Gaming News

An Almost Two Decade Old Mystery Will Be Answered in the Next Guild Wars 2 Expansion

This new expansion is called Secrets of the Obscure and will release on August 22.

In some of my previous posts, I’ve talked about all sorts of stuff related to MMORPGs. You can find the links to those at the bottom of this article. But today, I wanna chat about Guild Wars 2 and the cool new expansion dropping in August.

What is Guild Wars 2?

Alright, let me give you the lowdown on Guild Wars 2. Guild Wars 2 is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that’s all about epic adventures, stunning visuals, and tons of fun with your friends.

First things first, picture a vast, fantastical world called Tyria. It’s a realm filled with diverse landscapes, bustling cities, treacherous dungeons, and jaw-dropping vistas.

In this game, you get to create your own unique character, choosing from a range of races such as humans, charr, norn, sylvari, and asura. Each race has its own distinct culture and background, adding depth to the immersive experience.

Once you’ve crafted your character, you dive into a dynamic and ever-evolving storyline. Guild Wars 2 is known for its emphasis on player-driven narratives, where your choices and actions have a significant impact on the world around you.

The game world is alive with events and quests that pop up dynamically, giving you the freedom to explore and engage with the content that interests you most.

One of the standout features of Guild Wars 2 is its combat system. It’s fast-paced, action-oriented, and oh-so-satisfying. You’ll unleash a barrage of skills and spells, dodge and evade enemy attacks, and collaborate with other players to tackle challenging boss fights.

The game also promotes cooperation and camaraderie with its cooperative gameplay mechanics. You can form guilds, join epic battles in World vs. World mode, or team up with other players in dynamic events and dungeons.

Guild Wars 2 also has a robust player-versus-player (PvP) mode called Structured PvP. It’s all about skill and strategy as you face off against other players in intense matches. You can customize your character’s abilities and gear to create unique playstyles and carve your path to victory.

Now, let’s talk about the visuals. Guild Wars 2 is a visual masterpiece. From vibrant landscapes to meticulously detailed armor and weapons, the game is a treat for the eyes. The art style is stunning, blending realism with a touch of fantasy, and it creates an immersive atmosphere that draws you into the world of Tyria.

What is this new expansion?

Guild Wars 2 is dropping its fourth expansion, called Secrets of the Obscure, on August 22. It’s the first of their new style of smaller expansions that will come out more frequently. That’s why it’s hitting the shelves so soon after last year’s End of Dragons.

With the dragon threat taken care of, Secrets of the Obscure gives us a sneak peek into what’s coming next in the game’s story. According to ArenaNet’s press release, the adventure kicks off with a climb through the Skywatch Archipelago, one of the two new maps added on release day.

These floating islands, hanging high in the sky above Tyria, are under attack from the Kryptis, a demonic race streaming through the Mists and endangering the world’s fragile peace following the defeat of the elder dragons. The player, alongside new allies, embarks on an epic struggle into the Demon Realm to save the world.

They’re introducing two new maps in this expansion. As mentioned earlier this year, Secrets of the Obscure is the first of Guild Wars 2’s new style of expansion, which means they’ll have only two maps upon release, with a third one coming later as part of a free update.

The big test for this new approach is consistency. In the past, expansions and Living World episodes were irregularly released, leaving players uncertain about the game’s future. Even if each release has less content, it’ll be a positive if ArenaNet can maintain a regular release and update schedule.

The Wizard’s Tower will serve as the new hub area for expansion activities, including the two new Strike Missions. It seems there’s also a new progression system tied to a group called the Astral Ward. By joining the Astral Ward, players can become treasure hunters and adventurers, protecting the world, completing monster hunts and bounty contracts, and earning rewards and abilities.

They’ll earn a new currency called Astral Acclaim by achieving daily, weekly, and seasonal goals, which can be used to purchase armor, weapons, mount skins, gold, legendary crafting materials, and more.

In Secrets of the Obscure, they’re adding new masteries for the Skyscale mount. Previously, obtaining the Skyscale involved a lengthy questline across Living World Season 4 maps, but it’ll be easier to acquire in this expansion.

However, players who already have it will still receive additional rewards. There’s a breakdown of the new masteries in ArenaNet’s blog post. Also, both the Griffon mount and Skyscale will have access to in-combat mounting and updraft use. The Heart of the Obscure will allow Skyscale to utilize manually created updrafts.

One concern from the community regarding the new expansion style is the absence of elite specializations. In previous expansions, each profession received a new elite spec, including new combat mechanics and a new weapon. However, in Secrets of the Obscure, ArenaNet is separating weapons from elite spec requirements.

Now, all nine professions can equip weapons previously exclusive to their elite specializations, unlocking new gameplay options. This change opens up the possibility of introducing new weapons, specializations, or combat mechanics without the need to create a full elite spec.

Each profession will gain a new weapon proficiency, expected to arrive in the second major update following Secrets of the Obscure, approximately six months after its launch.

The press release also highlights two other notable features. Relics is a new equipment slot that will hold various rune set bonuses. This change will make it easier to mix and match runes, allowing players to fine-tune their stat bonuses.

Additionally, a new legendary armor set will be introduced, which can be earned entirely through open-world activities. This will be a welcome change of pace for players who previously had to engage in raids, PvP, or World vs World to obtain legendary armor.

Although it will likely still have a substantial material cost and time-gated requirements, legendary armor is incredibly useful, and having an alternative method to earn it is a positive move.

As a smaller expansion, Secrets of the Obscure will be priced lower than a traditional Guild Wars 2 release. However, the reduction isn’t significant. The base version will cost $25, while the Deluxe and Ultimate editions will offer cosmetic items and gems.

Final Words

On June 29, ArenaNet will hold an open beta event for the new Weaponmaster Training feature, granting players a special character slot to experiment with mixing and matching elite spec weapons.

It’s an exciting opportunity to try out some fresh gameplay options.

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With that being said, thank you for reading my post, and have a good one.

Here are a few of my previous stories relating to racing games I believe you will enjoy:

References

Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure Expansion Coming in August.

The next Guild Wars 2 expansion releases this August, and will finally answer an 18-year-old mystery.

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