Guild Wars

I tried the 3 day Guild Wars preview this weekend. Not too bad. The game is easy to get into, the graphics are gorgeous, the characters are fairly well balanced, and it's possible to quest alone with AI "henchmen" if you have the problem I did of having your party poop out before going the distance.

I created an Elementalist/Monk and did some questing with parties and solo. I also just did some roaming in the exploration areas and picked up all sorts of gear. I only managed to find one rare item, a staff with + to energy AND -1 energy regen, that was pointless. I did some wheeling and dealing and used what I found to craft Pyromancer boots and coat for my firebug/healer. A little red and orange dye and I was looking pretty spiff. Here's how I look decked out ingame:

Will I be plunking down 50 simoleons for this game? I'm thinking, "probably". It's not the greatest game ever, but neither was Diablo II and I got years of enjoyment from it. So, there you go. It gets a thumbs up from me. Maybe I'll see you at Lion's Arch sometime?