PC Gamer Gives GW:EN a 68%

Big_Iron

Big_Iron

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2005

The Edge

Tormented Weapons [emo]

I'm kind of surprised this hasn't been posted yet (yes, I searched). To sum up, without breaking any copyright laws:

Pros: Lots of new content.
Cons: Poor rewards and too difficult for the casual player
Bottom Line: GW:EN doesn't live up to its expectations

No. 168
Dec. 2007
Volume 14
Number 12

Remember, a 68% is "above average" on the PCG scale. It's not bad, but it ain't great either.

It's not on line yet, so no need to look there...unless you really want to.

Havre Fras

Havre Fras

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2006

N/Me

More than i'd have given it. By a whole 3%, that is.

Speaking of PCG did they ever rate Big Rigs?

Bryant Again

Bryant Again

Hall Hero

Join Date: Feb 2006

PC Gamer? The same people who created the Ultimate Guild Wars Guide and the GW2 issue?

Ouch.

Jumping Is Uselss

Jumping Is Uselss

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Sep 2005

-... . .... .. -. -.. / -.-- --- ..-

I've checked other game reviewer sites and they all gave Eye of the north above average ratings. IGN gave it 7.9/10 and Gamespot gave it 8.0/10. I guess its above average rating fits it. GW:EN didn't really excite me much, and HoM was a disappointment.

Zeek Aran

Zeek Aran

Forge Runner

Join Date: Aug 2006

Earth, sadly

BORK

A/

1: Pros: Lots of new content.
2: Cons: Poor rewards and too difficult for the casual player

1: Wrong
2: Wrong

D:

Vinraith

Vinraith

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2006

Quote:
too difficult for the casual player
That's their primary complaint? Wow. Just wow. At least, unlike the average Guru poster, they realize just how much content there really is. 18 multi-hour dungeons, 11 missions, a metric ton of side quests, people that scream "it's too short" are just doing the main quest and ignoring the bulk of the game.

What problems there were with GWEN have, IMO, largely been resolved by the updates to title rank rewards. At this point it's a hell of a lot of fun. I've spent more time playing it with my primary than I ever did playing Factions and unlike Factions there's a lot left to be done in GWEN.

Dante the Warlord

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jul 2006

W/R

Well i hardly anyone in this forum can argue the casual gamer point since the fact we have a guildwarsguru account marks us an above average gamer. GWEN was a dissapointment im not going to lie. I was really excited when they announced that they would have new bonueses or something for lvl 20 players. The only thing that happened was we had to be lvl 20 to play GWEN, i was dissapointed. However, the best thing of this game was the preorder. Having EVERYTHING transfered and keeping the goods was awesome.

Mohnzh

Mohnzh

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2007

Might find me roaming around doing missions in hard mode...or maybe I'm lost in the Underworld...

[KCOR]

Mo/

Wasn't GW:EN advertised as being pseudo-elite? It was promoted as being more challenging than any of the other three campaigns. If so, why would "too difficult for the casual player" be listed as a con? It's also a bad idea to use such an abstract measuring stick as casual player. I do not find GWEN challenging. I do not consider myself as casual, but neither hardcore. 5 hours a week tops (if I get to play at all)? What do you think? But I used to play a lot more. Who is to say what a casual player can do? If someone only plays a few hours maybe two or three times a month, then most likely that person cannot access GWEN anyway. Unless you had yourself run through all the hard missions, GWEN should not be too bad. Or is casual determined by how long you can play at any given time? 15 minutes at a time cannot do anything in any campaign. An hour? maybe a couple of quests or a mission. There are a few places in GWEN that require a few hours of time, but aren't they usually optional dungeons? I would say GWEN was promoted as a game for people who were really into GW. The fact that they made it that way is a pro, not a con.

Alexandra-Sweet

Alexandra-Sweet

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2006

That one place with the trees, mountains and snow

Ember Power Mercenaries [EMP]

Me/

lets hope Arena Net will learn from their mistakes.

