It’s been well over a week now since the last Guild Wars 2 BWE, and what a glorious
gaming binge it was. I barely spent any time away from my poor arthritic chair,
endless coffee rings covered my desk and I think the image of my Charr’s furry
arse has been permanently imprinted onto my retinas. I've performed Olympic standard
diving off waterfalls, desperately scaled ruins at the dead of night and
bludgeoned a cow repeatedly for what felt like twenty minutes. Guild Wars 2 certainly isn’t without its
variety and I’ve barely scratched the surface.
The Beta Blues
I've had two weekends and one stress test worth of time with
GW2 and to be perfectly honest I’m quite glad that I wasn’t able to find a
‘/played’ function. I’d hate to imagine how much time I clocked over the course
of those few days. It’s probably best not knowing, right?
Unlike many other beta tests ArenaNet, offered players the
chance to continue with their created characters from one test to the next. The
problem was that each time a test ended none of us were informed that this
would be the case. We assumed that our time with our characters would be a
wonderful yet short lived experience and so we prepared ourselves for this.
(ArenaNet you really toyed with my emotions.)
I became quite fond of my incredibly ugly, large furry
friend Avarn. Even during the very first test I said my customary farewells, spammed
my ‘PrtScn’ button till it was hanging by a thread, shed caffeine loaded tears
as I knew all the time and dedication given to Avarn would soon be flushed away. “Oh well” I thought, next time I can create
another who will carry on Avarn’s courageous spirit.
Out of nowhere a one day stress test is announced, Avarn
returns to me for one more glorious evening to frolic in the Kessex Hills
together. We battle centaurs whilst ArenaNet test the log in and server
stability that had been one of the biggest issues the previous weekend. It felt
like a proper send off, some real closure and I was ready to let go. Ok so I
took a few more screenies of him on the character selection screen, so what? Once again
me and Avarn parted ways, he was gone for good this time, right?
Wrong. The second beta test was announced and we were told
“players will be able to play with their existing characters from the first
Beta Weekend Event.” I wish they would stop doing this to us, it’s cruel and
unfair. Avarn was like an innocent lamb, I knew he was going to get slaughtered
at some point, that I shouldn’t have given him a name, but I did, I got
attached and now I have no idea if he is truly gone.
So
my impressions of the Guild Wars 2 BWE I bring to you from the
perspective of a yellow lump of fur and the moments that made the time I played
with him so memorable.
 |
| Avarn says: "Onwards, to the review!" |
Crafting a Character
In the beginning I decided to play as a Human ranger. Seeing
as most of my guild had chosen to play the same race, it only seemed sensible to
do the same so we could all start in the same area. The issue for me is that I
get bored very quickly at looking at a human character in MMOs. I just don’t
see the point in playing as something I already am, where’s the fantasy in
that? Soon I was back to the character creation screen and I must admit, it‘s probably one of
the nicest I have seen in a long while.
The creator paints a picture of quality, the stylised
realism of the characters and the many slider options you have to customise
them to you liking. The water coloured backdrop of animations washes over
from one to another as you select between the eight different classes (Elementalist,
Warrior, Guardian, Engineer, Ranger, Thief and Mesmer.) That any of the six
races (Charr, Human, Norn, Asura and Sylvari) have the option to play as. I
couldn’t help but spend time looking through all of the possible combinations. Unfortunately the Asura and Sylvari weren’t available during these tests.
One thing I learnt while using the creator, my god ArenaNet
can make some attractive character models. The human females looked as though
they had been pulled right out of a guy’s heavenly bank of fun. You just
couldn’t make them look ugly, and I really tried. I worry at the amount of
people who probably drooled over those perfectly formed pixels. Even the males I found scarily attractive, no
man should be that well groomed! ‘The only way is Kessex Hills’ will soon be
hitting Youtube I’m sure.
