Guild Wars Collector's Edition: Three Cheers for PvP
Written: Mar 26 '07 (Updated Mar 27 '07)
Product Rating:
Pros: No monthly subscription, impressive graphics and sound, balanced class professions, solid interface, fully developed quests,rare.
Cons: Lag issues with online play, expensive.
The Bottom Line: Guild Wars is the game for you if you don't have much time to play online. Fast paced adventures will make this MMORPG you're game of choice.
billy159401's Full Review: Guild Wars: Nightfall (Collector's Edition, Add on...
I can hear you asking already. Why should I dish out $30 more to buy a collector's edition of a game when I could just buy the regular version for so much cheaper? (Okay maybe not only $30 more...about $455 on Ebay) Well, although both boxes include the same game, the extra $30 will buy you some pretty cool merchandise. For now, let us go on with the basics.
What sets Guild Wars apart from any other regular MMO (mass multiplayer online) game is that it’s completely free with no monthly service! With comparable gameplay to other relatively successful MMOs such as WoW (World of Warcraft), Guild Wars is a must have for RPG fans who are seeking to be rewarded for skill rather than play time.
Storyline
The land of Tyria was a peaceful place. A big wall separated the people of Tyria and the warriors known as the Charr, who hate humans. Not altogether surprising, the Charr were constantly attacking the wall, but kept failing to penetrate it. At last they found magic that granted them power and destroyed the world. This was known as the Searing. The world became a wasteland with ruined towns and horrid looking monsters. It is up to you to save the world (or doom it as you please).
Gameplay
Guild Wars was developed as a massive online RPG (role playing game) by ArenaNet, which was founded by creators of the teams behind games such as Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo. With their experience, ArenaNet was able to create a powerful MMO that is based on skill rather than amount of playing time.
In contrast to many other MMOs out in the industry, Guild Wars aims to reward playing for tactics and strategy. Because the game is heavily based upon a Player versus Player (PvP) system, players are forced to learn the quirks of the game constantly and must adjust their playing strategies in order to succeed. Possessing a high level from long playing times does not help much if all the player has done is leveling. High level players are regularly destroyed by newer players who possess skill.
Be warned however, that Guild Wars is extremely PvP based. Although players can choose between creating a regular RPG account or a PvP account, both will incorporate some aspect of PvP. In my opinion, the PvP system requires players to really understand their own characters and thus, everyone can have a great gaming experience while interacting with other Guild Wars enthusiasts.
Like most MMOs, Guild Wars involves creating a character and role playing. Players use their in game avatar to whack some large creepy monsters for experience and in game currency. The game also emphasizes party quests and cooperation. Parties can be readily formed with other Guild Wars players from around the globe. Because each character in game possesses unique abilities, creating the so called “perfect party” is both hard and fun, as this process takes experience and knowledge about character strengths and weaknesses.
Character Selection, Leveling, Skills
The character classes in Guild Wars are warrior, elementalist, ranger, necromancer, mesmer, and monk. Most players have agreed that these character classes are fairly balanced in abilities. Each character is a dual class character, which means that every avatar will possess a primary profession (or main job if you will) and a secondary profession. Skills can be acquired through skill trainers in exchange for skill points and gold, or by completing in game quests.
Characters are complete with unique abilities. Rangers are able to equip ranged weapons and use traps; necromancers can raise the dead and bolster its own forces with tiny minions of terror. It is relatively easy to find the character profession that I enjoyed playing without spending too much time going back and readjusting the stats and skills of the characters. Every character class can be powerful if used with skill.
Quests / Missions
Guild Wars incorporates lots of interesting missions, ranging from collecting resources to discovering previously unexplored territories. Players will be able to travel throughout many parts of the world and really learn about the entire game environment with many of the early quests. Also, party quests are a popular attraction for many players because it allows friends to play together to achieve a single goal, at once promoting socialization and teamwork.
If you don’t have friends to play with for some reason (for example, early in the game) henchmen can be invited to join your team in town. These henchmen are actually controlled by the AI, which is surprisingly solid. Adventuring with henchmen was also a rewarding experience, although it felt a bit boring sometimes because there was nobody to talk to in the party.
Other Features
Crafting items in Guild Wars is largely a boring process. Players do the gathering of resources while NPCs (non playing characters) do the crafting. If you’re looking for a game with interesting crafting experiences, then look elsewhere. Guild Wars will disappoint you in this area.
The in game chat system is fairly good. Messenger friend lists are kept in order with different characters. For example, if one of your friends has two avatars and he or she changes between them, the friends list will keep track and take note of that change.
Traveling in game is also quick as easy. Guild Wars supports the idea that players are playing for fun and not for seeing some pixels run on screen. If your avatar has already unlocked an area by previously traveling there, then simply click on the town or camp and you’re there.
Controls
The controls in Guild Wars are extremely precise and clean. Both the mouse and keyboard is supported. There is a skill toolbar that has hotkeys in which players can load up skills they think they will be using before entering battle.
Graphics
ArenaNet has designed especially for Guild Wars its own rendering engine. This translates into eye candy for gamers. There are tons of special effects for skills and the maps are simply gorgeous. Areas appear realistic and believable. There are also different times of the day that appear, for example, there is daybreak and nightfall.
Sound
The music was, frankly, delicious and very environmentally based. Depending on where you’re situated in Guild Wars, you will hear different and pleasant sounding music that will not seem boring after prolonged play. The in game combat sounds are also realistic and believable.
Problems with online play
There are frequent lag problems due to high server volume. Although users may log in and out with ease and will not disconnect frequently, there are constant lag spikes. For example, when I double clicked on a monster to attack it, the screen freezes and a few seconds later, it shows either the monster (or my avatar dead).
Final Thoughts
Guild Wars Collector's Edition is a great online RPG that deals with many problems that stop other similar games from reaching success. Because it values skill rather than time, anyone can enjoy the game even if they can't play for extended periods of time. With developed maps, quests, and a solid PvP system, players will be in for hours and hours of fun.
Collector’s Edition Extras
* Divine aura in game (appears on your avatar)
* 128 page hardcover book of the Art of Guild Wars / Paper dolls of the classes / Concept art
* Guild Wars headset and microphone (made by Logitech)
* 3 month subscription of Speakeasy-hosted Teamspeak service
* Guild Wars CD Soundtrack featuring 28 themes created by British Academy Award winner Jeremy Soule
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