After years of clamoring, players can finally enjoy an Asian region in the universe of Guild Wars 2, signing their return to the vast area of ​​Cantha.
If it does not benefit from the particular aura of a Final Fantasy 14 or a World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2 is nonetheless popular, benefiting from a large fanbase despite the weight of the years. The title of ArenaNet, operated by NCSoft, therefore continues on its merry way and launches this week End of Dragons, the third expansion of the MMO.
And if three extensions in ten years of existence, it may not seem like much, you should nevertheless know that the functioning of Guild Wars 2 is quite different from what we see elsewhere. Over the years, players have indeed been able to benefit from many major updates, bringing new chapters to the main story through no less than five seasons of Living World.
Cantha is back!
After having destroyed the efforts of five ancestral dragons, just that, players are therefore invited in End of Dragons to discover the Cantha region. If you're a veteran Guild Wars player, you'll already know the place, having been talked about exploring it in the first installment of the franchise (and the Factions expansion), but 250 years before. In fact, things have changed a lot, both in terms of architecture and in terms of its population.
A population that will certainly save you from sinking after a hectic introduction with a lot of fighting between aircraft, but nevertheless suspicious. In this spirit, and in the purest tradition of an Asian universe, politics will therefore take an important place in Guild Wars 2, much more than before. This is all the more the case as the area has to face formidable enemies, including the Aetherblades, but also opponents of the government in place.
Your ability to take part in ongoing conflicts will therefore be decisive for your future agreements in these places, very aquatic places.
Water until thirsty
Composed of islands and vast expanses of water, the "new" Cantha gives pride of place to aquatic confrontations. This is a historical component of Guild Wars 2, but hadn't really been of major importance until now. With End of Dragons, ArenaNet developers offer new water-related activities.
The first is the arrival of a skiff, a small boat that will be useful to you on many occasions if you do not have a suitable mount to ride on the water. It is not very easy to handle and would probably have deserved a bit more dynamism, but it is still very useful for taking advantage of the other novelty expected of players: fishing.
Yes, it is finally possible to fish in Guild Wars 2. Admit that you did not expect it? But unlike other MMOs, fishing is a little more fun: when you fish, a mini-game starts when a fish bites the bait. You must make sure to follow a small moving bar with the help of the keyboard keys (left or right) until the recovery is complete. For the fans, know that 200 fish are waiting for you, and not only in Cantha: all of Tyria is concerned.
Fans of various successes can already prepare to recover very rare fish, knowing that if all the aquatic areas can be used for this activity, precise and delimited spots contain exceptional species.
An area full of surprises
In addition to its pronounced Asian aspect, the Cantha zone has many other visual qualities. Water is omnipresent there, but we can also count on a design that is far from the usual heroic-fantasy in certain aspects. Because the "neo-Cantha" of Guild Wars 2 can also count on a new material, dragon jade, which offers a very "greenish cyberpunk" atmosphere to many buildings in the expansion.
A pronounced technological side which above all allows developers to offer new gameplay through mastery points, which will give you the possibility of having a golem. These mechanical creatures will be very useful to you against the formidable creatures inhabiting the area thanks to various exploitable features in your adventure, as well as the new specializations which, as usual, offer very specific skills and weapons.
More generally, however, we regret that the extension is so inaccessible to those who have not necessarily done the previous content. The progression of Guild Wars 2, beyond its main adventure, being very horizontal, players are not necessarily invited to complete previous expansions and updates, and can therefore start the adventure in the order of their choice. . In fact, it does cause some hassle if you don't have a mount (even the raptor from the Path of Fire expansion), resulting in less smooth and much slower exploration of End of Dragons - although mastery of it be offered for the occasion. In fact, we will advise you to take the pack containing all the extensions (at 50 euros) if you want to start Guild Wars 2, which is available free-to-play.
© ArenaNet
Betrayals and exploration
As for the rest, the way End of Dragons works is not very different from what we already find elsewhere in Guild Wars 2. If there is a main plot, the ramifications of which are ultimately quite "classic" within the framework of an oriental universe with its share of betrayals and mystical events, the additional activities are always there.
So there are always hearts to fill with related objectives, but also plenty of exploration and vistas to unlock. Cantha in Guild Wars 2 is vast, and it will be hard not to fall in love with the locations as ArenaNet has once again crafted a world riddled with detail. Without a doubt, The Dragon Empire has one of the most thrilling stories in the franchise. And if the end of the era of dragons is not as obvious as it seems, we can't wait to see what the studio has in store for us with the next season of the Living World.
End of Dragons probably won't upset fan habits, but it's still a great addition to Guild Wars 2. ArenaNet seems in any case to have heard its long-time players who will find here everything they have liked for ten years already. For others, the neo-Cantha universe is simply excellent, and if not a revolution of the genre, it should undoubtedly interest those looking for something other than a Western heroic-fantasy theme.