In the end I settled on a Charr Guardian which I could definitely
make ugly, so I did. Mainly as I didn’t think I would be getting to play him
again. (Sigh) Lastly you can then select between various personality traits and
a history that will shape the progress of your characters personal story. This even
affects a particular piece of armour your character will begin with, which is a
nice addition to make your starting character a bit more unique.
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| Skimpy enough for you? |
Into the World of Tyria
The world of GW2 is immense, right from the off you are made to feel small. Mountains tower above you, cities surround you and the oceans and rivers submerge you in their depths. It is all built to scale; if something is supposed to be huge it damn well looks it.
The world of GW2 is immense, right from the off you are made to feel small. Mountains tower above you, cities surround you and the oceans and rivers submerge you in their depths. It is all built to scale; if something is supposed to be huge it damn well looks it.
I found this incredibly funny when comparing my character to
others around me. Meeting up with my guildies later they appeared surprisingly
small, I genuinely felt as though I could eat them whole as they scurried
around me. This will certainly come as a shock to me later, as I’m planning on
playing an Asura, the smallest of all the races. Guess I’ll get a taste of my
own medicine.
You can easily get lost in Tyria. It really feels as though it’s a living
breathing world. The towns and cities are teeming with life, even when there
isn’t a single player around. NPCs create the hustle and bustle you would expect
from any populated area. Merchants cry out to you to buy their wares and guards
patrol day and night to keep the peace. It just feels as though they are going
about their own lives, and you are just one more addition in a stream of their
typical day to day routine.
You pick up snippets
of conversation as you make your way through the crowds, sometimes people
arguing over a lover, news from the battles that have been springing up across
the world, even the fears and dreams that they have about the future. It can
even be humorous at times. I found myself just standing and eaves dropping on
conversations. One of the most memorable I came across was a couple of children
running around talking about finding a “Pukalicious” centaur bone.
There’s always something going on, always something to just
sit and gawk at until you realise that you haven’t really done anything. But
that’s the best part, you have. Everything you do will contribute to your
character’s progression. Want to just go exploring? You can do that, and for
each area, point of interest and waypoint you find you will gain experience
towards your next level.
One thing that did shock me was that “other than map travel
and asura gates, there will be no other methods of long distance travel such as
mounts.” At first I wasn’t sure if this would be a good thing, mounts have
always been one of my fondest things to own in an MMO. But after playing
throughout the test I can honestly say that I didn’t miss them at all. I think
having one in GW2 would actually lessen the experience, as you would probably
take less notice of the stunning areas as you breezed through them riding atop
of your grotesquely large steroid-induced beast.
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| Where to begin... |
Waypoints just keep things simple if you want to travel quickly, and it even comes at a fair price. Each waypoint is placed around the map to keep travelling from becoming tedious, but without breaking the immersive scope of the world. Once you unlock one by simply walking up to it, you can instantly travel back to it from any location across the whole of Tyria simply by opening the map. So when playing with a guild or friends you’re never more than a quick waypoint trip away from any of them. You can even link a waypoint in chat that will direct that player straight to the one you want.
A few of my guild
mates were questing in an entirely different area. Out of nowhere a world boss encounter
sprung up and they all began yelling at me to get over to them and help out. In
a moment I was there, staring up at a giant Shadow Behemoth looming over a
swamp.
In most other MMOs I would have probably missed the encounter with them.
I could have done it at some other point, but it just wouldn’t have been the
same as joining my guildies in their first experience of it all together. Especially
when we’re all yelling like school kids as we took it down and bathed in the loot,
glorious, glorious loot!
I <3 questing
 |
| I'm gonna need a bigger sword! |
I <3 questing
Questing in GW2 isn’t as ground breaking as many people had
first hoped. Yes events do happen which can change the world around you,
fortifications can be lost and won, and attacks on villages can leave them
burnt to the ground and devoid of life.
The problem is that within a few minutes it can all revert back to how
it was, and all your efforts to change things really don’t feel like they
matter so much in the long run. I can understand why this might happen, but it
was shame things didn’t stay resolved for long, or that different quests would
appear due to your actions more often.
