Guild Wars 2: Gameplay > Story

I don't think I've ever been more attached to a character than my level 46 Chiss bounty hunter in The Old Republic. With over 144 hours logged into his story, making countless decisions that determine how other characters feel about him, I think BioWare's MMO has come closest to letting me create a persona that embodies me.

Coming from Star Wars, then, I find myself having a hard time getting into Guild Wars 2's narrative. ArenaNet's MMO includes a vast world, a beautiful art style, and some great twists on typical mechanics of the genre, but its storytelling is wanting. 

 

Guild Wars Character Creation in Action

Guild Wars 2 character creation starts off strong, enabling you to craft a character where your investment is in more than their physical appearance. After picking a feline-like Charr I then not only got to pick gender and profession (I made a Thief), but also decide on his background, his political affiliation, as well as his best friend. My character had a backstory that made sense – that grounded him in the world of Guild Wars 2 and helped establish why rival clans treated me differently. After all, not everyone wants to work with a sneaky Ash clan thief.

That initial sense of attachment waned after a few hours, though. Every character has a story based on the choices they made during creation, but the way its told leaves much to be desired. Dialogue between two characters generally triggers in-game cut-scenes, wherein two or more characters appear side by side on the screen and exchange dialogue. It's a downright boring way to present a scene, especially when ArenaNet has gone through the painstaking process of recording voice for all the dialogue. Let me participate more regularly in conversations, shift up the camera angles – do something different from time to time – so that I can feel more engaged with what's happening. I want to become as engrossed with the world and culture of the Charr as I am with Star Wars, but for now I find the cut-scenes about as boring as the text walls quest-giving NPCs spam in the likes of World of Warcraft.


Honestly, I've been harping on Guild Wars 2 for its narrative presentation, but regardless of how I feel about the early story sequences the gameplay has already sold me. I adore the way abilities don't follow the standard "level up, go to trainer, pay for new skills" mantra. Instead you just equip weapon and get kills, unlocking new powers based on your class and the type of weapon you're holding. Yes, you still go to trainers from time to time, by-and-large you switch out and adapt your skills without ever visiting a town.

The way Guild Wars 2 handles skills also makes combat unlike any other game in the genre. In other MMOs my "epic" fights really amount to me carefully deciding when to press 7 or 4 on my hotbar, as well as mashing an auto-attack button. But in Guild Wars 2 I'm adjusting to the fight moment to moment, quickly switching between weapons, using abilities that allow me to quickly move around and position myself for brutal strikes, as well as actively dodging attacks. I don't play Guild Wars 2 with my eyes glazed over; I play it unblinking because it requires focus and my utmost attention.

The constant stream of events in Guild Wars 2 also keeps me engaged in the action in a way other MMOs just can't. Events are quests that dynamically appear in specific areas of the map, encouraging all players in the area to jump in and help accomplish objectives like protecting specific NPCs, or even just killing a specific number of monsters. Every person in the area is rewarded based on how much they contribute, and the rewards are often substantial enough that you want to do it. It's a welcome respite from the typical formula of reporting to an NPC, listening to him blab, and then doing what he says. Moreover, it gives you a chance to feel like you're actually working with other players towards a larger goal. And you don't even have to worry about finding a group or setting up a raid – it all just comes together organically.

 

Playing the Thief

Guild Wars 2 hasn't won me over with its story, but it doesn't need to. Story sequences made up only a small portion of the experience, with the bulk of my time being put into great, inventive combat. I may not have cared about my character's role in the world, but I was losing myself in the game nonetheless. The game is also a work in progress, so all the problems I have with the story could be turned around in the months to come. Ultimately, though, I think solid mechanics provide greater longevity than story, and will make Guild Wars 2 something I can come back to long after the memories of my bounty hunter's story has faded far, far away.