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Easily the BEST Chapter in the series!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 35 / 37
Date: November 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

You've probably already read the gaming reviews on this, so you know the stats: new Hero system, new items, new classes, no monthly fee, etc.

One of the most important new additions to the game series is the Hero system, where you can customize and have much greater control over your Heroes (upgraded henchmen). I tend to solo a lot, since I rarely have blocks of time or have the patience to deal with other players, so this lets me get an often more competent (you customize their skills) team together. The beauty of this latest Chapter is that it enhances all previous Chapters (Prophecies and Factions): you can use your Heroes in the prior Chapters. This backwards compatibility was quite the bonus to my prior investment, and rewarding loyal players is EXACTLY the right thing to do.

Every Chapter, ArenaNet has upgraded the graphics engine, and Nightfall continues that trend. I know, I know, gameplay > graphics, but this scores on both counts. Graphically, it has spoiled me for many other games, and the art direction and creativity is nothing short of astounding.

As for cons, it isn't quite as casual gamer-friendly as some of the other titles out there, such as City of Heroes. You do need to learn about how skills work, and sometimes you get item drops (there is loot!) that you don't know what to do with. However, if you know how to read, you can just look it up on the 'net.

I've found this latest release to actually be their best one yet, and I'm still debating whether to recommend new players pick up Chapter One (Prophecies) for the storyline or this one for sheer features and streamlined gameply and story. They've truly learned from the previous two Chapters and incorporated the lessons into Nightfall.

Another great chapter for the Guild Wars franchise

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 20
Date: October 31, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First, please ignore "A Kid's Review". He doens't know what he's talking about. Guild Wars is not an mmorpg, first of all. It's an online coop games. There are a few RPG elements to it, but it's not classified as MMORPG. Second, Nightfall is not just slightly different from the previous two chapters, a lot of things changes have been brought to nightfall. The most significant change is the addition of a Hero's system. In the previous two campaigns, you could hire Henchmen, or computer controller NPC that aid you in battle, but you have no direct control over them. In Nightfall, you have Heros that are highly customizable. You can change the weapons, the skill sets on your Hero, and have a lot more control over what your heroes do. And believe me when I tell you that a properly controlled/equipped Hero can sometimes surpass a human teammate. And with the Hero addition, comes another competetive Hero vs Hero mode, where you lead a group of Hero's and fight against another human player with his/her group of Hero's. There are many new tweaks to the existing guild wars system that, depending on your preference, improve the gameplay of the entire guild war series.

The best part I love about this game is that you're rewarded for your skills, not how much time you spent on the game. The character levels are capped at 20, and it's easily achieved in 2-3 days. But that's not all there is to it. The real fun begins after level 20, when you start focusing on your build (skill set), as different area/enemies usually require a different build. And doing missions/quests/farming with a group of people is always fun. For those who are competitive, there are player vs player, guild vs guild, hero vs hero, and other game modes for your to fight against each other. Strategy and planning play a huge role and is extremely fun.

The online gameplay is completely free, and the developers do a great job patching the game regularly to fix any bugs there might be. I own all three campaigns, and enjoy them all! Highly recommended.

Gorgeous. Immersive. Diverse.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: March 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Just got a new Vista-based computer a couple of weeks ago and found myself surfing the net, checking out reviews on some of the newer RPGs out there to see what looked interesting. (And compatible.) I came across the usual suspects like Neverwinter Nights 2 and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, but it was the three versions of Guild Wars that kept catching my eye, particularly this one, Nightfall. I'd never heard of the game before, nor its developer Arenanet, and was initially put off because it seemed to be one of those of MMORPGs I have no interest in losing my personal life to, but it lingered in my peripheral vision, practically demanding I give it a closer look.

So I did...and wow! I was up until 1:30am last night playing and am absolutely hooked.

There's a bit of a learning curve that I'm still getting the hang of, and it took a while to get used to the online aspect being such an integral part of the game -- I actually logged off the first time someone asked me to join a guild because I thought I'd wandered somewhere I wasn't supposed to be! -- but so far, I love everything about this game, including the beautifully produced rulebook that could easily be mistaken for a Wizards of the Coast supplement.

I've started off playing a Mesmer, the closest thing to a D&D Bard, and I love the fact that the design of the game is such that you can play what is usually more of a support character, though that could simply be due to the early stages of the game being designed as something of a tutorial with consequences. We'll see about that, I guess.

This morning, I was checking out a few of the Guild Wars fansites and was glad to see there's a huge community behind the game that seems reasonably welcoming to newbies. One of the sites, [...], had a great article, "For the new player on a budget: Which Guild Wars Should You Buy?" that not only confirmed I'd made the right choice in Nightfall over Prophecies or Factions, but also shed light on why it kept catching my eye: "Nightfall is a mix of North Africa, Egypt, Middle East, and Greek elements."

