Guild Wars Factions Reviews

• Wow...Why All The Whining?

  
  By AU6J38T14L8RF on 2006-05-04
  Well I was surprised to see so many complaining reviews. I have been playing this game since the original came out...and I've played Factions since its debut.
  So...let's see what all this fuss is about.
  
  1. Bugs...
  I have yet to be unable to complete any mission because of bugs. I did on one occasion become 'stuck' in the scenery. My team simply ported to a new location and all was well. However, I was not at all concerned...the game hasn't been out for a week yet. Did you expect perfection in 3 days? I find that unreasonable at best. Now if the problem were to persist say a month from now...well maybe then you'd have cause.
  
  2. Oh Poor Me They Keep Beating Me Up.
  Well yeah. probably because, like many players I've seen, you didn't bother to do any of the multitude of very high experience giving quests before you left the starter island. (Doing them all takes approximately 2 hours- I timed it) You just skipped em all and went straight for the primary 'get off the island' quests. I've seen many a level 10 on the mainland trying to get in a group. Then they complain they keep dying. Well of course you are. When I left the island I was level 17...from quests only, I didn't do any 'farming' and after about two quests outside the first 'mainland city' I was level 20 with both sets of bonus 15 attribute quests (available on the starter island). And so you know, I did all of this with one partner and the rest henchies.
  
  3. They All Look Alike...
  Yeah, but they did in the first Guild Wars too. What's your point? They added all new armors...new appearances for the new classes as well as the old ones. For a game that has thousands of players did you expect every one to look different?
  
  4. PvP Is Cookie Cutter.
  Yup. It is. But hey they all started somewhere. Each month finds a new PvP trend. Gale Warriors one month... Massive Minion bombing the next. So, if you wish to try a new tactic I suggest you gather a few friends and do it. There's nothing stopping you. I'm sure you've also had occasion to put down someone elses strategy so maybe the problem is inherent in the system. But nothing really prevents you from doing anything you want, provided you have good people willing to try.
  
  In conclusion, considering the fact that this game basically has a yearly fee of about $45 (the price to buy the game)I think it's a worthy addition to any MMO fans collection.
  
  

• Not what you think you're paying for...

  
  By A3JGUS3OSQA1NO on 2006-05-04
  If you bought the first Guild Wars (now called Prophecies) and were inclined to believe that Factions would offer more of what you loved, then you might be in for a suprise.
  
  The good:
  
  The Visuals:
  Visuals in this game are very nice and a good change from the older Prophecies campaign. In Prophecies I often felt like I was being blinded by glare because some of the maps (notably the Cyrstal Desert and Shiverpeaks) were so monochromatic and tended toward white/yellow. The city of Cantha is impressive if not a little repetitive. What really shines are the Luxon and Kurzick areas. These provide a very nice atmosphere for adventure with the Kurzick tending to be very dark and forboding while the Luxon is more of a bright hill country-meets-frozen sea.
  
  New skills:
  Many new skills have been included with quite a few elites. This makes taking an older Prophecies character through the game quite worthwhile as you'll be able to purchase and capture many new skills for your character.
  
  New classes:
  You now have the opportunity to play the ritualist and assassin classes. The ritualist being a versatile hybrid of healing/protection and damage dealing class via the use of spirits. The assassin a lightly armored class that specializes in killing caster/soft targets. The addition of these classes provide a nice rounding out of the pre-exisiting classes from Prophecies.
  
  Challenge Missions:
  A nice diversion where you race against the clock to do things like kill as many foes as possible. High scorers may be rewared with faction, experience points and gold depending on the challenge mission.
  
  The Bad:
  
  Quests:
  The quest system is boring and in the FedEX style. Go to point A, then point B, then point C, then back to A. Talk to person A, A says talk to B, B says talk to C. All the while you be killing endless mobs of the same monster.
  
  Skills:
  There are new skills for each class, but many are simply renamed versions of older Prophecies skills. Sure, it's fun to have two of the same skills on your skillbar, but it's not that original.
  
  Timed Missions:
  All missions are now timed. If you finish them quickly you earn more experience points and more skill points. This puts players in the awkward position of having to rush through missions in order to get the best bonus. In a mixed pickup group some players may be on the mission for the second/third/forth time and wish to rush while new players will want to take their time. This can lead to mission failure.
  
  The Map:
  To prevent running/bypassing of the storyline (which was common in Prophecies) much of the Factions map is gated. Characters may only progress further by completing quests and missions. This is fine on the first character through, but many times a player may wish to bring a second and third character through the game but bypass the more tedious parts. This is no longer possible in Factions.
  
  Alliances and Elite Missions:
  There are new elite missions in the Factions campaign that are only available if a player happens to be a member of a controlling alliance. Alliances are formed by guilds allying with each other. To control an outpost/town and hence elite content an Alliance must gain faction point via PvP or PvE. Town/Outpost control is costly (500k-1.5million faction). Only large alliances with several hundred players can hope to control outposts and access elite missions. This locks out the casual gamer from some of the higher end content. Casual players may still be able to access this content by paying the controlling alliance. This system is ripe for exploitation in the form of price gouging. It also encourages consistent farming for faction. This farming is a form of grinding play that was originally what the Guild Wars team set out to abolish. Sadly they've only encouraged it in Factions.
  
