Fabulous MMORPG; great for the novice or experienced online player!
1. No monthly fees are required to play. You don't get a scaled-down version of the game (unlike Runescape); this beauty was designed for no-fee online play -- take as long as you want to finish quests, it's ok if life gets in the way and you can't play for a while. There's no pressure and you don't lose any money with the clock ticking away. I love this feature about GW, but it would take more than that for me to give it the rating that I am.
2. Great graphics & sound. seriously. take a look at the screenshots and you'll know what i mean. the characters and different types of armor are simply gorgeous.
3. No kill-stealing. Tired of other players stealing your drops, or lurkers waiting for you to finish the job or get killed? it won't happen in GW; you don't lose any items if you die and all drops are "allocated" so only the "owner" can pick them up. great system.
4. Quick travel. if you follow the storyline, new places will be revealed to you and you can therafter get there instantly via "map travel". No time wasting plodding through explored areas just to get to a town. 5. GUILD BATTLES! in GW, this is the highlight of PVP play. huge guilds slug it out for supremacy in designated arenas. this is aside from the main game or storyline, so it comes as a nice diversion or break from questing.
6. you get 4 character slots per account. good for tweaking and trying new classes, especially once you've beaten the game.
7. the game is excellently balanced. if you can't do a particular quest, try a different approach, strategy, spell mix, change party members, etc. you'll be surprised how sensitive the game is to these changes.
that said, there are a few things that could be improved (albeit minor):
1. easier way to find other players in town needed, especially when trying to do a trade
2. level cap of 20 is too low -- there are tons of lvl 20s around...
3. map resolution can be improved. more convenient when exploring on your own and for pathfinding.
4. it can be tough financially, up to level 10 or so...
all in all, Guild Wars is one of the finest online RPGs ever designed, in my opinion. For you story buffs out there, the main plotline is well written, and compelling; the game itself, very well designed, and the concept behind free play -- spectacular. they deserve our support.
check out Guild Wars, or its 2 sequels, Factions and Nightfall; you won't regret it!!