Longevity – 7/10
To start off, I think it’s really crucial to say that with any MMORPG, the community plays a huge factor. Now don’t get me wrong, I still stand firm by what I had said about there being a very strong and dedicated Guild Wars community in place right now. However, the longevity of the game is also affected by the amount of opportunities you may be able to catch in the game at times. In other words, PvP arenas and certain aspects of the PvE dungeons have somewhat lost their touch; there just isn’t a substantially high quantity of players anymore. I’ll touch back on this in a bit with the “Social” aspect of the game. Nonetheless, Guild Wars still offers solid hours of gameplay for any player to enjoy. One of the really great features in the game that has really kept many players going is the “Title” feature. Guild Wars offers some of the neatest, yet challenging titles for your character to show off. Guild Wars seemed to thrive off this concept, so Eye of the North implemented the “Hall of Monuments”, an area that is dedicated for a player’s accomplishments throughout the game. So if you have always been the type that likes to brag, Guild Wars definitely has something to offer. To top it off, the game does feature a few pretty challenging dungeons that many people consistently group up for to gather valuable items and currency. At the end of it all, Guild Wars will continue to keep you going; you just have to find your niche.
Social – 9/10
One of the best things about Guild Wars, now more than ever, is the quality of its players. The community is primarily filled with veteran players who are still actively playing the game. As a result, you typically will not be bombarded with the great amount of trolls normally found within the trade chat section of many other games. The only downside is that given the current state of the game, many players have already put a hold on Guild Wars in the meantime in anticipation of Guild Wars 2. With such a solid chat system, the game allows for players to have the ability to customize their own chat system with quite a few filtering options. There is even a party search system that simplifies things for things like trading and missions. Given the name, the game obviously centers itself strongly around the concept of “the guild”. The best part that separates Guild Wars among others is how interactive and important guilds are to the game. Guilds are able to form alliances with up to nine other guilds, allowing for players to be part of an even bigger community. I think it is important to note, quickly alluding back to what I had mentioned about fewer players, that all you need in Guild Wars is a guild that accommodates to your style of play. Everything in Guild Wars is available with just a few players to be there with you, so let’s just go with quality is greater than quantity, shall we? The Guild Wars community is very helpful, because it seems they all have been able to really appreciate the uniqueness of what has made the game so successful. With that being said, do not be intimidated to join a game that has a veteran player base to it.
Value – 10/10
I don’t want to be redundant, but Guild Wars deserves it. Most gamers are concerned about having to pay $10-$15/monthly for each game, but Guild Wars provides you a chance to jump in nearly risk-free. What has set the game apart from its competitors has always been its price point. Especially now, it is not uncommon to find specials on just the Guild Wars Trilogy alone, but don’t let that be a reason to make you wait it out any longer. Even if you are still a bit skeptical, there is still a free trial on the Guild Wars website. With that in mind, you can expect to only have to pay around $40 for all the games, including Eye of the North, for endless hours of playtime. Because the game provides players a well-developed storyline and multiple style of gameplay, it is definitely hard to pass up at its price-tag. At the end of it all, there really is nothing much more to ask for when it comes down to the question, “Is it worth it?” If you have been considering jumping in to try and the game once and for all, now is the time to do it.
Conclusion
At the end of it all, Guild Wars is a fun time not worth passing up. This game has the ability to appeal to every MMORPG player out there, regardless of your preferences. There are strong roots within this game that only adds more suspense for its successor, but that should only act as another reason for you to try it for yourself and see what started it all. Guild Wars is hours of fun, featuring great graphics, a helpful community, and an awesome balance of gameplay. So even after six years, ArenaNet has shown to the world that it is possible to create a solid game without emptying your pockets every month.
