Looking For A New MMO? #2 - The Lands of Tyria are STUNNING! (Guild Wars 2 in 2024)

Guild Wars 2 has A LOT to offer new players in 2024. Follow along as we explore the lands of Tyria and answer the question "Is Guild Wars 2 Worth Playing in 2024?" If you enjoy the video, be sure to give it a like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel!
All the music in this video is from the GW2 Soundtracks. All rights reserved to GW2 and original composers.

[@mihailodukic601]

The only mmo that respects your time as a player .

[@Royal.Grand.Majesty]

NGL if there's a game that has the least amount of barrier, in regards to returning back to an MMO after a break, I'd have to give the award to GW2.

[@CharuKatriona]

GW2 has so much variety, my partner and I love playing it together, even though our gaming styles and preferences are very different. We enjoy GW2 more than any other MMO we have tried together. He plays with action combat crosshair, while I play with tab targeting, he’s methodical and organised, keeping us on track with the main storyline quests, or whatever our goals are for each session we play, while I’m a scatterbrained explorer getting us off track with random events, hidden locations and admiring stunning views I find along the way. He focuses on perfecting one character at a time and I have maxed out my character slots for variety of personalisation and play styles. His gaming background is FPS, MMO and MOBA and mine is cosy life/farm sims, MMO and city builders and yet we both absolutely love Guild Wars 2. There’s something for everybody here.

[@Z-MACx]

@@CharuKatriona that’s awesome! And so much fun that you and your partner can enjoy it together 😊

[@traveling.down.the.road56]

Very well expressed comment. You are lucky to have a partner to play GW2 with, as it makes the experience even better than doing it solo. I'm constantly looking for players to experience GW2 with, to reinvigorate my enjoyment to an even higher level.

[@izzytoastydino1561]

You are so lucky!! Lol I've been trying to get my boyfriend to play with me but he doesn't really feel like it...but then plays other mmo😅 I've been trying to find a nice and chilled out guild to do some stuff with bc i got no one playing the game with but i love it ;w;

[@traveling.down.the.road56]

@@izzytoastydino1561 I’d be happy to play with you and if you’re interested I have started a guild that I’m trying to recruit players into and build up. Send me an in game mail to Ahkima Kal, and your boyfriend doesn’t have to worry, I’m too old to be a threat to your relationship.

[@darthtrader7605]

So you're a typical woman gamer and he's a typical male gamer. Congrats?

[@blobfish2624]

I did the same thing this week. Tried gw2 at launch didn’t stick with me. Decided to give it another go again after all this time and I’m loving it. Actually feels like a game.

[@NikeGipple]

GW2 is perfect for those who have other responsibilities or other video games to play, because it allows you to choose your goal and pursue it. If that is not respecting your time, I don't know what could be more. Also, GW2 does not destroy your progress when you leave the game. What you have achieved is there waiting for you. That's why as well as: to one of the most beautiful explorations ever, a collaborative openwold without necessarily having to party, a world alive with events and not static npc's, a combat system as fluid as never before in mmo's, a fair and not oppressive monetization of more of the same things, the best made mounts with different skills from each other and not skins with speed buffs. I can go on but GW2 is unique and that is why like gw1 it will never die

[@MisterNo1111]

It would be really nice, if it stayed alive...🔝🐣🔝

[@Z-MACx]

Yes! as you said the "beautiful exploration" is definitely my favorite part of the game. I could probably spend the majority of my time just riding around on the mount exploring, discovering all that tyria has to offer :D. and dude... the cities in GW2 man. they're just mindblowing honestly. i couldnt believe it. i come from New World and as much as i enjoy the game, it has NOTHING on the world design of GW2

[@traveling.down.the.road56]

@@Z-MACx Arenanet has THE BEST open world map designers ever! Period, end of story, check it out for yourself for free, but the expansion maps plus the Living World and Icebrood Saga maps get even better than the core GW2 maps, by a couple orders of magnitude.

[@sirith9157]

Just a few things I want to mention for anyone who might want to start playing: 1. There basically three game modes in GW2: Open World, PVP and "dungeons". All of them require different types of skills because of different mechanics. Going full DPS might not be the best choice so keep that in mind - Necromancers who use "Froze to the bone" might agree with me. This skill is awesome - Especially in things like DLC Open World. Enemies deal way more damage than base Tyria. 2. Gear matters but not that much - you might see a lot of players running around in legendary or ascended gear. Don't sweat about it. It's matter of few % in grand scheme of things compared to exotics and it can be acquired easily from Black Lion market. Getting later gear is a matter of time and work, however ascended and legendary gear allow to go further into fractals/switch prefixes on the fly. It's mostly a matter of achievement. 3. Prefixes are static - did you had a moment where you rolled a gear you wanted but with lowest possible stats? Don't be scared about it here. Game have static amount of stats depending on prefix, level and rarity. If your friend have exotic, berserker Greatsword = you will get exactly the same thing. 4. Skins and dyeing - you can freely change your equipment appearance if you have transmutation charges. Dyeing your equipment on the other hand cost absolutely nothing. Skins and dyes you once unlocked can be used as many times as you want so go wild with. Bonus: If you brought all dlcs and have access to Skyscale = take it slowly. It's a long grind which might take weeks. Is it worth it? Yes. But rushing it is definitely not something you should do immediately.

