Guild Wars 2 – The Best All-Rounder
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 an MMORPG that is heavily focused on casual players. When creating your character, you can choose from nine different classes and five races, with no restrictions. You level them up to level 80 and can constantly use old areas, as you will be dynamically downscaled.
Instead of traditional quests, you are presented with hearts. These usually consist of typical tasks like killing monsters or collecting resources, but you often have multiple solutions to the task, making it feel more integrated into the world.
The combat system uses a mix of tab-targeting and action. You do select a target, but you must place AoE areas yourself and dodge incoming attacks with a dodge roll. There is also the so-called action camera, which allows you to optionally target enemies for each ability.
The unique aspect of Guild Wars 2 is that since its release, the equipment level and maximum level have not been raised. Once you have earned the maximum gear, you can use it forever, which is especially pleasant for casual players.
What does it do well in PvE? Guild Wars 2 has the strongest open world in the genre. There are various things to discover, such as vistas, hidden basements and achievements, or the tricky jumping puzzles. Additionally, the game rewards you with skill points, experience points, and items for legendary equipment when you explore the map.
In almost every area, there is also a world boss that you must defeat together with other players. Thanks to dynamic scaling, this is always a bit of a challenge. In the areas of the expansion Heart of Thorns, even small veterans or a cluster of pocket raptors can be a significant challenge.
Additionally, there are dungeons, fractals, and raids in the endgame, which require significant practice later on. This is complemented by a story that often takes place in separate instances. However, you can easily bring friends along if you want to experience the story together.
What does it do poorly in PvE? The dungeons and raids in the endgame do not reach the high standards of WoW or Lost Ark. Therefore, there is no large hardcore community, and there have not been any real world-first races for quite some time.
Some players also feel overwhelmed by the open world and the freedom it presents. They miss the typical quests that they can just follow from A to B.
What about PvP? PvP takes place either in arenas or in large world-vs-world matches. In this, three servers fight against each other for control of fortresses and towers on four different maps. Each faction can have up to 150 players per map. Whether the game is worth it for you can be found out here: Is it still worth starting Guild Wars 2?
