Guild Wars 2 Preview

Guild Wars 2 is an immense prospect. Billed by developer ArenaNet as a true triple-A online RPG experience that puts similar contenders to shame, the studio certainly has the rest of the industry in its crosshairs. 

We’re inclined to agree with them, as Guild Wars 2 delivers the goods with confidence – from high-end visuals, fast paced gameplay, hard hitting combat, as well as hours of solo and social play across the sprawling world of Tyria - it’s clear that ArenaNet isn’t cutting corners.

Although the 2012 launch window is looming fast, Guild Wars 2 continues to impress through unexpected reveals late into its development. The most recent reveal focuses on the incredibly tactical Mesmer profession.

The eighth and final profession on offer, Mesmers are masters of illusion and deception, capable of creating Clones and Phantasms of the caster and calling them into the fight. From what we’ve seen of Mesmers in action so far, the range of tactical strategies – both offensive and defensive – are vast.

Getting two illusions to cover your back is a great strategy.

For example, if you need to get in close and take down an enemy you fear is far too powerful for you, simply cast two Phantasms of your character that are holding pistols. This means that they will batter the enemy from a safe distance while you rush in to deal heavy melee strikes. 

Or you could be sneaky by creating two portals on the ground – one in front of your target, and one behind. As the enemy charges at you for the attack, you can run to the first portal, and reappear behind them at the second, giving you the option of dealing a massive back attack. 

Clones and Phantasms can also be used as decoys, letting you move across ground quickly, by swapping in an out between them. There is a real twitch-gaming feel to how Mesmers work, and at first it can seem a little bit disorientating to understand them, as they are to watch in action. 

But another neat offensive trick is using your illusion decoys as living weapons. For example you can send a pack of weak clones into the frontlines as fodder, then detonate them to create a large damage radius, stun nearby enemies for short time, or sacrifice them to create a huge protective barrier around the caster.

Finally, Mesmers can also use Mantra skills, which are special buffs that can be used to charge up existing magic, giving them greater attack power and other properties. Already it’s clear that the Mesmers are a powerful profession, but one that will take some practice getting used to.

When size truly doesn't matter.

But then again, this depth underlines the overall appeal of Guild Wars 2 perfectly. It’s a huge title with eight intricately balanced and enjoyable professions spread across each race.

It’s understandable that making each of these roles as appealing as the last is no small feat, but then this is the reason Guild Wars 2 has taken so long to get this close to a release. 

The balancing between races and professions is impeccable, and was a huge focus of recent beta testing across both PvE and PvP. The last time NowGamer spoke with ArenaNet, we learned that beta feedback would be instrumental in nailing down a solid release date. 

This is a real testament to ArenaNet’s dedication to the Guild Wars fan base. There is a proper ‘leave no man behind’ attitude from the development team, and every time the ArenaNet speaks about the game publicly, you can really see a keenness to satisfy every single fan.

You can't satisfy everyone of course, especially in this industry, but Guild Wars 2 seems to be taking all the right steps to at least try. The Mesmer profession will undoubtedly be another perfectly honed part of this ambitious and grand project. Now then ArenaNet, how about that release date?