If Guild Wars 2 has the same bugs and issues like the current Guild Wars I would really be dissappointed.

Sniper22

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2005

Wow, are you serious? I actually thought that GW:EN was the best expansion ever. Yes it's kinda short, but I don't feel like I have to rush through it and some of the quests are actually kind of cool. There is a bunch of dungeons, I beat mhenlo in a 55 duel, got rank spammed by charr, saw Lina get run over by a boulder.... IMO this stuff is pretty cool. Seems like people are complaining about getting r5 titles for armor and stuff, but it doesn't seem that hard cause 3/4 titles (not dwarf) are already 3+ just by doing the main quests and a few side quests, so scraping up a few more points to get 5 won't be that hard. My only complaint about GW:EN is that the main story line is a little short, but then again i paid $10 less.

Symeon

Symeon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jul 2005

PC Gamer PROTIP:

Healing Breeze is good for keeping you alive!

lutz

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2006

Battery Powered Best Friends [Vibe]

Me/

1. Too little new content.
2. Difficulty is just right. Difficult for new players, and moderate for Hero-Henching without imba N/Rt builds.

trobinson97

trobinson97

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Mar 2006

Guildless :(

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by King Symeon
PC Gamer PROTIP:

Healing Breeze is good for keeping you alive!

That's true. It's not like they stated it's the best skill for that purpose.

Red Sonya

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jul 2005

They rated it about what I would have rated it had I been a rater. But, GW has been goin downhill since Prophecies so it's no wonder really or a surprise that the scores went down. GW is a hasbeen and now GW2 is all the excitement.

Zinger314

Zinger314

Debbie Downer

Join Date: May 2006

N/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryant Again
PC Gamer? The same people who were paid an inordinate sum by NCSoft to relentlessly praise GW through the Ultimate Guild Wars Guide and the GW2 issue?

Ouch.
Edited for truthery.

Sir Green Aluminum

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2005

It was an overhyped piece of small content. The only goodies were the ability to reserve names and your stuff to Guild Wars 2 and the short story. If it got above average, what more could you want?

Jecht Scye

Jecht Scye

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2005

Lucky Crickets[Luck]

N/Me

Quote:
too difficult for the casual player
With the builds they gave you in that magazine, no wonder why they think it's "too difficult."

Mordakai

Mordakai

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Aug 2005

Kyhlo

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zinger314
Edited for truthery.
And Zinger knows about that, he gets paid by Blizzard...

WinterSnowblind

WinterSnowblind

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Feb 2007

I'm glad they at least acknowledged the amount of content in the game. Do you guys actually think there is too little content in the game, or are you just going with what everyone else says?

But "too difficult for casual players"? It does seem a lot of newer players have been complaining about the difficulty, but I always thought that's what Guild Wars was about. Skill. It doesn't hold your hand through out the entire game. And compared to the previous GW chapter, GW:EN was very tame.

Longasc

Longasc

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

GW:EN had so much potential.

It will always be remembered as "what Chapter IV could have been". If they had not decided only to release what was leftover, call it expansion and go on with GW2.

Seriously, GW:EN fails in many aspects, but the greater Tyria map and some areas (more the overland, surprisingly better than the repetitive dungeons) are really showing what could have been done.

Sigh. And now we have so much empty space around the Verdant Cascades.

Diddy bow

Diddy bow

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Oct 2006

Jawsome!!!!!!!!!!!

looking for one :p

A/D

Seems appropriate, liked it more than nf, but it seems so rushed . Looks really nice graphicly, but there are so manay bugs . I mean the great destroyers "super skill" deosnt even work .

EPO Bot

EPO Bot

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2006

Mo/N

I do think the average encounter in GW:EN is harder then most fights in the three main chapters.

On thewhole, i have nothing to specifically complain about since this expansion was everything i expected from it. Nothing more, nothing less.

TheLichMonky

TheLichMonky

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2007

Does it matter?