Skill Point quests can also be found around the world in
various locations and offer more interesting challenges. Sometimes these can be
as simple as talking to an NPC to retrieve an item. Other times it may be
someone who wishes to test your mettle and confronts you to duel, these can sometimes really test how you play, but other times feel like a typical 'smack em' until it’s
over.
They can take you by surprise; I could see a Skill
Point on the map but it was nowhere to be seen. It ended up being a
complicated jump puzzle that required you to scale right across a set of ruins,
this took a good few attempts before I reached it but the sense of reward for
doing it was so brilliant I couldn’t help but want to show others the path
needed to reach it later. These Skill points can then be spent on extra
abilities for your character, they make you feel as if you are earning your GW2 stripes.
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| The game was made with some real heart. |
You have your own personal bar to fill, and doing one of a
number of these things can fill it. This does keep things a bit fresher than having
one standard objective, but in reality it isn’t much different when your choice
of objectives is to feed the cows, water the crops or kill worms. This is
especially true if you are on your own, it can really feel like it’s dragging
along at times. Once you manage to fill your bar, the quest is complete and the
heart will turn to gold on your map. Success!
Where GW2 quests excel is when larger numbers of players are
all doing the same quest together, it feels as if you are all working for a
single cause. You may have your own bar to fill, but because you don’t actually
have to group up to help one another you can tackle the obstacles much faster
and without worrying about making a party.
It’s a really natural style of play, no fussing around sending group
requests or worrying about stealing a mob. Also, as quests progress and more
people enter the area there is always a chance of group events occurring that
end up involving a large number of players all at once. This really makes
questing in GW2 a dream rather than a chore.
You could be wandering
down the road after just finishing a heart quest. Suddenly a defence marker
appears on your map. In the distance you can hear the sounds of spells being
cast and violent fighting. You start to make your way towards them wondering
what could be going on.
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| The love between beast...and beast. |
An Elementalist drops
a flaming sword to the ground for you to use, so you begin pummelling into the
mobs around you. The event changes and they begin to retreat. You are still
flame whipping the arse of the mobs as they try to run away. You all let out a
/cheer. But it isn’t over yet, enemy reinforcements arrive, and a group of
elite mobs come charging in at you and your small band of heroes. Your defences
don’t hold and you all begin to drop, there’s just too many of them now.
When it all seems lost
another group of players enter the area and begin fighting them back, some of
them come to your aid and begin gently rubbing (it's what it looks like) you and your allies back to
health. In the end you all tackle the elites together winning the event and
claiming the rewards.
When players band together GW2 works perfectly, but questing
as a solo player can really feel like an arduous task and there is always an
occasion of this happening. GW2 really is meant to be enjoyed with others, but
that’s exactly the point of a real MMO right? No matter what GW2 will always
reward you for making the effort to see and do everything. Once you manage to
complete an area 100% you receive a chest stuffed with rare goodies and a
decent sum of gold to enjoy.
 |
| Loot glorious looot! |
Friends = Rewards
Having a helpful and friendly community in GW2 is a truly important
foundation to the game. ArenaNet recognise this, and have made all attempts to
make sure players are rewarded for aiding one another.
Too many other MMOs these days seem as though players are pushed
to resent each other. The internet can be a bloody horrible place at times and
MMOs can really be the worst case of it.
How many times have
you had some sod steal the mobs you were after while questing? The same
players who will happily jump on a crafting node they know you want, while
you’re tackling the mobs around it. Other players who will even tag an elite
mob you have just made a group to do, just because they want to be an ass, and
lastly the players who whine about loot constantly or steal it from others.
If you’re someone who enjoys griefing players outside of PvP,
look elsewhere! All that bad MMO blood is wiped clean in GW2, and here is just
a few examples of the ways it’s done:
- Quest and Crafting nodes – Each node is individually assigned, every player is able to use the same nodes that other players can.