While I enjoy the typical fantasy settings of medieval Europe and the whole Lord of the Rings vibe, I've always preferred alternative settings based on other cultures. Nightfall had continually caught my eye partly due to the number of characters of color prominently featured on the box, the Web site and the various screenshots I'd seen in different places. Coupled with the great reviews its received, it's no wonder it was the game I ultimately bought.

The character generation system also features a diverse range of facial features that allows you to create more representative characters with wider noses and fuller lips, as opposed to simply being able to change the skin tone. My Mesmer, Damien de Vellis, looks a lot closer to me than I've ever been able to get in any other game, a subtle but highly effective means of maximizing one's sense of immersion.

Highly recommended!

Game of the year!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: October 31, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The other 2 campaigns in the GuildWars series were both great in their own way, but this one is even better. It combines all the great features of the first two and adds a whole lot more. Hero's have been added to the mix and they take the game to a new level. You can equip them with skills and weapons and even change their secondary profession. The world is larger and more beautiful, and the two new professions are both nicely balanced and really fun to play. Considering there is still no monthly fee, this could possibly be the PC game of the year.

Best MMO for the price

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: February 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Reasons this is the best:
1) Buy the game, no monthly fees
2) Graphics are very, very nice. They are far less "cartoony" than WoW
3) Gameplay:
- PvE is great (especially with the advent of Hero companions). The world is huge. Quests are fun and challenging. Playing together with others is fun as well. Being in an "instance" when questing is nice because you do not have issues with kill stealers, annoying people, etc. Player customization is greatly varied.
- PvP is fun and you do not have to play 25 hours a day for 2 years to be able to compete with that guy who has a Godly-Sword-of-Never-Missing-Instant-Death-Induction like in WoW. The Skill system makes PvP play well ballanced and constantly changing.

If you are buying a version Guild Wars, this is definately the one to get. In fact, if you are getting an MMORPG, this is the one to get.

No, I do not work for the makers of the game.

Best Guild Wars yet!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: January 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you are looking for a non-monthly fee online game that is loads of fun and can keep your interest, this is it. I've played all 3 versions of Guild Wars and I like this one the best. I'll always enjoy the original Guild Wars, but the improvements they have made to Nightfall make it the best yet. Improvements include: the "Heroes" (customizable computer allies), weapon inscriptions and armor insignias (ways to upgrade armor and weapons), a good tutorial, an easy to follow story line, and earning promotion points for advancement.

With the tutorial the game is easy to learn and things that took me weeks to figure out in the original GW are explained right at the beginning of the game in the tutorial. Making a characters is half the fun (up to 4 characters at a time). Whether the character is the aggressive warrior in the front lines of battle, the monk who stays in the background healing those in need, the sorcerer who controls undead minions, the magician shooting spells of flame, the game has it all. The titles you can earn you can proudly display while in towns or outposts. The game can be played and be enjoyable playing only a couple hours a week. If you are like me you'll end up playing much more than that. Whatever your playing style is you can have fun.

Nightfall can be played by yourself (and computer allies), with a group of people (from all over the world), or a combination of both. Playing with computer allies allows the freedom to learn before teaming up with people. Playing with people can be very instructive and rewarding. How you choose to play is up to you, but remember, "You never fight alone."

Night falls, stars rise.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I really liked this game from the start ever since I started play Guild Wars: Philosphy. Every aspect of the game awes me to the fullest and there are more and more surprises around each corner. The sounds are great and fit in with the enviroment. The enivroment itself is oustanding proving how wonderful Guild Wars truly is. In Nightfall obatining a title is so much easier and obatainable at a low level even for new players. The graphic design and the fact that it runs very well on my slow computer shows to what great lengths Guild Wars goes to help every one out. I may never truly like another game the being free online is the biggest plus of all. For people like me who have a life and don't spend all their time on the computer you can just buy the game and play whenever you feel like it or have the time to. This game is one of a kind and I highly recommend buying it for any age.

I Need a Hero!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Guild Wars: Nightfall is the third chapter of the Guild Wars saga, and a welcome relief to those who weren't happy with Factions. There are some tweaks that incorporate some of the second outing, but offers its own twist to the gameplay.

This particular world (Elona) is set in an African-esque setting, and introduces the player to two new classes to the eight previous. The Dervish, a melee fighter that also incorporates a bit of spellcasting, and the Paragon, a spellcaster that incorporates a bit of ranged fighting. Those who have played either of the first two chapters (or crazed individuals like my husband and myself, both campaigns) will find the setup familiar-- PvP (Player vs Player), GvG (Guild vs Guild) or PvE (the player follows a storyline that involves completion of the smaller quests and larger missions).

Like Factions, the storyline will branch off at set points, and have the completion catagories of Standard, Expert, and Masters. Unlike Factions, most of the missions aren't based only on time-- you have the primary mission objective (good enough for the Standard award and you can go forward with the storyline) and special bonus objectives (depending on how much you've completed gives you the Expert or the Masters award). This alone we found as a great improvement, as we found the timed missions sometimes very hard to get the Masters rating.

