Guild Wars 2 PC
  • Publisher: NCSOFT
  • Release Date: Aug 28, 2012
User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2156 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,695 out of 2156
  2. Mixed: 139 out of 2156
  3. Negative: 322 out of 2156

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  1. suneater
    Dec 13, 2012
    3
    Had a great start and tons of potential but the devs have squandered it. Storyline starts out great with your choices having impact but around halfway through it gets hijacked by a Mary Sue who saves the world for you. Graphics are marginally better than the originals and most of the music is recycled from GW. Gameplay is dull with each weapon having a locked set of skills leaving you with 1 healing skill, 3 "utility" slots, and an elite skill. Most skills are bland because the devs have killed the "trinity" (aka an actual class system) leaving everyone being tanky DPS for dungeons and glass cannons for pvp. 4 months after launch and there are still tons of gameplay bugs, elite skills are almost all garbage (so bad that you forget to use them), CC & debuffs are unbalanced and boring (stuns last 1-2 seconds but cripple can stack to over a minute easily), and class customization is non-existent with barebone traits. The world is beautiful and at first fun to explore, but if you go for map completion the hearts are very tedious and all the starting zones feel the same. Endgame consists of unevenly difficult & boring dungeons, chaotic & pointless server vs. server PvP, KOTH PvP with cosmetics-only rewards, and grinding for hundreds of hours for "legendary" weapons. Overall, this is a terrible sequel and has nothing to do with the original Guild War series apart from races and some skill names. The devs are clearly building the game for the "WoW audience" and have not only abandoned their original fans but are actively alienating them.… Expand
  2. vahn
    Feb 15, 2013
    0
    This is going to be my last attempt on trying to be serious on this game...since everytime I boot it up, it gets worse and worse everytime and I'm myself impressed by how bad this game gets the more I play. I have leveled over 50 and played a lot by exploring and doing all sort of quests, all sorts of actions, and again I tried the crafting after months of its release (since I bought it on launch). I initially said it was a great game due to the classes being well detailed, which ended up to be sort of a fake statement since all classes are basically "jack of all trades" class: you only get a different set of skills and while I appreciated the fact that they tried to remove the "holy trinity" (tank, dps, healer), this lack of feature makes every class basically a boredom due to the fact that you'll never feel unique: you're one of the crowd, and I don't see that point in a mmo where you'd wish to stand up among the crowd: it's that what makes an mmo worthwhile. I also mentioned how the game gives you different ways to quest. and events that are varied and different...but after a while you'll just discover that it's still the same quests just disguised as a "different" event, without mentioning that they can be boring too since you are, again, one of the crowd and I saw myself just spamming the same skills. About the skills, I initially mentioned that I liked it, but eventually I opened my eyes and I saw just how limited it was, since you'll just be spamming 5 skills in total, plus 5 more that can be set by yourself later on...but it is just not enough to keep the game fresh and I remember being bored just after few weeks of gameplay after release. Also the combat states that they hoped to be dynamic and always on the move, by giving you also the possibility to dodge and to fight while moving...and again you'll see just as a disguise for the same old routine; the dodge works sporadically and unless you're EXTREMELY precise, you can still be hit and make your dodge completely useless. Also, you have only 2 dodges, and once you're over you can easily stand still: even if you run their hit range is bigger than yours, and unfortunely this leads into some very overpowered enemies that can take basically 1/10 of your health in one hit (worst example: as a warrior, I received a critical hit of 990 from a NON-veteran/elite enemy...and I was level 11-12, and had only 890+ hp). It is engaging at times...and at first, but then you'll see the truth in a second: it's not fun and it is repetitive. I also mentioned how the shared resources is good...and is still good! But on the other hand the crafting system, while a little improved by lowering some items (I "think"...) it still remains hard to improve and I honestly never tried to improve it due to the fact that it requires so much material grinding that it would turn off any will of trying. And while some may say "get a guild" or "use a guide" to me, I say instead if I'm forced to ask for help, what's to enjoy about the professions?". The graphics are still great and I haven't got much to say: it still remains the best graphics I've seen so far. Although, the dubbing can be mediocre at times. The story, while I liked that you could create a story for your avatar, it's the same as the rest of the game: it's just a disguise that after some quests completely disappears and reveals nothing more than a simple questline with choices to make (which changes only few things by the way). While interesting, AGAIN, the freshness disappears rapidly and becomes a boring campaign that shows nothing more, and nothing less. I also mentioned that while there are 5 races, this is the game where I basically played one, since most of the races are...ugly. This is still personal and while I enjoy that they added more races than the first game, to me the human is still the only good race to play with (or the charr: they're awesome!). And for last, the community. I play in one of the most crowded server (Aurora Glade) and everytime I play...I hardly see anybody around! What happened? Even when I started a new character the places had barely few people around: I was playing alone all the time! Nobody even talked in the general chat (except cities) and while I'm not at cap level yet I've seen more players in the starting zones in many other MMORPGs, and this game supposed to encourage team work! That alone is why I quit, and why everyone should be aware of this game: I wouldn't bother if it wasn't of it's welcoming appearence but it soon shows how fake all the premise was and how basically it has nothing fresh into it. Not the worst MMORPG, but it's very close to it. You have been warned.… Expand
  3. Necromus
    Sep 6, 2012
    0
    I highly recommend that you try this game out on a friend's account or wait until there is a free trial available before you buy this game because it is very different than other MMOs and also very different than what all the hype says about it. Many of the ones who rated this game 10 seem to be "yes men" drinking the Guild Wars 2 "kool-aid" without critical thinking. I get the impression that many of them have played only the original Guild Wars but have never played another MMO, or have only played World of Warcraft around 2004-2005 before all the major improvements that improved WoW over the years such as phasing, etc. After reading an aritcle where ArenaNet Founder Mike O'Brien said "We were number two to World of Warcraft with Guild Wars, now we want to beat them" and over-hype such as how the Guild Wars 2 web site currently says "Join the MMO Revolution..." I got suckered into thinking this game was going to be something great and pre-purchased it. I soon learned after 60 minutes of gameplay that I had been duped. I kept playing it to see if it would grow on me, but after every two hours of trying to get myself to enjoy the game I just would have to log off out of sheer boredom. This is the first time I have bought a game and been so dissapointed that I regretted the purchase. The reasons I don't like the game are: 1) The combat system is horrible. When you press one of your action bar keys, it does not feel like your character is responding, It is hard to see what you are hitting with your abilitie what hitting you. The combat is very similar to WoW vehicle fights where you just spam buttons 1-5 on cooldown. Add running in a circle to dodge stuff and you've pretty much mastered the game.. Due to lack of mob tagging all of the dynamic events involving bosses or waves of NPC foes seem to be zergfests where a dozen or so players are attacking the same boss/foes and really you feel like your part is so minimal that you are insignificant. 2) Poor story telling: The personal story NPC cut-scenes where you see two badly voice-acted NPCs standing at the left and the right of the screen in front of a painted backdrop are lame.What was extremely annoying for me for the personal story was the way that every time you completed one or two simple steps in the personal story you would have to leave the personal story and go and grind your level up doing other things because your weren't high enough level for the next personal story step. They need to either make the personal story scale with your level or just get rid of the personal story all together imo, the personal story does not seem to be connected to the outside world anyway.3) World Questing: WoW-clone quests just without the middle-man: If you've played WoW or any WoW-clone you've done these types of quests before, fetch a number of these things, kill a number of these things, place a number of these things over there, etc. Guild Wars 2 presents them a little differently however. Instead of list of fetch 0/10 things, kill 0/10 things, put 0/10 things there, you get a bar that says something equivalent to "Help Bob by fetching things, killing things and putting things there" and you can do any or all of the things repeatedly until the bar fills up at which point you get mail from "Bob" saying something like "Thanks for the help! here's some coins and a piece of armor!", you don't even have to go to a mailbox. For me personally, it feels like I am just doing a bunch of random tasks. I prefer the old way where you talk to an NPC and listen to him speak and/or read his test giving you a back story to why you are doing what you are doing and return to him when you are done because it gives you a sense of purpose for doing stuff, without that it really just feels like just a grind, when according to the hype, Guild Wars 2 was supposed to be less grindy than other MMOs.I originally gave Guild Wars 2 a 3/10 I've lowered it to 0/10 for a few reasons. a) Someone seems to be gaming the metacritic system to remove negative reviews (including b) there are way to many guild wars fans just giving the game a 10/10 without any critical thinking c) a large number of accounts have been hacked, d) Guild Wars 2 policies to ban players for 72 hours for swearing when they have a profanity filter build into the game makes no sense, e) Banning players for 72 hours for minor naming offenses when it is a first offense is extreme. I think some cases such as names that contain swear words or making racist remarks are indeed worthy of a 72-hour ban, but being banned for 72 hours for naming yourself something "Adolf Critler" is a little excessive for a first offense, a forced name change and a warning would've sufficed. I'm also not clear if a parodied name like "Spruce Willis" for a Sylvari would get me a 72 hour ban or not. I also had a few nice things to say but had to remove them due to 5000 char limit, but they cannot make up for the bad things.… Expand
  4. Garian
    Feb 12, 2013
    7
    Sure, GW2 was a fun game for a while, I enjoyed it, but after playing World of Warcraft for years before this, despite wanting to, I couldn't quite get into it and I stopped playing after reaching only level 16.
  5. Necrotaur
    Aug 28, 2012
    9
    If you've played just about any MMO in the last 10 years, you are intimately familiar with floating exclamation points, dungeon grinding, and gear treadmills. Guild Wars 2 turns much of what we know, and have unquestioningly accepted about MMOs, on its head. The most obvious difference is in the questing. The vast majority of "quests" in GW2 are spontaneous and dynamic. You don't bump into someone who tells you their life story right before they ask you to kill 10 rats. Rather, you might come upon a farm under attack by bandits - if you or your companions manage to drive them off, it may lead to another stage where you go on the attack, and raid the bandits lair. If you fail, however, a different quest starts, where you may have to repair the damage the bandits caused. People passing through the area are free to join in or leave at any time, and the difficulty scales to however many are participating. Combat itself is vastly different from the usual 'stand still and mash buttons' you see everywhere else. Movement is key, and with no specific tank or healer class, players must be aware at all times and be ready to dodge whenever the boss winds ups for a special attack. It's refreshing, and, at times, difficult - there is a definite learning curve. Additionally, combat skills depend on your weapon type. A mage might throw a fireball while wielding a staff, but if he equips a dagger, it turns into a a completely different, aoe type attack. Various other quality-of-life improvements have been made. You never directly compete with other players for quest objectives or resource nodes. Fast travel works from any point on the map. The graphics are some of the best I've seen in an MMO, and the solo storyline is actually pretty good, varying wildly depending on what race/background choices you made during character creation. Max level pvp is accessible as soon as you create your character, and is easily the best system I've seen in an MMO yet. Exploration is fun, and there are rewards for doing it. Crafting has a unique experimentation aspect to it. And, of course, the biggest selling point - there is no subscription fee! Now, all this isn't to say GW2 doesn't have any flaws. There are still a lot of launch bugs floating around, ranging from minor (trouble grouping with players) to major (the auction house has been down for days). It's still up in the air how "end game" will be received, bearing in mind there is no traditional gear treadmill. The cash/gem shop is a little sketchy, and the game has many subtle and not-so-subtle ways of nudging you toward it. Anyway, I've been playing the game since beta and I can honestly say I've been having a lot of fun. The burning questions on everyone's minds (whether or not this will kill WoW, or if they should drop WoW for this game) are largely irrelevant, they are different games with different mentalities and approaches to MMO gaming.… Expand
  6. Yummyzombie
    Sep 20, 2012
    9
