WAR Stories

Since open beta, I've been playing this game on and off. Of course, arguably the damn thing is still in open beta, but that seems to be the way with PC games these days, especially MMOs. Despite the memory leaks and the general lack of polish however, the game has still provided the essential fun.

First off, as I said, I've been playing on and off. But unlike the other MMOs I've played (WoW, EVE, and AoC) WAR doesn't seem to mind that I may not log in for several days at a time, or that the game has been out for almost a month and I'm still only rank 19. No, it says, don't feel rushed. Take your time and enjoy the leveling process at whatever pace you desire. I have previously praised Guild Wars' leveling system as an ideal, but I think I am more impressed with WAR's. It doesn't just hide a grind to cap behind something more fun than killing boars, it makes every level of play worthwhile and enjoyable in its own right. The game could end at my current rank, and I'd still hand EA my money each month.

As for the raw gameplay, I've already had some cool experiences. Playing as a swordmaster, the high elf tank, I've really had to work at learning a new way of playing. Tanks can actually protect their allies in WAR, with abilities that reduce enemy damage output, increase allied avoidance, and split damage. But you aren't just a pet rottweiler for the clothies, you also carry some nice front-line abilities like knockbacks, spell interrupts, and just generally being a pain in the ass that won't die. You have to decide whether to hang back and protect your backline or get up front and lead the charge, whether you should grab a flag or if another player would hold it better with you guarding them.

Then there is the swordmaster's class mechanic, blade dancing. Like the Guild Wars assassin, the bulk of your attacks are chained together into a three-part combo, with moves restricted to one stage of the chain. But as compensation for only being able to use 2/3rds of your attacks at a given time (the starter moves are always available), the final move in the chain has no cost, in addition to being the most potent. Throw all this together, and you have a class that takes some serious finesse to play well, and rewards that finesse with allies that stay alive. It is very satisfying when you link up your dance just right, so that you are always in the proper stage at just the right time to use the move you need to get the effect you want.

Plus, pushing the limits of how long you can survive guarding a flag solo, just as "Don't Stop Believing" comes out of nowhere on Pandora is pretty kickass.