We recently had the opportunity to sit down with our friends over at ArenaNet to learn more about The Lost Shores. Not only did we gain some new insights about the world event kicking off this coming Friday, but also learned about some of the new permanent gameplay additions the update will be adding to Guild Wars 2.
The 3D Vision kit from Nvidia is unlike any other peripheral available for PC gamers, and I’m not just talking about providing the ability to experience certain titles in 3D. Most hardware tends to have various levels of usefulness, but so long as it serves its core function you can usually deal with any minor funkiness in the mix.
Despite the five star ratings system for games that are considered compatible with 3D Vision, there really are only two levels of compatibility; either it works perfectly, or it doesn’t. All it takes is something seemingly minor and the entire experience is blown faster than a tire going over a bed of nails.
Long preambles aside, I personally love the tech, and only wish it would be given proper consideration by more PC developers. If you’re looking for a shining example of how to do 3D PC gaming right, then look no further than Guild Wars 2. Hands down it offers the absolute best integration of Nvidia’s 3D Vision bundle that I’ve experienced to date.
With the first public beta weekend looming ever closer, loads of gamers are eagerly anticipating the chance to take their first crack at playing Guild Wars 2. Between now and then, we’ll be continuing our detailed previews of GW2’s core gameplay systems, including a series focused on the various types of “pets” found in the game, beginning with the ranger’s animal companions.
Over the years I’ve played just about every possible combination of primary and secondary professions in Guild Wars for varying lengths of time. However, some professions I took an immediate liking to during the beta weekend events leading up to the release of Prophecies, which were very similar to those that will soon be kicking off for pre-purchase customers for Guild Wars 2.
I decided to take a potentially more controversial approach to covering personal stories in Guild Wars 2 based on my experiences in the closed beta so far. This lets me neatly dance my way around including any spoilers (I’m sure there are plenty of other sites / videos that are more than happy to ruin major plot points for you) and it also gives me the opportunity to give you some points of reference to consider based on the most recent major MMO launch.
For the next installment of our Guild Wars 2 beta event coverage, we’ll be continuing our overview of some of the core gameplay constants that players will be introduced to in the earlier levels of the game. Specifically, we’ll be diving into the dynamic events system, including a closer look at meta event chains that features a full video run through the Secrets in the Swamp encounter with the massive Shadow Behemoth.
The Guild Wars 2 pre-purchase program kickoff is right around the corner, followed soon after by the first beta weekend for buyers. Given that a large number of gamers will soon be scampering around the landscapes of Tyria, much of my coverage from the most recent closed beta event will be keeping that in mind. Throughout the week we’ll take a look at some individual case studies such as solo vs. social PvE gameplay, and the PvP enthusiast perspective.