    Not perfect, but you finally dont need to pay monthly fees to enjoy the full content!!! This makes WoW both worse and better than GW2. GW2 would be great even if you had to pay monthly fees. Which is what makes it worth your money so much. The graphics are amazing and when the world merges to complete one world event, its epic without any need to create a party. And there are jumping puzzles which were missed so much in other MMOs. If I would have to pick some cons it would be that there are no fractions and the tutorial was a bit too short (how do i craft????).… Expand
  7. WhiteTalpa
    Jan 10, 2013
    6
    Guild Wars 2 does a lot of things right and is an enjoyable game However, there are already other big games like RuneScape which has got it 99% right, so in conclusion forget Guild Wars 2 and play RuneScape.
  8. GolovA
    Oct 20, 2012
    7
    I failed to see what all the hype was about. This game is by no means special.
    HOWEVER: having said that, it is a very good Online RPG. Many characters to play, tons of items, skills, spells, etc. But for me - what's important in an online RPG is to play with someone i know. Otherwise - it's just no fun - even less fun if there was a single player campaign.
  9. wordy_actions
    Dec 5, 2012
    8
    A fantastic and fresh take on MMO's, most notably due to the unique combat system and PVP activities. The game, however, lacks engaging end-game content. Musically and graphically the game is fantastic. The story is generic though, and not very memorable. I had a blast playing this game for about a month, well worth the price, and hey, ITS FREE TO PLAY!
  10. ChoicestGames
    Jan 18, 2013
    8
    While ArenaNet has definitely succeeded in making Guild Wars 2 different to anything else out there, it has taken away some of the endearing qualities of the original Guild Wars such as a greater variety of skills and placing a greater focus on storyline missions. For newcomers, the game will keep you entertained for awhile but long-term enjoyment boils down to PvP, WvW and popular dungeons.
  11. chronoT
    Sep 21, 2012
    9
    I felt it was necessary to rewrite this since I have put another 100 hours in and many of the current reviews are extremely inaccurate and idiotic. Please take serious consideration to the fact that almost EVERY user who gave this game a negative rating (0-4) created their account within the past few days/weeks just to give it a bad mark and haven't reviewed any other games. Pretty much they are jealous nerds spamming accounts and ruining the review. Let it be known that I am NOT some prepubescent anti-WoW fanboy, this review is my honest assessment. I will start by saying that I think Guild Wars 2 is an awesome experience that I would recommend to pretty much anyone. One of the best qualities is how user-friendly it is compared to other MMO's, all the while remaining challenging and rewarding. I have 300+ hours invested, and folks this game is so massive that I haven't even scratched the surface, completing only 37% of the world map. The launch had a few technical issues like every other MMO, but they were fixed a few days after the release. I lost interest in WoW due to subscription fees, overall lack of attention towards PvP or WvW, and Blizzard's originality was diminished with its purchase by Activison. All of this is corrected with GW2, no fees, PvP and WvW that is worth participating, and good support from the legit AreaNet. - Story (8): Each race and class is unique having their own strengths and weaknesses, all the while being extremely balanced. I chose a human warrior because they can use a wide variety of weapons, and the initial skill system in GW2 is centered around your weapon. The story mode helps in exploration by giving you an idea of what level you should be and what area you should be in, but at times the interactions with characters are a bit lacking. It is amazing how many choices you are given with each class during the story, it is almost impossible for 2 people to have the same experience. - Graphics (10): Don't listen to people who don't have the tools necessary to run Guild Wars 2 on FULL appearance settings. With my Geforce 670 FTW the graphics are undeniably amazing. The artistic sense presented here is superbly done, the worlds are beautiful and diverse, and you can tell the creators gave extreme attention to detail. What is nice as well are the effects, for example getting attacked causes a certain colored border to appear (green for poison), or jumping out of the water causes droplets to cover the screen. These little details make you feel engrossed in the action. They are not the best graphics available, but IMO they are better than any other MMO to date. - Sound (9): Whether I am using surround sound or my Plantronics headset, the sound is great. The background music was done by an artist that worked on Elder Scrolls, sounding like a mix of Skyrim and Final Fantasy. Overall I feel the music matches very well with the atmosphere and the sound effects from battles, using your weapons, and spells are crisp and detailed. - Gameplay (9): One of the best things about GW2 is the fact that you can load it up at anytime and jump right in, you don't ever feel pressured to play. You learn your weapon skills fast because you need them right away. Other skills are class specific and are learned by leveling up and finding skill challenges. As you level up you also gain trait points for attributes and you are able to master 2 trades such as a weaponsmith and armorsmith. I will admit that the 5 basic weapon skills will get repetitive with time, but this is where creating other characters becomes worthwhile. Exploring the world is a blast, there are so many waypoints for fast travel, vendors for buying and selling, and you don't have to search for quests, they are events triggered by your location. The controls are nice, you can jump and dodge in all directions and in battles skills are pretty responsive. - Endgame (10): Heart quests, dynamic events, story mode, skill points, points of interest, cooking, crafting, trading, exploring, dungeons, bosses, PvP, WvW, need I say more? Almost everything you do is rewarded with experience points, so it is all fun and worth your time, and this is where Guild Wars 2 really shines. PvP and WvW is not based on real money you've spent on items, its about using tactics and teamwork to complete a common goal. This is why all characters are bumped up and mastering your weapon and class skills are essential. WvW also grants your server bonuses, and the overall mechanics behind PvP and WvW are astonishing. I could literally go on for hours explaining the content, there is just so much here. In closing, I cannot stress enough how important it is to look past jaded user reviews provided by people who probably haven't even played GW2, because honestly it is one of the best experiences I've had in a long time, and IMO the best MMORPG to date. - Overall: (9)… Expand
  12. Orctownorc
    Oct 2, 2012
    10
    Fans of fantasy RPG have had to wait a long time for a game where they can imagine themselves as heroes in 'another world' without paying by the month for it. This game fills a gap that Witcher 2 and Dragon Age 2 both sorely failed to fill. Guild Wars 2 scratches the itch of Fantasy RPG fans with an expansive, beautifully presented world. There is exploration, crafting, swords and sorcery. There are guilds and social elements if you need them, or you can solo if you prefer. If you want PVP. There are plenty of different builds to play around with, and five races to delve into. The developers appear to be doing their best to offer a gamer-friendly experience and have certainly worked very hard to make this game big enough and flexible enough for everyone except the most head-up-the-arse hard core-nutters. The elements of killing mobs and bosses, and grinding levels are all familiar, and not really better than youve already seen elsewhere. But the art IS better. Many small details of presentation ARE improved. And the pay-once play-forever model is a SUPERB challange for Blizzard to start trying to earn money with better games rather than milking and exploiting their customer base all the way. If you are an RPG fan, you can't go wrong with this game. If you haven't tried an MMO before THIS is the place to start. If you play WOW and are curious, play some of a friends account and choose whichever game you prefer. Thanks Arenanet for expanding our choices, and thanks for Trying to upgrade and evolve the model. If this game gets Blizzard to try harder we all win. For that reason alone... for daring to compete we should all appreciate and applaud what this game represents. The trolls giving this game 0s and 1s should understand just how this game might end up helping them enjoy better games at better prices and repost with scores that reflect an understanding of how Arenanet efforts will finally IMPROVE their gaming experience. 8/10 for the game. 10/10 due to its entirely positive influence on game design for those games to come which will be better and cheaper because of Guild Wars 2.… Expand
  13. 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 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
  14. SchroederRock
    Sep 17, 2012
    9
    Having put countless hours into Guild Wars, I can now say with confidence that this is the MMORPG that stands the best chance of dethroning World of Warcraft. It's also one that I've thoroughly enjoyed. Guild Wars 2 is the modern MMORPG that offers a more streamlined and comfortable experience in open-world exploring and PvP for players of all skills/experience. And instead of ignoring players who want to be crafty or explorative, GW2 rewards them. I've really enjoyed some of the elements Guild Wars 2 has borrowed from other excellent action/adventure games (like Skyrim or Assassin's Creed). Those elements help give you drive to do certain things to completion, which often nets you achievements and bonus gear, XP, and an assortment of treasures. The game isn't a radical departure from MMORPG's, but it offers enough of a refresh to earn your $60 investment (without forcing you to buy into a subscription). There is a small learning curve to parts of this game, but nothing is unlearnable or un-masterable. If you've been waiting for a game to come along to pull you away from WoW's stale-ish experience or you just gave up on MMORPGs because of their lack of innovation, Guild Wars 2's world is one you need to experience.… Expand
  15. Ordish
    Nov 7, 2012
    10
    This is a title that has something for everyone...well everyone except grief players. For the grief player, you are not invited. The game is more like an artists canvas that you manipulate. The graphics are simply beautiful, the races are very well done complete with histories, and the classes are perfect. When I say perfect, I truly mean that. You can play whatever you choose and not have to worry about waiting forever to find a pick up group that will let you in. If you want to group you can, or you can just adventure and help out where ever your ADD takes you. No monthly subscription nonsense, no grief players, and you have the freedom to play whomever you want and can still bring value to any group you happen to meet. There are so many more positives about the game it would be impossible to name them all. Suffice to say, If I could score this game higher than a 10, I would.… Expand
  16. Coeco
    Dec 3, 2012
    4
    Ah, Guild Wars 2. How the Internet have been waiting for you so long. What are they greeted with? A polished wow-clone. Channeling spells, lag, outdated graphics for it's time and an insane amount of bribes going to the critiques to cough out "Unique combat system" quotes whenever possible. As much as I like one-time fees, like with single-player games, it will only do harm to MMORPG's because they will need a steady stream of income to offer a continuous service. Otherwise, bankruptcy or P2W is inevitable. This fate can already be hinted towards on how they locked out the ability to purchase the game, being too cheap to have an adequate amount of availability on the servers while banning more users than Origin, clever NCsoft. In It's core, the game isn't by any means bad but it's just very, very, very average.… Expand
  17. Flash_Over
    Feb 20, 2013
    6
    Guild Wars 2... I have such mixed feelings about his game. I will start with the PROs I will say it is a good game. It is high quality and it very detailed and adventurous. I love the world, the artwork and most of all the character creator. The character creator is possibly one of the best I have used and I had a lot of fun (In the beginning) playing this game. I waited a good long few months so i soak up what this game is all about from the gameplay and 'is it fun?' perspective. But, after the things I have encountered... though high quality, the game seems to be unfinished. I will explain. CONs First thing that annoyed me unlike other MMOs, is there are certain things that must come as standard in every MMO. By these I mean, trading with other players, mounts and a well designed and easy to use Auction House. This game lacks all of those. No trading option still puzzles me, but the auction house feels unpolished since it was first created, the text is choppy and the filters are terrible, ontop of that, the way the auction house is set up makes is EASY for other players and gold farmers/seller to exploit and drive up the currency market. Mounts, I understand Arenanets solution to no mount is to create instant teleport points. Yea, that is convenient, but personally I like buying/earning mounts in a game. I also love galloping through the environments. But, (I may be speculating) That taking the mounts out of the game frees up time and money creating the animations, skins, programming ect, making this a cooperate decision and not a game one. Next is the combat system and skill system. No trainers, no weapon learning, no nothing. Around level 30 you will unlock all you skill slots and spell you will use for the rest of the game exspereince. You will only have 5 weapon spells (5 more for underwater) and 6 buffs/cooldowns. That is it. i personally could not bare with using the same 5 or so spells over and over till lvl 80. The combat is just not fun. The weapon skills and spells are so limited. I feel brain dead though right now. This maybe the worst review I have written, but I feel I touched on the things that greatly disappointed me about this game. So to sum things up. PROS: No monthly fee, Excellent Character creator, Amazing world and environments, refreshing questing and story concept, good graphics and animations, and finally fun exploration and puzzle mechanics. CONS: NO mounts, NO player to player trading, Poor (But tolerable) Auction House and currency system, Limited spells and abilities, no tank/dps/healer concept (Which makes boss fights nothing but freelancing spell spamming chaos with no team work.), and a boring and repetitive combat system.… Expand
  18. Nataraja
    Sep 17, 2012
    7
    I will preface this with a caveat - I tried very hard to like the original GW and just never got into it. I am also very picky about my games right now and fantasy games are a bit stale to say least.