Im to good for guilds

Quote:
Originally Posted by WoodyDotNet
I'm kind of surprised this hasn't been posted yet (yes, I searched). To sum up, without breaking any copyright laws:

Pros: Lots of new content.
Cons: Poor rewards and too difficult for the casual player
Bottom Line: GW:EN doesn't live up to its expectations

No. 168
Dec. 2007
Volume 14
Number 12

Remember, a 68% is "above average" on the PCG scale. It's not bad, but it ain't great either.

It's not on line yet, so no need to look there...unless you really want to.
Too difficult.... l o l

Inde

Site Contributor

Join Date: Dec 2004

My Games for Windows mag gave GW:EN a 6 out of 10. This mag rarely gives out below an 8. I'll sum it up:

Nov. 2007
Issue 12

Lots of grind, seems like a hasty ad for GW2, unmistakeable plea for players to forget about old game and focus on the future.

Verdict
+ New hero NPCs; interesting deviation from the usual Guild Wars structure.
- Disarmingly insubstantial; lots of recycled art; Hall of Monuments is a sick joke.

6/10 Average

Cataclysm

Cataclysm

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2006

The Lost Dynasty [SEEK]

W/Mo

I enjoyed GW:EN! I liked the humor in it and the side quests. I liked getting to know the Norn, liked killing Charr, and finding out what happens to Gwen. I admit the storyline is very cliche. ANet should have come up with a better plot than "The world's in danger, go save it, hero!"

IMO, It wasnt as good as Proph or NF, but was better than Factions.

VitisVinifera

VitisVinifera

Banned

Join Date: Nov 2005

Northern California

HoTR

N/Me

wow......considering how much $ NC Soft has paid in advertising, that's a bitch slap

also shows some integrity

(I see similar conspiracy threads in wine rating magazines......do the biggest advertisers get the highest ratings?)

DFrost

DFrost

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jul 2005

Ultima Thule

Legacy of Echovald [Echo]

P/

Huh, I have to say I disagree with both pros and cons. Aside from dungeons there isn't that much new content, the rewards are way better than the 1000xp + 100g + a token in the two previous chapters, and GWEN is certainly a lot easier than, say, the missions in Realm of Torment.

Sparda

Sparda

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Nov 2006

The Netherlands

N/

This is so nice people complaining about GW:EN.
I love it they have the right tho.
GW:EN is in my eyes just a little fill up for the rest of the years to come till GW2.
GW:EN
* 1 not much content
* 2 HoM A joke
* 3 re used art
* 4 Grind (people seem to dig that kind of stuff) i hate it.

But i have a good thing i may be the only one but it is one ^^

* 1 The uber nice environment realy good

Big_Iron

Big_Iron

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2005

The Edge

Tormented Weapons [emo]

Quote:
Originally Posted by VitisVinifera
wow......considering how much $ NC Soft has paid in advertising, that's a bitch slap

also shows some integrity
I was actually shocked at the review given that it came on the heels of the PCG Ultimate Guild Wars Guide. That had to cost Anet some serious dough, but you're right VitisVinifera. It does show some integrity.

Inde

Site Contributor

Join Date: Dec 2004

I've personally noticed that most mags like to gloss over, give high reviews to all games. Probably something about advertising, not really knowing the games, etc. It's hard to find honest reviews and that 2 mags now have blasted GW:EN does really speak something.

Hott Bill

Hott Bill

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2007

Shards of a Broken Crown

R/

The major letdown (about GWEN) was the lack of the Charr. Players wanted to Charr the be destroyed and Ascalon to return to it's regal status.

Omniclasm

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2007

Guild Hall

A/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparda
This is so nice people complaining about GW:EN.
I love it they have the right tho.
GW:EN is in my eyes just a little fill up for the rest of the years to come till GW2.
GW:EN
* 1 not much content
* 2 HoM A joke
* 3 re used art
* 4 Grind (people seem to dig that kind of stuff) i hate it.

