Guild Wars 2
Developer: ArenaNet | Platform: PC | Release Date: August 28, 2012 | Model: Free2Play/Buy2Play | Combat System: Mix of Action and Tab-Targeting
What kind of game is this? Guild Wars 2 is ideal for casual players as an MMORPG. It stands out especially with its beautiful game world, where you encounter dynamic events and hearts instead of quests.
These generally consist of typical tasks such as killing monsters or gathering resources, but usually you have multiple ways to complete the task, making it feel more integrated into the world. Additionally, hidden achievements and the tricky jumping puzzles spice up the leveling phase.
During character creation, you choose from nine different classes and five races, without any restrictions. A tree-like Sylvari can play an engineer with a flamethrower. With your character, you level up to level 80 and can also revisit older areas, as you are dynamically downscaled.
In the mid and endgame, dungeons, boss instances, and raids await PvE fans, while PvP players can focus on arenas or the large World vs. World. In the latter mode, three servers compete against each other for control of forts and towers on four different maps. Each faction can deploy up to 150 players per map.
Recently, the expansion Janthir Wilds was released here in August 2024:
In terms of combat system, the game relies on a mix of tab-targeting and action. You do select a target, but must place AoE areas yourself and dodge incoming attacks using a roll. There is also the so-called action camera, which requires you to aim at enemies for each ability optionally.
The special thing about Guild Wars 2 is that since the release, the equipment level and maximum level have not been increased. Once you have earned the max equipment, you can use it forever.
In the endgame, much revolves around giving the equipment the perfect look or leveling the new masteries that appear. These bring, for example, gliding in the game world or new mounts, which thanks to various abilities and unique animations, are a big highlight on their own.
Who is this interesting for? Guild Wars 2 does not require a subscription or constant grinding for new equipment. This makes the MMORPG ideal for casual players, beginners, or people looking for a second MMORPG in between.
But as a main game, it can also be convincing, especially if you aim for over 5,000 different achievements, a high leaderboard position in PvP, or records in the instances. Another entertaining aspect is organizing large groups for world events, such as fighting the map-wide dragon boss Mordremoth.
Is there a catch? Due to the lack of grind for new levels or new gear, some people find the MMORPG less rewarding. Also, the visit to difficult endgame content becomes less relevant, as you can earn the best gear through crafting or certain achievements.
Those who want access to all game content need to spend a bit of money initially:
- The base game is completely free to play.
- The latest expansion, Visions of Eternity, costs 24.99 Euros in the standard version.
- To access the previous expansions, Janthir Wilds and Secrets of the Obscure, you need to pay another 24.99 Euros.
- The Alt Dragon Saga, including the first three expansions and the Living World, costs nearly 30 Euros.
Is it still worth starting in 2026? Guild Wars 2 has announced a new update strategy. With this, there will be a major patch every quarter and more frequent expansions. New content for the next few years is therefore guaranteed.
But even now there are hundreds of hours of story, over 100 areas, and over 50 different instances waiting for you. Thanks to regular balance updates and new seasons, PvP won’t get boring either. If you’re interested in starting, we have summarized everything here: Is it still worth starting with Guild Wars 2?