[@danikmoroz2328]

I just finished my skyscale couple days ago. Spend 4 days and not even too much grind tbh, just open wiki and go step by step: couple hours for each collections achievement (for some just like 30mins). The longest part imo - timegates. After certain parts u just have to w8 2 hours to proceed further and ofc feeding small baby 3days time gate and u got it. Gryphon also helped me a lot while doing collections but is also achievable with springer/raptor/gliding. For some tho shakal is necessary. But the QoL of skyscale is ultimate!

[@ChimpOnComputer]

I've gone back to GW2 recently as well and I love it, got a Guardian and Ranger to 80, and am now on my way to unlock the Twilight legendary greatsword and grinding to get Griffon Mount.

[@Shrek_The_Mathematician]

Not having every skill 100% swappable is not so bad when you take into account the all the trait choices and combinations, the specs and elite specializations. If you also include gear choices and relics it gets even better. As a former Gw1 player there is IMO much more depth and choice with the build system of Gw2 at end game. At lower levels though I agree it can feel limiting because you don't have anything unlocked and can't even equip any specs and choose traits. The one thing I really miss from Gw1 though is getting new special skills that are not tied to your class in the world through questing. They tried to add this once in Gw2 in the game's early years and you could get a new healing skill from completing a mission that any class could use, but it has been removed since sadly and they never did something like that again.

[@BrantMarcksson]

I'd like to give some insight into the renown heart system. You can talk to them to get the interaction you want. If you feel like you were doing them just to get them done and speeding through them, then that's what you chose to do. There's an amazing game here for those who slow down, look around, read, and explore.

[@traveling.down.the.road56]

As a long time player of GW2, I would like to encourage you to make more videos about this game. I think you will find the GW2 community to be very supportive of your work, and hopefully it will also attract some new players to try the game as well. GW2 is very under rated and over looked by most gamers, and I'm sure if more people tried it out, they would fall in love with it, just like I did, and millions of others, who have purchased it and it's expansions over the years.

[@krisgustoff]

Some of the comments here are crazy😂 I am now an experienced player with a leveled character of every profession (class for gw2), completed the whole story, countless hours in a number of different game modes, multiple legendary pieces, and yet still I have more content to experience. I find it is helpful to get into a guild that likes to do what content you like to play. I personally like the Meta events where they are timed events that are visible on the wiki and provide good loot, experience, and consistent time frames for victory. If this isn’t for you well then there are other modes like you mentioned here; PvP, World vs World(server wide large scale PvP), fractals(short puzzles and bosses), Strikes( Raid level short boss fights), dungeons, world bosses, and on and on… With the expansions you get access to what are called specializations which that your profession( aka class) and give you access to different abilities and class usages. Almost even profession can be dps, healer, or support through their own mechanics. The trading post contains most items you will ever need and the economy isn’t just centered around liquid gold. A lot of people never see their liquid gold go up too much so they just think they are always broke and could never afford to buy anything. Well once you look at websites like gw2 efficiency and enter your accounts api you find that like me you may be gold poor (ie I have like 500 gold right now) but in my material storage I have 20k of things I could sell on the trading post and straight up buy gen 1 and gen 3 legendary weapons. To get to the point GW2 has a unique experience that is different for all other MMO’s I have played. You can get loot and gold from everything, you get experience from everything, and there are enjoyable activities in any game mode to match your play style. You like to PvP great you have full access to skills at level 2 and can practice on training golems before queuing up. Like exploring run around and do a few events while exploring and you will get to level 80. I hope you enjoy your journey and look forward to more content to come. Thanks for the perspective.

[@SKID4]

For the record you don’t have to play this game in a tab target style, it has an action cam bind for more of a modern / ESO feel, which is what I personally play.

[@nightshade9840]

It was really entertaining, listening to you enjoying Tyria for the first time. I have began my own adventure in GW2 a little more than 1 month ago and... it was a rough start. I felt that way, because, believe it or not, I approached this game with the mindset of ESO/BDO/WoW player. Which was a huge mistake. GW2 is an entirely different game and everyone should try it with a clear mind. It took me a veeeeery good while to get used to it. But once I did - I completely fell in love with it. And what is more important - GW2 respects your time. If you have job/kids/other RL stuff to do, the game and its content/progression/money for sub won't slip through your fingers. Even if you leave and come back few months later, your progress will still be there and remain relevant. Looking forward to more of your videos! :)

[@Z-MACx]

hey thanks so much for watching the video and taking the time to leave a thoughtful response. I love reading comments from viewers such as yourself because its easy to spot when someone is really passionate about a game. Cheers mate! 🙂

[@kaelinvictus6039]

I agree the hardest thing to admit, for new players, is completely being wrapped up with the old mentality and hampering your own enjoyment. "This game doesn't have the same combat style therefore it must suck". "I can't customize my skill bar to have 100+ more skills". "This game doesn't have the exact same solutions to whatever I miss from my old MMO." These complaints directly overshadow the improvements being introduced by the game and gets quickly dismissed by the antiquated and unrelenting mindset. I used to have the same complaints when I started at launch. When I finally learned to let go of my pre-conceived notions and learned what this game does better than other MMO's, I realize how stupid the initial complaints were because the better answers where there all along. I was just too stubborn for my own good.

[@RobGamer1949]

Each race has its own stunning home city with a bank, trading post, crafting stations, waypoints, POI's, vistas and master points (you will come back for when you begin your masteries at level 80).

[@RobGamer1949]

Note: the initial (tutorial) combat quest (Shamoor, for humans) is the beginning of your personal story. The first thing you do (for each race) is the beginning of your personal story. You will meet and quest with Captain Thackery again (each ten levels) as you continue to quest.

