I was a big fan of the Original Guild Wars and all of its expansion packs but I never got around to playing the second game when it released. I followed news about the game but with the new Path of Fire expansion for the game coming out, I figured that now would be a good time to jump on the Guild Wars 2 wagon.
Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire adds in a lot of long-awaited features while also introducing numerous new things that make for a great experience.
Guild Wars 2: Path of Ruin tells a new story, taking place after the Heart of Thorns expansion. Your character leads an army against the god of war, Balthazar. It’s an effective plot that brings something new to the series while paying respect to the lore created by the first Guild Wars and its expansion packs. While it does follow directly after the Heart of Thorns, this doesn’t mean that playing it is a requirement in order to understand what’s going on. Certain characters will show up and references to past events will be made though so if you’re hoping to understand everything being said, a refresher course might be the best way to catch up.
This new story takes place in a new region to Guild Wars 2 that fans of the first game may recognize, the Crystal Desert. The Crystal Desert has undergone major changes since its original introduction however, and they’re all for the better. Despite its name, the Crystal Desert’s five maps are surprisingly varied and none of them end up being a slog to travel through. This extends to the expansion’s soundtrack, mixing the game’s usual orchestrated themes and adding in a slight Arabian mix to them.
Without a doubt, the biggest feature in the Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire expansion is the addition of mounts. You can find five different mounts that are available across the new region and use their unique abilities to get past different obstacles. The Crystal Desert is clearly designed around these mounts and they’re a big reason why exploring this new world is so enjoyable. Beyond that, mounts can be used in combat and you can even have their colours customized to add a touch of personalization to them.
While the other features found in Path of Fire aren’t really all that new, they do serve as nice improvements on systems that have already been introduced. There are new Meta Events, acting as shorter stories told through a string of Dynamic Events. There’s also been a change to the Mastery system with the addition of new Elite Specializations for every profession in the game. Gaining the ability to wield new weapons and use new skills is a great way to breathe new life into your characters and I definitely welcome the added variety.
Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire is a great expansion for an MMORPG that’s now five-years-old. For anyone like myself who missed out on the game during its original release, I’d recommend trying it out now. You won’t get as much out of the story as long-time fans or people who have done their homework but you’ll still be able to enjoy the game’s great visuals and huge amount of content, which now makes it even greater than before.
