Quick Look: Guild Wars 2

He's playing the default female Saints Row 3 character.

It's all still an MMO, but they implemented a bunch of good ideas and have done a lot to address the most annoying parts (travel, grinding). Dodging is a pretty fun mechanic - there's some interesting combat setups for a few of the classes overall. Those random world events can get pretty chaotic too.

Story bits have all been pretty stiff and boiler plate fantasy so far, but as something I can hack away at for an unspecified amount of time without feeling like they're siphoning money from me, it definitely works. For 60 bucks it's a ton of content.

quit your complaining ya bunch of babies...its just another MMO

Giantbomb doesn't really like MMO's. If you want some serious coverage of a MMO, go somewhere else! The GB crew has made it clear that none of them like MMO's and haven't played seriously since original WoW. Get over the fact that they're not going to "get" or "correctly play" an MMO game ever that doesn't somehow re-define the genre. If you're a real fan of GB you should know by now that not every genre is something they like or are good at. Get over it and find someone else who covers the beat-to-death genre that MMO's have become!

@FoxMulder said:

Giantbomb doesn't really like MMO's. If you want some serious coverage of a MMO, go somewhere else! The GB crew has made it clear that none of them like MMO's and haven't played seriously since original WoW. Get over the fact that they're not going to "get" or "correctly play" an MMO game ever that doesn't somehow re-define the genre. If you're a real fan of GB you should know by now that not every genre is something they like or are good at. Get over it and find someone else who covers the beat-to-death genre that MMO's have become!

Yeah, you should only come to Giantbomb for the coverage of beat-to-death FPS and Third Person Shooters!

@Dark_Lord_Spam said:

@CaLe said:

@isnipeyoudie: Fair enough, but it's still a generic fantasy mmo.. No saving it from that.

"No mother-fucking elves" should be all you need to hear to know you're wrong.

Yeah, Sylvari are totally not elves.

@PrivateIronTFU said:

Oh, look at this. A bunch of sad and pathetic people complaining about how the guys are playing. I never expected anything like this to happen.

I'm sorry their valid complaints have interrupted your hero worship. Please feel free to continuing enjoying uninformative quick looks in the future.

@Meowshi said:

@PrivateIronTFU said:

Oh, look at this. A bunch of sad and pathetic people complaining about how the guys are playing. I never expected anything like this to happen.

I'm sorry their valid complaints have interrupted your hero worship. Please feel free to continuing enjoying uninformative quick looks in the future.

Oh man so we're already pulling the "If you disagree with us you're obviously fanboys." bit? No one had a problem with dopey quicklooks before, but now that it's a game the internet was looking forward to you guys are going to cry over it? This quicklook was fine, stop whining. You already love this game, some people don't. Sorry that it bothers you so much.

@CaLe said:

@Dark_Lord_Spam said:

@CaLe said:

@isnipeyoudie: Fair enough, but it's still a generic fantasy mmo.. No saving it from that.

"No mother-fucking elves" should be all you need to hear to know you're wrong.

Yeah, Sylvari are totally not elves.

They most certainly are not. Elves are generally depicted as an ancient race, while Sylvari are one of the youngest and most naive. Elves have an affinity for nature, while Sylvari are literally nature. Elves are generally depicted as aloof and above human politics, while the Sylvari's whole society is structured around mimicking the human Arthurian ideal.

Also they look like cabbage.

Jeff knows nothing about this game. It's sad to see many people getting persuaded by this quicklook because it is a GREAT game. It's not just a simple MMO. If you don't agree, me and the other 200 members of the GB guild couldn't care less.

i never got far past the tutorial, what was so different about guild wars 1? it seemed like just another mmo to me at the time.

@Wes899 said:

@Meowshi said:

@PrivateIronTFU said:

Oh, look at this. A bunch of sad and pathetic people complaining about how the guys are playing. I never expected anything like this to happen.

