Since its 2012 release, Guild Wars 2 has established itself as a top-notch MMORPG. Thanks to the developers' efforts to continuously update the game with new content, it has now become more and more popular over time. A game shouldn't be able to continue for as long as it has, but it does. With a brand-new year, let's examine the top 10 reasons to play Guild Wars 2 in 2023 to determine if you'll finally venture into the land of Tyria.
Honorary Mentions
Release of endgame content
We wanted harder content, we got it. Strike Missions and Raids provides players with tons of challenges to overcome.
The game's initial release was focused mainly with advancing the story missions, fractals, PvP, and World versus World modes rather than having a traditional end game. A few years later, the first expansion pack, Heart of Thorns, was released, giving players their first experience to raids. Raid missions are challenging missions where you must team up with 10 other players to defeat strong bosses with special mechanics. Only those with thorough knowledge of their professions' mechanics will be successful in them. Path of Fire also added strike missions, which operated as less difficult raids intended for more casual players but are still difficult.
Announced fourth expansion coming
Who knows where the future will take us. We are simply here for the wild ride to come.
While the developers announced in March 2022 that they were working on a fourth expansion, very little is known about it, though there are speculations about what it could mean for the players. We do know, after experiencing all three expansions, that they may lead us to an entirely new region in Tyria, as well as more elite specializations. A new playable race has been requested by players. Perhaps it's finally time for that to happen. We also know that, with the completion of End of Dragon's story mission, the story is ready to move on from the initial story containing the Elder Dragons. We'll find out where the story goes in the future, but for now, we can only speculate.
10. Guild Wars 2 is not pay-to-win
The game has always promised not to be a pay-to-win game since its inception. It may have an in-game store where you can buy tons of cool items to make your gameplay easier and more productive, such as increased bank tabs and Black Lion Salvage kits, but there is nothing that provides players with increased attributes.
If you visit the Trading Post (or press the O key by default), you can look at the various utilities, skins, and other cool gadgets you can get for your account by converting your in-game currency into gems. What you will not find, however, is anything that gives players an advantage over anyone else playing the game. Unlike the majority of online video games with microtransactions today, this is one game that does it correctly.
9. The Free-to-Play or Buy-to-Play experience
Although there have been many other free-to-play MMORPGs on the market, none of them have the size, scope, and diversity of Guild Wars 2. From the moment you create your account and create your first character to the moment you reach level 80, you will have a rich experience playing the game. From a Buy-to-Play standpoint, you only need to buy the base game and its expansions to get started and fully enjoy the game without ever having to pay a subscription service. Some game critics may think that is an odd way to market your game because the company may struggle to earn funds.
This is where expansions and the conversion of gems to gold come into play. As previously stated, purchasing anything in the Gem Store gives players no advantage over others because most items are purely cosmetic in nature. Grabbing skins and mixing armor pieces to look fashionable among other players is a must-do activity in a game with a quirky alternate end-goal dubbed "Fashion Wars" by fans.
8. The player population continues to grow
During its initial release, the game's population consisted primarily of those who had played since the first game and those who had transferred from other MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft, Age of Wushu, and TERA, as well as many others. People were interested in the combat system and how simple it was to play the game. Others thought the game was breathtaking. Word of mouth spread the game's praises, eventually leading to some online reviewers praising it highly.
Due to a lack of content, the game eventually became stagnant. Players were terrified due to the developers' lack of communication at the time. That's when they announced the first expansion, Heart of Thorns. The word spread quickly, and those who had left the game for other reasons quickly returned to try out the new maps and elite specializations. Speaking of those who left the game, returning players have complained that whenever they try to leave Guild Wars 2 and play other MMOs, they always end up returning. There is still something lacking in the other games that Guild Wars 2 continues to provide.
When the game releases an expansion, the player base expands and remains stable. With the game's availability on Steam, a new path for new players has opened up. As previously stated, the game is also free to play, allowing players to fully experience the base game, though there are a few restrictions that can be easily overcome. The F2P model allows new players to try out the game for a limited time before deciding whether or not to purchase the game and its expansion packs.
7. The game’s soundtrack is beautiful
Jeremy Soule is an award-winning composer best known for his work on films, television shows, and video games, including Guild Wars 2. He wrote many of the soundtracks for the base game, which many players enjoy. The music and ambience are so enjoyable to listen to that you can incorporate them into your music playlists as a way to unwind.
