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)