    I much prefer a more recent game that I will not go into but it lacks any sort of decent end game. To me that is where GW2 shines with the open world events, sidekick level system (so you     can't face roll content lower than you) and the dynamic events that alter the world - but what really shines is the PvP, both structured and WvWvW - Especially the WvWvW. I can lose days in that setting.

    The instances are decent and the lack of a trinity is AWESOME. However there are things that drive me nuts:

    - the game gets repetitious and leveling an alt is tedious at best
    - the dynamic events follow about 3 or maybe 4 templates and get old
    - there are some unresolved bugs that seem to continue to evade the devs
    - Its another -ANOTHER - fantasy game
    - Asura are annoyingly cutesy and should be exterminated like the rats that they are
    - The setup for the cash shop makes it seem like ArenaNet constantly has its hand out
    - There are parts of the game that should just be totally reworked (the abysmal writing and voice acting in places - especially the Norn area)

    So its a decent game and for $60, assuming you don't go CE or use the cash shop, is better than most single player games - and it has no sub fee so you can come and go guilt free.

    So its a decent game - but is it revolutionary? Not really. Its a very VERY safe game compared to other recent games and in the end will be a nice diversion from things that are truly revolutionary that I consume like a rabid animal.    … Expand
  19. Folstar
    Feb 14, 2013
    1
    This is a tacky review, sorry.
    THE GOOD: The aesthetics of this game are amazing. If you like looking at pretty pictures and running around a finely crafted world listening to good voice acting telling a better than average story then you are in luck. THE BAD: GW2 plays like a bunch of people who really liked playing pvp as dps classes on WoW got together and made a game. The laundry list     of boons/conditions that all last half a milisecond quickly becomes meaningless spam that does not lend itself well to a game you play for hours on end (pve that is, it is great for pvp). Though overall most things about the gameplay are frantic and after a short time get filtered out. Along the same lines the constant battles when you travel anywhere get tiresome. Sorry, I liked being able to run freely through newb zones in other games without constant harassment. Hey devs, if you wanted people to play together why did you put in 80 levels? Because WoW has 80 levels? Exactly. The leveling down is a cool feature, but is forced on you like so much else in GW2. Speaking of which, not being able to assign your own weapon ability hotkeys! This throwback to when games sucked for technical limitations is inexcusable in 2012/3.
    THE UGLY: Abandoning the mmo trinity makes for a chaotic cluster#### in groups. Dungeons feel like 5 individuals who happen to be doing the same thing instead of a group working together. Along those same lines the zone/group chat on GW2 is the quietest and lamest of any mmo I have played, though maybe that was just my server. Lastly, butter. This vendor will sell me milk, cheese, sour cream, and BUTTERmilk, but if I want butter I have to go kill monsters? The asari can build portals all around the world but haven't figured out butter? Why is a cave dwelling monster man able to make butter (into perfect bars that they carry in cloth bags) but nobody at the huge crafts/artisan market in the sprawling city can? What crap.
    VERDICT: A very pretty package for a game that makes huge advances for MMOs while still managing to be a WoW clone that utterly fails at finding good solutions to MMO problems. Maybe worth a playthrough for the story in a purely solo run, but overall a bad online game.    … Expand
  20. Mogul
    Aug 28, 2012
    9
    Super early review time! After only a few days of being released, it isn't really appropriate to review an MMO, but I'm going to give it a shot. Let's start with the good news. Guild Wars 2, for me, basically grabbed a lot of the best ideas from other MMOs, and threw them all together, while adding a couple new things of it's own. You have dynamic events like Rifts, you have a quality personal story like you get in SWTOR, and you get "builds" and considerable class freedom like in the Secret World (although Guild Wars 2 does still have distinct classes). The biggest innovation is the "exploration" style gameplay. GW2 does not have quest hubs at all. You just run around the map exploring, tasks pop up on your screen, you do them if you feel like it, and then you run over to the next part of unexplored map, joining in dynamic events along the way (when they appear and if you feel like doing them). Even crafting has an explorer feel, as you mostly just make stuff and discover recipes through the "making stuff" process. In terms of running around wasting time, GW2 has mostly eliminated this. There's no flying around on a gryphon for 5 minutes in this game. If you want to go to a waypoint, you just click the icon on your map, and you go there. This is fantastic, and the game goes out of its way to not waste your time in most areas. This is probably linked to the wonderful lack of a subscription fee. Big points for that. Now for the bad news. Like the Hangover movies, in GW2, it's all just the same thing. Gameplay is very, very repetitive. In each zone, the scenery changes, but you're basically doing whatever you did in the previous zone. Your character also feels powerful at level 1, and doesn't really feel much more powerful as you level up and gain abilities. The feeling of "progression" seems a bit absent from this game. Also, in the "kind of bad" category, this game is addictive. It's really, really addictive, more so than other MMOs. This stems from the lack of natural breaks in the game (things like ok, I just cleared this quest hub, lets stop for today; GW2 lacks break points like this, it's just go go go). Even the standard pvp matches continually re-load new zones when your previous match finishes, and you have to actively quit to stop playing. This is great for not wasting your time, but bad for limiting the amount of time you spend in this game. You've been warned! On the whole, though, this is one of the best games of the year, and a must play for anyone that likes MMO style gameplay.… Expand
  21. skeith
    Sep 20, 2012
    10
    This is the best MMORPG I have ever played so far. It doesn't suck your money like a hungry vacuum. Leveling is at ease. Full voice acting in main story. Exploring is also fun and actually rewarding. Very soothing music. Please, try the game, it doesn't even need monthly subscription to play.
  22. The_Ommadawn
    Sep 21, 2012
    9
    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 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
  23. Kermie
    Oct 1, 2012
    9
    A terrific blend of social questing, incredibly flexible game mechanics that engage rather than bore, and a deep, beautiful, and magical world to explore is something we've seen from many games in years past. But take that and apply it to an MMO...and do it incredible well...that is truly a remarkable accomplishment. It's fun, It's huge, and it's abounding with far too much content for a single human being to comprehend. The grind is there, but is masked by the ingenious social events and fun and varied quests that you accomplish. It's the art style that is truly wonderful, ranging from massive snow topped peaks to the depths of Tyria and everywhere in between. Jeremy Soule's score is, yet again, magic. I love it, and I hate MMO's. Consider me a believer; ArenaNet has produced a remarkable package, and if you pass for any reason you'll be missing out on an incredible adventure.… Expand
  24. arestotele
    Nov 21, 2012
    10
    edit 70 hours of gameplay one warrior lvl 48 and map completed to 25%; after the first two weeks of intense play I found myself playing GW2 really casual and even if i stop tomorrow, the price of the game is money well spent. Advice do not expect to find a WoW clone because the two games are very different in everything from PvE to PvP.
  25. cambria
    Aug 28, 2012
    9
    This game was worth the wait. Granted, many people expected everything to work 100% but as the top 90% comment said, you gotta roll with the punches. The materials scattered on the map, as well as loot, are individually available to all players. No more competing for metals n crap with strangers, you can all have a piece. That's just one of the many ways this game breaks down all the barriers that traditional MMOs like perfect world and wow have built over the years. Give it a chance, you'll love the differences, and the similarities, well, Guild Wars 2 does those better than the competition too. I was laughing that the same 5 people vote 'yes helpful' to all the anti-gw2 red reviews, like they have some personal mission to bury this game. Good luck! My "low" population server has 50,000 players on it at 2am.… Expand
  26. gas
    Sep 5, 2012
    8
    After playin wow more or less 7 years i think tht GW2 is very very promising, i tried some others mmos in those years but didnt like any, except EVE online which is very good but another setting and kind of mmo.
    GW2 in my opinion is mostly based on PVP, the world vs world is very fun and the structured pvp is imo a lot better then wow, especially the fact its not gear based, its a lot mor    e skill based.
    The PVE is a lot less structured then wow, there are no raids, and instances are more about kiting / controlling.
    Its needed to understand how to play it, positioning, pulling, and the weapons used are key factor to beat the instance in the right manner in exploration mode.
    There is no more tank/healer/dps trinity which is imo really a great idea, ofc it leads to a PVE totally different from wow based games.
    If you like to pass the time stayin back of a boss pulling out max dps this is not the mmo for you, you will die every 2 seconds doing that, ive seen in those starting days a lot of ppl used to other mmos not understanding that the game here is different, its needed to be on the move, use the right weapons, hide when needed, use los and help the team with traits/utility skills.
    The quest system is great, very fun and well made, compared to wow its a blast.
    In many occasions its possible to complete events with follow ups that carry you around a lot before finishing.
    Every zone have a world boss event and at least a hidden puzzle zone to be discovered.
    Most of the new ideas are lightyears further compared to wow, the AH is the best one ive seen in any mmo, and overall i think this game will be a winning one.
    Anyway its not the mmo for anyone, ppl who are interested in raiding or really like tanking/healing system will not find those activities and mechanics in GW2.    … Expand
  27. rubin
    Dec 28, 2012
    3
    My, my, ArenaNet surely did it's homework in researching "things that every MMO fan seems to want". Beautiful graphics, excellent music, huge open world, no subscription fees - all of that you can find in Guild Wars 2. Too bad that in their pursuit for a perfect MMO formula, ArenaNet forgot to add one critical element to this otherwise perfect equation - fun. No argument for PvP balance can overrule the fact that restricting your class to only a handful of skillsets (as opposed to hundreds in GW1) was an absolutely horrible design choice that doomed the entire experience from the start. The new questing system is also vastly overrated. It really doesn't matter if I have to walk to the NPC or have the quest activated on the go, when it's still the same kill & fetch bullsh*t every other MMO has already done to death. Biggest disappointment of the year.… Expand
  28. Gratson
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Great game. Only problem at launch is the lag, they got more players than they expected obviously. And I've encountered a few bugs. But given that the game is just out, I'll let that pass. The design is excellent, love the atmosphere of the game. It's better than WoW in my opinion as a leveling game, but I've yet to experience the end-game content so this rating may change in the future.
  29. theNILE
    Dec 8, 2012
    5
    There are some serious problems with this game although for the general casual player it may be very enjoyable. After the rush of players upon release, low levels ran out of quests and events stopped occuring often enough in their maps. They have to go to the alternative areas to level as grinding monsters gives very little exp (even with the points of interest etc). The game doesn't tell you anything. There are no tutorials, you get no guidance in the game and this includes World vs World.

    Now the problem here is that the game doesn't tell you anything and I believe this is partly why 90% of the players do not play WvW or do not really care about playing it. You do get exp and karma from objective in WvW which is nice. The loot you are rewarded for killing players is a joke, you basically get a few trophies. Now, WvW is 24/7, which mean there is not much sense of accomplishment. You're just playing for numbers/stomps. The WvW maps are too open considering the population of participants in WvW - plus it is 24/7. Considering the combat in GW2 itself is somewhat slow-paced, WvW often becomes dull. Siege weapons often result in balanced armies just shifting somewhat becomes two locations and operating these weapons is not particularly interesting. Now the biggest flaw of WvW is that it requires players to respond and lead. That is fine but when barely enough people even play WvW to have mid-sized battles this is a gigantic issue. GW2 is definitely miles below others MMOs in this department. Leveling up is simply and easy once you get a hang of the game but there are three areas in the world which are flooded with....zombies. They all have the same AI and because as you play through the game, enemies require a longer period of time to kill, these zombies become a chore. Reaching the final level itself isn't hard but I didn't feel that a point to put into my traits was really satisfactory for a level. The final gear itself is not even necessary to play this game.

