Guild Wars 2: Setting the scene

(This is the first in a series of posts looking at key aspects of Guild Wars 2.)

Setting the scene
The atmosphere of Guild Wars 2

 

Guild Wars 2 is a visual and auditory wonderland. In so many ways, Guild Wars 2 departs from the conventional MMO formula, raising the MMO bar higher. There’s the obvious, such as dynamic quests and no subscription fee, but there are also improvements you might tend to overlook. Guild Wars 2’s atmosphere is lush, both visually and audibly. While these are elements of the game that don’t necessarily grab your attention, they’re there and they add a richness to the game that’s simply lacking in nearly every other MMO.

Visually, GW2 weaves an almost subtle enchantment. Your eyes aren’t mesmerized by bright primary colors, there’s nothing cartoonish or juvenile about the look of the world. The world is simply beautiful, but it’s a beauty the endures. Your eyes will never tire from looking at the world of GW2. It’s alive with color. While an MMO such as World of Warcraft or Aion might use a few hundred different colors for their world palette, GW2 gives your graphics card a run for its money.

Guild Wars 2’s color palette must consist of thousands of different colors. There are subtle variants of blues in the sky. Flowers of different colors populate the landscape. There are probably hundreds of shades of green and brown in the sylvari land, alone. (The sylvari are the game’s plant people.)

The visual is complimented by the sounds of the game. Water splashes when you dive in. People chat around you in the cities. There are sounds of footsteps and dripping water and gears turning on machines. Birds sing and crabs make crabby noises, whatever that is. All sounds that make up a complex world, and all sounds that give an extra feel of realism to the game.

The music is nice and unobtrusive, perfect for playing and listening to for hours. And in homage to the original Guild Wars, they’ve brought back some of the original music.

More than any other MMO,  GW2 is alive with colors and sounds. It’s a visually enchanting world brought to life with a bountiful palette of color and an broad realistic range of sounds. Visually and acoustically, Guild Wars 2 excels.