  Too little content for PvE fans:
  The power gamer or those with highly addictive playstyles will find they finish the content Factions provides within 2-4 days. You can stretch this out by doing most of the quests, but their FedEX style is painful and somewhat annoying.
  
  

• Do You Have A Choice?

  
  By A1JSPVBO30TFSE on 2006-08-17
  Let's face facts--when you sign up with an online game, you're pretty much buying in for the long haul. As far as that investment goes, if I'm reviewing the Guild Wars franchise as a whole, I still think you're probably playing the best game of its kind that's available on the market.
  
  That said, Factions could have been better. For instance, when you, as a developer, know that you have problem with changes in the z-axis (which this game doesn't really recognize), it doesn't make a lot of sense to put a lot of stairs in the game. If you know you're introducing two new professions, it makes sense to include lots of things that they would be good at doing in the cooperative content.
  
  Don't get me wrong--I like my ritualist. I'm kind of enjoying playing through the campaign a second time with my old character from Tyria. Sort of. But if I had picked this game up as my introduction to the series, I think I would have a MUCH more negative opinion of it than I already do.
  
  The problem, of course, is that this is NOT a stand-alone game, no matter what their marketing department says. If you don't know how the professions are supposed to work and you just roll up a character with no extra money in storage, you better hope that you're lucky enough to figure out an effective way to do things the first time through, because the skill acquisition system has a HUGE built-in penalty for experimentation (skills, which are the lifeblood of the game, are only acquired in this expansion by purchase from skill trainers, but the ramp-up in cost is pretty dramatic, and before you even leave the training area you can find yourself spending 1000 gold - the maximum - for each new skill you open up for the character). The game has never done a particularly good job of explaining effective cooperative play either, and this is only emphasized in this expansion by the inclusion of two somewhat subtly nuanced classes, at least one of which (the Assassin) is not ideally suited to the cooperative game in the first place.
  
  In terms of additions to the competitive arenas, there's not much to find fault with. The two new professions are effectively balanced against the existing ones to a certain extent. Their utilization, however, is not now and never will be on the scope of the six core professions. There are some interesting tricks and gimmicks you can use, but ultimately, if you're buying this game as a competitive player, you're getting it for completeness. The new skills added for the existing professions are, in some instances, critical new additions to the competitive game environment and are a lot of fun to play around with.
  
  On the whole, for new players, I'd have to recommend starting at the beginning and buying the original Guild Wars (Prophecies). The slower ramp-up, quest-based skill acquisition, and graduated complexity present a much better learning environment for somebody new to the game. For players who already have the game, you probably know what you're getting--a new set of maps and a couple of new professions. The maps are adequate, though the composition of enemy groups in this edition is just as homogenous as in the previous release (though different) and haunted with more of the frustration that plagued some of the late-game areas of Prophecies. On the whole, I'm not sorry I bought it, as an established user, but I had certainly hoped for more.
  
  

• Great follow-up to Guild Wars

  
  By A2YNDQDUEPZ2AH on 2006-05-01
  Guild Wars: Factions presents itself as a huge sucess both as an expansion to the original Guild Wars and as it's own standalone game.
  
  If you enjoy the original Guild Wars, this add-on is highly advisable. The two new professions are well made and enjoyable to play. It comes with an entire new world, new skills, new armor and other such features that increase the gameplay.
  
  If you never played Guild Wars before, this is game is still worth the shot. It's graphics are stunning, especially compared to the normal MMO (Massively Multipler Online) games. However, it is not an MMORPG and should not be viewed as such.
  The game is centered around how you can develop your own combat style by the way you customize your character and its skills, not on levelling him up and finding that super-powerful weapon. While it does stay true to the RPG genre, it is so much more.
  
  On top of that, there are no fees.
  Nothing wrong with not paying extra,eh?
  
  

• A Fun, Streamlined MMORPG

  
  By A34GH5UQLN4WYW on 2006-07-05
  Guild Wars Factions is the second release in ArenaNet's Guild Wars product line. It is a standalone product; however, players who have purchased both products gain the option of moving their characters between the two areas, and can have six characters on their account rather than the normal four.
  
  The Guild Wars series is standard computer fantasy role playing fare ala Diablo II or EverQuest. Players create a character by choosing a profession and gender, then battle monsters, complete quests and missions, and collect treasure and gold as they progress through the game's plot. Players can either team up with other players they can meet in the game's many towns, or adventure on their own with the help of computer-controlled characters called henchmen. The ultimate goal is to experience all the plot and to unlock skills and equipment bonuses that can then be used on characters created especially for the Player Versus Player components of the game.
  
  While Guild Wars games are technically "massively multiplayer online role playing games" (MMORPGs, for slightly shorter), they are exceptional in that they make it easy for players to advance through the game by limiting time-consuming "grinding" to gain levels and power, by providing extremely effective henchmen to allow players to play solo, and by giving players the ability to immediately create maximum-level characters for Player Versus Player competitions. The latter in particular makes Guild Wars games extremely friendly for players seeking something more like a classic first-person shooter.
  
  Guild Wars Factions, as the followup to last year's Guild Wars, goes even farther than its predecessor in making its content accessible. For new characters created in Factions, an initial series of missions and quests on an isolated island serves as a tutorial that introduces the game's mechanics and plot. The game then moves characters to a hub city that grants access to the best possible equipment and a wide selection of skills. With these tools, even a fairly casual player can get a character to the maximum level of 20 in a few days of play.
  