    Rewards from huge world event chains are pathetic. The random crap you get it better than the rewards 99% of the time. There are tons of skins and dyes for you to collect/buy if you are interested in this. Sadly I have to say that it's all just fluff added onto a pretty mediocre core with ridiculous bugs which ruin gameplay and consistently piss you off e.g. random ear-shattering loud sounds, disappearing armies. I really did give this game a second chance, but the huge issues just drove me round the bend. That being said, the graphics are good, the game very rarely crashed and most minor bugs were solved quickly.    … Expand
  30. Jaz
    Feb 23, 2013
    9
    GW2 is a buy only MMO with no subscription .Pros: Graphics and animations-by far the best, sound, interesting classes, pvp- both the tournament and the world vs world, good crafting, discrete store for fluff and not pay to win, attention to small details that make you feel like the world is "real". Minus: since they dont use the classic tank-healer-dps system, group combat becomes confusing, especially with pick up groups. I like the soloability of GW2 classes and their pvp performance but in dungeons, group pve is not fun-for me at least. It doesnt have raids but i m not so fond of them anyway. Some people love to grind for the uber weapon/armor. Not so here and i personally like it. Also it has frequent events, improvements etc. Overal: best MMO today.… Expand
  31. ttocs
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Now this is how an RPG should be made. No subscriptions but with everything and then some that the leading MMORPGs have. I can't wait to spend more time in Tyria.
  32. Aeryx
    Oct 15, 2012
    9
    A revolution in MMORPG design. Guild Wars 2 presents an amazing amount of positive disruptive changes to the status quo that it corrects so many of the problems the MMO industry has with existing game templates. Artfully designed and wisely thought game mechanics make this game a must-have for MMORPG fans the world over.
  33. TheangryOne
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    From the ashes of the long burned-out MMO genre emerges Guild Wars 2. The original Guild Wars, which I still say is better tham WoW, should have set the standard for MMOs, but instead was marketed into obscurity; not this time. This time around the differences are noticeable and long-overdue for the genre. It's not just the gameplay, it's the choice. For once in an MMO, the illusion of choice is no longer an illusion. Tank, DPS, and Healer are no longer specializations, just positions. To say that all professions (as the game's classes are called) can do all three is abit of a misnomer. ArenaNet has officially ended the need and use for Tanks, DPS, and Healers altogether! All classes have self-heal, tank, and damage skills built right in, and when downed, can still fight and revive themselves, so wipes are almost completely eliminated. Each class also has access to a wide variety of skills that are almost completely dependent on what kind of weapon you're using (utility skills, as they're called, can only be unlocked by skill points). What's more: The pregame character custimozation actually does have an effect on character progression--by influencing the entire story! Quests? Sorry, the WoW,TOR, and TSW reviews are two pages away. In Guild Wars 2, action finds you. True, there are still some static quests, but the vast majority happen in real time and are completely indiscriminate of one another (you can be doing a quest to deliver a message only to be caught in the middle of a massive undead invasion), and if you fail one of these massive public events (numbers are no guarantee of success, as I found out the hard way), the game shows the results of failure and opens the door to more events that would be unavailable otherwise. To top all of this off, the game is subscription free! THANK YOU ARENANET, you're the smart ones in this industry; keep up the good work.… Expand
  34. OhRly
    Sep 17, 2012
    10
    There is something fishy about the ratings, I aggregated the critic scores and it was a 97, I think someone fiddled with the review, or was poorly aggregated. Mistake or not, this needs to be fixed. Also, don't consider loisho's review, he/she seems to hate everything, giving Dead Space 2 a 0/10, Skyrim a 0/10, GW2 a 4/10 (his/her highest score!) and DD (not D&D) a 1/10.
  35. Kimomarudotcom
    Sep 11, 2012
    10
    This MMO is amazing. It does ape so many of the mechanics that make MMOs great (and, yes, if you're sole intention is to level up you will certainly be grinding), but it's ambitious in so many ways. Events are dynamic, so in just roaming the country side you'll find yourself joining in on dynamic world events, harvesting resources to craft weapons, armor, and jewelery or even just traveling to all sites marked on world map for the completionist players. I must say, however, that the greatest thing about it is the Black Lion Trading company, GW2's online market. Ever get tired of storing stuff in your inventory just to sell them back in town? Right click on your inventory objects and sell them right away on Black Lion - you'll get money for them later when people buy what you posted. So awesome. Tired of grinding for gold to buy armor on Black Lion? If you're like me, paypaling ten dollars is definitely the way to go - the gold I got in return was more than enough to amp up my character and still have plenty left over for my character bank account. I'm on level 45 so far and GW2 remains one of my favorite games this year. GW2 is a triumph of the genre and you're missing out if you don't pick it up.… Expand
  36. Vorch
    Aug 30, 2012
    9
    This game is beauty incarnate. When discussions involving games being works of art occur, this game will be up there with Shadows of the Colossus and ICO.

    Gameplay is brilliant. A mix between the old and the new really gives the combat its own unique flare. The leveling curve has you level up every 60-90 mins regardless of how close you are to the cap. In addition, you can level up in s    o may different ways, if you're ever bored of doing something, you can try something else.

    This game is, imo, the best MMO on the market right now. I am giving it a 9 because even after all the stress tests, it still has a buggy trading post and mailing system. However, should those get fixed in the first week post launch, I'll change my score.

    In short: buy it now, or buy it later; just make sure you make this one part of your PC library.    … Expand
  37. Cell1e
    Sep 8, 2012
    9
    I am enjoying this game a lot. I like the beautful world, the bright and gorgeous graphics, the clothes, armours are so lovely and I like being able to colour them howver I like. I would like a barbershop to change my hairstyle tho and also more costumes to be able to buy. I also think the trading house needs a preview button.
    Oh but this game will amuse me for many more weeks to come. Ho    oray to get a great new game to play! :D

    Oh the main story seems to be fairly standard formula but Im easy pleased. Its easy to follow and I like I dont have millions of minor quests.

    Wish there was a little more character friendships/relationships/romance. So shallow emtional response to this game but still fun. Do try it most of you will like many aspects of this game!    … Expand
  38. hfffoman
    Nov 25, 2012
    7
    I am downgrading my score from when it first came out because of some annoying bugs. On two occasions I suffered a rollback which meant I went back to an earlier version of my character, losing all progress. Each time it cost me a day's play. I believe they are aware of the problem but chose to do nothing about it. The rest of my review still stands - the game is fantastic fun to play though I found the story a bit weak.… Expand
  39. Contemptible
    Dec 12, 2012
    9
    I've been playing Guild Wars 2 almost everyday since release, and I love it. I don't think I've enjoyed playing a game this much, especially exploring and completing dungeons with friends. I would have to consider this my favourite game. The reason I'm not giving it 10/10 is because it still has its problems.. It was incomplete on release, several bugs which still exist now, crappy loot, the progression has left everything empty except fractal dungeons and I don't believe the classes are evenly balanced (Warrior). I haven't had much experience with MMO's to compare GW2 with anything else (quitting through the beta of SWTOR is about it). There is definitely a grind aspect to the game, however they do a decent job of covering it up and give players options and experience towards that goal. Despite its issues, Guild wars 2 is beautiful and enjoyable with unique classes and races with a variety of areas to explore. There are a number of dungeons to participate in which can challenge and frustrate players. This game is definitely worth its money for casual and experienced players giving them flexibility of how they want to play.… Expand
  40. Sevvy88
    Sep 4, 2012
    9
    Probably the best MMO to be released since World of Warcraft in 2004. It's been a long time, with alot of wannabes, and in recent years, there have been a couple of games that tried to shake the formula up in one way or another, but not a game that really, overall, produced something special. Guild Wars 2 doesn't completely revolutionize the genre, but if you want a game that perfects idea brought forth in Tera, SW:TOR, Rift, War, and yes, even WoW, and throws them in one pile, polishes them nicely, and improves upon them in almost every way, then Guild Wars 2 is worth a try. The PvE experience in terms of exploration and immersion in a world that always keeps you occupied and always keeps you playing and always keeps rewarding you is unmatched. World of Warcraft's questing system will truly show its age. Things like WvWvW are exhilarating. and for gamers keen on guilds and organized grouping will be rewarded by it. The thing that truly sets the game apart though is how seemelssly the experience flows together. There is a gentle guiding hand in Guild Wars 2, but it's so light of a touch that you won't even notice that you are being led along. It's doing what every MMO before it since WoW has claimed to do: improve the genre in almost every way imaginable. It's not a complete re-imagining of MMO's, but it certainly is the long awaited step towards the future that I think we have all been waiting for. Give it a shot.… Expand
  41. AlexBugella
    Sep 1, 2012
    10
    So, I've been looking for a good MMO for awhile, and I think I found it. GW2 is no doubt a great MMO. The character creation seems to provide players with enough to make their character unique, in terms of looks and even play style. The combat I find to be really interesting. Each weapon type has its own skill associated with them and the more you use these weapons, the more you use the weapon type, the better skills you unlock for the weapon. Fights are pretty strategic at times, especially when fighting higher level enemies and using your various abilities, including the new dodge mechanic. Crafting is pretty much the same as other MMOs, useless, but in GW2, Crafting gives you tons of XP. The in-game world is pretty huge and with a way point system, discover way points and teleport to them later for a small fee. Now, the really reason to play an MMO is to play with your friends and tons of people, which GW2 doesn't disappoint in their new PvP game type, World v World v World. Its really exactly what it sounds like, 3 servers fight each other on 1 map, for 3 days. each server has their own area to defend from the other 2 servers but theirs also an unclaimed section of the map where the servers fight for constantly and which ever server holds this area, pretty much wins the match. But this game type is some much fun, in a flock easily 20 to 40 people heading to an enemy controlled base, clashing with their group of 20 to 40 people, and its all out war and so satisfying when you are slowly gaining ground. I would tell you to get the game just to play WvWvW, but honestly, every aspect of the game makes this a good buy, and hey, you pay the flat 60 bucks and no subscriptions, if you want to put more money into it you can, to get things like XP boosts or vanity items. I wouldnt be surprised if we start to see WoW fade out because of this game.… Expand
  42. Stormcrow666
    Mar 30, 2013
    7
    As a player who played GW1 for about 7 years I can tell you this game is not even close to being as engaging. The story is one of the worst I have ever seen in any game, let alone an MMO. The Graphics are quite good and clean when you use sweet fx. GW2 comes with FXAA which makes the game really blurry. The music though is top notch. I love all of the new music and like the old stuff tossed in there as well. There are some glaring issues with the game technically though. WvW is mostly unplayable unless you have a super high end rig. And by rig I mean CPU. The game is overly CPU bound and even i7 3930k's oc to 4.5 have issues with some of the bigger battles. All this after the game has been released for 7 months! If your interested in WvW, you should either wait till there is maybe a patch at some point(the newest culling patch didnt help alot) or invest in a high high end rig. PVP is non existent really since there are few maps and game styles. The combat overall I will say is fairly good but with the limited skills it does get boring after some time.
    Dynamic events and world events get stale once through and most people have a hard time going again with another character. The crafting is terrible. Plain and simple. One if the worst I have seen.
    Dungeons are fun tho and some can be challenging. Be prepared to grind. The devs said that there is little to no grinding in gw2 but that is bold faced lie. Be prepared for RNG and gambling.
    You do have a choice to grind or use your creditcard/paypal but I find that defeating the purpose of any MMO. You should never ever be able to buy ingame items with real world money. Overall it is a fun game but not ANYWHERE near the hype that most people believed after the success that was GW1. Too bad, it had a lot of potential.    … Expand
  43. 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 an    d 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
  44. Triggerhappy
    Oct 28, 2012
    10
    This is a shockingly good game, fully enjoyable either as a massive RPG campaign across a sprawling world, or as a highly challenging MMO with enough content and almost unachievable endgame goals (getting legendary gear or 100% dungeon completion is a worthy challenge). PvP offers an absolutely unforgiving environment to E-sport geeks, while World v World offers environment to fight enemy players that is easily accessible to everyone including newcomers. The world is rich, graphics amazing, engine flawless, character development has a distinctly fresh touch to it. If you have ever at all enjoyed the MMORPG genre, you absolutely owe it to yourself to try this one. There are people everywhere, whether to group up for PvE, or to compete with in PvP. No lag, no waiting time. Oh, and, you know... no subscription. Amazing. After a 100 hours, this game remains a source of ever-fresh enjoyment, and a lasting credit to its creators.… Expand
  45. MaidenEXP
    Nov 19, 2012
    9
    This game has EVERYTHING for be, in 1 year, in the MMORPG most played in the world. More played than World of Warcraft also. You only have to pay the two discs, and then you can forget the money and enjoy this huge world of Tyria. A world bigger than Azeroth, I think. So much hours of playing, but not as "drug" as is World of Warcraft I think. I don´t play this game a lot, because of the class, because of the new PS3 games... But when I get bored, I know I have an amazing game in my computer which enjoys me for hours!
    The best in this game, in my opinion, are the graphics ( Best visual desings in the MMORPG history), an amazing Soundtrack, the huge PvP *World vs World, thousands of players against thousands of players), and the different localitations of Tyria, like beaches, forrests or freezing mountains.
    The worst for me is the small characters you can have, only 5. Sometimes, the dungeons gets too long and too difficult. The level decreasing in some areas is absurd.    … Expand
  46. Veritas
    Sep 3, 2012
    10
    As users like Chaiwallah and others don't understand with their supremely entitled natures, is that a launch of a huge game, such as Guild Wars 2, is not without it's hiccups. Games have gone from being a platform completely forgotten by a developer after release (so the finished product needed to be 100 percent out the gate) to living environments that need to be upkept and maintained. Nobody cares one little bit that you spent extra money to make a machine to play this (graphically intensive game?) That is a red herring, it has nothing to do with the issue at hand. Likely, your account was hacked and you need to visit Reddit to confirm that. The game is great for a non-subscription game, which is exactly why I tend not to play games like WoW, I can't justify playing a grind game that I pay extra for each month. Anyway, the game deserves a 10 just for treading in a new area in a different way. Also, to counter dumb arguments for jaded, entitled consumers that think the world revolves around them.… Expand
  47. 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. 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
  48. MellerYeller
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 isn't a huge revolutionary entry into the genre but it does take a lot of good steps in the right direction when trying to correct what people often see as faults in traditional MMOs. As far as visuals, the game is often stunning. Technically speaking, the visuals aren't top of the line but the art style and aesthetic make it a pleasure to look at. The best element they've added to this game in my opinion that most every traditional MMO lacks is the urge to explore world. With dynamic events, mini dungeons, and puzzles, and more, traveling and exploring is actually a pleasure instead of a bore and the main element that drives PvE. The dynamic events aren't as amazing as they were made out to be, however they're still much more fun and engaging than your typical MMO "Kill 5 boars" quests. Because of all these things grind, for once, is extremely minimal and the leveling process doesn't have to be an annoying chore but rather the appeal of the game. Bad news is, that for now, a lot of things aren't up and running as they should be. Guild, trading posts, and more are either screwy or don't function at all. However, I expect these things to be corrected fairly soon after launch.… Expand
  49. Singgihsatch
    Sep 25, 2012
    9
    hmm worth to spend buck for this game..
    altough i aint play the first sequel but when im play GW 2 i fall in love with this game..

