Guild Wars 2 (updated 2013/08/12)

So lately I have been disappointed by the new release of games that has come oozing out onto my lap from my computer, however never let it be said that I am a quitter....
I have had a large amount of hope invested in GW2, what with DIII being a load of old cobswoddle and most of my other favorite releases not out yet, I needed a game to pick up the slack of my now voluminous free time.

So here comes GW2 with promises of redemption and euphoria, gaming at its best in a nutshell, however I always take these claims with a pinch of salt. That is not to say I expected GW2 to fail, just to not be as amazing as it claims to be.

From the get go everything was smooth and reminded me how online game launches should be taking place. I of course had a 1-day headstart to all the rest of you folks out there (apart from the 3-day headstarters) and I could honestly not have asked the game to launch better than it did.

However there are some irritating nit-picks that I should be making, one of them is the apparent lack of concern for people who have capped connections to the internet. The other is the supposed law that now allowed game devs to release games that are not finished and get away with it.

Lets tackle the internet one first since it applies to me as well...
This game is currently (2013/08/12) 15.2GB which is to be expected of a MMORPG of this depth and quality.
However from day one I have had to download updates everyday that range between 40MB and 100MB, now for those of you jolly people with uncapped this is not a problem for you however for me who has a cap of 2GB pm this is a rather large issue.
Or at least it wouldn't be if the game did not use so much data while playing it.
The game uses on average 40MB per hour played, that is to say compared to WoW which uses roughly 10MB per hour, even worse compared to EVE which uses the least at 3MB per hour.

Update:(2013/02/07)
Now as an update to this article, the game is now (2013/02/07) 15GB with me downloading roughly 3.6GBs worth of updates between the last time I took stock of this and now. Once again solidifying the thought that people can get away with releasing a half-finished game.

Update:(2013/08/12)
Today I decided to update once again and found myself downloading 1GBs worth of updates from the last time I played. once again showing that they are not really being considerate of the people who do not have uncapped internet accounts.

Now in all fairness I do not raise objection at the gameplay usage amount, however the updates usage I do object to, since if you did a once a week update I am sure that we could cut down on the amount needed to re-download everyday.
However even with that measure in place it still raises my biggest objection which we will tackle now.

How can devs (Game Developers) be allowed to release games that are not completed?
This game has so many bugs in it I feel like I am a entomologist who has come to study his favorite library of bugs.
It is just ridiculous how many I found within the first 10min of play. Not to mention that the Action House (or whatever you wish to call it) still doesn't work, even 8 days after launch??

You see this smacks of a typical problem with games now days that I like to call the 'we want people to keep playing so we finish the game slowly while they are playing it and make sure that they want to stay to see all the features of the game working at once' syndrome, which someone should come up with a shorter name for.
Now before all you fan-boys of the game close this webpage in disgust let me state that GW2 is by no means a 'bad' game, in fact I LOVE THIS GAME, however just because I enjoy a game it doesn't mean that it can get away with stuff like this. In all fairness compared to other games recently *cough* diablo *cough* it is an amazing piece of art and should be consider by all gamers out there.

Now that I have finished with my critic lets move onto the nicer parts about the game.

Guild Wars 2 is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by ArenaNet. Set in the fantasy world of Tyria, the game follows the re-emergence of Destiny's Edge, a disbanded guild dedicated to fighting the Elder Dragons, a Lovecraftian species that has seized control of Tyria in the time since the original Guild Wars. The game takes place in a persistent world with a story that progresses in instanced environments.
Guild Wars 2 claims to be unique in the genre by featuring a storyline that is responsive to player actions, something which is common in single player role-playing games but rarely seen in multiplayer ones. A dynamic event system replaces traditional questing, utilising the ripple effect to allow players to approach quests in different ways as part of a persistent world. Also of note is the combat system, which aims to be more dynamic than its predecessor by promoting synergy between professions and using the environment as a weapon, as well as reducing the complexity of the Magic-style skill system of the original game. As a sequel to Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2 features the same lack of subscription fees that distinguished its predecessor from other commercially developed online games of the time, though a purchase is still required to install the game.

