In February, the MMORPG Guild Wars 2 will receive its new expansion End of Dragons. MyMMO editor Alexander Leitsch was able to take a look at the new content together with the developers.
The Guild Wars franchise has accompanied me for over 16 years, more than half of my life. I have spent over 18,000 hours in the two MMOs combined. Therefore, I was very excited to be one of the press representatives allowed to play the new expansion End of Dragons.
In my session, I was able to sail on ships with the developers, do a little fishing, explore the first areas, complete some world events, and play the first attack mission in just two hours.
The impression of End of Dragons is positive, although at some points it feels a bit too colorful. With good graphics settings, it doesn’t look as garish as some trailers suggested, yet the colors still stand in stark contrast to the last expansion, Path of Fire.
The expansion primarily offers more of the familiar content and no groundbreaking innovations. Nevertheless, fans of Guild Wars and MMORPG fans in general should check out End of Dragons, as the showcased content immediately makes you crave more. I present you with 5 reasons and explain at the end how newcomers can best start with Guild Wars 2.
End of Dragons brings more of the best content: the huge world events
For me, the biggest fascination in Guild Wars 2 lies in the huge world events. Nothing feels quite as good in an MMORPG as defeating a huge boss with dozens of other players or influencing the development of the area by freeing a settlement from enemy hands and unlocking new vendors.
For End of Dragons, we were specifically introduced to an event in the Echo Forest. The entire area is a rather gloomy and almost spooky forest where we encounter the Jade Brotherhood. They are already known from Guild Wars 1, but back then they were more of a harmless street gang.
Now, they have decided to experiment with crazy technologies and combat us with huge jade robots and genetically manipulated animals.
Upon arriving at Fort Espenwald, we had to try to storm the fort known from Guild Wars as a group. A central role is played by the siege turtle, as was already the case in the predecessor.
We fought our way through several levels and had to defeat several champions, which would not have been possible without the help of dev tools given our group size of around 20 players. At the end of the event, a special boss awaited: a runaway machine threatening to blow up the entire area.
At the end of the fight, there were several loot chests, as is customary in the meta events. As with other events, it is always a special feeling when you master such a challenge together with a large group.
The developers also promised that there will be several more large events in End of Dragons.
The coolest mount ever is coming
However, the real highlight of the first meta event was the new mount. The siege turtle was needed to destroy shields or fight enemies on high towers. However, this task could only be performed by the second player, as the turtle is a two-player mount:
- Player 1 controls the mount and can dodge attacks or even hover in the air. They also need to move a lot to charge the cannons on the turtle’s back.
- Player 2, on the other hand, controls the huge siege weapons and has to deal with the destruction of the shields.
The turtle has additional features, including its speed. At first, it moves very slowly and leisurely, but over time it builds up good speed. However, it is so huge that its turning radius is enormous. Braking is also not easy.
These mechanics – the fighting and the controlling – make the siege turtle the coolest mount in all MMORPGs.
Fishing is pure relaxation
Among the major new features of End of Dragons are sailing and fishing. Both are directly related, as ships are primarily used to travel to a body of water, find a fishing spot, and anchor there.
A ship, called a skiff in Guild Wars 2, can be used with up to five people. One of the players summons the ship, and the other four can sit on it and use emotes during the journey to provide a speed boost.
The fishing itself is a small mini-game. You cast the bait, wait for the spot where the bait is to start bubbling, and then reel in the line. While doing this, a small green bar moves from right to left. You must catch it at the right moment, which was relatively easy during the six fishing attempts on the test server.
You can fish basically anywhere in Tyria, and you also don’t need a special fishing spot. However, it is particularly worthwhile to fish at these special spots in the waters. In total, there are said to be over 200 different fish species, each of which can only be found in specific locations. This applies to both the base game and the old expansions.
Obtaining a skiff is said to be about as complicated as unlocking a mount in the original version of Path of Fire. Back then, a heart had to be completed, and then the mount had to be purchased with gold.
Fishing is supposed to play an important role for cooking recipes, but also for the crafting of the new legendary weapons.
I was also able to test this, although in the beginning only the Aurene weapons will be available. However, they make a solid impression in the animations.
Finally, group challenges again
At the end of the event, the developers led us into the first attack mission. The opponent there was Mai Trin, a pirate who players from Living World Season 1 might know. The instance is designed for 10 players and comes in two different difficulty levels: Normal and Challenge.
We played the boss only in normal mode, where he already had some challenging mechanics, including AoE attacks, a break bar, and regular phase changes, during which several phantoms suddenly appear, each with different mechanics.
In the middle of the fight, there is also an interesting phase change, which we do not want to spoil for you here.
In general, the new attack missions are meant to serve as a bridge between casual players and raid fans.
- The bosses are first introduced in the story. They are designed for solo players and can be easily defeated.
- The normal mode is intended to encourage players to engage more deeply with the boss and its mechanics.
- Those who want more challenge can then try the Challenge Mode. This is intended to feel like a “real raid boss” in terms of difficulty.
The developers first designed the hard version of the boss and then scaled it down to an easier level. You can find more detailed information here:
An interesting mix of Asia and Steampunk
Personally, I really like the style of End of Dragons. It takes us back to Cantha, the Asian continent from Guild Wars 1. But it has evolved and now features an interesting mix of Steampunk and Asian aesthetics.
- On one side, there is Shing Jea, a traditionally Chinese island where cherry blossom trees grow and everything seems colorful and peaceful.
- On the other side, however, are the Jade Brotherhood and technological advancements. Robots, chemical fumes, mutated creatures, massive shields.
This contrast runs throughout the entire continent. Everywhere, jade plays an important role, such as in fuel. However, technological advancement also leads to problems and inequality in society. This has already been seen in the first videos of the Jade Sea and the Echo Forest.
These worlds will likely clash in the capital city of New Kaineng, although we do not know much about it yet.
Entry is also possible as a complete beginner
Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons primarily targets the veterans of the game and, of course, fans of Guild Wars Factions, as it goes to the old areas. However, newcomers can also start quite well with the expansion.
To experience the new content, you first need to purchase the expansion. This can be done either as a standalone for €29.99 or in the Standard Edition for €49.99. This includes the previous expansions Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire.
After that, the first task is to reach level 80. To do this, you can:
- Explore areas and follow the story
- Level up through professions
- Run the old dungeons
- Activate the booster included with the purchase of the expansion
However, the booster should only be an option if you really want to jump into the expansion directly with friends. On one hand, you will miss out on the beautiful world of Guild Wars 2, and on the other, you will start completely unprepared and without experience in content that can be quite overwhelming in the first hours.
While it is advisable to catch up on old story content, as this allows you to get to know your group’s characters better, you can generally start directly with level 80 in the content.
Further tips for a successful entry can be found in our beginner guide:
Guild Wars 2 Beginner Guide – Everything about the MMORPG in 2022