I'm sorry their valid complaints have interrupted your hero worship. Please feel free to continuing enjoying uninformative quick looks in the future.

Oh man so we're already pulling the "If you disagree with us you're obviously fanboys." bit? No one had a problem with dopey quicklooks before, but now that it's a game the internet was looking forward to you guys are going to cry over it? This quicklook was fine, stop whining. You already love this game, some people don't. Sorry that it bothers you so much.

Well we've already pulled the, "anyone who criticizes giant bomb in any minor capacity is obviously sad and pathetic", so why not go full circle? Also what you're saying is blatantly untrue. People have had a problem with certain quick looks where a lack of knowledge of the game has made it appear much worse than it is. Remember the SOTC quick look, by example? The quick look was not fine, I don't already love this game, and I'm sorry that you believe that throwing around baseless assumptions somehow makes your argument salient.

@Deusx: But it really seems like you guys do care that people don't care.

Man....after playing Skyrim a ton I feel like I hear all of the over used voice actors from that series in every other fantasy game now!

@Meowshi said:

@CaLe said:

@Dark_Lord_Spam said:

@CaLe said:

@isnipeyoudie: Fair enough, but it's still a generic fantasy mmo.. No saving it from that.

"No mother-fucking elves" should be all you need to hear to know you're wrong.

Yeah, Sylvari are totally not elves.

They most certainly are not. Elves are generally depicted as an ancient race, while Sylvari are one of the youngest and most naive. Elves have an affinity for nature, while Sylvari are literally nature. Elves are generally depicted as aloof and above human politics, while the Sylvari's whole society is structured around mimicking the human Arthurian ideal.

Also they look like cabbage.

Iunno mine looks like a badass. I love the Sylvari creator. So good.

@onimonkii said:

i never got far past the tutorial, what was so different about guild wars 1? it seemed like just another mmo to me at the time.

Guild Wars 1 wasn't an MMO, for one thing.

@Wes899 said:

@Meowshi said:

@PrivateIronTFU said:

Oh, look at this. A bunch of sad and pathetic people complaining about how the guys are playing. I never expected anything like this to happen.

I'm sorry their valid complaints have interrupted your hero worship. Please feel free to continuing enjoying uninformative quick looks in the future.

Oh man so we're already pulling the "If you disagree with us you're obviously fanboys." bit? No one had a problem with dopey quicklooks before, but now that it's a game the internet was looking forward to you guys are going to cry over it? This quicklook was fine, stop whining. You already love this game, some people don't. Sorry that it bothers you so much.

To be fair, people get annoyed about uninformative Quick Looks whenever they come up. It just so happens this game is quite popular.

@theimmortalbum said:

@Meowshi said:

@CaLe said:

@Dark_Lord_Spam said:

@CaLe said:

@isnipeyoudie: Fair enough, but it's still a generic fantasy mmo.. No saving it from that.

"No mother-fucking elves" should be all you need to hear to know you're wrong.

Yeah, Sylvari are totally not elves.

They most certainly are not. Elves are generally depicted as an ancient race, while Sylvari are one of the youngest and most naive. Elves have an affinity for nature, while Sylvari are literally nature. Elves are generally depicted as aloof and above human politics, while the Sylvari's whole society is structured around mimicking the human Arthurian ideal.

Also they look like cabbage.

Iunno mine looks like a badass. I love the Sylvari creator. So good.

Naw son, you look like cabbage. You a cabbage man.

Cabbage.

@Meowshi said:

@onimonkii said:

i never got far past the tutorial, what was so different about guild wars 1? it seemed like just another mmo to me at the time.

Guild Wars 1 wasn't an MMO, for one thing.

it played like one, that's enough for me. it was like a fantasy version of phantasy star online, which i consider an mmo.

I wish I had a better suited PC to be able to run this game, I think it looks fantastic

@BabyChooChoo said:

If the comments are this sour and its only been an hour, at the end of the day i expect a shitstorm of epic proportions.

