Are you looking for an alternative of WoW (World of Warcraft), we have revised the game that you may like. A few months ago I told you that I had been hooked on ‘World of Warcraft’ badly. In the middle of 2020, yes, I know, I am late for MMORPGs, but it is never too late if the happiness is good. And it was, at least for a time. I love the game and, frankly, I’m looking forward to seeing what ‘Shadowlands’ will offer with the change in levels, the new map and others, but I already said at the time that paying a monthly subscription in exchange for playing did not finish me convince. And so it has been.
So I set out to find an alternative. Money wasn’t the only motive that drove me to it, or at least not entirely. Paying the subscription supposed me to impose on myself the obligation to play , because man, you’re paying for it, well, play, right? Too much commitment, especially for someone who plays several titles at the same time and prefers to go at their own pace. Searching and searching, I came across several names, and one of those that were being considered the default alternative to ‘WoW’ was ‘ Guild Wars 2 ‘. I tried it and here I am, hooked like crazy discovering Tyria.
WoW: From a goblin to a Sylvari
The first thing that struck me about ‘ Guild Wars 2 ‘ is its business model. The game has been free for a few years and can be played from end to end without going through the box (with limitations in some endgame things, obviously). If you want the complete game, with its two expansions, you have to pay. And that’s when ArenaNet won me over: one-time payment . You pay once and you have the full game. OMG, is this possible in a world full of subscriptions? Well, it turns out, yes.
And it’s not expensive, by the way. The full game , which includes the expansions ‘Path of Fire’ and ‘Hearts of Thorns’ costs 29.99 euros and the Deluxe edition, which includes a couple of cosmetic moves and a couple of additional functions not necessary at all, 54.99 euros. Come on, the Deluxe edition is worth the same as four months of subscription to ‘World of Warcraft’. Quoting Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘ Django Unchained ‘, “before they had my curiosity, now they have my attention.”
I downloaded it and came across various things. On the one hand, it seems fabulous to me that any race can be of any profession and that, in addition, it does not influence the attributes, but is merely aesthetic. It does not matter being a Sylvari than a Charr or a Human. It is a purely aesthetic issue and only the area of the map where you start the adventure changes, but step. If you want to be a Sylvari Ranger you can be one, you don’t have to be a Human, for example.
On the other hand, I like the idea that the “Holy Trinity” does not exist as such. For newbies, the “Holy Trinity” is a healer , DPS, or tank. It is true that in ‘Guild Wars 2’ there are professions more focused on one thing or another, but there is no tank that is only tank, a healer that is only healer and a DPS that is only DPS. Each character can perform different functions depending on their equipment, which in principle opens up the possibilities when participating in group missions, although later the players decide or not to accept you in the group is another story.
Another aspect that I liked is the graphic section. It is something very personal, obviously, but I like the graphics of ‘Guild Wars 2’ more than those of ‘WoW’ , which I already said at the time that they seemed a bit old for the moment in which we are. The maps also seem more detailed and lively and I like how well integrated some areas are with respect to others. But I already tell you, a personal question.
The gameplay is similar, but has the facility that you don’t have to break your head with the main skills. Each weapon has five abilities, and they are the same for each type of weapon: no matter what greatsword or longbow you carry, the abilities do not change, although the attributes do. That helps familiarize you with the mechanics and makes the learning curve more user-friendly. By leveling up you get hero points, which are used to improve your skill tree, and with those are the ones you use to configure the role of your character. And that is one of the keys to ‘Guild Wars 2’: it ‘s more casual , or at least it seems to me.
I also like that there are so many things to do. ‘World of Warcraft’ is very inviting for exploration (in fact, you have to explore every map if you want flying mounts), but ‘Guild Wars 2’ takes it to the next level: you have teleportation points (instantaneous, luckily), interests, side quests everywhere, hero points, views (high points and hard to reach, like a jumping puzzle) and a lot of things to do. And it invites you to complete the maps, since you get a lot of experience, they give you loot and you go up before level.
In addition, as you explore, missions appear such as protecting this or that character, preventing them from stealing anything or completing certain puzzles that, again, are used to get experience, money and equipment. Very strong bosses also appear in certain temporary events and it is very cool to see how people start to arrive and between 70 or 80 people you knock them down. It’s like you don’t have to get bored, there is always something to do and the game improves if you do it in company.
And is that when I talked about ‘WoW’ alternative I said that one of the things I liked was the community, and I have found the same in ‘Guild Wars 2’. It amazes me, in fact, that in these types of games, players are usually so willing to give you a hand and guide you when you don’t know how to play. On more than one occasion, a player has accompanied me to the entrance of a place that I did not know how to get to or has given me a hand defeating enemies during a mission. It is true that the game does not feel as crowded as ‘WoW’ because it is not, directly, but I do have that feeling that it is alive and that there are people around me.
I still have a lot to discover. I have to get to the endgame, finish optimizing my character and complete the entire map, but I feel like it. The game invites you to play, it’s engaging, it’s fun, it’s not boring and I love its business model. Is it better than ‘WoW’ as alternative? It depends on what we are looking for, but of course it is an alternative to take into account. That said, I leave you, they await me in Tyria.
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