In my previous posts on ArenaNet's brand-new MMORPG, Guild Wars 2, I've maintained a pretty tough, critical stance (Part One, Part Two, On Grinding.)
That hasn't changed, but I want to balance that out with some discussion of what the game gets right, or gets very nearly right. In doing so I will echo some earlier criticisms, because often what Guild Wars 2 does right reflects on what it does wrong.
The thing about Guild Wars 2, is that for all my criticism, the game moves the ball in the right direction. I simply wish it had taken a few more steps.
1. Graphics
The graphics in Guild Wars 2 are quite pretty. Outside of the 2D cutscenes which, for reasons unknown, are the one area where the game's graphics and art design fall to pieces, the game is lovely. Whether you're zoomed in on your character or zoomed way out, the attention to detail in characters, monsters, and terrain is remarkable for an MMO. Especially if you play a Sylvari.
2. Art Design
However nice the graphics are, the art design itself is better. Load screens, introduction movies, and other moments when the concept art is revealed are at once a curse and a blessing. A blessing because the artwork is truly incredible; a curse because it makes me wish, quite fervently, that the in-game graphics better reflected the artwork.
As nice as the graphics in the game are, the world itself often feels too generic. However, this is never the case with the art. If Guild Wars 2 looked more like its artwork, it would be a much more unique flavor. See the picture above? I want to play that game.
3. Character Creation
Character creation in Guild Wars 2 is almost too addicting. I've spent way too much time creating new characters (many of whom I ended up not even playing) and tinkering with the elaborate dye system. One frustrating aspect of this: I created a Warrior and spent a lot of time getting him just right, loaded him up and almost instantly was in a fight against some minotaurs when I saw another Warrior that looked identical to mine. The feeling of deep character customization was shattered.
The trick is to go with lots of outlandish colors. My Human Female Necromancer was decked out in orange, purple, and pink and I never once encountered another character like her.
4. Combat
Yes, I know, I've mostly lamented the game's combat mechanics. For this and other criticisms I've been told I should just shut up and go home (in a sort of "Love it or leave it!" way that you may have encountered in the run-up to the Iraq War if you dared to question the wisdom of invading that country.)
But the real reason I'm so critical of the game's combat is because it comes close to getting it right.
This isn't just me "not getting" the game. I make a habit of studying combat systems in games. What I look for is pretty straightforward: precision, real gamer skill (not just stats buffing) and "oomph" - that intangible quality that makes the combat feel real and visceral. Add to that a defensive counterpart to the offensive techniques that is as deep and important to the combat and requires, again, precision, real skill, etc. rather than just buffs.
Guild Wars 2 has elements of each of these - it does require precision, skill, and the animations definitely create an "oomph" factor missing in many MMOs. The problem is that none of these qualities quite get it right. The precision is a bit ungainly. Dodging works to get you out of a tight spot, but rarely figures into play as much as it should. I wish shields were more than just an addition to your skill bar and stats, as well. Too few games utilize the full potential of shields, and I wish Guild Wars 2 went further in this regard.
But what really makes combat lacking is that the movement in the game is too slow. Speed up movement and you could quite easily make me a believer in this game's combat. Make simple moves like turning and dodging a bit more fluid, and give me more moves to learn for each weapon. All the elements are there for a great combat system, but none of them go far enough. Combat is an improvement over many other MMOs, but there's no reason it shouldn't be better.
5. Innovations
Like combat, innovations in the basic gameplay are welcome but don't go far enough. That being said, I'm happy to see a game that attempts to get away from fetch quests and grinding, even if (especially at lower levels) it only partly succeeds.
My real problem with the dynamic system present in Guild Wars 2 is the lack of pacing and balance. For instance, as a Norn Warrior you kill a giant monster in the tutorial phase of the game and are thus labeled a mighty hero. But this is followed by tasks which include, if you choose to accept them, gathering raven's eggs. I don't want to go from slaughtering massive ice worms to gathering raven's eggs. ArenaNet got the first part right: it was epic and adventurous. But then you instantly feel like a low-level fraud carrying about the badge of "hero" a little guiltily.
Again, ArenaNet moves the ball in the right direction with some cool innovations, but doesn't go far enough, and makes the main story too irrelevant to the broader experience.
6. Exploration
This is the real place where Guild Wars 2 shines. You can explore basically anywhere right off the bat (save for some high level areas where you will most certainly die unless you are quite good at evading enemies.) Between harvesting, vistas, crafting, and whatever other secrets and easter-eggs you can discover (such as diving off of really high diving boards) there's no shortage of adventure.
I think it could be improved on: again, I think characters need to move faster. Players of the game often claim that the myriad waypoints more than make up for the slow character travel speed, but I think the waypoints actually detract from exploration. I would happily trade the majority of waypoints for a faster mode of organic travel - either through a system of mounts or, even better, through faster movement all the way around.
Furthermore, I wish less was telegraphed in the maps. True, you unlock the map as you travel and talk to scouts, but it would be better if all the "undiscovered vistas" were actually, you know, undiscovered.
Still, exploration is key when it comes to Guild Wars 2, and I think that's a point in its favor.
