Played on:
Windows
1GB RAM
Radeon 9800XT (256MB)
I remember when I first heard about Guild Wars. It sounded like a neat idea - an MMO that was, in many ways, a spiritual successor to Diablo. When the initial screenshots were released, the game looked ok. It wasn't bad by any means and was better than many current MMOs. I wasn't, however, initially happy with the skill system - only 8 skills that are changeable in town and not outside of it? That's crazy talk!
Well, the game came out. The graphics were greatly improved before the initial release - the game was now head and shoulders above any MMO out at the time. Characters were fully customizable stat wise and you could rearrange between your primary and secondary class - one day you can be an ice mage and the next an earth mage.
In the end, the original Guild Wars (referred to from here on out as Prophecies) was a pretty complete package - leveling was fast due to the game's focus on PvP but this was completely ok. It was still fun to play through the campaign despite the leveling speed. PVP was balanced, fun to play and had a lasting effect - battles weren't just there for the sake of being a fight that was completely forgotten shortly after.
Well, I had stopped playing Prophecies for awhile. The friends I was playing with all decided to quit and go back to World of Warcraft - I followed them back. However, I decided it was time to give the Guild Wars series another play when I heard about the new release - Factions. Two new classes, new skills and a ton of new quests to do? Sounds like it would be a winner to me. Should occupy me for a week or so, right?
I was wrong, horribly wrong. The game did more than occupy me for a week or so - it still has me playing. I've leveled two characters to the cap, PvPed with a fresh-made PvP only character and am currently working on leveling yet another character to the cap. I've been having fun playing in short bursts and not having to dedicate hundreds of hours to hit the level cap. In all, I've had an incredibly rewarding experience.
For the uninitiated - the levels in Factions (and Prophecies before it) are capped at 20. In Prophecies, it took a week or two of playing casually to hit the cap. This let the non-hardcore types level and get to where they could PvP really fast while still letting the hardcore have their rewards - they could just level multiple characters to the cap.
Well, Factions takes that idea to another level. I've leveled characters to the cap in a total of 15 or so played hours - that was my first character, too. Now that I know the quests and ways to do things faster, I can probably shave that time down. This is a fun little game in and of itself - who can hit the cap fastest between you and your friends?
After you hit the cap, the game is far from over in PvE land. See, you'll still be able to do missions and will need those 20 levels under your belt to pull them off. These missions are not easy, either - you'll need your party to actually be playing up to its potential to have any sort of regular success. The missions and quests will take you all over the newly added continent of Cantha; an Asian-themed set of lands. You'll see samurai-style armor, katanas and obviously Asian-looking characters. This style definitely appeals to multiple crowds and might help to pull in others that are big fans of most anything Oriental - the game is quick and simple enough to pick up by most anyone and also doesn't cost anything from month to month.
The new classes included manage to stick with this Asian theme, too. Many complained at the initial release of Guild Wars because a low-defense melee damage dealer wasn't in the game. ArenaNet took this feedback to heart and added in the Assassin class - dagger-wielders that like to jump in, deal tons of front-loaded damage then get the heck out of Dodge. The class is fun to play, though difficult if you are using henchmen (the game's version of NPCs you can invite to your party to fill gaps in your group) since the AI for them seems to be a bit odd - if you try to run from combat, they will all follow you while the enemy you're fighting gleefully pounds your skull into a bloody pulp from behind. If you're going to play Assassin, you will save yourself some heartache by playing with a group of real people - the class is still fun to play without them but it can get frustrating.
The second class added is the Ritualist. The Ritualist is, like the Necromancer, a summoner. Instead of summoning undead, however, the Ritualist summons various spirits. While there are a couple of aggressive spirits, the Ritualist is centered around helping out his or her party - the Ritualist can throw out weapon buffs and spirits that will heal party members or allow them to take less damage. The class can both act as a good secondary to most classes while also being an excellent primary. While the Ritualist may find it hard to be of much help to an uncoordinated party, the class can bring a lot to a group that can properly use his or her talents - the sprits that are summoned are stationary.
A really nice benefit of Factions is the ability to form an alliance with other guilds - up to 10 guilds can be a part of one. You'll need the alliance, too, since you'll be helping to fight on one of two sides in a battle for tons of land. See, the Kurzicks and the Luxons aren't too happy with each other and are fighting a constant war. This is where you come in - you and your alliance will fight in, surprisingly enough, Alliance battles. Fight hard enough and you'll expand the borders of your faction's land. If you are one of the alliances with a high amount of faction for your side, you might even get to take control of one of these parcels of land.
This is an idea I've always hoped would be implemented in an MMO. Dark Age of Camelot did it to a degree while Shattered Galaxy and Planetside also did it. However, it feels the best in Factions. You're fighting for land and faction, pure and simple. And, well, it's a blast - the lasting reward may not make your character super-uber or anything but being part of the alliance that helped to capture that piece of land in a heated battle gives you tons of stories to tell to your buddies and definitely sounds more exciting than saying you just got the Epic widget off the gigantic elemental sludge beast of evilness.
Overall, Factions is an excellent package. While players of Prophecies may look at it and see a $50 price tag and complain, the game is truly complete - it isn't just a straight up expansion pack. A new player could go out, pick up a copy of Factions and have tons of fun. While the road to the level cap is shorter, there's just as much if not more to do once you get there. The new additions to PvP will make this purchase worthwhile to those that already own Factions. The new classes are not overpowering but are fun to play. In the end, new and old players will both get a ton of enjoyment from Factions. This is the time to get into the game and see what it is all about.