[@MangyB4033]

I played GW2 on launch and fell off before hitting level cap. I've been playing this past year and loving it. One thing you mentioned is how you feel disconnected and I definitely understand that. I don't think I started to really appreciate the scale and scope of Tyria and its lore until after Path of Fire. It takes a long time but eventually it feels more alive and massive than any other MMO I've played. A lot of the side stories are hidden behind achievements and that contributes to the slow burn.

[@ch.k.3377]

GW1 and WoW classic players have one thing in common... they hold on to their nostalgia and are often very quickly disappointed if the successor does not fulfill it.

[@Z-MACx]

@@ch.k.3377 😂 I wouldn’t say it doesn’t fulfill it. GW2 does A LOT of things right, especially the exploration and dynamic questing (which I talk more about towards the end of the video). Was I surprised to see some of the changes? Yeah. But the game is beautiful and I can see why so many people love it 😊

[@marinhrabric6162]

​@@Z-MACxexactly

[@nebulastar9050]

Having originally come from GW1 as well, the weapon skills were really one of my favorite things about GW2. Especially since you can swap them out mid battle just by switching weapons. And having very few skills even on the caster classes that require you to hold still was another big plus. Always hated how casters had to stand still whenever casting in most other MMOs.

[@Perisemiotics]

dude, it's right in the middle of your screen almost, the only button you have labeled with 1 - that's how you attack :P welcome to the game though!

[@Bes7iA]

what do you mean disconection with the quest system, every time you finish one the npc send you a letter thanking you for it

[@moiseszermeno3539]

You will have a lot of fun once you get to hearth of thorns it is the first expansion but it is such a masterpiece in level design

[@danikmoroz2328]

Yeah, HoT is decent!!

[@NBOZZ14]

I was overwhelmed at the beginning when I started playing and now im addicted to the game. I wish I knew this game when it came out. 😢 I’m still learning new stuff 😅

[@Z-MACx]

@@NBOZZ14 dude that is EXACTLY how I feel. Taking on GW2 is such a huge endeavor and yeah… it’s pretty overwhelming 😅 Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment 😊

[@StoneEdges]

The original skill system in GW1 was actually broken. The devs stated they moved away from that partially because in GW1 a huge amount of players had terrible builds that didn't have proper synergy which caused inviting random players into your party to be a huge gamble that would often cause in full wipes and a lot of wasted time trying to progress player theirs individual goals. Don't get me wrong, I loved the sense of freedom GW1 gave me while creating a unique build but.. My builds were probably terrible too! :D

[@masterofhaloben]

I'm a wow player but I've always had a hidden jealousy for my friends who dove deep into guild wars 2. Thank you for the video sir.

[@moiseszermeno3539]

You can try it for free the full core game is free :D

[@traveling.down.the.road56]

It’s never too late to switch to playing GW2 from any other game, and since it’s free to try out, there’s zero risk. You can play all the way to maximum level with the free to play version and buy any or all of the expansions whenever you’re sure that GW2 is the game for you.

[@nooneeey]

Since it’s free you can try it without any hassle at all. Become one of us!

[@BrantMarcksson]

Switched last year after playing WoW since 2006. It's like I've woken up from a bad dream.

[@UndeadR]

You can treat hearts like classic side quest. Every heart have NPC you can talk to know what and why you doing. There are often also more NPC around who tells you whats going on in area. Its more immersive that way. 😀

[@Royal.Grand.Majesty]

I personally always have GW2 as my secondary MMO while rotating between many of the Triple A Vertical Progression MMOs. I feel GW2 is a great place to relax and play the game at your own pace. I play for the experiences that I have with other players. I feel as I have gotten older, the concept of GW2 is becoming more and more appealing as the years go by and having more commitments out of the game leads to certain games where your gear and stats are constantly improved upon every patch becomes more of a chore than enjoyment. I prefer Horizontal Progression a-lot now, especially since I have branched out to many other Genres of gaming, I love the pick up and play formulae that most new games tend to focus on. Love it or hate it, GW2 is here to stay, especially for people who love the MMO concept, but rather than chasing a number every patch, we play for the experiences. In comparison to your typical vertical progression MMOs, every new patch you are focused on one thing, quickly acquiring the highest Item Level gear. Every quest, dungeon, raid, world quest you do, you are thinking of the gear, you are tunnel visioned on that one goal, while you are completely ignoring the new content in-front of you. Even though GW2 has no gear progression, the ability to customize your build is quite amazing, sure if you want to maximize your DPS, there's only a handful of choices. You can choose to do harder content or stick with the more casual content. The beauty of GW2 is that you are rewarded for doing either. Now that the PvE Open World Legendary armor is released, players of all skill levels have access to the best gear in-game. Unlike in your typical Vertical Progression MMO where the best gear is locked behind difficult raids or pvp. Sure you can make counter arguments for each of these points, however what I'm trying to say is that GW2 gives all players an even playing field in terms of 'Power', the difference lies in your skill and dedication to the game, not some arbitrary number that is artificially increased every patch which leads players to be blinded to what's in-front of them.

[@Z-MACx]

@@Royal.Grand.Majesty Wow thanks so much for taking the time to share about your experience with GW2. I can tell you’re passionate about it and I love to see that in the MMO community. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! 🙏🏻😊

[@abstr4cted496]

Why are you copy/pasting this same comment from another video that was 6 months ago lol?

