Guild Wars 2 is an action-oriented mmorpg (massively multiplayer online role playing game – in other words, thousands of players together in a fantasy world left to their own devices) that shines a whole new light on the genre. Leaning more on the verge of social gaming than the traditional hacking, slashing, and raiding that accompanies the general mmorpg, ArenaNet has worked to provide a vibrant new interpretation of Tyria – the fantasy world previously defined by its predecessor, Guild Wars.

At first glance, Guild Wars 2 looks like another dive into a generic fantasy world in which you find yourself escorting helpless merchants, collecting piles of irrelevant materials from the corpses of fallen beasts, and indiscriminately slaying any pathetic creatures that cross your path in hopes of finding great treasures.

While these are indeed overplayed concepts, what sets Guild Wars 2 miles ahead of the pages (and pages) of mmorpgs that also share these features, is that these simple tasks, and the generous quantities of them, each have their own unique impact on the world. Every decision turns another gear in Tyria.

At your disposal you will find a massive, engaging world to take part in with vast amounts of content to satisfy any interest. Commerce, war, and socialism create a very unique experience. Guild Wars 2 does an overall incredible job of ensuring that you never find yourself grinding (none other than ceaseless killing with a total disregard for lore or objectives), if grinding isn’t an interest of yours , crafting (creating your own equipment with materials found essentially anywhere you look) if crafting isn’t an interest , and so on.

Visuals are in their entirety, breathtaking. This single word is the only possible way that I could describe the astonishing level of detail that was put into Guild Wars 2. The liveliness of the environments places players deep into a fascinating and beautiful world of undying conflict and fragile alliances.

It is the depth of detail provided by ArenaNet that makes Guild Wars 2 the shining jewel that it is – while the gameplay is lacking in certain departments. From the sunken city of Orr, to the frigid Shiverpeak Mountains, the pure visual appeal turns Tyria into an interactive narrative.

Gameplay is remarkably smooth, both aesthetically and upfront. Abilities are visually satisfying without being highly exaggerated. The feel of combat combines fast-paced strategy with the simple tab-targeting fundamentals of more traditional mmos.

Voice acting is well orchestrated – character voicing is well done and generally appropriate for  the situation, however the lack of variety of voices can leave conversations lackluster. The overall quality of the voice acting is passable, though there is much room for improvement.

A key difference between Guild Wars 2 and top competing mmorpgs is that there are no specific roles in a team – any profession can fulfill any duty and easily adapt for dynamic situations. Lack of specific roles in teamplay is justified by the deep levels of customization provided for each  profession.

Overall, Guild Wars 2 makes several refreshing adaptations to the mmo genre. While far from perfection, it lives far beyond its cost, and without a subscription fee, you can’t go wrong. Being less than a month off the shelves, Guild Wars 2 is far from complete. However, ArenaNet forecasts frequent additions of fresh content as time goes on. To sum it all up – the future looks bright for Tyria.