We're just a week away from the launch of Guild Wars 2's fifth expansion, and with it the long awaited addition of player housing to ArenaNet's MMO. I've already spent a bunch of time with the new Homestead feature, but recently I got a chance to sample the rest of the expansion too—a hands-on press tour that let me try out a part of the new story, and explore some sections of the two new maps planned for the Janthir Wilds' launch.
The trouble with an MMO preview, though, is it can be hard to get a sense of what really matters to players. The new maps look nice—the first is a rustic haven for a new faction of bearfolk, full of cosy cabins hidden away in a wild forest biome. But this is a game designed to be played for hundreds of hours. The real meat of any Guild Wars 2 map is in the flow of its events, and the desirability of the rewards it offers. The real question is whether I'll still have reason to visit in three months'—hell, even three years'—time? Sure, I'm excited to explore these new spaces, and to properly attempt the second map's world boss meta with a proper number of players. Beyond that, though? I have no deeper analysis to offer.