[@Royal.Grand.Majesty]

​@@abstr4cted496 My views on the benefits of having a Horizontal Progression MMO hasn't changed. My thoughts on the positive direction of GW2 hasn't changed. My points on Vertical progression MMO's, in regards to being on an endless treadmill hasn't changed. My appreciation for GW2s co-op friendly / group based environment hasn't changed My admiration for the variety of customisation within GW2 hasn't changed. My recognition for a game [GW2] which has no Sub fee [No optional ones like ESO/BDO], bundled with the cheapest Expansion cost of any Triple A MMO hasn't changed. My respect for a game [GW2] that values my time, hasn't changed. My admiration for a game [GW2[ in which I can seamlessly jump in and out from, with little to no barrier after taking a break hasn't changed. My praise for the fluidity of combat and the realistic animations of mounts within GW2 hasn't changed. My realisation of how helpful and friendly the GW2 community is hasn't changed. My obligation for informing others on the wonderful game that is GW2 hasn't changed. My positive experiences in GW2 hasn't changed. My love for GW2 hasn't changed. My message will not change.

[@Royal.Grand.Majesty]

@@abstr4cted496 My views on the benefits of having a Horizontal Progression MMO hasn't changed. My thoughts on the positive direction of GW2 hasn't changed. My points on Vertical progression MMO's, in regards to being on an endless treadmill hasn't changed. My appreciation for GW2s co-op friendly / group based environment hasn't changed My admiration for the variety of customisation within GW2 hasn't changed. My recognition for a game [GW2] which has no Sub fee [No optional ones like ESO/BDO], bundled with the cheapest Expansion cost of any Triple A MMO hasn't changed. My respect for a game [GW2] that values my time, hasn't changed. My admiration for a game [GW2[ in which I can seamlessly jump in and out from, with little to no barrier after taking a break hasn't changed. My praise for the fluidity of combat and the realistic animations of mounts within GW2 hasn't changed. My realisation of how helpful and friendly the GW2 community is hasn't changed. My obligation for informing others on the wonderful game that is GW2 hasn't changed. My positive experiences in GW2 hasn't changed. My love for GW2 hasn't changed. My message will not change.

[@Royal.Grand.Majesty]

@@abstr4cted496 My views on the benefits of having a Horizontal Progression MMO hasn't changed. My thoughts on the positive direction of GW2 hasn't changed. My points on Vertical progression MMO's, in regards to being on an endless treadmill hasn't changed. My appreciation for GW2s co-op friendly / group based environment hasn't changed My admiration for the variety of customisation within GW2 hasn't changed. My recognition for a game [GW2] which has no Sub fee [No optional ones like ESO/BDO], bundled with the cheapest Expansion cost of any Triple A MMO hasn't changed. My respect for a game [GW2] that values my time, hasn't changed. My admiration for a game [GW2[ in which I can seamlessly jump in and out from, with little to no barrier after taking a break hasn't changed. My praise for the fluidity of combat and the realistic animations of mounts within GW2 hasn't changed. My realisation of how helpful and friendly the GW2 community is hasn't changed. My obligation for informing others on the wonderful game that is GW2 hasn't changed. My positive experiences in GW2 hasn't changed. My love for GW2 hasn't changed. My message will not change.

[@arcanadawn]

Have you tried to 100% complete a zone or two yet? Some are pretty easy, while others...ooof. Also, have you found your first jumping puzzle? One last thing, fellow new player in 2024 (sort of, I bought and played on release, then took a hiatus 'til now lol), Welcome to Tyria. I hope you have a blast!

[@Z-MACx]

@@arcanadawn I have not! I ran around looking for one but was unsuccessful in finding any. I’ve heard those are a lot of fun! And thank you! I appreciate it 😊

[@arcanadawn]

@@Z-MACx I'd also advise running the dungeons when level appropriate if you can, just post something in LFG - Dungeons and specify you're running for story. People have been great at helping me with both dungeons and fractals.

[@neverendlessgaming]

You definitely read my mind or controlled remotely 😂...I started (re)play GW2 4 days ago... waiting for NW and T&L to come. Actually I first played more than 2 years ago ...and guys this game is a blast. QoL like never ever in MMO, incredible story...and an overwhelming content...but by chance a great community to help there immediately and with huge competency. Nice video. Just in time!

[@Harlequinlynnette]

paid actor

[@neverendlessgaming]

​​@@Harlequinlynnetteactually I'm not an actor, not a bot, not paid...I'm just astonished (it happened twice in a week) how this guy is able to make very good content perfectly in line with my taste. Have a good day!

[@MisterNo1111]

I play gw2 super casually, like halph-halph, sommers on see seit working and winters playing. Its allmoust time to come back to it and i am looking soo much forward, Janthir Wilds and new Warclaw looks beautiful.❣️🐣❣️

[@Z-MACx]

haha dude don't worry about people. everyone is a cynic these days 🤣 almost every review i make i get at least one or two comments saying "so tired of these sponsored KZbinrs". Although, I gotta say you're the first one (that i know of) being accused of being "a paid actor" lololol. embrace it man! and just enjoy the comical irony for what it is ha

[@StatesideBeast]

Nice! I'm loving all the new YT people boosting this amazing game.

[@cromo007]

The problem with GW1's skill system was that it was very hard for the devs to balance the game for PvP. GW2 is much more balanced than GW1. And when u have unlocked Elite Specs u have a lot to discover with each weapons.