    best graphic and story make a player enjoy play this game..
  50. numaiios
    Feb 24, 2013
    6
    Jugué unos meses al uno y no me enganchó. Decidí darle una más seria oportunidad al 2 a ver qué tal. Me cree un elementalista y empecé a levelear. Hacer quests, subir nivel y poco más. No llegué a terminar el personaje, la verdad que me aburrí rápido, siempre era lo mismo. El PVP, que todo el mundo alaba y no sé muy bien por qué, no llegó a convencerme. A la hora de la verdad era spamrdad era spameo de botones.
    Los creadores alardeaban que la trinidad tanque, healer, DPS iba a deseparecer en esta entrega, dando lugar a algo nuevo y flexible.
    En realidad hacer una dungeon básica era un infierno.
    Los enemigos atacaban random, no existía el taunt, nadie sabía quién tenía que pullear aunque por lo expuesto al final daba lo mismo. Los heals eran inútiles, los DPS hacía daño absurdo y los tanques estaban de adorno.
    Vamos, uninstall rapidito.
    He hablado con amigos y me han comentado que lo han mejorado bastante y que los desarrolladores están muy atentos a la corrección y optimización del sistema de juego, pero la verdad no me interesa nada.
    Mi valoración es respecto a lo que ví en su momento, no a su estado actual.
    http://www.facebook.com/truegamerreviews?fref=ts    … Expand
  51. tallanx
    Sep 6, 2012
    8
    I like how all the troll posts are spouting lies that are so obvious you can see them a mile away and a quick search on youtube will prove them to be false. Of the negative reviews that are not troll posts, I'd like to point out a couple of things: 1. People complaining about there being no Raids, no Holy Trinity etc and how they bought into the hype and was disappointed are stupid. That stuff has been public knowledge for more than a year and in fact some of those things were actually used by the developers themselves to promote the game. If you know the game won't have those things, why buy it and then complain that they don't have those things? If you didn't know about those things, then why say that the game is different from the hype? Whether you like it or not is subjective of course, but it is exactly as promised. 2. Account Security. First and foremost, the large majority of people who lost their accounts to hackers only have themselves to blame for not keeping their details secure. That being said, ANet does need to improve certain parts of their security features, such as adding a 3 failed tries = timeout on their website (I have not checked recently, so they may have already added this). So ANet has to take partial responsibility for the accounts that were hacked through brute force methods, but the majority? It was their own fault. 3. Banned accounts. Anybody saying "I'm innocent why was I banned?" is likely lying. Go do a search for the Reddit thread with all the ban information. The large majority of those who complained were actually banned for perfectly acceptable, valid reasons. Some of them were so ashamed that ANet knows exactly what they did they actually deleted their original complaint. The minuscule few that were actually innocent were given apologies and un-banned quickly after a review. CS staff are humans too, sometimes they makes mistakes, but looking at the evidence the majority of bans were well deserved. What ANet can actually improve in this area though is to modify their "You we're banned" message to include the reason why. Now for actual comments about the game. This game plays like a TES game in that you are dropped in a world, with a little bit of direction and then you are mostly left to your own devices. People who like exploring and goofing around experimenting with stuff will love it. There are so many little nooks and crannies everywhere, it's insane. People who prefer a more linear, hand-holded/guided style of game likely will not. The combat plays in some ways like an FPS, but from third person view. In a traditional MMO, if you see a mob your own level attacking you, you eat the damage and stand still and attack while consuming stuff like potions when necessary. In this game, you need to actually dodge out of the way, either by moving sideways, hiding behind terrain objects etc (a la FPS games) or using the "temporary invincibility" dodge button that you can only use twice in quick succession and other damage mitigation skills. It's not quite "action-combat" but I would say is a hybrid between traditional MMO combat and actiony FPS style combat. Anybody who says that the Holy Trinity still exists is lying. You CAN get through certain situations using a Holy Trinity type setup (early game), but you will find that it is a lot harder and more inefficient than playing the game the way it's meant to be played, by watching the screen, not the hotbar. And being aware of your surroundings instead of focusing on hp bars. The Dynamic Events system is great, it makes the world feel alive. Everybody who says "it's just WoW questing" are slow people who are either blind or unable to read instructions, they mistake Renown Hearts for Dynamic Events, ignore the real Dynamic Events when they see one and then complain about it. Renown Hearts are static events that the game uses to draw you to Dynamic Event hot spots. They are two different things and serve different purposes, the majority of the PvE content are the Dynamic Events, Hearts are only there as a guide and was only added because initial play testers felt they needed more direction.The only real problem that the game has is that they underestimated the demand for their game and so had some infrastructure teething issues (which has already seen some marked improvements over the past 2 weeks). In fact, other than the usual small to medium bugs here and there that you expect from a software this size and scope, all of the other issues are infrastructure/capacity related. TLDR: The game is well designed with some excellent systems in place. They need to improve some of their backend infrastructure, which they have publicly acknowledged and are addressing. If you don… Expand
  52. Hiei987
    Sep 6, 2012
    10
    This is first MMO since Wow that has all the potential to be a hit for many years to come. ArenaNet have taken a lot of risks with going away from the traditional MMO style, but most of them have been received quite well. The game attracts all of types of players and provides a great amount of content fit for any player, whether casual or hardcore.
  53. OliverGrau
    Dec 3, 2012
    6
    Guild Wars 2 was my last MMORPG. The meaning of a MMORPG is progession, progression gets you too keep playing. I can now say, as I've had a lvl 80 for just about as long as the game has been released that progressions ends when you reach lvl 80. The Graphics: They are decent for an MMORPG, but it's very bad optimized. I've changed my old gaming desktop out for a completly new one and I see no increase of FPS. The gameplay: I love how you actually need some skill to be good in this game, it's not just about the gear, but about your skill of playing. This falls apart though, because the PVP system is not very good I'd say. SPVP is a nice addition for those WHO wants completely fairplay, but where does that leave the progression? You can't get stronger, faster or better by this. In WvWvW all your progression Means nothing, because 1 man can't make any difference. The Dungeons: Not rewarding at all, I hate how it's all bout those emblems and not about what bosses actually could be dropping. I loved in WOW how I always was so excited when we were in raids. Oh yeah, raids those doesn't exist in GW2. There is also a lack of dungeons. It's all just the same, there really isn't such big difference about them. I'm giving this a 6 because of the great idea and there is no monthly subscription. It lacks of content though. As said before, reach lvl 80 and feel the pain of nothing to do.… Expand
  54. Pecheckler
    Oct 7, 2012
    10
    I followed Guild Wars 2 religiously for years. I played every single available minute during the beta tests and stress tests. The PvE is better than any MMORPG overall, especially because it is fun, never frustrating or tedious. Exploration is especially enjoyable. My only dislikes are the lack of public group options, and World versus World PvP. WvW PvP is an unbalanced frustrating mess. I spent over 100 hours over few weeks in WvW, and have since written it off. I have no plans of touching it until it is severely overhauled. However sPvP and PvE is very fun still. There is also a serious problem with hackers... something I've not seen hurt an MMO in nearly 8 years.… Expand
  55. kirkkh
    Oct 3, 2012
    7
    This isn't an mmo. It's smash brothers with a F2P "world explore" mode tacked on. You can level straight to 80 and play the real game at any time. Items and "builds" (they're a joke) don't really effect much. Pve is a gank-fest, pvp is a gank-fest. You just find a group of madness to join and blaze through. Don't go here looking for strategy, community or depth. You'd be surprised how quickly it gets old (for god sake their are jumping puzzles). It's completely different than the original Guild Wars. I give six months.… Expand
  56. Lionhearted
    Sep 13, 2012
    8
    GW2 did what the last 7 years (and 100+) of mmos haven't really successfully, and thats innovate over WoW. The question is does it matter? The game is much better than other mmos gameplay-wise, and has "some skill", it's terrain complexity is a 10 of 10 also. The questing isn't rat race driven ect. I gave GW2 an 8 and that is rated on a curve, the amount of sheer creative input in this game is impressive. GW2 is also the best MMOPVP I have played except maybe Champions online Zombie apocolypse, it's tailored largely like Lotro. But still, is this what weve been waiting for? It still has most of the immersion breaking mmo qualities, it gives you ability to "do your own thing" but the carrot on the stick has simply been switched from quest completion to "map completion". Is that better? A little, but I think only because it's newer. Also the dynamic events and pulling the social "level" walls enhances the game greatly. but again does that make mmos worth your time? I think it is finally with GW2 that we can see MMOs are deeply and fundamentally flawed, and it isn't just the trinity, it isn't just a lack of story of combat immersion. It's a lack of everything else, environments that are intelligent, personal social roleplay, all this replaced with cartoony mass media appetite filler, ect. online games need to be brougt back to the drawing board .. back down to why nerds actually played social games in groups 30+ years ago (and no they weren't addiction based every-night-entertain-me games). Because even 13 years after EQ began the first farm questing, we have still been seeking some actually engaging "imagination play". And it is simply not possible under mmo business as usual gameplay function. We need to start understanding what makes a game a game roleplay ~ roleplay~ and simple online interactive media .. just media and not a game~ After having said all that I can still say I "enjoy" the game and wish Arenanet even more success.. they did themselves proud ~ for a mmo. (and PS innovated many more things beyond whic a single post can hold)… Expand
  57. Landon144
    May 9, 2013
    9
    I started playing GW2 end september and I'm still playing it. I have over 1000 hours of gameplay already and I keep coming back. GW2 enjoyed me every moment: When I was leveling, I loved exploring the maps, on my way to a Point of Interest A thing you need to 'complete' you map I encountered countless Dynamic Events. Some of them were boring, others were fun and interesting, sometimes even a small story that is told with Dynamic events. This form of PvE is only one of the few amazing things in GW2. Honestly, I love every aspect of the game.
    When I hitted Lvl 80 (Max level), I started playing WvW more often, first it seemed a bit confusing, but I learnt fast, there are awesome, large scale battles. Many people think that WvW is just running around mindless on the map... It really is not, you need a sense for tactics. You need to place siege on the best locations possible and you need to learn to use your supplies when the time is right. The two other forms of PvP are sPvP and tPvP. Both focus on smaller scale battles, on smaller maps. Not many tactics are involved, just kill and take areas for points that will contribute to your victory. There also are alternate objectives that differ for any map, these give extra points or bonus stats that makes you more powerful. Both sPvP and tPvP are part of a different leveling system called glory, though this rank really doesn't matter, unless you want good looking armor and weaponskins.
    Back to PvE now, apart from Open World PvE and Dynamic Events, there also are dungeons. Dungeons for me are not that exciting. Dungeon mobs are very strong, and regular mobs can kill you in a few hits. Because of those reasons, I don't run Dungeons that much.
    Then you also have your "Personal Story", not that amazing, unlike you are like me and be a lover of the GW lore and story and you just want to know what happens.