One of the best features is the addition of Heros (with many apologies to Bonnie Tyler, how I came up with the title of this review). Heros are aquired through quests, and are NPCs that you can control. That means that you can set the levels of their different attributes, give them really cool weapons, tweak their armor, and give them skills that can help you complete quests much easier then relying on the henchmen that you can still get in the towns/outposts. You can get a wide variety of professions, and twice you get a choice between two heros-- the one you choose can affect your gameplay in PvE, so choose wisely. Another feature to Nightfall is the use of inscriptions for weapons, and insignias for armor.

The only real problem I've had with the game is that there's a bit more grinding (going into the explorable areas over and over again to kill monsters) then I thought I had to do in either game, which slows down the storyline for me. But it's a small quibble, as I've found the game enjoyable overall, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend this game to anyone who enjoys RPing online.

Good game, Buy it play it for 3 years

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: December 08, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This new edition of guild wars is better then the origionall prophecies game in my opinion. there are all new powers to controll and all new monsters to kill, there are also two new prophesions for you to master. My favorite new prophecion is the Deverish, they are definantly better, the paragons are sorta lame; right when you start you paragon looks really stupid. The other thing i don't like about the paragon is thier spears but on the other hand the have equiped the Dervirish with the awsome syths (if your a diverish make your second prophcion a monk)

The other things i love about this game is the henchamns and the hero's. right after the first toutorial mission you get your first hero koss. I also enjoyed the fact that if you still wanted to be one of the oringional 6 prophecions they have upgrades for them and brand new starting of armour. This game is very addicting and i must admit some of the players can be rather harsh sometimes, but then don't talk to them and they won't talk to you. if you don't enjoy the chatting part of guild wars then i would suggest that you don't join a guild, most guilds are just giant chat rooms about the game (but if you do chat sometimes guilds could help you with my ranger account they game me a rather excellent bow)

The whole african lanscape in the begining is the one thing i didn't really enjoy. Not to be mean but i don' like the fact that in the Jahari plains its always sunset,the monster that live in the area look sortof ood too i dont really like attacking plant like creatures during a high action game. the missions can be challenging you definantly want to bring a healer henchman with you on some of the misions. I suggest that you train as much as you can and do most of the missions you can on the first island and don't just do the main missions to get off the islands and play with the really good players, take your time on the totourial islands and you'll do just fine.

I suggest being the deverish, monk or ranger propecion they are the best ones to start out as and if your a first time player i suggest that you are one a the basic 6 prophecions these prophecions are Warrior,Ranger,Elementalist,Monk,Necromancer, and last and LEAST Mesmer
i have played evry guild wars games except for factions but so far i think that this one takes the cake (i have even played the collectors editions) So in a nutshell im going to sum it up

Good Game, Buy it play it for 3 years

With this release, GW becomes truly "massive"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Guild Wars has been a beautiful, non-demanding environment for casual and intense gameplay from the outset. But with this latest release, the game becomes truly massive both in terms of how you approach the game and how much there is to do. The non-subscription fee model remains stress-free. Play at your own pace, and enjoy it.

Prophesies provided 6 character types and about 50 cities (300 waypoints to visit over all characters). Factions added 2 character types and another 50 cities (~800 waypoints overall). Nightfall adds another 2 character types and another 50 or so cities (~1500 waypoints overall).

But the really big "expansion" in Nightfall is the introduction of heroes. Each character has about 10 customizable companions they can bring along for the ride 3 at a time. Where the original game and first expansion limited you to 8 skills any time you went exploring, heroes require you to pick 8 skills each for yourself and three of your heroes (32 overall). This becomes exponentially more interesting as you add skill sets and profession types. You can build a whole team around spiking, knockdown, four dire pets attacking at once, interruption, dazing, degeneration, life-stealing, fire damage, protection from cold, whatever you like.

Equipping your heroes makes things much more interesting: it is no longer easy to jump to the best armor and nearly-best weapons in the game after about 20 hours of game play; you can do that for your main character, but investing time, resources and skills in your heroes is rewarding at the outset and stays fun for the long haul. Constantly refining your approach is fun without being demanding--if you always like the same 3 heroes, you can always play with those 3.

The new paragon profession is more powerful and useful as its party grows bigger and bigger, a really neat dynamic for approaching a large task with 8-16 characters, their pets, minions, and allies. This works with henchmen and heroes as well as with fellow players.

The new dervish profession is a finesse build, tricky but rewarding to play, a bit like the original mesmer class in its complexity, though it is more like a cross between an axe warrior, earth elementalist and smiting monk in terms of its deployment. Much of the power of the profession comes from when enchantments *end*, so constantly renewing an enchantment before it runs out is not as effective.

Where the first two chapters were fun, a player felt like he/she had "figured out" the roleplaying game after a while, leaving only PvP to pique the interest. With Nightfall, the roleplaying campaign just became so dynamic, complex and varied that GW for the first time truly deserves to be called "massive."

More and more game commands have moved to keyboard shortcuts in the game, a nice improvement. Hopefully the next expansion will make the game "mouse optional," which would be easier on the wrists and hands.

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