- Loot – It’s always your own, no one can see it but you, unless you wish to share it. Loot is also never bound to your character unless it is a ‘soulbiding’ item and you wear it. This encourages item swaps and auction trades. This goes for all rewards in game.
- Reviving - Helping up a ‘downed’ player grants you experience. People usually go out of their way to revive each other anyway, but you get another incentive.
- Grouping – As mentioned before, it isn’t necessary to group up to help one another. You can simply run into a quest area and begin helping anyone you wish without ‘tagging’ their mobs or stealing their items. This also makes sure players aren’t left out, who perhaps couldn’t find a group otherwise.
- Level Scaling – Your character’s level will always scale down to meet the requirements of the area they are in. No more ‘leet’ players killing everything in sight because they can. This also means it’s always possible to group up with your friends without feeling like you’re spoiling the fun, or that you’re going to become bored due to the lack of challenge.
Things could change when the masses finally come to GW2, but
during the course of the beta these thoughtful refinements made a literal world
of difference. You could happily stick with a group of players you didn’t know
from quest to quest without ever having to worry that you were affecting their
game for the worse. Players’ attitudes towards each other naturally seemed to
be altered for the better.
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| "Hooray friendly peoples!" |
Of course I don’t just want magic rainbows and fluffy goodness all around me, and I know this won’t stop the ‘hate’ in chat, and the typical ‘l33t speak.’ But I believe most of it, because of the way ArenaNet have tactfully built their game, will end up being saved for PvP, where it belongs.
Combat
Combat doesn’t stray too far from what most players will be used too. But as with most other elements of GW2 what ArenaNet have done is refine it. Combat gives you a reason to become more involved in what you’re attacking and the way you approach different situations. Rather than just standing there and face mashing your keyboard. Your actions and how much determination and skill you have really can mean the difference between owning everything in sight and being butchered by just one angry Moa.
“Dodge, Duck, Dip,
Dive, and… Dodge.”
The ‘Dodge Mechanic’ is one of the biggest differences
you’ll come across. Every player now has the ability to avoid an enemy attack,
which can be done by simply double tapping in any direction or pressing ‘V’.
Whilst the dodge is activated you become invulnerable to any attacks that
happen during that time. This makes combat far more interesting, as not only do
you have to worry about damaging your target and making sure your health is at
a decent level. You are also trying to give yourself an edge, by keeping out of
the way of your enemies more deadly attacks. Trust me, these attacks can obliterate
you more often than not!
This can be pretty tricky on occasion. Not all enemies’
attacks are as easy to predict or react to. Many just occur without warning;
you have to learn what a mob can do.
This wouldn’t be much of a problem if you could just spam dodge over and
over, but gladly this isn’t possible. You are restricted to at most two dodges
in a row. It’s then a matter of waiting for your energy bar to refill before
being able to dodge again, so getting your timing right is key.
Unfortunately on a number of occasions I was pretty damn
sure that I had nailed my timings with a mob in order to dodge them. Only to be
knocked flying or battered into a pulp. The other gripe I had was when you
found yourself scaling a tricky obstacle (jump puzzles) or fighting a mob
perilously close to a ledge. So many times I would be happily tapping away at
my keys to slowly creep round an edge, just to end up launching myself action
hero style straight over it to my death.
This could be hilarious at times, especially if you’re watching
a friend do it by accident. But when it happens to you, and usually at the
worst possible moment, it can be extremely aggravating. Sure I could have used
‘V’ but I enjoyed having it mapped on my normal movement keys, it gives combat
a much nicer feel not having to move away from them to dodge.
I'm going down!
Downed states also give combat a new dimension. Once your
life is reduced to zero, your character doesn’t just instantly die. You aren’t
unable to move or attack as quickly, but you have four skills that allow you
the chance to get back on your feet or survive until help comes to you. This
makes ‘healing’ in GW2 a team effort, especially during boss encounters.
