Guild Wars Factions - A Nice Addition (Guild Wars: Factions (PC))

Member Name: AndyCreighton

Product:	Guild Wars: Factions (PC)
Date:	25/05/09 (3 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Alliance Battles, More Skills, New Professions, More Characer Slots

Disadvantages: Storys Not Really Good,

Guild Wars Factions is the first expansion pack for the original Guild Wars. While it can be used as a standalone package and does not require the original Guild Wars to play, you get the most benefit from owning the both of them. However I will be reviewing Factions as an expansion to the original Guild Wars, if you would like to find out what Guild Wars is all about check my previous review here:

http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/pc-game/guild-wars-pc /1245313/

Factions brings an additional 2 new professions to the table, an entirely new storyline, and few new game modes, a bunch of new skills and a whole new map for you to explore.

The 2 new professions are the Assassin and the Ritulist. The Assassin is a melee fighter, using daggers he "shadow steps" into the enemy, deals his damage and flees before the enemy can strike back. He's an effective hit and run character. The Ritualist is a summoner, she can summon spirits which can deal damage to enemies or give her team a bonus. She also has the ability to use Weapon Spells, allowing her to temporarily upgrade a team members weapon to deal more damage. The 2 characters are both fun to play with although neither of them really seem practical in PvE. The Ritulist has a few healing spells which makes her a little more useful, but these 2 professions seem aimed more at PvP, especially the Assassin. You can still play though the game with any of the other professions in the game and you don't have to choose one of the new professions. You also have the ability to transport your old characters from the original campaign over to Factions, however doing so you will miss on a couple of early missions (used as more of a tutorial) and a bit of the story.

Your Guild can now join an alliance, a group of up to 12 Guilds who can visit each others Guild Halls and play in each others GvGs. While Alliances are a fun feature their real purpose was to power the Alliance Battles. There are 12 vs 12 games in which your team is split into smaller teams of 4 and thrown onto a huge map playing for either the Kurzick or Luxon Alliance (Which side your playing for will decide on which your guild leader has choose). These are fun, fast paced games. Not as competitive as Heros Ascent or GvG, but fun nonetheless.

This time around the story is a little more dramatic. With Factions set in Cantha, with an oriental look and feel to is, it has been struck with a terrible plague turning its residents into mutants and monsters. Its down to you and your Master, Togo, to find out who's at the bottom of the evil plague and uncover a much more sinister plot. This time around the story is a lot thicker that the original game, while its not overly interesting, the story seems well structured.

Overall Factions seems like a nice addition to Guild Wars, although it is certainly the weakest of all the expansions. I would recommend it for Alliance Battles, as they are a more light-hearted look at PvP. Factions also offers another 2 character slots if you link it to your account which is well worth it. The storyline may not be very good, but its worth the money.

Andy Creighton

Summary: Seems Aimed More At PvP Players, But Good Nonetheless