    Come with that ANet rolls out a major content update every month, useally with both permament and temporary content. All this awesomeness packed in a game that you only have to pay once, because there is no monthly fee. It was absolutly worth my 55 bucks.
    Why not a 10? There are still annoying bugs ingame that need a fix.    … Expand
  58. MisterNoodles
    Mar 31, 2013
    10
    This game is like WoW just done right. There is no way to really summarize this game into 5,000 characters so I am simply going to say this. This is like all MMOs it is just 5,000 times better and more entertaining. And you don't have to pay a monthly fee!
  59. 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. 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
  60. MayhemMike83
    Mar 23, 2013
    6
    First of all let me state this: It is one of the best MMOs out there and you can find lots of reviews that will tell you all the reasons why it deserves a high rating, but here are the reasons why I didn't really like it.

    1. There is no traditional leveling: Each weapons uses another skill set but you can unlock all of them really quickly in under 30 mins. What's left to unlock are just     skills that I would consider minor and mostly not worth playing for. Leveling up is one of the biggest motivational points for me in such a game and GW2 doesn't offer enough for me to keep me interested

    2. If there is no real leveling system the game needs something else to keep you involved like the story and here lays the next problem. The emotional arc of your character concludes after the second arc is finished. From that point onward you are, just a tag-along. The story is affecting other people, and you're just along for the ride. A good part of this is due to the segmented nature of the quests 3. Crafting: You need to level up your crafting skills in order to be able to craft valuable gear and that's when crafting becomes an exercise because creating one level 10 recipe does not increase your level to 11 as it would appear. No, you get experience toward level 11, meaning that the problem of leveling up by making useless items is exacerbated.    … Expand
  61. Xelion
    Jan 15, 2013
    9
    Perfect game for casual players. That doesn't mean hardcore players can't play it. But it's fun, it's not hard to lv up (everything u do, EVERYTHING gives you exp), many people complain it's hard to lv up yet they haven't played the game for more than a couple of days. You'll reach 80 even before you know it, and you'll feel like there's still so much left to do.
    Yes, some people may not     agree or like the game, but people that give this game a 0 are just haters... Only thing that I feel it's missing is a normal pvp or duel mode on the pve environment, or even a pk mode, as the pve world is just too nice and peaceful, sometimes you feel like you need some "bad guys" that are not just npcs. But even then, the WvWvW is really fun, you don't even need to join the zergs... sometimes you can just wander around the maps and you may even find a chance to 1 on 1 or at least fight with smaller groups of people.… Expand
  62. krnology
    Feb 14, 2013
    9
    Simply put, I like Guild Wars 2. I think GW2's graphics are impressive, the sound and music top notch, the environments are interesting, monster variety plentiful, crafting is useful, and the combat is fluid. At first I failed to make it past level 15 and quit for a bit (my initial excitement faded fast). I then decided to come back around Christmas and did the themed quest and various PvE content. After a few days I became more interested in playing, but I could feel the old complaints creeping back in (lack of desire to invest time). Then I was invited into a active PvP World vs World based guild and that has made all the difference for me. I'm amazed at how being a member in an active and friendly guild can make normally mundane things fun. We've done class quest, fractals, normal content, and world vs world on a regular basis. Of course, there are flaws and some of the reviews express them well. However, I have come to appreciate GW2 regardless of my initially disinterest (perhaps more for the community rather than for the game itself).… Expand
  63. casshern09
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    Absolutely superb game. It does have some issues right now with server stability etc, but what MMO doesn't on launch?
    I love the dynamic questing, really makes you feel part of the world. beautiful artistic style throughout. Can't praise it enough.
  64. El_Gamer
    Apr 10, 2013
    10
    El clásico se reinventa

    Después de siete años de espera Guild Wars 2 vio la luz el pasado mes de agosto. ArenaNet ha realizado un gran esfuerzo para cumplir con las expectativas generadas con la primera entrega de la saga. En esta ocasión presenta un MMO en toda regla, con un mundo persistente repleto de eventos, que huye de muchos de los clichés del género, enfocado al PVP y sin cuotas    cuotas mensuales.

    La historia del juego se desarrolla en el mundo de Tyria. Los jugadores tendrán cinco zonas completamente diferenciadas para poner a prueba su pericia como aventureros, desarrollar su historia personal, que variará según las decisiones que tome cada jugador, y enfrentarse a los dragones que amenazan el mundo.

    http://www.elgamer.es/analisis-guild-wars-2/    … Expand
  65. Renoxzor
    Sep 23, 2012
    10
    So far this game is amazing, good graphics even though they ask for a lot still they are solid, it's a lot less grindy than wowcrap, plus there are no pandas and on top of of that there's no subscription fee so if I happen to get bored I could play without wasting money on it unlike wow, which I tried last using the 7 days but I only played a couple of times for no more than 1 hr each time, I just can't handle that game anymore.… Expand
  66. 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.
  67. ItaJohnson
    Sep 27, 2012
    0
    Ok, time to finally let this drop. i tried to give them time and it was (fortunately for them) a busy month, but it wasnt enough.

    Guild Wars 2 is the latest in a growing line of mmorpgs (IT IS NOT AN ACTION GAME!) that are severely over hyped and under developed. Despite all their nonsense about not releasing it "until its done" what we have is bugs across every possible system in the g    ame. Almost asif NC Soft said "finish it up or we are not paying you" and they did. From account security (always fun having 200+ emails fill your inbox to tell you that ip addys from china are attempting to log into your account) to quests in general (there is nothing "dynamic" about scripted events sorry kids) bugs bugs bugs. Perhaps if they had done a proper beta test instead of a bunch of B/S hype generating weekends they could have fixed them before launch... but no, the AH still goes down daily, the guilds bug daily... there is nothing that isnt broken on this game!

    Visually it falls short of the mark too, while they assured us it would "support dx10" LIES! the closest thing to this game is honestly AOC, both in the amount of hype concerning it, and the dismal product that got released.

    Gameplay... [tab]1-2-3-4 ever heard that one? well thats all you are getting here too.

    Sound- the sound is really good actually, too bad it is the LEAST important thing about a game! But hey, they atleast got something right... although its kind of stupid to be told you have been poisoned 3 min after it wears off... but again BUGS!

    Over all i would give it a solid 5, meaning that this game is average in EVERY POSSIBLE WAY. It is not above average on ANY level! But seeing all the BULLS HIT 10's i am going to do the right thing and drop it. if anyone actually reads this theyll know the truth, otherwise metacritic is kind of a crap metric since it LETS B/S scores through.. even on such a MASSIVE turd such as guild wars 2.

    i cant express enough what a totally disappointing turd this game is.    … Expand
  68. Barua124
    Nov 10, 2012
    8
    I personally like the game, however I can see why some people don't. The game can get a little repetitive, especially with spells and abilities. There's a cash shop but it's not necessary as you already have full access to everything ingame. I never felt pressured to buy anything from the cash shop. The price for the game is a little steep as all new games are. It's not a $60 game. Not worth that price. Maybe for $40.… Expand
  69. magee
    Apr 7, 2013
    0
    click the button which is not on cooldown combat is dumbed down its just stupid, the different skills are so bad designed at the beginning you will may enjoy the game but after 2-3 hours you will see how boring this game actually is i am not a fanboy of any mmo but this game was a big let down for me
  70. gromit
    Aug 29, 2012
    6
    maybe my expectations were just too high. It isn't a bad game, nice graphics and smooth gameplay, but everything in the game is just a rehash of every other MMO, nothing innovative, nothing to really get you excited that this is something new and different, also nothing really to get you hooked early on.
  71. Demikly
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    I don't give 10s lightly, but this game deserves one.

    The World... wow.. just wow. It's like you're actually living in another realm, with the amazing vistas, adventures and people you meet - the story is good (not narrative driven, so not as deep as say SWTOR's) but it really plays second fiddle to the living, breathing world ArenaNet has created.

    When you log in you feel like you'    ve been transported into another place and time, you do missions - battle other servers for dominance and glory and the sPvP is AMAZING. The amount of tactics/pre-planning/skills required is phenomenal, a much higher standard required when comparing it to WoW et al.

