Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 is a Massively Multiplayer Online role-playing game (MMORPG) which is the sequel to the first Guild Wars game and its expansion packs, set some two hundred and fifty years after the events in the final expansion.

About the Game

The game is set in the fantasy world of Tyria which was first seen in the original games. Disturbed by the destruction caused by the events of Guild Wars, five Elder Dragons have been awakened and they are not happy about it.

The dragons are: Primordus, who has chased the Charr from their homeland (see below for more on the races in the game); Zhaitan, who is an Undead Elder Dragon; Mordremoth, a jungle Elder Dragon; Kralkatorrik is a crystal dragon, found in the Crystal Desert; and Jormag is an Ice Dragon. There is a sixth dragon, who is rumoured to sleep beneath the seas, able to communicate telepathically with its brethren: it is known as the deep sea dragon.

To the south of the game map, the continent of Cantha has been cut off by an isolationist and xenophobic political climate, which is reinforced by Zhaitan's undead navy which ensures that ships stay away. The continent of Elona, too, has been cut off; but a battle rages, giving hope that it still has some resources worth fighting for, should contact be reinitiated at some point.

The awakening of Zhaitan has caused the re-emergence of the kingdom of Orr, which – in turn – has flooded the Battle Isles completely, wiping them off the map. It is clear that time has passed since the first game, as there have been huge advances in technology, a unification of language and improvements in clothing and armour.

The Nitty Gritty

Many MMO games don’t rely on a storyline – many would find it impossible – but this game is different. Not only does it have a storyline, but it also responds to players’ actions, making the game even more immersive and fun to play.

You must choose your race and your profession, both of which dictate which skills and weapons you will be able to access. There is a wide range of skills, of which you can choose ten, so it pays to think strategically at the customisation stage. Then there are eight crafting disciplines, of which you can master two. If you pick one, then change your mind, you can swap to another, but it will cost you.

The overall feel of the game is more like massively co-operative play, as everyone mucks in to fight a common enemy in the PvE (player versus environment) events that occur regularly, but even outside of these events, people cannot kill you (or you them), and if you have found a mine to dig out, others can join you without either of you losing out to the other.

Part of the game is completing quests for NPCs, and you don’t have to worry about finding mission boards or quests: simply approaching an NPC will be enough to get them chatting and telling you what they need.

Everything you do boosts your XP (experience points) and skills, so you will soon be at level 80, which is the point that all the battles and tasks become available to you.

The game boasts wonderful visuals: from boiling lava lakes, underwater structures, immense forests and more, there is always something to look at, and there’s always something new to do too.

The game bears replaying, especially the packed dungeons , and do make a note of where to find first aid kits and medicines: there is no healer class in the game, you have to be your own medic! Explore the dungeons – all are different, but worthwhile, and make sure you look out for healing items – there are no healer classes here, you have to do it yourself.

Something unique to the game is World vs World (WvW) mode, which is like Player vs Player (PvP) but scaled up and played across planets for a truly massive experience.

Which Race Are You?

There are five races to choose between:

Human – the original inhabitants of Tyria

Charr – who battle against humans for their ancestral homeland, Ascalon

Norn – Nordic warriors, forced to flee by Jormag, the newly awakened ice dragon

Asura – these are a technologically advanced people, who were forced above ground after Primordus, the first dragon to awaken, chased them out of their underground homes and into the forests

Sylvari – these strangers are a new race: much about them is unknown, but they do have some mystical connection to the Elder Dragons. They live near the Asura

Guild Wars 2 is a detailed, rewarding huge world in which to play, work with others and take on huge dragons. What more do you want?