Guild Wars 2 Review and First Look

For the players of the original 2005 game "Guild Wars", the most commonly asked question is whether the sequel Guild Wars 2 will have anything to offer it's users. Of course since the 2005 release, the graphics have inevitably changed greatly, and the story has progressed to allow introduction to many new characters, quests and numerous hours of action-packed fun.

However what is not so well known, is that the game developers for Guild Wars 2 have also added a feature which makes your involvement in the game, that much more important as the story later progresses. As not only does your involvement in quests impact the whole world around you, but so do the simple decisions you make and the small tasks you complete create a much larger impact to another aspect of the story.

Despite the changes that this game has presented to it's players, this game has also kept some of the prime features that made the original Guild Wars such a popular game to play. So whether you are new to the Guild Wars series or not, this article will highlight some of the features which will ultimately define your initial opinions of the game, as well as potentially help you decide whether this game is worth purchasing for you.

Unlike the majority of MMORPG's, the combat system which Guild Wars 2 utilises for it's battles, promotes the actual involvement of some skill and some 'improvisational tactics'. The main highlights of the combat aspect of Guild Wars 2 include the use of...

• Environmental weapons.
• Skills.
• Amazing combos.
• Tactics adjusted to the particular situation you are in.

Overall the effect that these features have on the game-play is that it becomes much more innovative. Gone are the days of repetitive attacks and strategies, which would work in any situation regardless of the multitudinous foes you may be facing, this new system deliberately makes you make decisions which impact your effectiveness, hence creating a more elaborate feel to the combat.

In the first Guild Wars game, the way in which you directed our character around the interface would involve clicking and waiting... How boring! The system of movement which Guild Wars 2 uses is the standard w, a, s and d (up, left, down and right) keys, which allow you to control the movement of your character tenfold. Although, this does not mean that there is no use for your mouse altogether, as you will still be able to lock onto your targets via clicking.

Unlike Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2 will offer the capability to jump over objects, swim in waters and dive underwater. In effect this would mean that Guild Wars 2 uses a 'true 3D environment', where the surroundings are more tangible and relistic to the player.

As mentioned before, your choices in game have a dramatic effect on how the rest of the game plays out, including the actions of villagers and inhabitants around you. The better choices you make, the better turn out the game makes in the later progression, and this ultimately decides your unique experience with the game.

Along with the choices you make throughout the game, there are several races and professions for you to choose from which will also differ your experience. When you are starting out with the initial customisation for your character, you are given the option out of these 5 races, each with their own storyline and background.

• Sylvari.
• Norn.
• Charr.
• Asura.
• Human.

You are then taken through the intricate details of each race, which is very impressive to say the least, as it is evident that the Guild Wars 2 developers have taken a lot of time to build upon each race in good detail.

In terms of character appearance customisation, there are a lot of options to choose from, and a lot of styles to suit your personal preference. This includes colours, clothes, hair styles, eye colours and much more regardless of how unnoticeable or barely visible the features may be.

A much loved feature of Guild Wars 2 will be the PvP and inter-world warfare which different races and teams will take part in. These battles will both test each other's skill within the game, as well as give you the opportunity to show your dominance to other players in the PvP arenas.

Something else which Guild Wars 2 has brought to its PvP system is that you can now dodge incoming attacks. This is something which wasn't available in the first Guild Wars, yet it will prove extremely useful in Guild Wars 2. Also the "fight to survive" feature that the game has, will provide the player the ability to literally deal some final damage to a foes whilst their 'reserve health' quickly dwindles. However, the "fight to survive' feature also limits the kinds of attacks you can use to the very basics, and won't do nearly as much damage as the more advanced ones.

The new Guild Wars has certainly taken our breath away with it's visuals. If you have a computer which is powerful enough to run the game at the maximum settings without frequent frame rate drops or lag, you will find this game to be not only visually satisfying, but incredibly fun to play. The effects used for some of the attacks are really clean and crisp, yet not to the extent where that becomes the main focus of the combat.

Also the amount of uniqueness that the game provides to each of it's players makes this game, just that extra bit more interesting and gives the feel that you are in control of how the game turns out.

This game is currently available for pre-order from Amazon.com, and if you feel that Guild Wars 2 will be the game for you, you can purchase a pre-order copy today by clicking the link below.

Thanks to MMOHut for this amazing video showing a good first look of the gameplay that Guild Wars 2 offers. All credit for the video belongs solely to him, and I in no way take any credit for his own production. Regard the use of this video as free promotion to the user. Please take the time to visit his YouTube channel. MMOHut.