs, because it is designed to prevent grinding, trolling, imbalance, and various other negative factors that typically plague online games.
  5. k0pkaas
    Oct 22, 2013
    10
    Whenever I try out a new mmo the first thing I do is compare it to Guild Wars. That is how much of an impact this game left on me. I picked it up within a few months of it having came out and played it for YEARS. I had thousands of hours logged into this game, and STILL can't help but log on every once in a while to take a trip down memory lane. The game is of course very dated and I can'tWhenever I try out a new mmo the first thing I do is compare it to Guild Wars. That is how much of an impact this game left on me. I picked it up within a few months of it having came out and played it for YEARS. I had thousands of hours logged into this game, and STILL can't help but log on every once in a while to take a trip down memory lane. The game is of course very dated and I can't play it with the fervor that I used to, but it is still the mold with which I compare every mmo I come across. Hopefully soon a game will come which will match or surpass my image of it.… Expand
  6. renanherz
    Dec 18, 2013
    10
    Without a doubt, the best MMORPG I have played to date (although technically not actually an MMORPG).

    The graphics are gorgeous. There is an endless variety of character skillset possibilities due to the hundreds and hundreds of skills available for each character profession. This means you can never bore of the gameplay, and if you are into PVP it becomes a constantly changing arena    Without a doubt, the best MMORPG I have played to date (although technically not actually an MMORPG).

    The graphics are gorgeous.

    There is an endless variety of character skillset possibilities due to the hundreds and hundreds of skills available for each character profession. This means you can never bore of the gameplay, and if you are into PVP it becomes a constantly changing arena involving teams changing/trialing new and progressively more creative builds to counter the currently winning team's build. Testing builds yourself to try and beat certain enemies/bosses, or solo certain areas is always a fun and rewarding experience.

    The game is complex, but not enough for the learning curve to be huge. The game itself is simple enough to learn to play, the challenge instead comes in learning how to play well.

    The map is huge, especially when combined with its expansions, and you will never run out of things to do.

    The game is free to play, and does not reward players who play for hours on end over those who are more casual. Everyone has access to gear with the same stats, the hardcore players simply pay extra in order to look better than everyone else. This was one of my favourite features about guild wars, especially over guild wars 2, which instead opts to reward hardcore players with a slight edge in stats over ordinary players due to their extensive playtimes.

    I only managed to stop playing this game after my computer crashed, for which I was grateful because this game genuinely ends up taking a large chunk of your life away. These days i play guild wars 2 instead, which is very fun and has stunning graphics, but feels very simple in comparison, especially in PvP due to the very limited skills available and lack of customisation.    … Expand
  7. thingamajiggly
    Jun 21, 2014
    10
    This is the game that actually got me hooked on video games. I would watch my sister and her boyfriend play, and I fell in love. I loved the graphics, the ability to explore, and the storyline. Unlike a lot of other MMORPGs , you don't have to pay a monthly fee after you purchase the game. Also, you have the ability to play by yourself, and don't have to depend on others to get throughThis is the game that actually got me hooked on video games. I would watch my sister and her boyfriend play, and I fell in love. I loved the graphics, the ability to explore, and the storyline. Unlike a lot of other MMORPGs , you don't have to pay a monthly fee after you purchase the game. Also, you have the ability to play by yourself, and don't have to depend on others to get through the game.… Expand
  8. Camora11
    Sep 6, 2014
    10
    The first MMO I ever played way back in 2005. It is hands down my favorite game to this day. Everything from the story, the character attributes, skill/spell diversity, pvp, seasonal events, side quests, and community gave me some really fun memories. This game will always be special to me.
  9. Masteis
    Feb 18, 2016
    10
    I spent my teenage times while playing Guild Wars. Actually there were many MMORPG's i was playing but the 'Guild Wars' was the real one. I'm not giving "10" points for that i was fan of it. GW deserves it.

    Game provides you "Dude, you are free, you can anything you want. Build your character as you wish" There was no power differences between classes cuz you wouldn't know your    I spent my teenage times while playing Guild Wars. Actually there were many MMORPG's i was playing but the 'Guild Wars' was the real one. I'm not giving "10" points for that i was fan of it. GW deserves it.

    Game provides you "Dude, you are free, you can anything you want. Build your character as you wish"
    There was no power differences between classes cuz you wouldn't know your oppenents' build.

    Maybe the best thing was in GW, it was forcing you to use your brain. You couldn't play only spamming keyboard buttons. You had calculate your enemy and play smart and not only for pvp, pve was difficult to play too.

    Still best MMORPG for me and many players.    … Expand
  10. Schoobs
    Oct 2, 2016
    10
    Guild Wars is a unique experience. Excellent story line, multiple campaigns (with hundreds of hours of extra content) and a beautiful world to explore. Easily my favorite game of all time. There's still a decent amount of people online and all the expansion so are inexpensive, I'd still recommend it now in 2016.
  11. addiinnocent
    Dec 21, 2021
    10
    Awesome Game with awesome people who are still playing after almost 20 years!
  12. Duder38
    Apr 7, 2023
    10
    The best (mmo) rpg ever made, by a stretch. Highly recommend buying it with a friend and playing through the trilogy.
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Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best PC Game of 2005
12
#12 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
16
#16 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 53 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 53
  3. Negative: 0 out of 53
  1. Inside Gamer Online
    90
    It’s impossible to describe the joy playing Guild Wars offers. It isn’t particularly deep, but it’s highly rewarding nonetheless. A friendly design and interface, and the simple, elegant combat, are bound to appeal to a wide range of gamers.
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  2. GameSpot
    92
    It innovatively and successfully combines many of the best, most addictive properties of action RPGs, online RPGs, and competitive multiplayer games in one beautifully produced package, which offers a tremendous lasting value yet none of the monthly fees typically associated with online-only games.
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  3. Yahoo!
    90
    If tedious leveling up, dull combat, or uninspired player vs. player gaming are your quibbles with today's massively multiplayer offerings, Guild Wars is the cure.
    Read full review
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