[@Z-MACx]

@@cromo007 that is totally fair! I guess as more of a casual PvP player, I didn’t care much about the balance as much as I loved the versatility Thanks for watching and leaving a comment :)

[@YounesTraining]

PvP balanced ? Last 3v3 monthly tournament final and semi final in eu was 5 to 6 mesmers in the party 😂

[@RobGamer1949]

Excellent presentation. Bravo. Oh, and I like young beautiful farmers!!!

[@Z-MACx]

@@RobGamer1949 hey thanks rob! I appreciate it. as do we all 😉😂

[@FaeMagic]

I think it’s funny how some people’s first questions is, “why’s everyone so hot?” I had a friend try this game out a while back, and he couldn’t help but point out how all of the scarred faced were still aesthetically pleasing on the male characters. Idk what to say! Arenanet’s going for that high fantasy glam! Gotta let the newbie’s know. You either be hot, or get got!

[@Z-MACx]

@@FaeMagic 😂😂😂 thanks for leaving a comment and giving me a good laugh! It means a lot! 🙏🏻😊

[@avery0307]

There's a quote from an article about Guild Wars 1 from way back: "In Guild Wars the men are men and the women are rampway models." And it still applies to GW2

[@FaeMagic]

@@avery0307 the men also look like models! I feel like most don’t notice them as much. 😂

[@nooneeey]

Except the sylvarie and asura they both have just one good looking face and the rest looks like trash 😂Still love my little shitgoblins to death tho

[@BrantMarcksson]

What an odd thing to complain about 😆 I wouldn't classify the Asurans or the Char as hot though.

[@keyatogc4441]

Just got back into guild wars 2 can't wait to see ya out there

[@ThomasLuongo]

The weapon system is your skill customization, weapon pairs plus sigils and your 2nd set give you more than enough customization.

[@Z-MACx]

@@ThomasLuongo totally understand that. But if you started off with customizing every single ability in GW1, it’s a step backward in personal customization when you switch to GW2.

[@ThomasLuongo]

@@Z-MACx and you said "Hate, Hate, Hate" the new system without even understanding both the whys of the new system and how it actually works. So, I, for one, would like to see you do another video after you see how the weapon system interacts with the entirety of build-crafting. Because, what you have here, while a 1st impression, also not really fair. Dig in. The game rewards.

[@Z-MACx]

@ I gotcha. I can tell you love and are passionate about GW2, which I think is amazing. I love finding people like yourself who are all in on their mmo home. I really did enjoy much of my time trying out GW2. It has so much to offer players and has clearly attracted a large, loyal fan base. Now imagine that same love you have for GW2, that’s how I felt about GW1. And the skill customization was my FAVORITE part of the game. So even though the GW2 skill/weapon customization is objectively better and more balanced, GW1 was the game I played and was accustomed to. So this is my initial reaction to such a drastic change in the game that I once knew and loved. Hope that makes sense. Merry Christmas to you and your family! Wishing you all the best 😊🙏🏻

[@bchararaad1870]

Nice video! :) Although you got the wrong idea about some game features, which is understandable as a new player. If you play further into the game, you will realize that a lot of the things you complained about actually align with what you want, you just got the wrong which is fine :) I would encourage anyone to get into Gw2, give a the game a real chance, you won't get a clear picture until you're at level 80, that is because the game is literally HUGE.

[@Z-MACx]

@@bchararaad1870 I really DO want to continue playing the game! Taking on the entirety of GW2 is just such a huge endeavor. Kind of overwhelming to think about 😂. Thanks for the comment and honest feedback.

[@wimve4719]

Yeah, that. And also, don't fall into the trap of boosting characters to 80 and expect to do well. There is no reason to boost, as level progression is really quick in the main game. And you'll learn to play the class/profession. While leveling, you can test out the different weapons and the influence they have on your playstyle. I do not find the 5 ability limit limiting at all, especially as you can change between two different weapons loadouts. And then we're not even talking about Elementalists. But, GW2 really starts to shine in the expansions, the main game can be a drag because is does not really draw you in.

[@Kerbezena]

Oh, an original Guild Wars veteran, nice! I only played through Prophecies and Eye of the North in the spring and summer before GW2's release. Did you check out the Hall of Monuments Rewards Calculator? I hope you used your existing ArenaNet account for Guild Wars 2. I'd recommend going standalone Anet over Steam to anyone (and have written a lengthy Steam Guide about it), but especially someone who has played GW1. When you said in the beginning that you loved the original Guild Wars, I was already wary of how you would react to the combat/skill system, and it's easy to see why people miss the old system with the tons of skills. I assure you though, while it might not be up there with the original, GW2's build system has a lot of depth too, if you really get into it. I was a bit surprised that the perceived lack of explanation for combat was such a big deal for you. I watch quite a few new players and not one of them had any issue with initiating combat. There are lots of centaurs in Shaemoor that you can attack, if you really don't know how what to press. Nobody is rushing you through that early instance. One area of tutorials that should be made more obvious to players are the tips in level up dialogues. You show that you missed clicking the winged diamond thingies. Again, from my observations, most players find those, but then never click the "click for more information" things, thus missing out on all the written tutorial info. I agree that giving each new player a raptor at level 10 was a smart move (which they implemented in 2022 in preparation for the Steam launch). I'd even call it devious. If I see a new player below level 10, I like to tell them that they'll unlock the 10 hour raptor trial and their first story chapter at the same time, and that the raptor won't work in story instances, but the time will still count down. Spending more time without a mount available also softens the blow when the 10 hours end later on. The young player's mind is most prone to mount addiction. Hey, we had not a single mount for five years. xD I think you are spot on with your praise of the exploration aspect. It's certainly one thing that is mentioned when players are asked why they love this game in particular, right along the horizontal progression design, the alive game world, the friendly and welcoming community and so on. Your perspective is really refreshing and a great reference for actual prospective new players. Most content creators who cover this game are grizzled veterans who seemingly know absolutely everything. Likewise most people who watch a video like this one are also already heavily invested. I hope this video is seen by people who consider playing GW2.

