I didn't realise it at first but, like most MMOs, there’s a neat
little feature in Guild Wars 2 that tells you exactly how long you’ve
been playing for. So, after finding out, I innocently typed /age into
the command box and what appeared was a rather shocking result.
There
are already plenty of players rocking the current max level of 80. It
took me two weeks to get there but a dedicated few did it within a day -
though such a feat doesn't mean the same in Guild Wars 2 as it does in
other MMOs. There’s no obvious need for grinding here, no endless and
desperate assault of your clicking finger, and no laborious tasks to
undertake. To put it simply, Guild Wars 2 offers a really smooth
levelling experience - and one fun enough that you’ll hardly notice your
gradual damage increases and the number next to your health bar
tallying up.
In fact, the game is maybe a bit too generous with
its XP. For me, the gap from 70 to 80 passed far quicker than 40 to 50.
Your bar keeps looping infinitely after dinging max level, and I've
watched it go round and round numerous times since.
But, after well over 100 hours, what exactly do I do now? Guild Wars 2
has been an entertaining ride so far, and I've enjoyed running across
the world and exploring each map, trying to unlock each secret area,
assist each imperilled NPC, and employ rudimentary platforming skills to
climb up the game's myriad and gorgeous vistas. Having the compulsive
need to fully explore each map so you can unlock new treasures along the
way has also been surprisingly fun, but now it all feels like an
anti-climax.
This is the all-important End Game, then; the
elusive content served up to max level players, and the part of these
games that often unravels fresh and hopeful MMOs - just look at The Old
Republic. According to developer ArenaNet, all of Guild Wars 2 is End
Game. Tyria is a huge world, and ArenaNet wants players to finish
exploring it fully before chucking new content to the dedicated few. The
argument, they say, is that Guild Wars 2's area-specific task
checklists will mean you'll want to revisit all the areas you rushed
through the first time in a mad romp for loot and stats. But does it
work?
To compensate for your burgeoning strength, one of the game's notable
design features is that your level is often brought down to the area’s
specific range to compensate, which stops your level 80 avatar from
decimating the place. It’s an interesting concept that helps people play
together, but it also hinders some of the best bits of the genre -
those satisfying moments where you go help a newbie friend, or show off
by one-hitting a pathetic low level boss that, a long time ago, caused
you untold amounts of grief.
Besides, you’re still stronger than you used to be. Your skills, gear
and know-how make a huge difference when you step back onto old ground.
It just doesn’t feel as fun.
Not that there isn’t anything to do in Tyria. Hidden ‘jumping’ puzzles
are scattered everywhere, each requiring a steady hand and a good chunk
of patience. Each of these challenges are designed to bestow some decent
loot upon completion, but it’s a shame the rewards are not scaled to
the player as going back and cracking these challenges in early areas
results in a useless throwaway prize.
http://www.videogamer.com
