On Aug. 28, the PC gaming community excitedly welcomed Guild Wars 2, a new fantasy role-playing game. Although the massively multiplayer online game (MMO) has done little to redefine typical MMO elements—leveling up, player development, fantasy tropes, and exploration—it takes the Guild Wars franchise to a new level by introducing a slew of new features.
For starters, the game will be played on multiple servers or “worlds.” Players are not bound to specific worlds; instead, they are able to visit other worlds using the game’s “guest mode.”
Also, Guild Wars 2’s player versus player (PvP) system is formatted two ways, World PvP and Structured PvP. World PvP allows you to play characters in specific levels with a skillset previously acquired for that level. Structured PvP gives you the freedom to enter the game at any level with all skills, races, items and classes automatically unlocked.
Unlike its predecessor, Guild Wars 2 does not require players to engage in quests; rather, the game now uses an events system. Certain events occur regardless of whether a player is present, while others can be triggered by speaking with key NPCs. The game rewards players based on their participation in—and the outcome of—specific events.
With the game’s new features, it’s no wonder sales are up! Of course, you’ll need a fast processor to run it properly. And don’t worry, once NCsoft catches all the bugs, Guild Wars 2 will likely be the next big thing in MMORPGs.
Players can enjoy a lifetime of Guild Wars 2 with a one-time purchase of $59.99—no monthly fees required. But if you’re willing to spend the cash, upgrades are available for purchase from the in-game store.