Are you looking for a new online game to play? One that will keep you hooked for a very long time? Then Guild Wars 2 might very well be the one you are looking for, because it brings a wide range of unique features and a vibrant story to boot. But, is the package good enough for the market? Read this Guild Wars 2 review and find out!
Guild Wars 2 story
GW 2 has a nice little story that takes place in the fantasy world of Tyria. The premise is quite simple: 6 elder dragons have awaken and are causing terror within the land, so all you need to do is to try and defeat them and their minions in order to restore peace.
The thing I liked most about the Guild Wars 2 story is the fact that there are numerous secondary plots, which make the gameplay and the game world feel cohesive and highly interesting at all times.
Guld Wars 2 gameplay
The game comes with a modified version of the original Guild Wars engine, which brings new animations and better graphics. But the gameplay is also enhanced, not just the looks!
You will be able to choose one of the 5 races and a multitude of professions for each one of them. Once a profession is selected for a character, it cannot be changed!
An interesting mechanic in the game ties the profession and race together, so you are highly dependent on the skills that you have. The first 5 skills are related to the weapon and profession, the 6th one is used for healing purposes, and the remaining ones are customizable. It might feel a little restrictive because of that, but the reality is that the game isn’t restrictive at all.
The level cap is 80, but you can level up quite fast. Leveling also feels very natural, something that you rarely encounter in online games. You really feel like evolving with each level, and each time, new and greater challenges will come!
The major star of Guild Wars 2 is definitely the game world. It provides a massive world that encourages exploration. In fact, you can avoid the main story entirely, if you want, and focus on exploring and slaughtering beats with your friends.
In my opinion, this is what makes Guild Wars 2 stand out; the fact that it always manages to bring new things in front of you, while avoiding to be repetitive. Sure, like any other MMORPG, this one also encourages looting and grinding, but you don’t have to do them unless you truly want the best stuff.
Alongside the usual PVE, you also get a World vs World mode where you engage in large scale combat against enemy factions. This takes place in another world, not in the main one offered by the game. The W vs. W mode is quite engaging, but this works if you are a fan of PVP, otherwise you can follow the main story and play on your own without a problem.
The combat is innovative and very fun. In fact, combat is so good that you rarely feel left out in a battle, no matter how many people are fighting alongside you. I think the battles are relying a little too much on button mashing, though, but other than that, it’s fun and refreshing.
Also, I have to say that the dynamic events, which appear out of the blue in the game world, are amazing, and they manage to enrich the experience quite a lot!
Most of the popular MMORPG mechanics, including the social part, can be found in this game as well, which makes it great for both beginners and experts alike.
Grapichs and sound
When compared to other MMORPGs, GW 2 looks quite good, but you can clearly see that the engine it was created on is dated. Still, animations are fluid, the character design stays “true” to the lore of the game, and exploring the beautifully crafted world is a delight.
The soundtrack is interesting as well, with a wonderful fantasy theme, and the voice acting brings a lot of diversity, something that makes it stand out.
Guild Wars 2 system requirements
Minimum system requirements:
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz, Core i3, AMD Athlon 64 X2, or better;
- Hard Disk: 25 GB available HDD space;
- Memory: 2 GB RAM;
- Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce 7800, ATI Radeon X1800, Intel HD 3000, or better (256MB of video RAM and shader model 3.0, or better);
- Operating system: Windows XP Service Pack 2 or better;
- Broadband Internet connection.
Conclusion
Guild Wars 2 is a great MMORPG that offers a massive game world to explore, a variety of unique game mechanics, and a great social aspect. Sure, you do need to purchase the game in order to play it, but once you do that, you can play the game for as much time as you want and with free updates.
GW 2 is a great investment and a stunning game which I recommend to anyone, especially to those of you that don’t really like free-to-play MMORPGs and want something different!
Hope you enjoyed our Guild Wars 2 review! If you want to share your thoughts with us, please feel free to leave a comment!
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