Factions has been somewhat of an on and off relationship gamewise for me. I was completely taken with the first game. This game is a definite departure from the feeling that I had with the first one. It is absolutely more claustrophobic than the original, and it's hard for me to review this game as a stand-alone, and not an expansion. The questing/mission areas for this game are, in some places very confined. If you are using a character that you have already made from the original game in this series, then you start out right in the middle of an enormous city. I mean gigantic, enormous, ginormous if you will. This thrust is what makes for such a stark contrast to the original. If you start out making a character born in Cantha(the continent that is the location of this game)then you will get a taste of what the Original is like i.e., the location is more lush and has the general feel that you had starting out in the original. From that standpoint you will not be hit right away with the tight quarters of the city in Cantha. I recommend starting the game out with a character from scratch for this game. It will help to wet the proverbial appetite so that you can sink your teeth in to the meat of this game more easily. Switching gears for a moment, I have really been enjoying the advanced team missions that don't advance the plot, but offer cool rewards for completing them. Nothing is more satisfying than making the daily, monthly, and all-time score lists and being able to see the standings in game. I love the fact that player created guilds can control certain outposts and affect how the map works in the game. This aspect really adds to the overall immersion level. I am also a big fan of a game in which you don't have to clamor for loot or quests with the rest of the gaming populace. The world is completely instanced for your party, and your party alone. I enjoy that everyone can meet up in towns and guild halls, and leave the competition out where it belongs in the quest/mission areas. When you boil all of this down you are left with a highly competitive(in the right areas)game, that makes great use of Player vs. Player, Player(s)vs. computer, and you vs yourself to see just how great of a hero you can become.
When the original Guild Wars launched in 2005, no one truly anticipated the impact it would have on the online gaming industry. While not as substantial as World of Warcraft, it stood alone as a remarkable gaming master... Read Full Review
While I loved the original Guild Wars, the drab, destroyed and dreary world post sundering was just depressing to me to play in. The Asian-inspired game world of Cantha in Factions is infinitely more appealing to me and... Read Full Review