    Pick this game up now, you will not regret it.    … Expand
  72. siveZ
    Mar 9, 2013
    9
    Guild Wars 2 challenges whole genre of MMORPGs, and succeeds. ArenaNet got rid of silly rudiments, proving that they are not needed to make a fun, interesting and thrilling game. Just a simple example are you sure you need mana itself to make a complete, balanced MMORPG? It is not about graphics it's about artistic direction, it's not about sound quality it's about sound design. This game is not flawless, but it is the best MMORPG by far. It is not a milestone too, but a logical leap. I love this game and strongly recommend it to every gamer.… Expand
  73. Busterofwar
    Oct 3, 2012
    8
    I'm not the biggest fan of MMO's. My time with WoW and SWTOR was expensive, time consuming and quickly uninteresting. Guild Wars 2 has changed that. I'm not paying every month for this and can play whenever I feel like it, instead of trying to cram in as much as possible to make the monthly payment worthwhile. There's a lot I could say about how this has raised the bar for MMO's, but this has already been said by thousands of people.… Expand
  74. Dusty_Hayes
    Sep 14, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is one of the best MMO's to be released in many years, its skill based mechanics is superb creating a really fun and addictive PvE PvP and WvWvW content and environment. ArenaNet has crafted their game very well, the aesthetics have been carefully crafted and fitted together, coupled with Jeremy Soule score it makes Guild Wars 2 look, sound and feel amazing while still setting its grim yet beautiful tone within the Guild Wars lore. Guild Wars 2 innovates the genre with very simple and yet very effective innovations and sets new high standards and mile stones for future MMO and all this with no subscription fees, ArenaNet as just not only put everything else in the genre to shame, but most of the MMO developers and their publishers too deep shame.… Expand
  75. Timber
    Sep 19, 2012
    10
    First, as a GW VETERAN there are some things I can say as negative. Problem (or not so much) is that GW2 works, and it works very well. Could it be better with henchman? with monks? With the old currency, without damn repair and pay for map travel?? sure. But it's still a FAT 10 out of 10 to me. It's beautiful and huge and a pleasure to play.
  76. OmriPC
    Dec 15, 2012
    10
    This game worth to be in the collection of the best games ever made ( if there is one). High quality graphics and sound help the game to be wonderfull. The gameplay is solid and the action of the game id very good. RPG elements work great and the players are nice and kind. ArenaNet helps you get better by aid you with the quests and writing GW2 Wiki Guide. The game is not so hard like LOTRO ( not Pay2Win) and the character creation is fine. This should be the GOTY of 2012.… Expand
  77. Sideline
    Sep 7, 2012
    10
    I played and enjoyed the first Guild Wars for years. When Guild Wars 2 came out I wasn't sure what to expect, I tried the beta and I loved it immediately. Everything that annoyed me in Guild Wars is fixed in Guild Wars 2. The only thing that worried me at first glance was the absence of the dual profession mechanic which I loved in the first Guild Wars; it offered so many possibilities! But the weapon swapping in GW2 is probably even more interesting simply because it gives you access to a larger bank of skills; skills are defined by the weapon you are holding. You can switch weapons dynamically during combat which is awesome and you can even change your skills any time during the game, no need to go to an outpost to reorganise your skill bar. Elementalists don't have the weapon swapping ability but they can switch between four attunements(air, fire, water and earth) anytime during combat... awesome! What sets GW2 apart from other games of the genre is the dynamic events which can occur anywhere, anytime in the world, and they require cooperation between players; downed allies can be revived eliminating the frustration of being teleported to a resurection shrine and having to walk all the way back. Areas are no longer instanced except for dungeons and story line missions. There is no tedious fetching quests anymore. Instead quests occur in specific locations on the map and you don't have to stray too far to complete them. You can now choose between five different races: Human, Charr, Asura and Silvari. They all have the same stats and abilities but they add a nice flavor to the game. Crafting disciplines were added which opens up a whole new dimension to Guild Wars. The trading post (the equivalent of the auction house in WoW or Diablo) is a nice addition. Item stats are more varied and make more sense than before. Graphics are amazing for MMO standards and the areas are breathtaking. I cannot comment on the PvP aspect of the game as I haven't tried it yet. The only annoying thing I can find is the constant pop-ups telling you that you are in an overflow because the instance is full but that will hopefully be fixed soon. So if you love MMOs or RPGs Guild Wars 2 is a must!… Expand
  78. Poisonthemonkey
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    What is there to say? It's a lovingly crafted, very fun game. There's constantly things to do and joys to find, and yet no monthly fee. Beautiful, engaging, often hilarious and full of wit. The devs are hard not to love for what they've created here.
  79. 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'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
  80. UnclearImage
    Aug 31, 2012
    4
    I preordered the game, and although they did have some start up issues and a few very unfortunate people got hacked- it had a fairly good start. So I will stick to the game itself.

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

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

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

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

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

    Overall- Honestly I waited for GW2 to come out, it FINALLY get- I logged in, played for 3-4 days for a couple hours a day then logged off. I have no real desire to play it, even free. I have no enjoyment, farming for xp because the quests don't get me leveled, wandering into areas that are 3-4 levels above me and doubling back to find a event that's my level. Trying to craft but realizing I didn't farm mobs enough and having to go back and grind to get mats to craft to get gear so I can do more dps. It may appeal to some people, but right now- I'm writing this review instead of playing the game, because it seemed more enjoyable to me at the time.    … Expand
  81. ABNMP
    Oct 7, 2012
    6
    This game is basically an evolution to a higher standard of what has been done before. If you have played an MMO in the last 12 years you will see the similarities. The major areas of failure include open world player versus player and endgame progression. I guess I can summarize the game saying it is like RIFT without the raid element, and with massive unbalanced world PvP. DAOC and Warhammer Online had a better PvP system. If you enjoy a VERY casual game then this is your pick. I was hoping for a REVOLUTION in MMO gaming, but sadly this is more of a "been there done that" experience.… Expand
  82. Kamidutten
    Sep 2, 2012
    5
    Im sorry, i really reallt tried to like this game, but i just cant bring myself around to like this "revolutionary" mmo. The combat is stale at its best, the term "Dynamic combat" may be something cool for a WoW player, but if you have played a game with a true dynamic combat system (TERA) you will find the fighting in GW2 just as autonomous as in for exampe Warhammer online.

    Speaking o    f Warhammer online, this game has to be compared to that game, leave out games like WoW. GW2 has taken alot of the things from the Warhammer game and tried to make it better, the result is a lukewarm mix where nothing really feels thought thru. The exploration part is uninspired and offers little to the game, im Warhammer Online, you were also encouraged to explore and more then often you were rewarded with some unique cloack, title or decoration for your armor. In GW2 all i get is a xp boost and a camerashot of something the devs are perticulary proud of. Shure, you get a chest when you complete all the different Heart quests, points of interest and vistas in an area, but the journey to that reward is long and tedious. Another feature lifted from the Warhammer game is these "Dynamic events". You get to an area where an event is happening, you participate in this event and get a reward upon completion. On some events there are maybe two three stages, with new rewards for each stage completed. Warhammer did this to, but had a problem with scaling depending on the amount of ppl there. Most of the time you would get nowhere since the event dident scale down and the world was fairly empty. GW2 sees to fix this issue and does it pretty good, most events are managable no matter how many are participating, but the reward system is a joke. I once came to an event, shot one spell towards one mob and got a Gold Medal for my role in the event. One time six out of eight cubs i was set to protect died, still got a gold medal. In Warhammer, the event would count the acctual amount of work i did (dmg, tanking, healing, mobs killed) and add that amount to a random dice roll, the higher the score the better the loot. This was a system that encouraged people to do their role and do it well for the phattest loot. In GW2 i can just afk thru the whole event and still get a great reward.

    The mentioned combat is very chaotic. In events with more then five people attending im having a heard time figuring out who does what, what spells are hostile towards me and what my character actually is doing. This is part to this "role-less class system" where there are no clear "Tank" or "Healer", everyone can do everything and they all do it equally bad. Insead of having clear class-roles that you need to protect (help the tank, heal the tank, make shure healer is not getting killed) the GW2 approach seems to be to "zerg" everything. Shure, it looks pretty awesome when 20+ people cather at one spot to do an event, but in the end it feels like none of us have a real identity. I cast some spells, i gave some buffs and debuffs, but so did everyone else. Playing GW2 feels to me like beeing an ant. Im a small insignificant person with generic abilities and skills. Im in a huge world with tons of stuff to see but when i do get to that ellusive mountain top, all i get is a nice view and then have to face the long walk back down again. The world keeps on going without me, events will keep on happening and quests will be solved. I dont feel like a hero, i feel like me, an ant in a big world that manages to go on just fine without me, and thats not what i want.    … Expand
  83. Gothic90
    Sep 8, 2012
    8
    If I want to describe GW2 with one sentence, I would say: "an MMO that gets most of what it intends to do right." There are three separate worlds of the game, sPvP, WvW and PvE. sPvP features flat progression: there's build differences, but there is no vertical gear difference (you can choose different gear but it's always about trade-offs). This is imo the most important feature of GW style PvP. Newcomers shouldn't have an unfair disadvantage of having worse gear than old players. Also good players shouldn't need an artificial faceroll advantage over lesser players. sPvP should be skill based instead of gear based. Classes can build into different roles and adds more variety to PvP. WvW may seem like a zergfest, but mindless zerg will seldomly win you games. Supply control, being responsive to opponent movements and strategies are all important. Three faction is also a good thing to bring back from DAoC. While two factions can't artificially ally, when your server claims more land, there is indeed a higher chance of being attacked from both sides. The only problem I have with WvW is that some servers have heavy Asian/Russian/Oceanic population and they have different time schedule, and their rating often under/over estimate their strength. Hopefully Anet can release an Asian server to alleviate this problem. I also wish there would be more focus on open field battle rather than base offense/defense. The PvE world is, unfortunately, not that awesome, and quite a few issues needs to be fixed. Exploration reminds me of Skyrim and is a pretty good part of the PvE world; The reward system is quite nice, coin/karma segregation design is elegant: it discourages annoyances such as gold farmers (they'll have to farm a lot harder than usual), but is not so frustrating to normal players. However, a few problems: dynamic events could be a little more friendly towards solo players; right now some events take too long for solos or 2-3 players and may become an issue once the heat from release is over and newbie zones become less populated. The PvE world, especially the personal storyline, is also quite buggy unfortunately. Some dungeons are also too hard, especially Ascalonian Catacombs; it seems to have an unreasonable difficulty. Trade post was not so good for the first week. Though I heard it's a conspiracy theory to discourage gold farmers, and in that case it's not good but understandable. Overall the PvE world isn't on a smooth release. I also happen to not like the dungeon reward system that rewards you more for going to a same dungeon over and over again than going to all dungeons. Overall it is a good MMO and a pretty smooth launch, and since it doesn't have a subscription fee, I can play at any time I want and don't feel "I have to play tonight, or it's not worth my subscription". Cash shop items are also not unfair towards free players. Problems of the PvE world needs to be patched, and hope Anet adds some more varieties to PvP. Other than that, the game is pretty damn good and I have been playing it almost non-stop.… Expand
  84. beladrim
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    Remember all those MMO's that were supposed to take world of craft down? Well... GW2 might be the messiah we were hoping for!

    The put it in one word, GW2 is "dynamic"! You walk around the world and random events occur, and player all gather to fight back what ever threath is coming. No grouping, no kill still. Everyone fight together and get's rewards. Seriously, you will NEVER need to     call for help or search a group in this game. You never fell alone as you do quest. Arenanet did a perfect job to encourage players to work together and make it FUN at the same time.

    The game is also very beautifull, and things like points of interests and views encourage you to explore.

    The combat system can be confusing at time, and the camera dosn't allow you to zoom out enough. As range class it's ok but as a melee you often don't see what's going on behind you and finding your next target can be a bit challenging. Still, the combat is very FUN!