So why are you laughing Mr...Larry Johnson?

Alright, meow where were we?

I usually love Quick Looks but found this very frustrating to watch. I only played a few hours of the Beta, but I know that a lot of the info in this QL was either wrong or missing. Maybe it's because I'm so excited for GW2, but I feel this QL did the game an injustice because I know there are people who are going to watch this and leave with a poor impression. There's so much more that could have been shown.

@Deusx said:

Jeff knows nothing about this game. It's sad to see many people getting persuaded by this quicklook because it is a GREAT game. It's not just a simple MMO. If you don't agree, me and the other 200 members of the GB guild couldn't care less.

Around 300, actually, but who's counting?

(I'm counting.)

@Krakn3Dfx said:

As someone who hasn't really spent any time in an MMO since Dark Age of Camelot (pulled into that by the promise of Arthurian Mythology that didn't exactly pan out, but I still loved the game at the time), I pre-ordered this because it seems to have a lot of the things that I liked in DAoC. Haved played for maybe 3-4 hours and like it so far, curious to see how long the legs are on it tho.

Same here I was very attracted to this because of its Dark Agey-ness and so far, fucking loving it!

Well if this game isn't as bad and generic MMO as the QL makes it out to be, what makes it good? I've only played WoW but got bored of it after a month or so. Is there somewhere that covers games like this and makes a strong argument for it's quality??

@FoxMulder said:

Well if this game isn't as bad and generic MMO as the QL makes it out to be, what makes it so? I've only played WoW but got bored of it after a month or so. Is there somewhere that covers games like this and makes a strong argument for it's quality??

If you only played WoW for a month, I'm curios as to how many MMOs you've actually played to even be able to tell what's generic or not.

@Dark_Lord_Spam said:

@Deusx said:

Jeff knows nothing about this game. It's sad to see many people getting persuaded by this quicklook because it is a GREAT game. It's not just a simple MMO. If you don't agree, me and the other 200 members of the GB guild couldn't care less.

Around 300, actually, but who's counting?

(I'm counting.)

Well of course you'd be counting.

Sad that metal beards aren't actually made of metal.

Being a guild wars 2 lover, i came in here knowing they probably werent going to like it, but thats not why im here.

I'm here for the lolz. I was not dissapointed.

I appreciate GW2, what it is and what it does and the people who worked on it, but it is an MMO, the whole idea of MMOs as they are today, even with what GW2 does, is getting freaking old and tired. It's the one and the same thing, no difference once you get down to the fundamentals. GW2 TSW SWTOR Tera Rift, all the one and the same. It's no wonder that I and many others, Jeff included, only see them as month-long single-player games. We need a true new revolution of the MMO. Meridian 59 was the first 3D one I can come up with, EQ1 for the first proper large release.
 
What do I want? Something radical-ass new. Reimagined modern day developed EQ1 would do the trick, free form freestyle sandboxing, Sword Art Online like only without mind-jacking.
 
Elder Scrolls Online will arrive with a DOA tag on its big toe, the question is when it will notice it and acknowledge death.
 
 
..that said I'd like to play through Warhammer Online again, I enjoyed reading the stories especially in the elven factions, but screw that.

@theimmortalbum said:

@Dark_Lord_Spam said:

@Deusx said:

Jeff knows nothing about this game. It's sad to see many people getting persuaded by this quicklook because it is a GREAT game. It's not just a simple MMO. If you don't agree, me and the other 200 members of the GB guild couldn't care less.

Around 300, actually, but who's counting?

(I'm counting.)

Well of course you'd be counting.

Kicked for back-talking.

@wrecks said:

@BabyChooChoo said:

If the comments are this sour and its only been an hour, at the end of the day i expect a shitstorm of epic proportions.

That image is furry! Don't post your furry bullshit here! SnarkSnarkWALLOFTEXTSnark!!

