In February 2022, the new Guild Wars 2 expansion End of Dragons will be released. While in the last few weeks mainly the elite specialization of the expansion was presented, there is now a trailer for the island of Shing Jea. This evokes nostalgic feelings for many fans of Guild Wars 1 and is also well received by the players.
What can be seen in the trailer? The nearly one-minute trailer shows an idyllic and beautiful Asian landscape. There are cherry blossom trees, a serene lake, and people fishing and sailing in their boats. Both of these are content that will come into the game with “End of Dragons“.
Additionally, there are large meadows, mountains, ravines with suspension bridges, and a monastery where monks train their combat skills. Especially the very vibrant colors stand out in the trailer.
The images shown are accompanied by texts referring to the area as “Harbor of Tranquility and Peace” off the mainland of Cantha.
Anyone who has already visited Shing Jea in Guild Wars Factions will immediately recognize many of these places.
A lot of praise for the visuals and the atmosphere
How are players reacting to the trailer? Nearly 2 hours after the release, the English trailer has over 32,000 views. The viewers gave the video 2,300 thumbs up and only 48 down. The ratings are therefore very positive.
Users are overwhelmed with compliments below the video. The visuals and the atmosphere of the area are particularly praised:
- Steven M is totally thrilled with the trailer: “Wow, it looks so amazing and beautiful! What a great surprise this trailer is!”
- Queen Lemur can’t wait to enter the area: “Beautiful, the aesthetics are simply stunning! I can hardly wait to hang out here and fish peacefully to the music.”
- Seishuu12 feels right at home: “I feel so nostalgic, I set foot on the island of Shing Jea for the first time in 2006, and it feels like I’m coming home. I love you, guys!”
What do critics say? While the trailer is generally well received, there are two things that bother players a bit:
- On the one hand, there is criticism that Shing Jea has become too colorful. Some players of Guild Wars 1 wished for less of the colors and the “typical Asian look”.
- On the other hand, some are surprised about the Tengu, who apparently call Shing Jea home. Because according to the lore, only humans should live in Cantha.
The latter can be explained by the fact that we are on an island off the mainland, and different rules were in place here even in GW1. It will be exciting to see how ArenaNet constructs the mainland.
What do you think about the island of Shing Jea and the trailer? Do you find the area just as beautiful, or are you bothered by the many colors? Feel free to write it in the comments.