But i have a good thing i may be the only one but it is one ^^

* 1 The uber nice environment realy good
Pretty much agree with this. HoM I wasn't even looking forward to in the first place. Reward people that turn the game into a full time job farming titles...yay?

Reused art was kind of disappointing.

Grinding for everything. How does spending 12+ hours grinding the same place over and over prove that you deserve armor, or are even skilled at the game? It doesn't, it proves nothing, so why add it as a requirement for armor. This was fixed though, with the increased hero book reward.

Was a decent amount of content, no complaints from me on that.

Love dungeons, and the scenery is amazing compared to the other games. Some armor is great, the rest sort of /fail.

I'd rate it so-so. Not great, but not horrible either. Probably a 60%. Would be higher if I wasn't sooooo bored of the repetitive gameplay. Even playing different professions is the same. Same machine, just a different cog.

Kula

Kula

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2005

West Coast, USA

Mo/E

Also from Games for Windows:

"The problem : It's over before you know it.

I'd (liberally) estimate the total campaign content at about 25% of the typical GW game. Suddenly, that $40 price tag (just $10 cheaper than usual) doesn't look like such a bargain, does it?"


and

"...if you dig repitition, GWEN's extracurricular activities are perfect for you."

ac0okiemonst3r

ac0okiemonst3r

Academy Page

Join Date: Mar 2007

Georgia on my mind

T H P K Forever [Owya]

A/

i really appreciate you guys talkin about the Pros and Cons. i haven gotten it yet because i didnt know of any player feed-back^^ so should i get it? not in it for armor, just in it for mini games, dungeons, etc.

Omniclasm

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2007

Guild Hall

A/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kula
"...if you dig repitition, GWEN's extracurricular activities are perfect for you."
Sadly true........

Whiskeyjack

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2006

KOFU

Quote:
Originally Posted by ac0okiemonst3r
i really appreciate you guys talkin about the Pros and Cons. i haven gotten it yet because i didnt know of any player feed-back^^ so should i get it? not in it for armor, just in it for mini games, dungeons, etc.
I really liked EoTN, alright its not as hard as i had hoped but it is still fun. The primary quest chain was one of the more interesting of teh campaigns though quite short. The dungeons are a nice distraction. If you like GW then you should find plenty to like about EoTN.

Jetdoc

Jetdoc

Hell's Protector

Join Date: Jul 2005

The Eyes of Texas [BEVO]

D/A

Honestly, I think many of us bought GW:EN for the completionists in us...seeing the end of the story, making sure your skill sets were complete, etc.

I didn't have the expectation that GW:EN would be as good as any of the original three chapters, so I'm actually enjoying it so far.

Count to Potato

Count to Potato

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Feb 2006

Imagination Land

I Swear She Was Eighteen [Gwen]

W/

pc gamer can't play the game like most people do, they skim, i saw it on G4tv when they went over factions, all their review was on Shing Jea, not even getting by the early lvls

Omniclasm

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2007

Guild Hall

A/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Count to Potato
pc gamer can't play the game like most people do, they skim, i saw it on G4tv when they went over factions, all their review was on Shing Jea, not even getting by the early lvls
Good thing they didn't make it to the shithole of Kaineng. They would probably rate it at about a 5%

Diddy bow

Diddy bow

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Oct 2006

Jawsome!!!!!!!!!!!

looking for one :p

A/D

Quote:
Originally Posted by Inde
I've personally noticed that most mags like to gloss over, give high reviews to all games. Probably something about advertising, not really knowing the games, etc. It's hard to find honest reviews and that 2 mags now have blasted GW:EN does really speak something.
yea, when you think about it, whoever reviewed it cant have played GW half as long as anyone on this forum, so cant really give it from a pepspective from anywhere else but a causual/new player and... GW:EN was made for verterans of the first 3 (apparently) so that why we get "to hard for casual players". And no notice of lots of art getting reused and some of the less obvious bugs as well as balence issues ect...