I used Gamespot's Top Rated PC Games List to choose a game for my analysis of a highly rated video game. Guild Wars was rated a 9.2 and, while it's not the highest rated game I've played, it is my favorite. The fact that I'm a huge fan of Guild Wars made its choice for this analysis that much easier. I tried to be objective in my analysis but it was difficult considering how much I like the game.
Positives:
+ Tab targeting makes it easy to select a specific enemy to attack.
+ The tutorial quests are easy to find and complete.
+ No death penalty accrual in the tutorial area is a plus while trying to learn the gameplay.
+ Transition from the tutorial to the main gameplay area is seamless and dramatic.
+ The ability to hire Henchmen to help you complete quests is a huge help.
+ The addition of Heroes allows much of the game to be solo-able. This is especially true now considering the number of Heroes allowed in a party was recently increased to 7 from the previously allowed 3.
+ The recently added Friend Finder makes it easy to find friends in game so you can party with them.
+ Level cap of 20 removes the need to grind for experience to level up.
+ Once you buy the box, you have free access to the game forever. No monthly subscription fees. There is an in-game store but it only offers vanity items or skill unlocks. Nothing in the store will give anyone an unfair advantage over fellow players.
+ Round Robin reserved looting. No need to worry about ninja looters snatching your drops.
+ Only 8 skill slots on the skill bar. This encourages creativity in skill choice and emphasizes that skill at gameplay is the important element, not how many skills one has loaded on their skill bar.
Negatives:
- Can't adjust the Henchmen's skill bars. Unless you pay close attention to what they're doing in a fight there is no way to know what skills they have equipped.
- Can't adjust the Henchmen's armor. It's unknown if they have any insignias or runes on their armor to boost their energy or survivability.
- At times it seems like the quests and missions has your character on a rail allowing little or no time to explore an area.
- There is no official market place or auction house. If one wants to sell their unwanted loot they can sell it to a merchant, spam the Trade channel with "WTS" messages, or put an ad up in the Looking For Group area.
- The in-game store is pricey. I understand that since the game is free to play once you buy the box they need to supplement their income somehow. I just think $9.99 for a single tab of storage is too expensive. $4.99 - $5.99 seems more reasonable.
- The endgame is mostly title grind. For a game that capped the character level at 20 to avoid level grind they sure did heartily embrace it when they rolled out Titles. If you want the Drunkard title you must gain 1,000 points by drinking alcoholic beverages. These beverages can be bought from merchants, some are given as quest rewards, and others are dropped as celebration loot. This means grinding for the gold to pay the merchant, the quest to get the reward, or an area to get the loot drops.
Thoughts:
~ I love the cultural references found through out the game. Case in point: two of Vekk's sayings ("I can kill you with my brain!" and "You're my kind of stupid!") are from the cult TV hit Firefly.
~ Some of the various dances characters perform are rather entertaining to watch. I especially find the Male Ritualist dance amusing. It was modeled after the dance Jon Heder did in Napoleon Dynamite.
~ ArenaNet has attempted to address leechers and afk players in the various PvP arenas. They instituted a "Dishonorable" system which hexes reported leechers and afk players so they are unable to gain faction for the match. The problem is that the system is apparently being abused. Leechers in PvP instances are not unique to Guild Wars. I've encountered them in Warhammer also. I'm curious to see how ArenaNet handles the leeching and how they revamp the "Dishonorable" system if they decide it needs reworking.
~ Aside from using the z-axis for projectile attacks, line of sight calculations, and camera collision it is ignored in the game. This allows players to engage in tactics that would in any other game be considered glitching or an exploit. The game ignoring the z-axis allows traps that are placed on a bridge to be activated by those walking under it. It also allows for those under a bridge to use melee attacks against those on the bridge. I know this is "working as intended" and allowed or ArenaNet would have addressed it by now but I'm not sure I like it. It feels cheaty to me even though I've inadvertently used the mechanic to my advantage. (I used it to kill the Watchtower Guards in the Riverside Province mission.)
Would Like:
* I'd love a player market place. Hands down this is my one huge "want" for this game. It would make selling and buying weapons and upgrades to fellow players so much easier.
* Now that the Friend Finder has been instituted in game I'd love for ArenaNet to take it one step further. If we see that the friend we're looking for is in an instance allow us to join them. Of course this is contingent upon the friend accepting the join request and having room in their party.
* I would like to have the ability to actually craft items. There are salvage kits and a plethora of crafting materials already in the game. Unfortunately the crafting materials serve more as a secondary currency when buying armor or weapons from craftsmen instead of being used as actual materials to craft things from. I don't expect this to happen, though, considering the age of the game and the complexities implementing the system would involve.
* While exploring a map in Hard Mode if the death penalty for all party members reaches 60% the game will pop up a "You have failed" message and send you back to town. I frequently like to mess around and subsequently wipe in Hard Mode. It's how I test new skill builds and strategies. Instead of immediately kicking me out once my party reaches 60% death penalty, give me the option to return to town. I have the ability to work off death penalty in regular maps, why is this ability denied to me in Hard Mode?
Credit where credit is due:
Various. (2006-2011). The Official Guild Wars Wiki. Retrieved from http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Main_Page
Various. (2003-2011). Guild Wars. Retrieved from http://www.guildwars.com/
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