  The game introduces a few new mechanics, most notable of which are two new professions: Assassin and Ritualist. Assassins so far seem to be a little flimsy and underpowered compared to their Warrior counterparts, and it seems likely they will be rebalanced. Ritualists are complex multi-role characters best suited for experienced players. Neither profession feels as mature as the six original jobs from Guild Wars, but over time it seems certain they will be developed more thoroughly.
  
  Beyond two new professions, the game also introduces some new Player Versus Player combat options, including Competitive Missions and Alliance Battles, where players fight for one of two factions and help determine their control over a disputed area on the world map. While these new Player Versus Player options are promising, so far the rewards for participation are somewhat limited, leaving the entire Factions segment of the game feeling incomplete.
  
  The art and music in Factions is exceptional; the locations are stunning and the sound compliments the beautiful scenery. The voice acting, unfortunately, does not live up to the promise of the music. Most of the game characters' voices are bland (Master Togo) or actively grating (Danika). One of the nice touches of the original game was that the party leader would speak in some cut scenes; in Factions, too often the party leader's voice contribution is being confused or uncertain, rather than heroic. Combined with an overall in-game plot that includes very few twists and a great deal of hackneyed, uninspired dialogue, the game's cut scenes often end up feeling more like a punishment than a reward.
  
  Despite the underwhelming plot, the missions themselves are a significant positive part of the overall experience. They are more challenging than the original game's missions, and both more rewarding within the game and in terms of satisfaction from successful completion. They are also structured to prevent players from skipping characters forward without completing missions, a noteworthy change from the first game.
  
  Overall, despite some blemishes, Guild Wars Factions is a delightful addition to the original game, and an extremely enjoyable way to casually enjoy a modern MMORPG without requiring a lengthy grind or extensive time commitment. That the game has no monthly fee makes it even more attractive to the casual gamer.
  
  
• Excellent game!
  By A2D6OAU9M4QB4Z on 2006-08-21
  I won't go into a lot of detail because most have described the game enough. But just wanted to say this is an excellent game.
  
  My Opinion:
  
  The graphics are very good along with nice sound effects. I LOVE the opening music that Factions has on its character select screen. Normally I don't care for that kind of music.
  
  The main thing I miss in this game is the feeling of an entire real world. All the fighting zones in this game are "instanced" zones, meaning the only people you will see in a zone while fighting is either your computer controlled teammates, or human teammates. If they had made this game with non-instanced zones it would easily kill games like Everquest.
  
  I still love this game though even with the instanced zones. I also wish you were able to wield your weapons inside of cities (the only place where you get to meet real, live players). It would be nice to be able to "show off" your cool looking weapon, which this game has a lot of. Currently the player model does not wield his/her weapons inside of cities.
  
  The no monthly fee is a HUGE plus for this game over other games of this type. Its also gives you the freedom to take however long you want to level, there is no rush because there are no fees. And your best taking your time.
  
  I do plan on buying the next expansion that comes out for this game if I can afford it, although $50 seems a little high. I purchased my copy on sale.
  
  World Of Warcraft is also an excellent game, but costs a monthly fee. Most of these newer games have learned from the apathy of the Everquest authors and designed the game towards the player.
  
  
• Simply Beautiful
  By A2FXK0LJX1XKJB on 2006-05-07
  Factions is a fantastic game and a perfect addition to Prophecies. Combining both accounts is the way to go. Sharing worlds, storage, outfits, gold, etc. expands the gaming experience exponentially. When a character gets to the point of crossing over between games, suddenly there is a proliferation of characters and everything gets 'really' interesting.
  
  I've got to mention how beautiful this game is. Starting with character design (which puts the butt-ugly characters of WoW, EQII, Oblivion and all others to shame... who the heck cares how far apart the eyebrows are!!!); the Asian-influenced landscapes are like walking through a movie; and, even the battles made my wife look over and comment "Wow, that's really stunning." As an artist, I've impossibly high graphic standards and this one hits it.
  
  I think the most important element that sets these games apart from their competitors is Design (with a capital D). Loading times are invisible; the log-in/character creation screen appears instantly, is straight-forward, and very easy to navigate; the game experience is not overly complicated and has an intuiative user interface; the storyline (mostly non-existent in other MMORPG's) is engaging and drives the action forward (c'mon... you get to the "end" of WoW and what happens?... what?... nothing... they want you to keep playing and soaking online fees out of you); and finally, speaking of no online fees there's no need for the Guild Wars website to be sneeky... (try logging onto EQII and not having the feeling you're being charged for something!).
  
  The only problem is you'll find yourself buying multi-copies of the game, setting up several accounts, and maintaining a large character base (I've got 3 copies each of Prophecies and Factions with 18 characters in 3 guilds).
  
  Suggestions for future builds would be: increased interaction with the environment making use of the great emotes available; unlockable character traits & outfits for a second go-round; more variation on where monsters spawn; and, a bit more control of your henchmen.
  
  All that said... buy this game! Pick up both while you're at it, combine your game keys into one account and you won't regret it.
  
  And don't get me started about the Dance Parties... the new Assassin and Ritualist dances are to die for! Makes the chat part of the game a hoot!
  