[@Z-MACx]

@@Kerbezena hey thanks so much for taking the time to watch the video and leaving an in depth, thoughtful comment. I can tell you’re passionate about the game which is awesome 😊. I also appreciate that you’re willing to discuss some of the things you agree with as well as my critiques while giving pushback and maintaining your position. It shows that you have some high level critical thinking skills which is SO refreshing to find 😎. Hoping to return to GW2 one of these days! Every now and then just for some nostalgia and feel good vibes, I load up GW1 and play for a couple hours. It’s just one of those games that I’ll always go back to.

[@awakenedBanana]

I've played a lot of MMOs(mainly because of my group of friends) and I gotta say that gw2 is a strange one when it comes to getting into it. I think I bought the game around 2014 and I remember enjoying the gameplay, but I felt like something was missing. Then I came back a few times and each time I spent weeks, but something didn't feel right, while I was always able to immediately decide if I liked every other game after spending a week with them at most. About 2-3 years ago I hopped on, expecting to stop playing after spending some time in different modes until I suddenly got into it. I started looking for more things to do, I had many experience tomes(because of WvW and PvP) and boosted a lot of characters. Then it was like one thing after another... I joined some guilds, started raiding, fractals, pvp, wvw, legendary crafting, achievements, making a lot of gold, then buying upgrades with gems and I just couldn't stop. I'm someone who has fallen in love with numerous MMOs and I really liked pushing keys and mythic raiding in WoW, but this game has a special place in my heart. I enjoyed all those stuff in wow, but I feel like I can scratch that itch better while playing some single player games. And even though the most challenging content in gw2 cannot be considered on par with WoW(when it comes to difficulty), I think that it is enough. I actually find the instanced bosses/encounters a little better because of the lack of auras. I remember when I was doing my first mythic raid boss, my guild leader sending us weak auras for the boss and how stupid it all felt in the beginning. I don't know if other people will have a similar experience to mine and suddenly 'click' with the game, but I think that people's tastes change over time and sometimes we suddenly discover a new favorite thing after 'engaging' with it, while not actively searching for it.

[@Z-MACx]

@@awakenedBanana wow love to hear that. I can tell you’re passionate about the game! Thanks for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful response

[@Rengrim]

renown hearts are somewhat of a rework of Warhammer Online Age of Reckoning's Public Quests, as is the achievements panel/content with the Tome of Knowledge.

[@urushii7765]

I have loved GW1, and GW2 always have been my go-to game time and again. The art style is amazing, the music is awesome, and the lore is unique and very good. I listen to/ watch a lot of Woodenpotatoes because he covers the lore super well :) I think I will forever play/reminisce GW (whatever version) till my last breath. I mean, I already play it on and off for 2 decades now 😅

[@Z-MACx]

@@urushii7765 exactly. It’s been such a monumental game in the history of MMOs. It’ll always hold a special place in my heart

[@simonbartha6934]

Ive just finished end of dragons story and it was amazing. Every expansion has surprised me so far. Ive never been interested in the story part of games but gw2 is awesome. After 10+ years of wow its just way more chill and feels good to play even if u skip some days or weeks

[@isador21]

As a complete noob who has barely reached lv80 here, I have these things to say : 1. Escort missions are 100% optional my dude 2. Most NPCs are muscular dudes tbh 3. If you don't like a weapon sound/skill, you can literally switch mid-combat and/or forever Sincerely, A fellow new player 🙏

[@tontsar91]

I haven't played MMORPGs in so many years but have tried so many in the past. Maybe GW2 or GW3 gets me back.

[@jimmybjörklund-w9k]

i dont remember that part of the story. maybe cuz im playing another race. there are alot more positive things about this game. i have never played a game like guild wars 2. this game is really for everyone and i mean EVERYONE!

[@radandpaisley]

GW2 and ESO are two of the only current MMOs that make exploration feel genuinely rewarding and worthwhile, rather than being a theme park. I love world boss hunting in areas im out-leveled for and trying to track everyone down. Genuinely enjoyable time.

[@Z-MACx]

@@radandpaisley haven’t played ESO but yeah the exploration in GW2 is so much fun. ESPECIALLY once you get a mount 😎. It looks like I may have to break out the wallet and buy an expansion 😂

[@Sylindria]

In case no one has mentioned it when you buy Path of Fire (PoF) it has the first expansion Heart of Thorns (HoT) bundled in with it so you only need to buy one

[@JoseValdeolivar]

GW2 is a great MMO. Arenanet changed how they handle expansions (and everything that entails) so they lost me as a supporter of the new stuff but that won't stop me from enjoying what we do have. 10 years i've been playing it, on and off, that should tell you all you need to know.

[@Z-MACx]

@@JoseValdeolivar wow that’s amazing! I respect the passion and commitment to the game 😊. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment on the video

[@Krieghandt]

GW 1 the devs lost the balancing battle, and when making 2, they had two goals, jumping and no more infinite builds. While in early game builds are bland, by end game, it is one of my favorite features. That, and classes play so differently. So when I get bored of longbow ranger, I can go double axe or greatsword ranger. Or hop on my mesmer. All great stuff.