The soundtracks arrive at just the perfect time and vary depending on your current situation. When you are simply idling or adventuring outside of major cities, the background music changes to an appropriate score. When you engage in combat with two or more enemies, the music changes to battle music. There are even songs dedicated to boss battles.
One of the best things about the soundtrack is your ability to customize it by using your own files. For more information on how to create your own soundtracks to play in game, you may check this link: Guild Wars 2’s Wiki
Another interesting side note about the soundtrack, did you know that the game also lets you play with musical instruments? In fact, there are several guilds in-game that specifically choose to play with these instruments. You can purchase these items through the in-game gem store.
6. The graphics continue to amaze to this day
Some games' graphics from 2012 simply do not hold up a decade later. Guild Wars 2 is an excellent exception to the rule. The developers knew they had to create a visually appealing game that players would appreciate a decade or more after its initial release. The textures and particle effects from skills and cosmetics make the game visually stunning.
This wasn't entirely true back then, as the developers had to constantly tweak their settings to get to what we have now. With all the effects going off, there used to be a lot more visual clutter during battles, making it difficult to see where the enemy's hitbox was in combat. It could be too bright or flashy at times, making it difficult for players to know where to hit enemies. It was then decided that the effects needed to be toned down slightly.
We now have just the right amount of flash and flair in battles to make fighting a joy, but graphics don't stop with special effects. Guild Wars 2's many vistas and locales are picturesque and make for lovely desktop backgrounds. Most people take the time to visit these places and are captivated by their beauty. Sometimes the best scenery is slightly out of reach until you find a way to get there.
5. The gameplay is just as solid as ever
One of Guild Wars 2's best features is its emphasis on making gameplay engaging while remaining simple. After completing the character creation process and landing in the prologue mission, you will notice that you are equipped with your first weapon based on your core profession: the heavy armor classes (warrior, guardian, and if you purchased at least one of the expansions, the revenant), the medium armor classes (thief, engineer, ranger), and the light armor classes (elementalist, necromancer, mesmer).
Your initial skills are linked to the weapons you are currently using, and you can switch weapons in the middle of a battle. You gain the ability to use utility skills other than your current heal skill as you level up. These utility skills give you more abilities to gain an advantage over enemies and buff allies. The final skills you unlock are elite skills with powerful effects but a long cooldown.
You also gain the ability to unlock traits and perks as you level up and gain hero points. Hero points can be earned by leveling up or completing specific challenges on the map. Some are simple enough that you only need to click, watch a nice animation, and get a hero point, while others require you to complete specific tasks. Take your time collecting them all because you will need them to unlock your elite specializations once you reach level 80 and buy the expansion packs.
The combat mechanics are engaging and simple to grasp, though some do take some getting used to, especially for complete beginners. When fighting, most attacks can be avoided by simply stepping away from area-of-effect attacks and dodging. Dodges deplete your endurance bar and can only be used twice before being refilled in combat. The elimination of kill-stealing by allowing players to each get their own loot and experience as long as they contribute damage is an important gameplay mechanic linked to another section of this article. This encourages cooperation from other players who want to fight specific enemies together.
4. Guild Wars 2 has something for everybody
Guild Wars 2 has something for everyone, no matter what they choose to do. As a new player, you gradually expose yourself to more content as you level up and explore Tyria. You can experiment with side activities even though it is encouraged to first master the game and its fundamentals. Do you wish to explore the countryside and play with your friends? Create a group and embark on an exciting trip as you and your friends discover the many landscapes. There might be some secrets that only you and your team can discover.
Are you okay with the thought of organizing a party with strangers? To unlock the ability to open explorable paths, first try dungeons and story missions. These paths award you with items and tokens that can be used to obtain unique exotic armors with specific stat combinations. In Lions Arch, you can even try Fractals of the Mists, or Fractals for short. Fractals are like shorter dungeons, but they have different levels of difficulty, with higher levels having more mechanics like the introduction of Agony and the requirement for Agony Resistance. There are more challenges to be completed at higher levels.
If you enjoy competition, you can choose between World versus World and Structured PvP. In the competitive game style known as "Structured PvP," five-player teams compete against one another to seize nodes, defend them, and beat their foes. World vs World is a hybrid of open world PvE and sPvP in which you and your team must complete objectives while defending nodes all over the map and siege towers and castles. Your home server must defend your Borderlands against a team of three servers while working with two other allied servers. Players can earn different rewards in both game types.