  
• Awesome Game!
  By AOCP47W9AZN5N on 2006-05-08
  Guild Wars Factions is great! There are now over 50 new armor, weapons, etc. Quests are plentiful and fun. But there is one thing that still haunts this game, the level max, which is 20. That isn't very high considering little games like RuneScape having Lv126. I don't think that they understand that people like to have a challenge of trying to higher levels. All that set aside, this game is powerhouse of fun. Leveling up is still fun. Here is something good about this game, you still get to keep your account from the original and play it on factions. There are 2 new professions, which are the Riualist and the Assasin. The game also provides new skills for professions. The graphics are still amazing, and the enviroments pump life and never look the same. There is no repetitive monster killing, just like the original. This game surpasses the original Guild Wars due to the new content, This game is amazing, there is barely anything wrong, except the max level, but that doesn't stop such an amazing game like this.
  
  
  Good: Graphics are amazing and enviroments look amazing.
  The 2 new professions
  Bunch of new skills
  Fun to level up
  No repititive creature killing
  Over 50 new armor, weapons, etc
  You get to keep your account from the original
  New Quests and Continent to play on
  
  Bad: Max level is 20
  
  
• Well hey... its free
  By A2UOR8UUWKXZMV on 2006-06-22
  Guild Wars Factions is not an expansion pack, meaning you need the original game to install and play it. This game is a stand-alone game which, if you have the original Guild Wars, can bring over your previously made players and complete the missions with them.
  Now Personally, I have both Guild Wars and Factions and I must say its quite different. Of course the combat system etc. remains the same but I found Guild Wars factions a disapointment compared to all the hype it was given.
  Of course the graphics remain the same but the environments have changed immensely. From bleak battlegrounds and deserts to... Asian environments. Now I'm not saying this is bad, but not everyone will enjoy all of this.
  I found it was quite easier to lvl up in this game. The basic hack & slash gameplay, although, isnt revised. I got a new person to lvl 20 (Top lvl) in far less time than it took from playing prohpecies.
  The quest system is what did this and the reason is they want the new players to get the full benefit of the game. A very nice act of charity.
  I agree that the story is much richer and I felt more compelled then in the original where [The story] just hopped around.
  Hmm... ahh yes pvp. I always have liked pvp in Guild Wars. PvP here is basically just fighting against similar lvls without any pro-longed risk. Guild Wars Factions all in all, didnt change the pvpv as it didnt change any other gameplay elements. The only new and interesting elemnt in this department is the alliance battles. It was an interesting idea but not the best.
  Now we come to Guilds, Guilds are easy to get into but a lot of guilds basicly do... nothing. So many guilds are inactive with so many of the members off doing their own things and only occasionally commenting something like "Oh I found a gold sword!" and then going back to their business. Quite frankly it takes luck to get into a good guild. Oh sure there's gvgs and scrimmage but how many guilds actually do that actively? Not many considering the thousands of players who are always so ramped up to actually do something and mostly get fed up and end of creating their own guild just to watch it fall apart before them.
  The graphics are crisp and lucious which I enjoy.
  Finding a party is a must do for this game as most missions you cant do with just the henchmen (NPC's who you can add to your party which can basicly function as a party except lacks the communication skills to be an actual asset) In some cases I found it hard to find a useful party and in other cases I found it suprisingly easy. Once again, takes luck (right time and place).
  The character customization is pretty nice but is pretty limited and isnt useful or exciting.
  Their are 8 proffesions (Warrior (Tank), Monk (Healer), Mesmer , Elementalist Necromancer, Ritualist and Assassin. Word from the wise, Assassin isnt what it was hyped out to be so dont expect the most awesome thing ever.
  Well, Overall this game is great for people trying the genre or trying this game, and overall a must have for Guild Wars players (Mostly due to the 2 new slots for players) but not as good as it could have been
  
  
• Simply Great!
  By A18621K50MTTHT on 2006-05-11
  This game is superb. I have listed Pros/Cons Below
  
  Pros:
  
  Invisible Loading times (Doesnt seem to load at all)
  Steller Graphics
  Great Sound
  Lengthy List of Professions
  FREE!!!!! NO MONTHLY FEES!
  PVP/PVC Areas
  
  Cons:
  
  20 level cap
  WAY to addicting :)
  
  
• A great sequel for those who own Guild Wars, a great game for anyone who likes rpgs!
  By A3IKXJ4DVMJV69 on 2006-06-08
  I'm a 36 year old woman with more hours logged on this game than I care to mention. The graphics are stunning, the story line is interesting, and game play is intuitive and addictive. Over the past year, the AI of the npcs has improved which makes enemies more challenging to kill and henchmen and npc allies more useful.
  
  You can play this game as pvp or pve. There's a wide varitey of armor, weapons, skills and pets- and plenty of quests and missions.
  
  The servers are always up, load screens are fairly instantaneous, maps are unique to you and your party- so there's plenty of spoils, and game play is free.
  
  Games don't get any better than this.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• A rather lacklustre MMORPG
  By A19IREX3202MOE on 2006-11-27
  I actually bought Factions about the same time I bought WoW, thinking I'd like to get into this MMORPG thing; and WoW and GW being the biggest MMORPGs it seemed like a fair deal.
  