[@sethirium9542]

As someone who play old school runescape alot due to recent drama I'm on a quest of finding a new mmo that I can stick with that could scratch that itch. I started to play gw2 before but never really gave it a fair try. Now I try again and I wanna build a druid class because with other mmo's I'm mostly support role back when I played tera online. Thou I'm gonna wait around march before investing into any dlc that unlock druid. If anyone has a supportish class without dlc for me to have a feel at, hit me up 😊 Not quite ready to spend 100 euros on expansions yet

[@SimplyCozy777]

im coming back after 3 year break :D

[@Wintertalent]

Yes, the skills on the left bar are tied to your weapon (and class, since a mesmer has different skills on a weapon than another class with the same weapon), but the skills on the right aren't. You "collect" a whole bunch of them as you level up and put points in your skill trees. By the time you're level 80, you'll have all of them unlocked, and you can mix and match according to your preference and playstyle.

[@Z-MACx]

@@Wintertalent yeah I figured that out. And I’m sure I’ll get used to do it but I played GW1 for years so I’m just used to 8 customizable skills 😅. I DO think the combat overall is better!

[@Wintertalent]

@@Z-MACx I played GW1 before GW2 as well, and I got used to it pretty quickly. GW2 is a more "traditional" MMO than GW1, but still with a heavy dollop of GW1. Best of both worlds, if you ask me.

[@Trackersled]

One of the best Mmo i ever played❤ GW2

[@AMCUO]

Good video. I just started playing too. Played a few MMO's but the subs are something I hate so it made me take a break. Then I never returned to them like ESO. GW2 you can just buy the expansion and play. Gems can be earned... etc. Tip: turn off bloom in graphics. makes it look better and not so old looking.

[@jimmybjörklund-w9k]

the most amazing thing about this game is that you can play whit plugins and i figured that out after years of playing. when i got the plugin, dam you wont regret it.

[@Dumpsid]

i played 30 hours as a f2p and what made me uninstall was the 10HR Raptor mount, i enjoyed every hour I played, but I can't justify spending 25 dollars(which is equivalent to about a week worths of food in mycountry) for a game I would only play for about an hour or three every weekend..... and after spending 10 hours with the raptor around the world, walking through it after felt such a slog. I love the game, hopefully they add a f2p mount in the future

[@Z-MACx]

@@Dumpsid exactly 😅. That’s what I’m saying. There’s no way you can play gw2 without a mount after having played it with one for 10 hours

[@KhaziirEverflight]

okay, screw you for using GW1 music in the intro, now i gotta go install it again and dig my hands back into the game xD first game i genuinely got addicted to, both GW1 and 2. Jokes aside, i absolutely love this game. Just logged out for the day after my ten billionth basegame main story finish. gonna focus on 100%ing the maps now and then get to living world season 1... One thing i like is that the game offers both a classic tap targeting system or a more "modernized" action cam type camera/combat mode like you might know from skyrim and so on, where you aim via reticle, driving home the fact this game is all about player freedom even more.

[@Z-MACx]

@@KhaziirEverflight 😂😂 nothing will ever compare to logging in and creating a character for the first time in GW1. It has a special place in my heart But yeah! GW2 was a lot of fun. If I wasn’t trying to cover a variety of different MMOs, I’d have spent a lot more time in it!

[@PipsterSays]

The mastery system feels sluggish at times, especially the movement/mount ones.

[@Arrow333]

Welcome back to a different age of Tyria I guess :) I think while your combat skills are linked as groups to your weapon and take away some flexibility on your skill bar, GW2 still has some complexity to the skill system that allows for quite some skill variety. But maybe you should try engineeer or elementalist to take a look at it and try out to visit the pvp lobby to test out all the skills that are available on some training dummies - because for pvp you will get scaled up to level 80 and have access to all the skills you can unlock as f2p player. Don't worry, the pvp lobby is an area where you can prepare and test your build for actual pvp matches. Don't go too deep into theorycrafting for PVE though, as in PVP the skills have some changes for balancing reasons. But they still feel mostly the same.

[@Replect]

It sounds like that you barely reached lvl 20 at the time of this video, so you might come around with a different feeling at the end, but you underestimate the combat system, especially in regards the weapon skill system, or how the left skillbar is utilized in general, depending on profession and (elite) specialization. I can see that initial feel during the early others though, but yeah. I've seen others comment on it already in more detail, so I leave it there. 🙃

[@philippwahler8529]

You'll see, after the Mainstory the story telling will get much better. The Living Story between the addons is awesome an created pretty awesome characters. Canach > anyone else ;)

[@Z-MACx]

@@philippwahler8529 I’ve heard the expansions are really great!! Is there one in particular you’d recommend?

[@garybarlow3886]

As a long time Wow, and FFXIV player I started playing GW2 around 7-8 months ago. I'm absolutely addicted to the game now and I have to say I couldn't disagree more with some of your negative points of the game tbh, especially the 1st 5 abilities tied to your weapons.

[@djdontgetcooked]

I played the game for 6 months on release dropped the game for the next 10-11 years and I picked it back up a year ago. Its a lovely game with the best combat system out there. The open world is amazing but I'm a competitive person so I'm in sPVP 90% of time. The mode has insane potential but its quite the mess because the balance team has lost the plot completely

[@eZgr]

gw2 its a great game , you should review the expansions as the game there changes and becomes 10x better

[@DunkelBisBunt]

When you take the most boring generic race in the game, you get the most boring generic story ;) It's kind of sad to see SO many videos of people trying the game picking human or "big human" (Norn).

