While playing Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons, I came across a place known as Cat Mountain. Enough said, right? I originally came across it while testing out my rinky little starter boat for the first time, so I had no context for the name. It was just a towering, mountainous pillar that didn’t really look like it should be standing on its own. But, high above me, there was a rope bridge.
I traveled through the map, climbing through towns and bamboo forests, to reach the bridge. When I crossed it, I found cats. At the very top is an especially large cat named Pickle. In Pickle’s subtext, it says they like to snuggle.
I came to enjoy the End of Dragons expansion in the same way I enjoyed petting Pickle, the giant cat: as a series of fun, personal moments that, even if they weren’t mind-blowing, reminded me what I liked about Guild Wars 2 after a long hiatus from the game.
Heart of Thorns, Guild Wars 2’s first expansion, changed the game (literally) by adding the glider. Players began to soar through the air unencumbered and, all in an instant, players felt that anything was possible. Maps were suddenly as large vertically as they were horizontally. Then the second one, Path of Fire, brought mounts to the game. Each one provided a range of different, game-breaking abilities than the last. ArenaNet set a high bar for itself. End of Dragons doesn’t clear it.
The first thing that strikes you when you step foot on Cantha, the new continent where this expansion takes place, is the beauty. The first zone, Seitung Province, is packed full of screenshot-worthy views including rushing waterfalls, cherry blossoms and weeping willows, fishermen on skiffs, gardens practically overflowing with unfamiliar plants, and a blend of East Asian-inspired architecture.
And, to End of Dragons’ credit, that feeling doesn’t disappear quickly. As you progress, you’re constantly introduced to new stunning environments - which can mean entire landscapes, or just one small house, populated with enough chairs and teacups and odds and ends that it feels practically real to sit in.
However, it’s also distinctly lacking something. When we were introduced to new environments in the past two expansions, they always came with a catch. Something that opened your eyes to the possibilities you hadn’t been seeing before. Both expansions had a tool that evolved over time; you can use your glider longer, and jump higher on your Springer, by investing your experience points into their respective Mastery Tracks. End of Dragons has three swings at that game-changing element, but it never quite connects.
First, there are the Skiffs, which are little boats that players can ride in the water, take their friends on, and fish from. This doesn’t feel particularly special because the ‘riding on the water’ part was already possible with a Skimmer from the Path of Fire expansion.
Second, you gain access to a Jade Bot - a little flying robot powered by unique Canthan technology - that allows you to use Zip Lines. These Zip Lines are nifty, but many of the summits that you climb with them could have been accomplished by a 60-second walk or a mount. And, besides, the Zip Lines aren’t in the player’s control. It’s not like you can set them up yourself.
Third, there’s the Siege Turtles, which are giant turtles that two players can ride on and attack with. These beasts look incredible and feel fantastic to fight in during large-scale events. Unfortunately, that’s the only time they’re useful. Players spend a lot of their time on things where a Siege Turtle would just be impractical, like map completion or Fractals.
None of these new additions to the game fundamentally change what Guild Wars 2 is, like Heart of Thorns and Path of Fire did. Speaking as a Guild Wars fan, I was underwhelmed.
Speaking as an MMO player, though, I might sing a different tune.
Guild Wars 2 is an inherently social game. Large- and small-scale events take place in the open world. Players who don’t even know each other have to work together to gather enough lizard guts or light enough lanterns or kill enough Risen or whatever is called for. Guilds get a lot of attention, with wonderful Guildhalls, Guild events, and Guild decorations in the game. Some of the hardest content, Strike Missions and Raids, require the coordinated efforts of tightly-knit teams who have practically the best builds possible and can perform their roles to perfection. And everyone gets the same gear - no more dividing up the best stuff among party members and trying to determine who got the last hit in on the boss.
This wonderful, chaotic, social life force of Guild Wars 2 is the reason that I have left the game countless times over the last decade and always returned to it. And, as far as Guild Wars 2 is this friendly and social MMORPG, I think End of Dragons hits the nail on the head.
There’s plenty to say just for the social side of things. The Skiffs are designed to carry up to five players and the new fishing mechanic requires you to sit and watch your bobber, not just get up and let the computer sit for a couple of hours. I can already see players inviting their friends to fish in guild chats all over the world. I can hear the enthusiastic and friendly chatter in Discord voice channels between catching fish, and the cheers when someone reels something good in. Or, consider the yelling between two party members who are together in one Siege Turtle about where they should go and what they should be shooting at. Then, of course, there are the strangers who will hop into the passenger seat of your Turtle and come along for the ride.
I was impressed on the MMO front, too. The introduction to Cantha includes a brief tutorial on how to use various abilities, which will be a huge benefit to new and returning players. It goes into more depth about mechanics like Defiance and Combo Fields than I recall being taught when I first started the game. This kind of information helps players to understand what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, rather than just blindly following a build they found online. Then there are the continued open-world public events that bring players together in constructive ways. Only time will tell if fans enjoy the Meta events from End of Dragons better than their favourites from past expansions. While the story struggles a bit by relying on nostalgia from past characters and events, there’s no denying that the writers have expertly wielded this lore-dense universe and built a high-stakes, engaging story for the players.
End of Dragons might not have changed Guild Wars 2 as we long-time fans know it. That can be a really disappointing feeling, especially after the highs of the last two expansions. However, End of Dragons does take the time to improve on all the reasons that I consider Guild Wars 2 to be one of the best MMORPGs available today.