  I will admit that for a time I did enjoy playing Factions but I really strain to say anything very good about it. My biggest gripe is the economy. If you're going to try and accumulate any amount of gold prepare to sell almost exclusively to other players, as quests and vendors give a paltry sum of money. The sense of reward versus the difficulty of the quest or mission really does feel horribly disproportionate.
  Now, this wouldn't be too bad save for the fact that most skills (and in particular the higher level skills) are purchased. So...I need to purchase skills. And yet the quests don't give near enough to allow me to purchase them. Right.
  
  I also get the feeling that there is a very strong leaning towards the PvP side of things, which is something that really doesn't interest me. Unless you've played for countless hundreds of hours you're likely to be styled as a 'noob'.
  Again, this wouldn't be so bad if the PvE experience was, well, a little more entertaining. Henchmen (AI controlled allies) can very often be of little use, running off to dispatch with the nearest monster, unless specifically dictated, and even then this is rather limited.
  Other players can be useful, but again these tend to be people who put a lot of time in and expect those they accompany to be of equal profeciency.
  
  I've played most of the way through the main quest, but the frustratingly difficult missions and now the impossibility of actually getting to the next area have lead me to abandon it. Eight people in a group just does not cut it.
  And, as another reviewer pointed out, aside from the PvP element there isn't much replayability.
  
  Maybe I come off as being a little harsh, and perhaps I am, but I really do feel cheated of a decent gameplay experience. I don't have hundreds of hours to spend looking for rare item drops and then trying to hawk them off on other players, to get the gold to get the skills, to kill the enemies to do it all over again.
  I suppose the only good thing, in this light, that the whole Guild Wars series has going for it is the lack of a monthly fee. Which, for me, doesn't make up for the lack of gameplay.
  
  
• PvP, and limited at that
  By AZMCIFYRSFRXE on 2006-05-03
  After loving GW, I'm uninstalling Factions. The +/-:
  
  +Graphics (beautiful, intricate, and run well on most systems)
  +GUI (the user interface) very simple and straightforward
  +System resources (very easy to switch btw this an other programs w/ zero hangups)
  +diversity (w/ 8 classes combinable into a character w/ x/y pair of classes, several hundred skills and the ability to switch your character in almost every way, you can shift character builds very easily)
  + Learning curve (very simplistic combat, roles, and you're max level w/in a few hours if playing a new charcter)
  
  
  -PvE (constantly respawning mass-mobs of enemies that are higher lvl than the PCs, almost immediate requirement to be at top level w/ your character)
  -Story (the constantly morphing nature of your character makes you feel like several soldiers in one giganitc army and NOTHING is done to make you feel like an individual)
  -Seriously limited models (characters can wear one of a few armors--all of which are beautiful--and have a very limited set of appearances. Necromancers look very different from warriors, but most necros look like each other)
  -PvP (better know what a mold is and be prepared to fit it, at least until you can talk folks into trying your strategy, which may never occur)
  -Community (PvP action really limits the desire of folks to help one another out)
  -Weapons (several models, but very little in the way of unique abilities)
  -BUGS (not mobs, but as w/ many online games near launch, this one has some crippling ones: I've replayed the first mission 10-ish times trying to get competent parties and then to get the bug where the mission refuses to complete)
  
  After two hours and the apex being about 1/8th of the cost for a single piece of armor dropping, I was asking "Why?" a lot more than I was asking "How?".
  
  If you loved the PvP aspect of the original GW, this should entertain you. If you want an MMO, a friendly community, PvE, story, or anything remotely consituting an incenstive to develop (not grind) your online alterego, skip this.
  
  IMO, this is cafe-monkey fodder or a PvP/Raid only title.
  
  Yech, from me, a rpg fan.
  
  
• Good game. Better than World of Warcraft
  By A2LJPB1JYZH76Z on 2006-11-27
  The comparisons to World of Warcraft (WoW) abound because the games are similar genres -- fantasty-styled mmorpg (massively multiplayer online role playing game). But this game has some cool differences
  
  Pluses:
  + You only pay for it once and have unlimited online play (unlike WoW's $15 per month subscription).
  
  + It is great for solo play. Unlike WoW, if you don't have a party, you can bring along 1 to 5 AI characters of varying classes to suit your game style.
  
  + Gameplay is very well done. It is easily on par with Blizzard in terms of graphic quality, controls, depth of character development, etc.
  
  + I think the options created by dual class character is more fun than WoW's "professions."
  
  + Guild Wars doesn't have lame cartoony gimmicky characters (there are no cutesy engineering gnomes that ride robotic birds ruining an otherwise believable fantasy storyline).
  
  Minuses:
  - WoW has better sound design. (Guild Wars could benefit from better ambient sound design, but GW is not horrible and not obnoxious, it's just not on par with Fable or WoW on this front.)
  
  - Guild Wars is not available for Mac, unless you're using Apple's Boot Camp with an Intel-Mac (duo core or duo core 2). (Note: It doesn't yet run with Parallels because Parallels doesn't support DirectX.) It runs very well on my Duo Core 2, MacBook with ATI video card.
  
  
• Fantastic
  By A2290NRC7OYOUY on 2006-04-28
  I think this game is as good as Guild Wars.Not only new type of armors and characters are very fantastic,but also new environments and user interface are very successful.
  
