Disclaimer: I've spent over 5k hours since launch in this game.

I don't think I can describe how much this game means to me, but I'll try!

Tyria is a beautiful world, a labour of love full of secrets and stories. It is one of the most realised and interesting virtual landscapes I've seen in the industry. The art direction and level design of each map, particularly the newer ones, shows off the amazing talent at hand. Many hours have been spent just taking in the sights and finding snippets of dialogue or lore hidden around. 10 years after launch and almost daily play, I still find new things in the oldest maps at unexpected places. It's easy to get lost and engrossed.

The combat class that sealed the deal for me was the Elementalist, probably the only wizard class in modern MMOs that feels like a spellslinger. All of the professions feel great to play, with unique quirks and gimmicks, but the Elementalist just tickles my mage fantasy like no other. The combat relies on your own skill, you must be self-sufficient, learn to dodge and notice enemy patterns and telegraphs. Playing a glass cannon with instant targeting and action camera (highly recommended) is a massive step above any other MMO on the market. Making combos with other players, be it in messy open world encounters or organised parties, is the most elegant and immediate solution to teamplay I've seen in the genre. It's entertaining, responsive and scalable to various difficulties.

The event system is by far the best element of open world exploration. GW2 just drops you into Tyria and forces you to make of it what you will. Even with the more guided changes to the new player experience, you're basically making your own goals. There is a (decent) story campaign to follow, but the true magic of the game lies in picking a direction and going where the wind takes you. There is no need to meddle with irrelevant UI menus or annoying progression systems. If you see that mountain, chances are good you can climb it. Bumping into someone along the way is always welcome. You get the most XP from reviving players and helping others with events. You are actively rewarded for sticking around a zone you like with event chains. Co-operation is easy, instant and above all fun.

There's a little something for everyone. Massive open world meta events. Harder instanced content with fractals, raids, strikes. Separate World vs World and PvP modes for the competitive. Guild halls and missions (which desperately need more overhauls.) Mini-games and activities. Fashion Wars. Roller-beetle racing. Awkward but functional underwater combat. Gliding. Incredible mounts. Fishing. Crafting. A seemingly never ending list of achievements to obtain, skins to collect and gold to farm.

I haven't updated my gear in over 7 years now. There's no need. The question I always get is "but what do you do then!?" Sometimes it's crafting a legendary precursor. Or it's finding the perfect look for my mesmer. Maybe it's having a race in the guild hall. Other times it's killing a dragon or two. There are so many opportunities for a journey, the end doesn't matter. You won't have a happy time if you're looking for numbers going up. GW2 wants to be an enjoyable game first and foremost, not a slot machine, no matter what some might say.

The base game is free and quite hefty with small restrictions. The complete collection bundle is certainly pricy, but well worth it for years of content. The HoT+PoF expansion combo is, in my opinion, mandatory if you want to continue playing without a greater upfront investment. HoT has the best maps in the game, while PoF has mounts. I would strongly recommend following the Seasons of Living World in order of release as well, as they offer new maps and mechanics over time. S2 is rough, but everything HoT onwards dramatically improves in overall quality.

If you're just starting your journey, I envy you, truly. Share an apple with Tybalt for me. Find a guild of adventurers to run around with. Embrace the joy of exploration. Fear not this night. Godspeed, Commander.

[i] Disclaimer: I've spent over 5k hours since launch in this game. [/i] I don't think I can describe how much this game means to me, but I'll try! Tyria is a beautiful world, a labour of love full of secrets and stories. It is one of the most realised and interesting virtual landscapes I've seen in the industry. The art direction and level design of each map, particularly the newer ones, shows off the amazing talent at hand. Many hours have been spent just taking in the sights and finding snippets of dialogue or lore hidden around. 10 years after launch and almost daily play, I still find new things in the oldest maps at unexpected places. It's easy to get lost and engrossed. The combat class that sealed the deal for me was the Elementalist, probably the only wizard class in modern MMOs that feels like a spellslinger. All of the professions feel great to play, with unique quirks and gimmicks, but the Elementalist just tickles my mage fantasy like no other. The combat relies on your own skill, you must be self-sufficient, learn to dodge and notice enemy patterns and telegraphs. Playing a glass cannon with instant targeting and action camera (highly recommended) is a massive step above any other MMO on the market. Making combos with other players, be it in messy open world encounters or organised parties, is the most elegant and immediate solution to teamplay I've seen in the genre. It's entertaining, responsive and scalable to various difficulties. The event system is by far the best element of open world exploration. GW2 just drops you into Tyria and forces you to make of it what you will. Even with the more guided changes to the new player experience, you're basically making your own goals. There is a (decent) story campaign to follow, but the true magic of the game lies in picking a direction and going where the wind takes you. There is no need to meddle with irrelevant UI menus or annoying progression systems. If you see that mountain, chances are good you can climb it. Bumping into someone along the way is always welcome. You get the most XP from reviving players and helping others with events. You are actively rewarded for sticking around a zone you like with event chains. Co-operation is easy, instant and above all fun. There's a little something for everyone. Massive open world meta events. Harder instanced content with fractals, raids, strikes. Separate World vs World and PvP modes for the competitive. Guild halls and missions (which desperately need more overhauls.) Mini-games and activities. Fashion Wars. Roller-beetle racing. Awkward but functional underwater combat. Gliding. Incredible mounts. Fishing. Crafting. A seemingly never ending list of achievements to obtain, skins to collect and gold to farm. I haven't updated my gear in over 7 years now. There's no need. The question I always get is "but what do you do then!?" Sometimes it's crafting a legendary precursor. Or it's finding the perfect look for my mesmer. Maybe it's having a race in the guild hall. Other times it's killing a dragon or two. There are so many opportunities for a journey, the end doesn't matter. You won't have a happy time if you're looking for numbers going up. GW2 wants to be an enjoyable game first and foremost, not a slot machine, no matter what some might say. The base game is free and quite hefty with small restrictions. The complete collection bundle is certainly pricy, but well worth it for years of content. The HoT+PoF expansion combo is, in my opinion, mandatory if you want to continue playing without a greater upfront investment. HoT has the best maps in the game, while PoF has mounts. I would strongly recommend following the Seasons of Living World in order of release as well, as they offer new maps and mechanics over time. S2 is rough, but everything HoT onwards dramatically improves in overall quality. If you're just starting your journey, I envy you, truly. Share an apple with Tybalt for me. Find a guild of adventurers to run around with. Embrace the joy of exploration. Fear not this night. Godspeed, Commander.