Players are expected to be Downed in GW2, so making sure that
you are keeping an eye on how your team mates are doing is crucial to your
survival. On top of worrying about yourself and smacking the crap out of
whatever your targeting. This keeps combat constantly engaging. Just standing
around doing your own thing just isn’t going to cut it, you have to be on the
move helping your allies and then making sure you’re laying down the damage
needed to end the fight.
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| "Tis but a flesh wound!" |
Weapon switching and their combinations are probably my
favourite attribute of combat. You will only ever have a maximum of ten
abilities on your bars at one time in GW2. This was a welcome change from
having my screen absolutely covered in little colourful boxes that apparently
all did something different and magical, but were basically worthless.
Your Main hand and offhand weapons affect the abilities at
your disposal in the first five slots. The last five are chosen by you using the
skill points you gathered, and will continue to unlock further abilities. There are three utility
skills, one healing skill and finally an elite skill to choose from. These
slots open slowly the more your character progresses in level. (The elite
skills are amazing!) The same goes for weapon skills. Each ability on a weapon
is slowly unlocked as you use it, so it’s worth trying out all weapons that are
available to your class in order to learn their abilities.
Your choice of class no longer forces you into playing a
particular style or role in GW2. Gone are the ways of the ‘Holy Trinity’ and
welcome to the dawn of ‘Doing whatever the hell you want!’ This will feel
strange to some, but because of this ArenaNet have been able to allow their
classes to change up their play style. Either just to suit the individual or to
react to whatever the situation requires. Being able to use both a great sword
and a staff on my Guardian made me the happiest of all the Charrs.
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| "One handed sword, I choose you!" |
You have an awesome close range melee attack? Make sure you
have a weapon that allows you to jump in closer or drag a mob to you to best
utilise it. The trial and error of weapon combinations are fun just on their
own. But it’s when you finally get to grips with your favourite weapons sets
combat becomes extremely rewarding.
As a basic example:
As a basic example:
I start by pulling a
mob towards me out of a big pack and stunning him. I then jump into the rest of
the group before they have a real chance to move and open up with an AOE
melee attack. Before I take too much damage I then switch to a more defensive weapon
set.
Knocking away the mobs with a shield, I then place a healing increase at my feet. As the mobs recover and the first of their attacks come in, I dodge out of the way and follow this up with a ranged cone attack finishing them off. The stunned mob then begins to run in, I switch back to my initial weapon set and leap at him and end the fight with a series combo strikes.
Knocking away the mobs with a shield, I then place a healing increase at my feet. As the mobs recover and the first of their attacks come in, I dodge out of the way and follow this up with a ranged cone attack finishing them off. The stunned mob then begins to run in, I switch back to my initial weapon set and leap at him and end the fight with a series combo strikes.
 |
| The melee went in... they didn't come out. |
The big worry with combat at the moment, is that
melee comes across as rather pointless against much tougher mobs. The chances of push
backs, and increased damage taken by melee leaves it a much less viable option.
Standing back and attacking from range you have less worry about being hit
as often, and allows you constant manoeuvrability.
Closing
My fingers are bleeding but there is just so much to GW2, and even now I have still yet
to cover it all; Crafting, Personal stories, Dungeons, PvP and WvWvW, are just some of the things I didn't get much time to try in game or discuss. I’ve never
written so much about one game and still had so much more to say. So thank you
for sticking with me to the end, especially as it's my first review.
In all Guild Wars 2
has been has been an immersive, visually stunning and magnificent display of
what the MMO genre can be. It’s certainly not without its faults, and like so
many others have stated it won’t end up being the Holy Grail of gaming
brilliance. But what makes GW2 so incredible is its attention to detail, the
subtle yet thoughtful refinements ArenaNet have made to the attributes of the
genre, and the way in which players are encouraged to interact with one another. It’s these key components that make it stand out from the
heap of rotting corpses that litter the MMO wasteland.
Can’t wait till the next Beta!
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