@Wes899 said:

ITT: Angry fans.

It's obvious half of this thread already loves this game and fears that because the guys in the video "Didn't get it" that everyone else won't like their game. Who cares? If you like it play it.

For some reason I can't find your previous comment so I'll just reply to this one. Well, I don't really care if he doesn't like it. Just saying, it is a pretty good game! It's really fun. Take it as a recommendation if you will. That said, I do agree with Jeff that the game doesn't explain SHIT to the player which may be why Jeff finds it so alien to him. I think that should be fixed. Let's hope Arena net does so. If you want to sound all butt hurt about my comment do it. I was just trying to express my opinion on how I think Jeff didn't do this game justice.

Wow, I've been a follower of Giant Bomb for at least 2-and-a-half years now, and I had to sign up on the site just to comment on this quick look.

What an absolutely horrendous video. It seemed as if Jeff spent a whole 2 hours with the game before the recording started. Way to make no mention of sPvP, the intuitive crafting system, the well-structured personal stories, and the awesome character creation.

If you're reading this comment and have been turned off of Guild Wars 2 due to the QL, take heart in knowing that the game is NOWHERE NEAR as bad as Jeff paints it. GW2 is the best MMO to come out in recent years, hands down. And this is coming from an avid MMO-freak. Trust me when I say that this video did a horrible job of explaining the absolute basics.

It's funny, when it's a huge game like Skyrim or MW3, the guys know every in-and-out of the game. Here, though, Jeff got half of what he said absolutely wrong. Too funny.

Ooooo! Here comes all the hate from GW2 fanboys! I have a couple GW2 fanboy friends, and it's impossible to hold a logical conversation with them about the game if that means stating there is anything remotely negative about it.

It's hilarious. *grabs popcorn*

I love how people get so upset that a game they like wasn't praised in a quick look. If you enjoy the game who cares about a quick look? Just go and play the game. As someone who doesn't enjoy mmo's I look at Guild Wars 2 and it's immediately something I never want to play.

Beware Brad's "Special Hug"

The dialogue of this game is full of nonsense! Names like ______blade Thunder____ and junk like that. When words like that make up 50% of the dialogue, my interest hits rock-bottom.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa

@Dezztroy said:

@CaLe said:

@Dark_Lord_Spam said:

@CaLe said:

@isnipeyoudie: Fair enough, but it's still a generic fantasy mmo.. No saving it from that.

"No mother-fucking elves" should be all you need to hear to know you're wrong.

Yeah, Sylvari are totally not elves.

I don't see how sentient plants = elves.

I don't really feel strongly about this game one way or the other, but I did want to point out that "elves" are not the single defining characteristic of generic fantasy.

@Shtinky: furry-hata

@mrsmiley said:

Ooooo! Here comes all the hate from GW2 fanboys! I have a couple GW2 fanboy friends, and it's impossible to hold a logical conversation with them about the game if that means stating there is anything remotely negative about it.

It's hilarious. *grabs popcorn*

Oh, if only that were true in this case. Jeff didn't even describe the negative things in this game correctly. It looks as if he spent a whole 3 minutes playing the game prior to recording. Weak quick look, regardless of praise or criticism. Basic mechanics weren't shown.

We need Kessler for MMOs!

@Meowshi: @Meowshi said:

@FoxMulder said:

Well if this game isn't as bad and generic MMO as the QL makes it out to be, what makes it so? I've only played WoW but got bored of it after a month or so. Is there somewhere that covers games like this and makes a strong argument for it's quality??

If you only played WoW for a month, I'm curios as to how many MMOs you've actually played to even be able to tell what's generic or not.