  
• the most beautiful game ever made
  By ANR2YJGPXY6NZ on 2006-07-04
  Ever so slightly more stunning than Shadow of the Colossus. Art direction on a level with Colossus, Anarchy Online, and Eve. Graphics almost equal with Half-Life 2. Character, costume, and weapon design about as good to Anarchy Online's. Jeremy Soule's best music since Icewind Dale. Subtle and dark and just lovely.
  
  Sweet area design. A real sense of grandeur, with none of the depressing dustbowl imagery of the original Prophecies release, but far more vertical than its pre-Searing segment. Vistas, man! Vistas! Did I mention grandeur? Lush scenery recalling the best of Asheron's Call 2 or (again) Anarchy Online. Mountain views. Lots of sunflowers.
  
  Sound effects are better than average, and better than Prophecies, especially the ambient sounds. Nothing too special, but you also won't have to hear the over-familiar stock effects every few seconds that most RPGs seem to resort to here than there.
  
  The counter-intuitive geometry bugaboos are gone. You don't feel like you're having a nightmare about Final Fantasy X. If it looks like you can get someplace, you can. You can't jump around. Whether this is a good or bad thing I'll leave to gentle reader.
  
  The same fun-but-not-quite-perfect combat you may know from Prophecies, but there's a greater feeling of violence owing to contrast with the serene setting. And with this game Guild Wars takes a step nearer to true MMO status, as not quite all of the content is personalized and instanced to the point of being meaningless. Things happen in town from time to time, and there's a shared global conflict underway.
  
  For those on the fence who haven't played Prophecies, know that the instancing actually in some way increases the sense of one world with many players, as there's no sharding and the sense of isolation seems to encourage socialization within the not-so-instanced towns. However, as in Prophecies, you will never unexpectedly cross paths with other players while adventuring. The Diablo-style "adventure created just for you" stuff is still the order of the day - but then that's apparently how they avoid charging a subscription fee.
  
  Overall, the best purchase I've made since Shadow of the Colossus, and the most visually impressive game I've seen in several years.
  
  
• Is it for everyone? Probably not! But...
  By A2GQ8RG4HMLWDI on 2006-08-16
  First of all, I just want to say that this game is not an expansion pack, it is far better, actually. Factions is probably the better version of the first Guild Wars, and anyone who is starting out should probably play this first. Why? Because it starts out with a campaign that introduces common buttons, methods and gameplay information that is imparative to know, and you aren't supplied with this information in the original.
  
  The graphics in this game are by far better than the original. But I will warn you now, if you don't care for the asian scene, don't purchase this. You are trapped in the asian scene, which is incredibly realistic, untill you get off of the island. In the original, you weren't put in the asian scene. The lands that you travel will take you by suprise, and you will enjoy what you see.
  
  The gameplay is amazing, you are challenged in ways that you aren't normally challanged in mmorpgs! You have to choose from the list of skills that you have in order to make a build, you can change your attributes (What makes you powerful in what) at any time to better fit your chosen skills, and you can be different from the rest by choosing different skills and making your own combos. The pvp action in this game is simply amazing, and the pve is incredible. PvE also supplies you with different cpu party choices, which gives you a wider range to choose from when questing for levels and skills.
  
  It's not the average MMORPG, but if you enjoy interaction with people, then this is probably the game you are looking for.
  
  
• Totally bugged and frustration gaming
  By A3SMMQN9TE801M on 2006-05-03
  I played Guild Wars for more then 1800 hours and couldn't wait to get Factions in my hands. Now... I'm more as just a little bit disapointed.
  The Henchmens KI is even worse then before. The maps have bugs all over and the game is unbalanced in Monster force and player force. They wanted to increase the difficulty.. fine... to try for 4 hours to get ONE bossmonster down and die about 10 times per try as your henchmen ressurect you inside a damage field (Balthasar aura) so you die instandly again and get 15% more mallus... this game is not funny. I was a BIG Guild Wars fan.. now.. with Faction. Guild Wars itself has to many disadvantages to play it (PvP) as you don't get the equipments for your PvE chars. This game is.. dead.. sorry to say. for me a HELL NO!!! Don't buy it!!!!! As Guild Wars only provided 4 character slots for 6 possible chars.. I had even two games so I could create all characters... bought 2 Factions so I can all move em to the new play ground... BIG MISTAKE... cash blown into the wind.
  Keep your hand away from NCSoft games... simple.. they have a Microsoft behavior.. use the player as beta Tester.. do setups so you buy the game more as just once. I'm sure.. this game will not survive the next update.. as peoples will leave it soon. Just to many bugs and frustration. The customer support.. is ridiculous... just do yourself a favor and buy something more funny!
  
  
• Awesome Game!!
  By A11D9N4E3PG3QV on 2006-06-27
  I bought Guild Wars Factions the day it was out and wow it was a blast. Although there are some few glitches here and there, but ArenaNet is fixing them up pretty fast.
  
  If you have played the first Guild Wars (Guild Wars Prophecies), you'll love Factions. Not only is the PvE storyline bigger but it also packs in whole new level of difficulty. You on longer will beat missions on your first try anymore.
  
  Also, leveling up is so much faster when you start on Cantha. The rewards of the new quests always have a huge chunk of XP points. You'll be at level 20 in no time at all.
  
  Lastly, the graphics/scenery/sounds are stupdendous. ArenaNet definitly did a great job captivating the players with their beautiful rendering of the Asian culture.
  
