All this visual goodness may come at a price, in that your movement through play areas is rather limited. Unlike some other MMORPGs that permit you to fall off cliffs and bridges as you pursue the most direct path to your destination, Guild Wars keeps you on track with invisible walls. Frequently you want to take a shortcut only to discover that it's not possible, forcing you to go back and use the stairs like everyone else.
Fortunately, you don't have to do much running around because you can travel instantly to any area on the map with a simple click. It's also noteworthy that the developers are able to stream new content to players while they're still in the game, making updates unusually painless.
Guild Wars has no races, and currently there are 6 classes, from which players get to pick a primary and a secondary class. The skill system is flexible, allowing you to reallocate points if you want to try something different. Instead of the usual multi-layered hot bar for quick access to spells and special abilities, Guild Wars gives you just 8 slots which can only be changed in town. It's worth putting some thought into which abilities you want access to before departing on a quest.
Another interesting feature is that GW lets you fill out your party with computer controlled henchmen. Given the variety of bizarre things I've seen NPC henchmen do in other games, I was extremely skeptical about this. Remarkably, they're not getting stuck on every corner or wantonly running off to meet with instant death amid an oversize mob. You may even find them more helpful than some of the player characters in the game.
The crafting system is suitably robust and is open to everyone, rather than being restricted to characters with specific trade skills.
Player versus player matches are typically team-oriented 4 on 4 or 8 on 8 contests. No doubt, there are plenty more options on the way in this regard, including 4 way battles and capture-the-flag arenas. Obviously the game is not yet perfectly balanced, but it already offers some of the best PvP you will find in an RPG. Although it's not the zerg warfare of games like Shadowbane, it's a lot more intense and more dependant on player skill. There are guild management functions to facilitate organizing a good fight.
All this, and no monthly fee? That's right, you will have to buy the game, and they will sell expansions, but they continue to assure us that there will be no subscription fees. I guess the market will decide whether or not this plan is financially viable.
To wrap up, Guild Wars already succeeds in offering fast-paced RPG action that is, for the most part, unfettered by the tedious tasks and endless treadmills which so many of us associate with MMORPGs. This game could win over single-player RPG fans and casual players as well as those looking for more focused PvP engagements. While the instancing system won't appeal to everyone, the potential for readily accessible fun cannot be denied.
