Guild Wars 2 (GW2) – The best Buy-2-Play MMORPG
Developer/Publisher: ArenaNet/NC-Soft | Release: August 28, 2012 | Model: Buy-2-Play | Platform: PC | Download: GW2 Homepage
What kind of game is this? Guild Wars 2 is an innovative fantasy MMORPG in which you play a hero in a world threatened by primeval dragons. The selection of races deviates from the usual fantasy standard; there are neither Orcs, Dwarves, nor Elves, but instead, there are warrior cat species, intelligent plants, hulking Nordic people, and a race of rather unscrupulous gnomes. You can also choose one of 9 classes.
Guild Wars 2 is played with a dynamic combat system where you must aim accurately and constantly dodge or block to avoid enemy attacks.
What are the highlights? Guild Wars 2 had some fresh ideas right from the launch, which it has remained true to:
- The game world adapts to your character, allowing you to explore everything freely regardless of level
- The game does not rely on the Holy Trinity, so you are not obliged to have a tank or healer in the group
- The game continuously evolves thanks to regular new story chapters and has a story that constantly progresses. There may be moments where dragons awaken or entire regions are ravaged and remain so.
- Furthermore, there are no classic quests; instead, there are dynamic events that take place in the game world that you can participate in or skip. This creates a particularly vibrant game world that motivates exploration.
What are the drawbacks? Guild Wars 2 actually has an extensive PvP system, where you can either fight in arenas or engage in massive battles between entire servers on a huge map.
Unfortunately, the developers have neglected this aspect of the game for some time, and fans are correspondingly upset.
And just as the living story has the downside that past content is sometimes no longer retrievable. However, the developers have at least partly addressed this concern, as there was a recent event that was ideal for new players.
Why is it particularly good for beginners? Guild Wars 2 offers plenty of content to experience all for just 30 euros. When you buy the current version Path of Fire, you gain access to all previous expansions in the game, which is quite a lot. An optional subscription has never existed in Guild Wars 2. Therefore, you don’t have to spend more money than the initial purchase cost.
Moreover, the world invites exploration right away, even without extensive prior knowledge, and the story can be read online if needed.
