ArenaNet
Guild Wars 2: The Races of Tyria
Ever since the Eye of the North expansion introduced allies from different species, interracial cooperation has been a strong theme in the story of the MMORPG Guild Wars. That theme gets even stronger in the upcoming Guild Wars 2. The gameworld of Tyria now features five playable races — two of whom have been at war with each other for centuries — forming an uneasy alliance against a common threat.
As we saw in the first Guild Wars 2 trailer, the environments in the game are as humongous as they are gorgeous. In this second trailer from game publisher ArenaNet, we see that race relations in the game will be equally interesting. Representative characters from each of the five races tout the strengths of their respective species: the stalwart humans, the ferocious Charr, the bold Norn, the brilliant Asura, and the mystical Sylvari. Click here to continue reading “Guild Wars 2: The Races of Tyria”…
Guild Wars 2 Trailer: A Bigger, Prettier Game
The resignation of ArenaNet cofounder Jeff Strain cast a shadow of doubt upon the future of Guild Wars 2. Strain was, after all, the driving force behind ArenaNet’s hit MMORPG Guild Wars, which boasts over five million units sold. Since many achievements in Guild Wars confer player benefits in Guild Wars 2, I was starting to worry that my hard-earned in-game trophies would go to waste.
ArenaNet now dispels those doubts with the first official trailer for Guild Wars 2. The pre-rendered portions look a bit rushed, but the in-game environments look bigger and more detailed than anything I’ve ever seen in Guild Wars. That’s saying a lot, considering how often I’ve detoured from a quest just to soak in the scenery. One particular shot in the trailer even hints at a day/night rotation. Of course, such vast environments would be necessary to support a persistent world with a true Z-axis, features not present in the instantiated environments of Guild Wars.
Persistent areas require more server horsepower than instantiated areas. Just like its predecessor, Guild Wars 2 will require no monthly fees. ArenaNet must have some amazing game design and network management techniques up its sleeve, if it plans to maintain such enormous persistent areas without recurring fees.
As hopelessly nerdy as it sounds, the sheer beauty of the Guild Wars world is part of what motivates me to pick up my virtual sword and defend it from virtual villains. The message of the first Guild Wars 2 trailer is clear: that world is about to become bigger and more beautiful. I can’t wait to finally face the Drakkar Lake Dragon.
(Via John Cuneta.)
