Guild Wars

Guild Wars - (PC)
Developer: ArenaNet
Format: PC
Genre: MMORPG


A massive multiplayer online RPG with no subscription charges - bound to be rubbish, isn't it? Actually, no, it's very, very good indeed



Boy is it expensive to be a RPG gamer these days. First you have to shell out on the game and then you have to sign up to a monthly subscription. Play a MMO game for a year and you could have had a holiday instead - and that's before you start buying in-game objects from the net (only joking, we're very much against that sort of behaviour). So what do you do, stick to playing boring single player games? Well, as you might have guessed, we have the answer: a MMORPG with no charges. And best of all Guild Wars isn't just an online roleplaying game for cheapskates, it's actually very good indeed.

The game is full of great ideas, starting from the split in character choice between Roleplaying or PVP (Player Verses Player) styles. The former lets you gradually adventure and quest your way through the game, exploring and finding items and building skills, while the latter sets you out fully statted up and kitted out. So, something for the adventurers and something for the deathmatch-style fighters. From there character creation is easy - although there are 450 skill to choose from - and you'll soon be into the game.

As an adventurer, which is where Guild Wars works best, you'll have to get stuck into the NPCs and chat your way onto some quests. While you wander in this broadly one player mode you'll see others on their own quests, until you end up in your own areas where only invited players and NPCs roam. Those not fully into the RPG genre should find the streamlined controls easy to stay on top off, with a helpful GUI backed up with a well-designed and functional mini-map.

The graphics are simply beautiful from any angle that you choose to play from and the story has been written by a proper author rather some coder who finished his work early. Guild Wars is a delight, not some cheap alternative.