I’m curious what other people think are the best and worst aspects of the first year of releases for GW2 (up to but not including Queen’s Jubilee). Here is my list
Best
1. Fractals of the Mists – I think this was the most significant update we’ve had to the core game: 9 short dungeons but with great variety. Best of all it was permanent, and fun.
2. Southsun Cove – People complain that Southsun is not a proper zone, because it lacks hearts, skill points, vistas, etc., but it’s the only permanent new zone we’ve received since release. (Labyrinthine Cliffs doesn’t count as it was more of a town/jumping puzzle-ish.)
3. Molten Weapons Facility Dungeon – This was a good one, and the climactic fight with the two simultaneous bosses that ended differently depending on which boss you killed first was solid gold. Too bad it was available for so short a time.
4. Shadows of the Mad King – Seemed like there was something for everyone in this release, from the Mad King’s Clock Tower to Descent into Madness, which was really fun despite being just a boss fight than a real dungeon.
5. Super Adventure Box – I usually hate mini-games, and this one isn’t for everyone, but Super Adventure Box is hefty, has substance, and polish.
Worst
1. Flame & Frost: Prelude – Fixing signs for refugees? Why was this even released independently?
2. Canach “Dungeon” – After the Molten Weapons Facility, I was exciting to see what was in store for the Southsun dungeon. Unfortunately, Canach’s Lair was simply a boss fight in a cave, and a gimmicky one at that. Whenever they take our normal open world skills away, it’s generally a bad sign, because it becomes like a mini-game.
3. Random Number Chests – Too many cool skins (Sclerite, Fused, Zodiac, etc.) locked behind gambling chests.
4. Moa Racing, Crab Toss, Belcher’s Bluff, etc., etc. – A lot of talk about improving the “core” game, yet so many updates focused on mini-games which is everything except the actual game.
5. Grind – Had to kill how many holograms? When the driving force behind an activity is not the enjoyment of the activity, but the reward, it means people are not having a good time even if they’re logging in and playing. Most people will figure out they have better things to do.
