Guild Wars 2 Delivers Eye-Popping "Manifesto" Trailer

[John Funk]

Guild Wars 2 Delivers Eye-Popping "Manifesto" Trailer

ArenaNet doesn't want Guild Wars 2 to be like those other MMOGs, and it's released a stunning trailer-slash-dev-diary to prove it.


Now, I like MMOGs, but Guild Wars never really grabbed me. I picked it up, played it for a few hours, and then never logged into it ever again. However, if this spectacular "Manifesto" trailer is in any way, shape, or form what Guild Wars 2 will be like, consider my interest in the sequel officially piqued.

"If you love MMOs, you'll want to check out Guild Wars 2. And if you hate MMOs, you'll really want to check out Guild Wars 2." That's how the trailer begins, and it continues with members of the ArenaNet team talking about what they hate about MMOGs - grinding, poor combat, and the like - and how Guild Wars 2 will do away with all of that.

Yes, they're just promises and they could well be empty ones - after all, it's a safe bet that most MMO developers would like to deliver on the same ideals - but there's a very infectious enthusiasm and passion in how these people discuss the topic, so I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.

The combat is cleverly edited so it's hard to get a feel for what it'll actually be like in practice, but the vistas and environments demonstrated in this video are absolutely stunning. If those aren't mere smoke and mirrors - as in, if you can actually go to all of these places rather than having them be fancy yet static backdrops - than ArenaNet may well have succeeded in crafting one of the most jaw-dropping fantasy worlds in quite some time.

Now for me, there's one more make-or-break detail: Can you jump? If you can't jump in this one, ArenaNet, no deal. I don't care how gorgeous your environments are if I can't bunny-hop through them.

(Via Rock, Paper, Shotgun [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/08/10/guild-wars-2-gosh/])

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[Blackjack 222]

Z-Axis(and i assume jump) is in as well as swimming and falling from high places to your death. In the manifesto you see a Norn jumping so there you go.

 

[Ridrith]

I'm so glad I'm not the only person in the world who won't play a game if you can't jump, I really have no idea why that is... However, I just can't do it. That's one of the main reasons I could never stick with Guild Wars in the first place.

 

[MONSTERheart]

You can see jumping and swimming in the trailer.

Granted, I only saw the jumping for a fraction of a second, but it was definitely there.

Also, I can't wait for this. I just hope they don't mess it all up with the updates and "tweaks" like they did last time.

 

[Rarhnor]

I never liked MMOs...so I'm totally gonna pick this up in the future.

 

[Baldr]

There only 2 things I look for in an MMO: 1. Open Worlds and 2. balance playable styles. The first Guild Wars failed horribly on both these, why should I expect to play Guild Wars 2? As far as I know they didn't change these factors.

 

[z3rostr1fe]

*JAW DROPS*

I am so getting this one when it comes out! Although I still have to buy GW:EN... :/

 

[Seatownstriker]

Will definitely have to check this one out. My girlfriend got an art book they were passing out last year at PAX. Had some pretty awesome stuff in it.

 

[Chase Yojimbo]

It looks like Guild Wars 2 took a page from Biowares '4th Pillar of MMO's' But it deffinetly looks great, the cities look lively and the combat is stunning.

 

[Zhukov]

Ok, let's see now...

Environments are indeed impressive. As are some of the monster designs.

However, the setting looks like painfully generic fantasy world #668321.

As for their promises regarding gameplay and such... well, they're making the right noises. Problem is, we've heard that one before. Several times in fact.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Snip

How will they make enough quests to make a grind free game where every quest has a impact on the rest of the world?

 

[imnot]

looks amazing, pity i have a slow internet, crappy computer and no money.

 

[ZeroMachine]

... I... wow. Didn't think I'd be interested in any MMO other than The Old Republic. Considering it's free, I'm definitely going to give this game it's fair shot. That world looks fantastic...

 

[Rewold]

My most wanted game at the moment. Anet delivered some great things in Guild Wars 1 and that's why I believe them now. And yea Anet clearly isn't advertising this game enough. Somehow where ever I look people just bash and bash this game even though they know nothing about it. Oh and those who don't bash it say it's a WoW clone. What?

At the end of the month we will see some real gameplay. I hope they show some dynamic events!

Oh and go read the GW2 blog now! You don't know what you are missing!

 

[Nooners]

How will they make enough quests to make a grind free game where every quest has a impact on the rest of the world?

This is one thing that worries me (there are others), but if they manage to make this deliver, this could very well be worth checking out. The "no monthly fees" thing also helps in my book.

 

[John Funk]

The info on WHY it will be better than any other MMO has been out for some time now. You guys REALLY need to start getting some interviews and stuff, because you're falling behind right now...

But Guild Wars 2 looks and feels like an awesome breath of fresh air for an otherwise stale genre. The producer talking to PCG about the centaurs, where you could drive them nearly extinct, or let them do that to other races, was pretty awesome. I also like that there are no "here's a wall of text, it explains what you will do" quests, it's all quests where you see some shit going on, and you then run off to do it.

Talk is cheap. Anyone can talk, and I bet that every MMO maker worth their salt has similar ideas.

If they can DELIVER, that'll be interesting.

 

[Tandtroll]

Ok, let's see now...

Environments are indeed impressive. As are some of the monster designs.

However, the setting looks like painfully generic fantasy world #668321.

As for their promises regarding gameplay and such... well, they're making the right noises. Problem is, we've heard that one before. Several times in fact.

It is true that parts of the gameworld looks a lot like most other mmos. However, the first Guildwars did what it could to mix things up with their different expansions, taking us not only to Europeish landscapes but also huge deserts and deep jungles.
The races are also different from the standard dwarf, elf and human which I think will be nice.


And yes you're supposed to be able to jump. Yay^^

 

[twasdfzxcv]

looks amazing, pity i have a slow internet, crappy computer and no money.

If guild wars 1 is any indication the system spec should be pretty low. Guild wars 1 runs on my 6 years old laptop fine (with low graphics setting of course). And there's no monthly fee to worry about.

 

[twasdfzxcv]

My most wanted game at the moment. Anet delivered some great things in Guild Wars 1 and that's why I believe them now. And yea Anet clearly isn't advertising this game enough. Somehow where ever I look people just bash and bash this game even though they know nothing about it. Oh and those who don't bash it say it's a WoW clone. What?

At the end of the month we will see some real gameplay. I hope they show some dynamic events!

Oh and go read the GW2 blog now! You don't know what you are missing!

People who don't know anything about it bash it saying it's a wow clone. People who know something about it bash it saying it's not a traditional mmo. People are in general hard to please.