Episode 2 of Season 4 of Guild Wars 2 is finally here. In “A Glitch in the System”, the story continues. Additionally, you will encounter the nasty gnomes from the Inquest and a new Charr tribe. They are pacifist.
After being delayed indefinitely, the latest episode of Guild Wars 2 is finally here. It is called “A Glitch in the System” and revolves around nasty gnomes and a forgotten island with unusual cat beings.
We went out with the developers from ArenaNet and took a look at the story and the new areas.
“A Glitch in the System” – Off to the Lab!
In Episode 2 “A Glitch in the System”, it is about tracking down the undead ruler Palawa Joko. Therefore, you need to infiltrate an Inquest facility. The Inquest is an “evil” faction of the Asura gnomes that conduct all sorts of unscrupulous experiments.
In the lab, you must sneak unnoticed through the corridors and avoid floating drones. If the drones catch you, they will raise an alarm and trouble will ensue. However, you can always fight your way through with force.
In the end, we find clues to bizarre experiments in the lab, and our excursion ends with a courageous jump from the balcony of the exploding lab.
The Charr in a Different Light
With the short trip to the lab, our story experience for the hands-on session comes to an end. The developers wanted to show us the new open-world map. It is located in a new area, the “Sandy Islands”.
There, we encounter Charr. However, the huge cat beings with impressive horns are quite different here than their counterparts known from the previous game. Normally, Charr in Guild Wars 2 are a warlike, militarized people who use steampunk technology to build massive war machines. They are somewhat reminiscent of furry Klingons with horns.
“Peaceful” Hunters Instead of Warmongers
On the sandy islands lives a lost tribe of Charr called “Olmakhan”. According to the developers, these Charr are “peaceful”. I ask how one might imagine that. After all, Charr stand about 3 meters tall, are made entirely of fur and muscle, have sharp claws, dagger-like fangs, and massive horns!
“Well, they are hunters who live in harmony with nature. They hunt to gather food, not for fun!” The Olmakhan are thus a nature-connected people that is not interested in industry and war.
Hunting is the Joy of the Charr!
Anyone who wants to learn more about the Olmakhan lifestyle can join the hunt. Wild animals roam everywhere on the islands. There are foxes, birds, antelopes, rhinoceroses, and buffalo. You can chase all these beasts.
There is even a useful effect: If you stand in tall grass, you become invisible and can sneak up on your prey in the best hunter manner. There are even particularly sought-after elite creatures that you can only defeat as a team.
Elemental Chaos
On the islands of the Olmakhan, it is not just about hunting beasts. A mysterious djinn has unleashed an elemental storm. Since then, more elemental beings keep appearing and causing trouble.
In the fight against the djinns, you will be blown around by storms and still have to dodge their devastating attacks. And the Inquest goons are also on the islands causing stress. So, there’s plenty to do again.
There is even a new legendary weapon included in the update.
New Cosmetic Options for Charr
Since the Charr play such an important role in Episode 2, there are finally new cosmetic options for the giant cats. On the one hand, the gender lock on horns is being removed. Until now, female Charr had different horns than male ones. Now both genders can adorn themselves with the same horns.
And those who still can’t get enough of horns can look forward to new horn styles. A cool detail: When you make your horns longer, they rotate. Just like real horns.