Alright, now that you have the low-down taken straight from Wikipedia, I can continue to the class reviews:

Engineer
Now this class was an instant attraction to me since it features the all new turret system, which to me was an irresistible offer since giving me the ability to shoot at things and not be beaten up for it was something I could not resist, however there are some problems with this class.
Firstly you can only wield a a few weapons compared to the rest of the classes, these being guns.
Only guns....... nothing else.....

Now that doesn't make this class bad I just feel like I have been somewhat limited by my attack combinations. (not a bad thing in retrospect)

Masters of mechanical mayhem, engineers love to tinker with explosives, elixirs, and all manner of hazardous gadgets. They can take control of an area by placing turrets, support their allies with alchemic weaponry, or lay waste to foes with a wide array of mines, bombs, and grenades.

Elementalist
Here is the old favorite of many people in MMO games, the elemen..... Lets just call it mage since that's what it is.
Now I don't know if you know but the mage is normally my starting character since as Yahtzee said "half the spells are for blowing up the enemies in the next town, and the other half are for apologizing and running away" now that is why I think the mage is a good starter class to any game.
Things get off to a flying start as you realise that you have a MASSIVE amount of combos at your disposal, since unlike the Engineer you can wield almost every weapon apart from the bow, 2-handed sword, horn, gun, rifle and dildo......anyway
Point is you have a wide variety of things to choose from and that means you can really get to know which fighting style you enjoy best.

However this does mean that when you have gotten used to using (say) the staff, then when you decide to start using your trusty long sword then you are the noob again with all the other people laughing at you since you cannot remember how all the combos work.

Elementalists are multi-faceted spellcasters that channel elemental forces, making fire, air, earth, and water do their bidding. What they lack in physical toughness, they make up in versatility and the ability to inflict massive damage in a single attack.

Ranger
The hunter for all those WoW players reading this is now called the ranger, personally I like to call him The Deer Rapist... because at the end of the day he is actually the Veterinarian....
Now this is a wonderful class to solo with, not such a great class in groups since seen one wolf seen them all kinda leads to embarrassing moments when your mates are attacking your pet without realising it :P I joke obviously....
This is the only class which I quit early on with because to me there is no fun in playing the Vet if you cannot choose your own animals that are the same level as you, hence the new system of getting animals which I am not mad about.
As with the normal Vet deal you can wield Bows, Guns and almost everything else, but to be honest with you I found that the 2-handed sword kept me in a good way since while the enemy was chewing on my dog I would just run up behind him and stick-em-with-the-pointy-end.

Rangers rely on a keen eye, a steady hand, and the power of nature itself. Unparalleled archers, rangers are capable of bringing down foes from a distance with their bows. With traps, nature spirits, and a stable of loyal pets at their command, rangers can adapt to any situation.

 Most of you are asking now about the traps that rangers can set but honestly I never found that I had time in mid-battle to place a trap, so I preferred the whack-whack dog-bite approach.

Mesmer
Now this was actually the first class I played since when I heard of a character like a mage but with mind reading-psychology-hypnosis I thought WOW I need to get me some of that!

This character is difficult to describe since I found that I lacked the firepower of the mage (no pun intended) and the health regeneration of the necromancer, while still having enough spells to make it an interesting class I think this class is a bit of a flop as a solo class. In groups its amazing but if you want a starter character go with the mage or necromancer.

Mesmers are magical duelists who wield deception as a weapon. Using powerful illusions, clones, and phantasmal magic to confuse and distract their foes, mesmers make sure every fight is balanced in their favor and their opponents can’t believe their eyes.

Necromancer
Now this is a fun class to get into, its not a starter class for sure but once you realise how to use your spells and when you dodge then this class is almost invincible as a solo character.
When you get into a group then equip a staff and get to casting because then this character becomes a helpful ally to your mates and a great play all around.

I found this character so far to be the most enjoyable and well balanced. However I must say that its spells are not that varied, you basically have 5 spells that revolve around the same standards. So if you are one of those people who likes variation then you're better off with a Mage.

Practitioners of the dark arts, necromancers summon the dead, wield the power of lost souls, and literally suck the life force from the enemy. Necromancers feed on life force, which they can use to bring allies back from the brink or cheat death itself. 

Thief 
Coming Soon
Warrior
Coming Soon
Guardian
Coming Soon