Ahead of the Game - Guild Wars Reforged is a genre classic with a monetisation scheme that's...odd, to say the least
Reforged in some way
- Relive the MMORPG classic on mobile
- Create your character and venture out into the world
- Get ready for the paywall and the oddly placed ads though
It's all about managing expectations in this week's Ahead of the Game series, where we tell you about a new mobile endeavour that's playable in one form or another despite its unofficial launch.
I don't normally give too much of my opinions away with this series, but I suppose I'll make an exception with Guild Wars Reforged - mainly because the monetisation here just feels too bizarre. For one thing, a free account means you can't chat with other players, trade with them or even invite them into your party. For another, there are ads - and intrusive ones at that.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Guild Wars Reforged is basically this cult classic that's supposedly one of the staples that defined the genre, but since Ragnarok Online was what defined MMORPGs for me back then, I'm not exactly familiar with the Guild Wars nostalgia factor. Fans of the franchise will no doubt be ecstatic to see this make its way to mobile, but for me, it just looks, feels, and plays far too outdated for my taste.
If you're at all familiar with MMORPGs, you'll know how the gameplay usually works. You create your character from a variety of classes, take on quests all by your lonesome for a while, then eventually make your way out into the big, wide world with other players and go adventuring together. You level up, unlock skills, and bulk up your equipment as you go along, all while enjoying the camaraderie this social experience offers wholeheartedly.
I do love the genre, but for Guild Wars Reforged, it's just a tad perplexing to have said social features locked behind a paywall. I understand how this might be more palatable for others who aren't too keen on pay-to-win in-app purchases, but does it have to have disruptive ads too?
In one particular instance, for example, I was on my way to speak to an NPC for a mainline quest, but then just as I was about to enter the location where said NPC was waiting for me, an ad unapologetically cut in - and it took forever to load once the ad was done. I had to log out and log back in just to continue the game - and if that's not bad ad placement, I don't know what is.
Still, combat is pretty enjoyable despite the lack of auto-navigation waypoints common in mobile MMOs, so I'm not sure if this whole thing just isn't my cup of tea. If it's purely catering to fans of the franchise, then I suppose it's a win, but if it's trying to entice newbies to the series like me, I'm not sure it's doing an effective job at the moment.
So, how do you play Guild Wars Reforged?
Now, since this series is called Ahead of the Game, you can pretty much guess that Guild Wars Reforged isn't in its full official launch just yet. It's currently in soft-launch in select regions, so here's hoping it somehow manages to find its footing where monetisation is concerned. It really does seem enjoyable - and it'd be a shame if all that went to waste just because of oddly placed ads.Then again, it's my first time encountering an MMORPG with both ads and premium-locked features, so that's probably why I'm so triggered. It might just be a matter of managing expectations - give it a go and let us know what you think!