[@Z-MACx]

well shoot... now I wish I would have chosen a different race. but honestly, even though it wasnt my favorite story of all time, i still enjoyed it! but yeah i do think exploration is where the game really shines

[@penguins0392]

AMAZING GAME

[@Z-MACx]

@@penguins0392 I’ve been having a lot of fun with it! And it’s such a beautiful world design :)

[@MisterNo1111]

I love gw2 graphics, the World is so beautiful.🐲🐣🐲 p.s. agree that is meid for explorers🐬😎🐬

[@Z-MACx]

hey thanks so much for watching! and for taking the time to leave a comment! i really enjoyed playing the game and putting together the video. 🙂

[@Shrek_The_Mathematician]

Fun fact there is 1 class that can also customize weapon skills! If you equip a hammer on a Ranger on any elite spec besides Untamed, you can choose between variants of your hammer weapon skills.

[@dallassukerkin6878]

:chuckles: Catching this after a rage-quit night on GW2 and searching for suggestions for a decent MMO that's not full of grind and RNG crap!

[@Z-MACx]

😂 "full of grind" and "rng crap" sums up 99% of MMO end-games these days lol. have you played LOTRO? i played through some of that recently and was having a lot of fun

[@dallassukerkin6878]

@@Z-MACx :grins: I played LOTRO for twelve years before the insane gear grind drove me away :D I have actually been saying of late that it might be time for me to walk away from MMO's entirely because their business model does rather depend on keeping you playing and that means grind (and selling you solutions to problems the Devs created via the Cash Shop). Really what I need is a multiplayer RPG with a well developed story and plenty of character customisation options. Essentially multi-player Elder Scrolls ... just not ESO, more like Morrowind or Oblivion :lol:

[@neverendlessgaming]

Eso and NW are both great game too!

[@pawelunikow1563]

ESO is single player RPG with mmo aspects and its platform to selling House items and mpunts skins where meta is grinding for sets and spam same rotation all the time

[@radandpaisley]

​​@@pawelunikow1563I played with a group of friends and a guild and it felt just like any other MMO. But you can 100 percent play it single player. That's not a knock at all. You just described every MMOs meta. At least skill weaving lends to a level of skill in combat rather than doing the same rotation. Also never bought anything for housing. FFXIV is definitely worse for whatever you're talking about there. Actually, FFXIV sounds like most of your points :s

[@Lord_Dillinger]

GW1 is still the best, but with limits. GW2, well i tried it, but alas it is just WAY to casual for me. Event's here, event's there...No clear path for quest lines, grind to fly is STUPID.

[@Z-MACx]

@@Lord_Dillinger nothing will EVER replace the place GW1 has in my heart. And while a big part of me agrees with you, I can also admit that GW2 has made a lot of improvements in certain aspects of the game. But yeah… I’m not a huge fan of horizontal progression personally

[@TheKoekoes]

Outstanding MMO. Played it for 3 years before going over to ESO and then later to NW. The jumping puzzles and sPvP was amazing in that game. Was not a big fan of how cartoonish the characters were though. GW1 had a much more serious tone to its characters and storyline.

[@Z-MACx]

@@TheKoekoes I’ve had a lot of fun! Yeah coming from GW1, it’s very different! But in a lot of good ways 👍🏻 Thanks for watching the video and leaving a comment! It means a lot! 😊

[@mcbizzle1906]

It just looks too dated for me

[@andriusjovaisas3511]

its good but if you wanna get all the bonuses (like legendary weapon starter pack+gathering all the materials) you must buy all the expansions plus living season 4...its just not worth it that much amount of money

[@blackyvertigo]

If you dislike unnecessary time gates in mmorpgs stay away from this game. It’s filled with them, Korean-mmorpg levels of them.

[@PingWhisper]

Gw2 is great, ESO is a bit better. I always buy the new gw2 expansions

[@DemethVLK]

I just downloaded eso to try it again, why do you feel like it's better? :)

[@Z-MACx]

i've heard great things about both! I'll be sure to be make a video for ESO at some point in the future! thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment

[@Royal.Grand.Majesty]

I love both of those games. If only ESO took out the Crafting Bag from the optional sub, I would love it even more.

[@DukesUp1]

No. Guild wars 2 is not that great, its just so old, it feels old, it looks bad. Just play throne of liberty, its gonna be huge

[@pkme1023]

Only mmo newbie will walk into that trash

[@Z-MACx]

@@DukesUp1 I don’t think “old” or “bad graphics” equates to bad games. There are great games with pixel graphics and terrible games with beautiful graphics. I’d love to hear some of your reasonings behind preferring T&L over GW2. It’s hard to compare the two considering one has been out for 12 years and one is still pending global release

[@SKID4]

Throne and liberty 😂

[@Royal.Grand.Majesty]

Your response is completely subjective. In regards to playing TL, I will be doing that. GW2 has no sub, not even optional ones like ESO and BDO. So I always have GW2 in my back-pocket. NGL if there's a game that has the least amount of barrier, in regards to returning back to an MMO after a break, I'd have to give the award to GW2.

[@nikyfreakyt6434]

downloaded it but 5 mins ones getting "the game client lost its connections to the server.Please wait a few minutes before restarting the client and trying again (code 7:11:3:202:101). tried everything from reddit and other forums. finally unistalled, the game was good sadly i cant able to play it