  
• Factions - Bleh
  By AYKSP7J4YTN07 on 2006-07-03
  Unlike the Prophecies campaign, Factions is like going from pre-sear to Ring of Fire in one step. It just isn't any fun. It's too hard for lower level characters, and the real people in Factions you get in PUGs are for the most part worse than the PUGS in Prophecies. I particularly hate the fact that you can't start a quest then come back to it, but have to start all over. I also dislike the "stacked" quests where you have to run around the countryside forever to get one quest done. Overall, I am fed up with Factions and am going back to Tyria and work on getting some titles.
  
  
• Beautiful game with unbalanced power
  By APDUCWHP5J905 on 2006-05-03
  The game is beautiful, the graphics, the characters....everything. But the power is absolutely unbalanced. They tried to provide us with more challenge but it's not challenging, it's frustrating trying to beat one quest for an entire day. The are fewer quests but even though they give more exp a character can't level enough to be able to fight the mobs. They are 3-5 levels higher. It is fun but it is more frustrating.
  
  
• Ok
  By A59NH5V3Q7LEF on 2006-05-26
  The game is ok.The graphics are good but it is pretty much just a you against the mob game.There are still bugs but that is to be expected.Every new game needs time to iron out the kinks.
  The game tends to push you to GVG or PVP.I like PVE or PVM myself and so it isnt really as good as the first.You have to be persitant in this game.They like to overwhelm you with mobs that are higher level and they hedge alot on the leaders.
  Also the AI for npcs is really bad..I trade them for critters any day.
  There are people that have been killed over 500 times and that is with just one chr.Still there are times in missions where you have no control and havent reached the area where the npc is at and the npc gets killed and you all die.Happen 5 times with my chrs and that is lame.I like to at least have a chance to fail on my own.
  There is alot of good things about this game but so far the bad outweight it.I have completed with 3 chrs and have 3 left so it is doable just more like work then fun.
  Oh just a note.Everyone gets a right to a opinion...oh well
  
  
• U might like if
  By A2O6TR19H852LA on 2006-06-10
  This game is awesome. free on line playing and its just great. take on role character to new levels. its always hard to follow up on a great game with a sequal but they did great job. I am at the end of game, but best part is it does not end u can do so much more. love it.
  
  
• Excellent game - STAY AWAY FROM USED COPIES!
  By A2TOX3E4WZ8BSQ on 2006-08-01
  Overall, Guild Wars is an excellent on-line Diablo-type game. It's not like WOW, but unlike other MMOG games, the on-line access for Guild Wars is free!
  
  GW Factions adds the Assassin and Ritualist classes and improved storage, as well as accelerated leveling to get you into some of the later missions a lot quicker. For veterans of the original GW, you'll also notice that this game will teach you the basics of combat and how important it is to build a diverse skill set that can be deadly. You'll also go from 4 character slots to 6!
  
  This game, unlike the first GW, is set in an Oriental themed country called Cantha. It starts out in the Shing Jea Monastery. Also, the competitive missions take place in different areas. There are 4 new Guild vs. Guild maps with this edition of GW and many other new things. You don't have to have the original GW to play this game, but to have both will give you a much larger world to play in. Any characters created in either continent (Tyria or Cantha) can travel by boat to the other land as long as you own both campaigns. Characters created in one campaign can interact and play with players from the other campaign. For example, if you own both GWs and you want to play with your buddy who only has the first GW, you can still use a character created in Factions to play in the original GW campaigns with your buddy! However, he will not be able to join you in any Faction campaigns until he gets Factions.
  
  This is important! STAY AWAY FROM USED COPIES! I've seen some being sold with NO key! Without the key, you cannot play the game, period. If you buy it used with a key, that key has already been registered and tied to a particular user's account. You will NOT be able to play the game since the key and that person's account are tied together. Unless the person selling you the used copy gives you their GW username and password, you will be out of luck and will NOT be able to play Guild Wars at all. So, save the headaches and just pay for the game new. It's worth it! Also, find a lot of friends who want to play it as well. The NPC henchmen are alright, but when it's you and your buddies out there questing, it's SO much more fun and a human player will play better than an NPC player.
  
  
• great fun, no subscription feees
  By A2OZCPVMRPLAE3 on 2006-08-04
  This game is great to play and you don't get charged a monlthy fee!
  
  
• Great Game
  By A9EXM2KLZYDKK on 2006-06-03
  This is my first GW game and I am not dissapointed at all. It's extremely fun, theres a ton of quests, and the game-play is great.
  
  Pro.s
  
  1.Great Gameplay
  
  2.Nice People (sure there are a couple of butts... but there is on every online game)
  
  3.Tons of quests
  
  4.At least for me, theres no lag.
  
  5.Great Graphics
  
  6.Level cap at 20 (that way there no super people, you can still increase you attributes though)
  
  7.Tons of outfits, weapons, ways to change the appearance of yourself (dyes for your clothes and such), tons of people.
  
  8.If your a ranger you can have a pet.
  
  Cons
  
  1.Level cap at 20 (it would be nice if you could show off a really high level guy... but...that would also be kind of scary for newbs.
  