    The story : I am going to have to compare with SWTOR, as the story is THE factor that was suppose to make TOR better than GW2. Well... In a way, story in TOR play a much more important part than in GW2, and i really loved the fact that all side quests in starwars add dialogues options. Still GW2 as a main story quest arc that is interesting enough to keep you interested and unlike TOR, you will make decisions that will trully affect the outcome.

    PvP is not an afterthough in this game, the WvW maps are hudge and still it's easy to find something to do on them. The game really succeds in making you believe that you are taking part in a war. It's not as simple as capturing a flag and getting points. You must fight off enemy invaders, gather ressources to repair the door, construct siege weapons... But because those battles are so massive, it will put your rig to the test.

    Crafting is also interesting in this game. I can't say much about it yet but i really enjoy experimenting with materials to get new reciepes.

    Dungeons are nice but i have yet to try the end game content on that part. Overall, GW 2 is by far the best MMO that came out since WoW, and the fact that it has no subcription fee makes it the biggest threath that WoW ever faced.    … Expand
  85. Kassdhal
    Sep 22, 2012
    5
    Very mixed in multiple respects... the first view of the game is that it is fantastic. At least a refreshing view on the MMO world, really well done and finished, with innovative quest system and fantastic innovative levelling mechanism.

    And after a while you're logging in and you don;t really know why you're accepting silly limitations like the stupidly think inventory system, the lack    lustre crafting mechanism, the stupid "personnal story" system that for some quests is just so close to impossible that it is frustrating beyond relief (with no hope of overpowering the quest... my engineer has been stuck on a lvl 28 quest since the beginning...)

    It could have been fantastic but it is barely passable due to these limitations. It is not a hazard if blizzard has simplified the silly things in wow... guild wars should have thought about it too...

    WvW is very well thought but individual contributions are pretty much close to zero so the strategy is either zerg grouping or smaller "pro" groups which is boring after a while

    I see this game performing very well over time but will require a LOT of refining to keep players in. NC Soft does not care because there are no subscription.

    In some respect this game gave me the same feeling as TOR: an initial "Waouw" and then "but..... why did they... why didn't they....?"


    Sad...    … Expand
  86. GottFaust
    Sep 6, 2012
    9
    I picked this game up over the Labor Day weekend, and then my 3-day weekend ceased to exist. I haven't had a single evening since then either. It's been a long time since a game has made me utterly lose track of time. I've been having to set an alarm for myself otherwise I'd be up until 5:00 am every night. This game is what every MMO released in the last 8 years simply were not: Pure, unadulterated fun. To top it off ArenaNet doesn't take crap from all the exploiters, botters, and hackers that plague most other MMOs. They're perma-banned quickly and efficiently, and if this continues it might be the only recent MMO whose economy is not completely ruined within a month of its launch. The only reason I haven't given this game a perfect 10 is because of the rocky launch though, admittedly, even that has been better than most other recent MMOs.… Expand
  87. Jack91
    Oct 1, 2012
    3
    Got the game even at it's high cost because of the hype. Installed it levelled to 22 and still didn't like it. Graphically good yes but when I fight things, the moves you get just are not satisfying. I'm not sure why so many say WoW is graphically terrible, when I turn everything on Ultra with 4x AA and SSAO it's wonderful so clearly you either need to change the options or get a better card or LCD screen. The game still isn't a patch on WoW, I can see quests from explanation marks and not silly love heart icons. Joining PvP in wow is fun and easy, dungeons, raids, all because of integrated functions using the finder tool. This just doesn't have the edge at all and sorry but if your praising it just because it's free you need to open your eyes.… Expand
  88. 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+ 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
  89. 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 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
  90. InfinityBlaze
    Aug 30, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 is amazing. There is no other word for it. The art style is minimalistic and charming. The combat is fun and fast paced. And there's no tedious, addictive gameplay with the $15 sub fee. Not to say its not addicting though. Guild wars 2 has great PvP, an engaging story, and fantastic crafting. MMO player or not, GW2 is a must buy.
  91. 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. 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
  92. Mordread
    Oct 10, 2012
    10
    This game is awesome, got it as a gift (was going to buy it anyway but my birthday came first :P) I did not play GW1 but have played many other MMOs. Its true that it takes quite a bit from games like Warhammer online, but it takes the good and improves on it. It also introduces new ideas and concepts I haven't seen in other mmos. The game handles lag very well (I play from South Africa) compared to games like WOW or Diablo 3. My only real complaint is the lack of proper learning content, its either not there or too boring to do. Its way more fun to just jump in and play like an idiot while you figure things out. I must say that this game is growing on me. The more I play the more fun it seems to get! Graphics are good, quests are fun, events are amazing, sounds are cool and personal quests add a fun single player element to the game(can be done multi, I like to single it). For those skeptical about the RM gem system, it is a little annoying but can be worked around, gems can be bought off ah with gold. 1 suggestion to A-net is please add more attacking animations haha… Expand
  93. AidanVsg
    Nov 16, 2012
    10
    First of all, I am not a fanboy of World of Warcraft or Guild Wars, this review is based only on my overall opinion on Guild Wars 2.
    ---
    Overall: excellent game, ArenaNet really showed everyone else how a true MMO must be made. If you have money for it and you like MMO's (and even if you don't, but you want to try something new), buy it! 10/10. Brilliant.
    ---
    This game is hilarious, wh    ether you play alone or with your friends. High fantasy setting can be felt actually, with so many things happening around you. Roleplaying part of the game is also great, as you can even write personal story to your character! Yes, yes, your own personal story! If you wish, you can complete plot missions to advance your character in the world, he is the part of it. Not a player's puppet, but a character with his own characteristics which can be set by you! Combat is great, also. Making combinations with players is also a nice way to make the game more social-specialized. However, there are few things that I don't like in the game: for example lack of trading option. There's much more to tell about this game, like no unholy-trinity system in dungeons and interesting crafting system, but it's way too hard to describe everything about Guild Wars 2, as it's too massive and great!… Expand
  94. FexZ
    Jan 10, 2013
    9
    The game doesn't have that good graphics. But I'm not playing games because of graphics. When I first tried the game in it's beta state I was like a "donut" simply, is this real? Am I playing this MMO? Simply the best MMO to date. Age of Conan still has better graphics, but hey. They just took normal quests were you read paragraphs of paragraphs of text and just go over there talk to that guy and go all the way back by putting in hearts where you put out fires, kill monsters, gather this and that. It's variety! And not to forget the event system, event chains like something happens, and you fail to stop it and now you have to take it back.
    The personal story is also amazing except the last quest. You simply spam one button. You have so many different choices which means you can play it again and have a different experience. And with this personal story you can actually tell your friends and people you met online who your character is and what they've done in order to "save" the world. The gear system is just amazing. Every peace of gear in heavy-, light- and medium armor is equally good. Nothing is better than other gear just different stats. And the fact that you can change the looks of gear to what you like it to be is great. Now let's move over to the dungeon system. first of all it's ONLY 5-man. because the classes do everything like tank, heal and dps. The class is not what you are and what you do but how you do it. If it's mor than 5-man you need a specific tank class etc. More about classes later. But the dungeons consist of one story mode and explorable one. Story mode: Well it's story based, and actually not a bad one either! It's a extra story for your personal story. It's hard if no one in the group knows the tactics but when you learn them they are fairly easy, and you get good exp if you're leveling (lvling) up. Before I start on explorable I'm just telling you that they said they will remake everything we know of the dungeons to this day :) Explorable: Consists of 3 or more paths, much harder but still not that hard, more teamwork, more skill ofc. When you finish you get emblems to use for gear/legendary(ies). Classes/Races: 5 races and 10 classes. Each race can be every class, each races has they're own story. The customization is slick and has much to it. The fact that you can get dyes and color your armor the way you want is amuses me every day and every time I do it. I've tried every race and the only races I don't like that much is Azura just because they don't have as much detail to the armor as the others. But the classes. 2 soldier classes (heavy armor) which is Warrior and Guardian. 3 adventure classes (medium armor, which is ranger, thief and egnineer. 3 scholar classes (light armor) which is elementalist, necromancer and mesmer. Read more about the classes on http://www.guildwars2.com Fun stuff to do: Jumping puzzles. I've got to say, these are fantastic! It's ridicolus how much fun it's to see how much people can fail at these. Do them with your guild or friends. It's fun!

    One shout out to ArenaNet for this amazing MMORPG. They have invented the best MMORPG to date.    … Expand
  95. Nathonas
    Feb 19, 2013
    6
    As a long time disillusioned WoW player I was looking forward to Guild Wars 2 as a new MMO to play. I prepurchased the game and began playing immediately in August. I enjoyed the game at first and liked that it tried to do a lot of things differently, although my friends didn't share my opinion. However I quickly became bored and within a month I was no longer logging on at all. The game is not terrible by any means, but I can now safely say it is a rather lackluster MMO:



    Successful Mechanics:

    - Everything is rewarded with experience really simple and great idea to reduce the grind and give people motivation to try everything

    - Very nice sense of exploration with beautiful Zones and vistas

    - A social approach to quests dynamic events leveling in GW2 is not nearly as boring as standard MMOs and it can be fun to group up with other people constantly Skills being tied to weapons is an interesting and innovative idea

    - Gorgeous Graphics Poor Mechanics:

    - PvP is a horribly-designed, horribly balanced zerg fast. This is by far my biggest gripe with the game, as I was a hardcore PvP/arena player in WoW. WvW is just a huge zerg fest with little to no strategy, and the "battlegrounds" are boring and stale.

    - The combat and controls in the game just don't feel smooth. WoW players will know what I mean.

    - The "downed" mechanic is silly in PvP and adds a tedious element to killing enemies.

    - Every class has basically the same set of skills with slight differences (for example, damage, heal, escape, CC, etc). At first the classes look different but really the differences are quite small as everyone can do a little bit of everything and you can see how similar a 99% of the skills are. The story side of the game is very cheesy and boring    … Expand
  96. austenite
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    -----Two words. WoW KIller.----- Anet took everything that sucks, everything that was annoying, everything that didn't work in the Multiplayer RPG Genre and turned it into solid gold.
  97. KRob4
    Nov 27, 2012
    10
    Guild Wars 2 progresses the MMO genre. There's no grind, there's collaboration galore, a wealth of PvP, and quite possibly the most scenic game I've ever laid eyes on. I'm constantly bewildered by its beauty, and fun. Buy this game. Get in a big guild. Play WvW, play sPvP, get in dungeons, play live events...etc, etc, etc,etc,etcet,cet,
  98. PaulCharles
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    incredible attention to detail, beautiful scenery, amazing graphics and run well on any decent computer, TONS of things to do in all zones, many different ways to level, good amount of class/profession combos, fun dynamic events that actually work, lots of different skills/weapon combos, spvp, wvw, and many more things that make this game awesome. Anyone giving it a bad rating are obviously WOW trolls and haven't played anything else. I've played MMO's and video games in general for 22 years now and have to say this is one of the top 5 ever. Arenanet puts blizzard and other companies to shame with this release. Game of the year in my opinion.… Expand
  99. johann1978
    Sep 9, 2012
    7
    Its a good Casual Game, with great PvP. But it is NOT the best MMORP of the last Years. The story is lame and presents acts thrown together, Events seem to have nothing like quests ( kill XY 90% of the Events) still to often as a Hack & Slay ( more then 3 Players at a Event)
    There are many other examples where you realize that it's just standard, only the PvP is great! But it is Guild Wa    rs, I expected this.
    My Score ist 8.5 /10    … Expand
  100. op8
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Absolutely fantastic!.....Give it a year, and this actually IS the MMO that will knock WoW off the top, and it deserves to......................................Dark Souls, GW2 and a even more fantastic looking games coming up... its a great time to be a gamer!
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 69 Critics

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