I haven't played any other than WoW, but I have seen many others in action. If you're trying to just bash me for calling MMO's generic but not actually having played many of them, you're preaching to the wrong person. I'm just trying to figure out what makes the game special enough to be different from others I have seen. I am trying to take intrest in it, but with people whining and trolling back and forth it's hard to tell if this game is anything worthwhile. I like RPG's and have played many single-player RPG's that have similar gameplay to what most MMO's have. I think I could be into MMO's if they weren't full of fetch quests of trivial things with stupid low drop rates. That is not fun to me at all and the main reason I stopped WoW and haven't touched any MMO's ever since.

@mewarmo990 said:

@CommanderZx2 said:

Why would GB pick someone who hates MMOs to do a quick look of a MMO? Even then they really should put some effort into it instead of just making stuff up and spreading misinformation.

New to GB, are you? :P Yeah, Jeff is burnt out on a lot of popular genres.

Really would have been best to let Brad or Vinny handle this one.

Well the problem is that Jeff is not just burnt out about MMOs but with several other genres. It didn't used to be like that. Don't get me wrong, I love GB but it's getting less interesting watching Jeff's quicklooks.

@mrsmiley said:

Ooooo! Here comes all the hate from GW2 fanboys! I have a couple GW2 fanboy friends, and it's impossible to hold a logical conversation with them about the game if that means stating there is anything remotely negative about it.

It's hilarious. *grabs popcorn*

I think alot of that has to do with the fact that people are so convinced that this is just another MMO that when you play it and realize it isn't and you want to tell everyone around you how insane it is you can't, because yea if you just ignore all the innovation around the combat system and just look at the first 10 levels it totally looks like that, but once you see how you participate in quest and world events and how your encouraged to actually Explore and you get rewarded for doing so and the breakneck pace the game somehow keeps, it is really hard to just watch people shit on it and say it is nothing special I have never been negative towards a GB QL but I understand where everyone is coming from for this one, especially from listening to the guys talk about it before it seemed like they knew more about it before it came out, Regardless if you have any sort of love for MMOs this is the best one I have played in 15 years since the Dark Age/UO days.

@FoxMulder said:

@Meowshi: @Meowshi said:

@FoxMulder said:

Well if this game isn't as bad and generic MMO as the QL makes it out to be, what makes it so? I've only played WoW but got bored of it after a month or so. Is there somewhere that covers games like this and makes a strong argument for it's quality??

If you only played WoW for a month, I'm curios as to how many MMOs you've actually played to even be able to tell what's generic or not.

I haven't played any other than WoW, but I have seen many others in action. If you're trying to just bash me for calling MMO's generic but not actually having played many of them, you're preaching to the wrong person. I'm just trying to figure out what makes the game special enough to be different from others I have seen. I am trying to take intrest in it, but with people whining and trolling back and forth it's hard to tell if this game is anything worthwhile. I like RPG's and have played many single-player RPG's that have similar gameplay to what most MMO's have. I think I could be into MMO's if they weren't full of fetch quests of trivial things with stupid low drop rates. That is not fun to me at all and the main reason I stopped WoW and haven't touched any MMO's ever since.

Another thing Jeff left out. The fetch quests aren't really fetch quests in this game. Remember that one part where Vinny said "you don't even need to turn it in?" Yeah, nice job on expanding upon that, Jeff. Way to inform the viewers.

I'm disappointed that Random Arena, Jade Quarry and Alliance Wars aren't in the game. *sad panda*

A predictable amount of mud slinging in here. Well done!

My main complaint about this whole thing is we've had to listen to the Giant Bomb crew complain about a lack of big releases in the I Love Monday's vids for about 2 months now. Well, here's a big release and all we get is Jeff blundering about for an hour. And the whole 'it's just a Quick Look' thing doesn't slide when Jeff is prepared to figure out translations for menus so he could play PSO2! They've shown plenty of times that they put a lot of effort into making a good Quick Look. Skyrim being an excellent example.

They could've, maybe, found someone even slightly interested and got them playing the beta weekends? Maybe? Then again, there was that great moment in a previous I Love Monday's where Brad managed to both complain about no new releases and how much time it would take to learn Endless Space so, fuck it!