  
  
  Thats all. And if you play the game, I am "Pugmo Pugman" and as of now I'm a lvl.14 Elementalist/Ranger and I have a pet tiger named Nermal.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Fan from the start
  By A31HFHLO2P656K on 2008-01-09
  I know what an MMORPG is supposed to be. I played Diablo II, and WoW. I was an EQ addict. Knowing what I was willing to put up with in a game, and those things which I was willing to part with to get them, I have to say that Guild Wars has achieved the best balance so far. I stopped playing EQ when the monthly fee outweighed my desire to play. That said, the allure of a game with no monthly fee was definitely high.
  I enjoy MMORPGs for a few reasons: Social environment, ease of use, interest in the plot/story/purpose, and the ability of that game to hold my interest.
  Socially, any game which I can play with friends is a winner. But I also enjoy making friends with people I play online with. Basically, a win-win situation with GW.
  Ease of Use... OK, not the most intuitive control system. However, a few hours into play, I pretty much had it- and everyone does it differently from what I've found. Spells don't require a great use of mastery in order to do well, and the ability to change your character as often as you wish allows for an easier learning process. Not doing well with a character does not necessarily mean a re-roll. It could mean a secondary change, or simply an attribute change, neither of which are irreversable. Also, the new character areas make it simple to learn the controls without constantly dying in between. Leveling is fast, and capped at 20, making the game one of learning the art of spell combinations- much harder than having all of your spells available at once, however, only necessary once you have conquered the basics.
  The story is interesting, but it isn't the only reason to play. Guild v. Guild battles, Player v. Player battles, Personal Titles, Team v. Team battles, mini-games, dungeon crawls, holiday events, and a miriad other reasons exist as reasons to play. And while you cannot take characters specifically designed for PvP into PvE, you CAN go the other way. The purpose of WoW seems to be guilds doing guild things. GW's purpose seems to be, "Do what you like to do." Sure, it may not do everything as well as a specific game might, but the selection is done well enough for most people to enjoy what they do.
  This game holds my interest. It wouldn't have if I had jumped in with Factions. It may have if I had started with Nightfall. It continues to hold me into Eye of the North. I will most likely pick up GWII. I recommend anyone interested start with Prophesies. Then, if you like it, go to Nightfall. If you still like it, buy Factions. And if you make it through Factions, reward yourself with Eye. I know that's not the order they came out in, but it's the best order for learning the system. Starting with Nightfall is a BAD idea. While it is probably the best game, it isn't the best learning curve for new players. Start with the basics. You're more likely to enjoy it.
  There are a few other things which differentiate GW from its major competitor WoW, but I think it hits the best balance of any game so far.
  
  
• Not as Good as the Original
  By A2PNPGC6TG95L1 on 2006-07-01
  Movie sequels always have trouble living up to the original. Factions is the same way. Prophecies was so wonderful that I guess a good expansion was too much to ask. The game is bugged, bugged, bugged. Truly an aweful disappointment. I have trouble thinking of any good things about it. Most people start characters in the origanal game and go to Factions to goof off. Maybe someday they will fix the bugs, but I doubt it.
  
  
• I Own Prophecies and Bought Factions - Review
  By A1NFCHJ8ZR4362 on 2006-07-16
  I have revised this review. I am keeping the overall game rating at 4 stars but changing the fun rating from 2 to 4 stars.
  
  At first the style of play knocked me on my butt and I responded with not liking the game. Now I find Factions fun and very doable (having now completed it : )
  
  While I now enjoy playing it, I would not choose this as my only Guild Wars game. I would choose to have Prophecies if only choosing one and Prophecies and Factions if choosing two. Of course all three is better yet!
  
  The multi-level cities of Factions makes it different from the open landscape of the other campaigns. Foes drop from the tops of buildings and stream out of holes in the streets in what seems like never-ending numbers (fun). Eventually you progress out of the cities into a more open landscape that is more like Prophecies and Nightfall.
  
  There are huge groups of foes that were hard to beat with just henchies, but after heroes and with guild members or other players present no problem.
  
  In Factions, unlike Prophecies, some missions require you join pick up groups. I've had pick up group's entire team die in battle and have to do the mission several times. Eventually you can get a good pick up group and make it through the mission (or play when fewer players are online and go into the mission with other guild members requesting the mission at the same time - improving your chance on getting someone you know can handle the more difficult battles).
  
  There is improved armor design with greater detail and options. For a character to get off the island (like pre in Prophecies) to the mainland (like post in Prophecies) the game puts the player through well-designed training in complex play techniques.
  
  Finally, it was worth the money to get:
  - a different play style (cities)
  - two additional character slots (added 2 to the 4 I had in Prophecies)
  - access to more skills (although I had to pay for them)
  - good armor
  - the Ritualist and Assassin new characters
  
  
• Nighfall Review
  By A3KA3PRGB422YP on 2006-11-10
  This is a superb addition to the Guild Wars set. However wonderful enough that you can enjoy just the expansion pack!
  
  The new features to move the whole party or just one Hero at a time is one of my favorites!
  
  I highly reccomend this product to anyone looking to enjoy a fun RPG game!!!
  
  

• Guild Wars Factions (Prima Official Game Guide)
• PC Gamer (1-year)
• Games for Windows: The Official Magazine

• Guild Wars Nightfall
• Guild Wars: Eye Of The North - Expansion Pack
• Guild Wars
• PC Guild War Nightfall
• Guild Wars Platinum