Do you prefer playing alone and don't feel like joining a team? You can try to solo several fractals and dungeons if you have the correct builds and great skill. Some people have even gone above and beyond the challenge by completing the Legendary Bounties for those who have the expansion packs solo. These players demonstrate the progress the community has made in its search for potent builds and the rising level of player skills.
You can even participate in role-playing activities in the game's communities. Typically, you may find these players acting their parts and acting in character in the larger towns. It's entertaining to witness what tales the characters conjure up using their own characters. As was already noted, several guilds that focus on music also play musical instruments. There is something for everyone to do in the thriving Guild Wars 2 community. Having said that..
3. The community is always there
The community is active both in-game and online, and they are always happy to lend an ear to new players seeking advice. There are numerous informational resources available, including the game's own wiki and Reddit. You can always use the Look For Group option in-game to join a party or squad if you ever need to complete an activity. Most of the time, all you need to do is talk to them.
The majority of gamers are kind and eager to assist newcomers with their inquiries. If you really need some direction, some people are even kind enough to show you around and will frequently direct you in the appropriate direction. Certain players can be annoying in the map chat, but don't let a few jerks ruin the experience.
Numerous content creators are also highly active in-game. Most currently engage in player shenanigans on Twitch and YouTube. Some people go so far as to host their own competitions in search of unusual, powerful builds that the developers haven't yet nerfed.
2. The “No-Grind” Mentality of the game
The game is praised for taking a no-grind stance. It has never been the game's main focus, hence making it difficult for new players to access. Leveling up is quite simple once you know how to do it correctly and have played the game for a while.
There are many ways you can level up your character and in this article, we will give you a brief explanation on how to do so:
- You can gain experience by killing enemies, but you may find this to be a tedious process because it gives very little experience.
- Doing the various heart quests in core Tyria and the various random events across the map are going to be your best sources of experience. Upon completion, not only do you get experience and some loot, you also gain Karma which is a unique currency that you can use for a wide variety of things.
- Exploring the map and doing map completion yields a ton of experience points and even rewards players for doing so.
- Doing the story missions give you tons of experience after finishing them, but are unlocked every 10 levels. After the prologue, you need to be level 10 to proceed with certain story missions, and then another 10 afterwards.
- The game has a crafting system that can help you gain experience quickly, although it is recommended that you have the materials first.
- Logging-in daily gives you special items that can help you raise your character’s level by one called Tomes of Knowledge. You can use these to quickly level them up. You can use these for your first character, but it is highly advised to just play the game normally to be able to learn your profession’s core mechanics and get used to the game. You can even get these items as rewards from sPvP and WvW in the rewards tracks.
The issue of kill-stealing was resolved in Guild Wars 2, and the game rewards players for cooperation, as was previously indicated. The designers anticipated that players should be compensated equally for their time and effort when they cooperate to defeat bosses. This increases the game's attractiveness to individuals who are unfamiliar with MMORPGs.
1. Guild Wars 2 is a true casual MMORPG
Despite having endgame content that is extremely difficult, such as Raids, Strike Missions, and high level Fractals, Guild Wars 2 is still a pretty casual MMORPG ten years later. There is so much to do in the game that you occasionally just need to sit back and ask yourself, "What do I want to do today?", then carry on doing exactly that. Other than that, you can take a break from the game if you ever feel exhausted; when you come back, it will still be waiting for you.
As a personal example, consider the time I took a lengthy hiatus from the game to concentrate on work and deal with some real-world issues. I started the game after being inactive for a few months, and it was exactly as beautiful as I recalled. New players were present and showed a lot of enthusiasm for the game, despite the fact that several participants had also stepped back to concentrate on other things. Some of my previous guildmates and buddies eventually returned from their breaks and were just as friendly as before.
Thanks to the game not having a subscription, there is no need to worry that the game will be closed off to you because you stopped paying for a monthly fee. The game respects your time and no content is time-gated, allowing you to do whatever piece of content whenever.
Closing Thoughts
Guild Wars 2 has surpassed the expectations of many players and has stood the test of time. With its friendly player base, solid gameplay, and engaging stories, there are so many reasons that you can play the game in 2023. The outlook for the game continues to burn as bright as the sun, so why wait any longer? We hope to see you in-game, commander. You allies await for you to arrive.
