Guild Wars 2 A Whisper In The Dark Impressions
Warriors of Tyria will be familiar with the Shiverpeaks of late. September’s prologue, Bound By Blood, might have opened on revelry and rock concerts but ended with a foolhardy Imperator barrelling north into danger. As the forces of Tyria seem to pivot towards the growing threat of Jormag, the first episode of this new Living World Season continues to wade deeper into the snowy frontier.
This isn’t the first time that the grim north has featured in ArenaNet’s Living World. The Bitterfrost Frontier appeared during Season 3 and gave us a brief glimpse of the danger posed by Jormag and its associated minions. It was never much more than a fleeting visit and a tour of the Kodan domain. Now, A Whisper In The Dark is about to take us into the heart of this battle. Hot on the heels of Bangar, players will find is an unforgiving frontier ready to consume anything that stands in its way.
The newest region to adorn the map of Tyria is the frosty frontier of Bjora Marches. The coldest extremity that we’ve probably seen in Guild Wars 2 made an instant impression when I landed in it for the first time. Although many of my previews touch on the scale or grandeur of a new location, this is distinctly claustrophobic. Setting down amidst a torrential blizzard, the Marches barely give a glimpse of what’s to come and it’s not pretty. Tumbling down an icy slope, the opening moments with the Commander and their cohorts brings players to an abandoned fortress that seems almost as dead as Orr.
Dead Scary
It’s clear that something horrid happened here and while I’m not going to spoil the narrative this jumping-off point for A Whisper In The Dark is one of the most impactful I’ve seen since the opening Act of Heart of Thorns. The Commander is stepping into nothing good and ArenaNet really builds a sense of foreboding in this place. The high walla and weather-beaten buildings of this fortress continue to build on that claustrophobic tension and imply that you might very well be trapped while the blizzard penetrates every area, closing off each avenue of escape and cloaking the entire world in threat.
Horror is something that this episode leans on heavily. Some incredible audio cues play throughout the opening moments and on into the wider map. Discordant notes, ripped straight from great horror franchises, play in the background as an accompaniment to the whispering voice that serves to keep you looking over your shoulder. The voice isn’t just to keep you guessing either, it does a fantastic job of reminding players that there might just be something stalking you in the wind while you creep out into the forests that await.
Nevermore?
As the episode creeps out towards the Fallen Ruins and the forests beyond, the wider map continues to unsettle anybody brave enough to step out into the void. A great evil has its sights set on our party. Taking some very obvious inspiration from Game of Thrones, an icy interloper leads an army that would bring a chill to the heart of any Commander. Much like the assault on Joko’s palace, this particular moment, when it arrives, is part of a wider map meta that provides a push and pull across the map. The only difference here is that this time you are under assault.
Thankfully, players are not alone in holding the line. Ancient Norn spirits are able to guide you and bless your party with a range of buffs that provide protection from the bitter cold. The Raven Mastery line and shires dotted throughout the snow provide a fantastic reason to engage in the map’s wider dynamic events. Without utilizing these or the map’s new Raven Mastery the only alternative is to succumb to the permafrost as it chills you to the bone. The Raven blessing that these shrines bestow is critical to survival, and yet not the only buff that the map has available. The three new Essence Manipulation Mastery Lines make taking the fight to the north a breeze. As you unlock both two tiers of each Resilinacec, Valor, and Vigilance Mastery line the foes you face in the field will begin to drop orbs that assist you. Downing most enemies will provide a single orb of this Essence and stack to provide bonuses and protection against Vigilance, Resilience, or Valor depending on the type of mob that you takedown. Taking on larger enemies will result in more stacks and higher stakes, encouraging players to escalate their endeavors up into the outer reaches of the map.
The specifics of this Essence Mastery are already detailed in an ArenaNet blog post and accessing them isn’t too difficult. There are plenty of Mastery points scattered among the northwest of the map, in Raven’s Sanctum, but I do still have some reservations. Whether this new power track provides an ingenious rock, paper, scissors style element to grouping up on enemies or just simply causes more fractious elements between the haves and have nots is going to be down to how players take to tasks like the weekly Strike missions.
Striking At The Boneskinner
Up beyond the last vestiges of civilization, among the ancestral home of the Norn, tales of a monstrous beast creep across campfires and prey on the unprepared. Something is coming for Tyria but you will have more immediate issues. While you wander the white wastelands you might think you’re going mad. Voices pierce your consciousness and a huge creature seems to appear and vanish without warning. You’re not having hallucinations. Unfortunately, the Boneskinner is real. The recent introduction of Strike missions provides the perfect opportunity for players to take on this champion and overcome a new enemy. Available every week, Strike Missions are easily the peak difficulty this map possesses and provide a range of boss challenges and reward chests that encourage players to make full use of the new Essence Mastery enhancements that ArenaNet has incorporated into this area. Not only does the new Essence Manipulation system provide a series of damage modifiers, but it also allows players to unlock chests that are vulnerable to a particular type of Essence attunement.
While the entire Essence Manipulation system sounds like a version of elemental attunement found in other RPGs, ArenaNet appears to be planning this as part of the wider Season 5 progression arc, expanding the tiers in the same way as Mount skills featured in Season 4 of the Living World. While I found that Mount skills made life significantly easier, they didn’t feel as mandatory as Essence Manipulation. You might not need to take on strike missions but venture into the weekly rotation of monster encounter and these torrid encounters will absolutely punish teams that cannot keep up the damage mitigation via this new bonus.
Beyond The Wall
There is far more to this map than a skirmish with the ice king or taking down a crooked predator. As you push past the opening the latest map, more spooky goings-on lie before you. There’s a distinctly unnatural element to the whole scene. Whether it’s fallen Kodan or spirits that skulk around the fringes of these maps. In fact, one of the most disturbing moments that you’ll encounter happens in the ramshackle remains of an outpost located in the fringes of this map. Beyond the consuming storm front, you’ll find an abandoned Kodan. What begins as a simple fetch quest quickly turns into a moral quandary as this broken Kodan turns into a far more unnerving problem and a problem that you want to just get away from.
It’s been some time since I pointed out the writing and character development in these episodes but A Whisper in The Dark plays on the sense of impending doom and claustrophobia that I mentioned earlier to delve into the psyche of its characters. From the deeply disturbed ambient whispers to the rumors of bit-part characters and the ultimate redemption of some of our less loved heroes. This is not just a horror story but a deeply engaging experience that explores a different type of battle.
The entire episode leans heavily on Norn influence and that’s no surprise. From the Norn spirits to the enemy that attempts to overwhelm the few forces of Tyria that would hold the line, it makes for a great look into the Norn that doesn’t create a series of caricatures, swilling booze and enjoying a quick Keg Brawl. It also drops some awsome looking rewards in the form of a brand new weapon collection too. While our first few hours in Bjora Marches might have felt distinctly like a trip beyond the wall, I felt like ArenaNet made great use of this obvious nod. The epic onslaught of frozen warriors, whether it is the defense of Jora’s Keep, the Strike Missions, or the gigantic Icebrood Construct that eventually attacks, all feels like it is simply a stage for the personal battles that our characters fight. A Whisper in the Dark is not a grand sweeping epic and the map reflects this. It is crammed with things to discover, lots of character development, and lovely little touches that give the entire northern front a depth that is otherwise stretched out across other episodes. In the dark night, only the bravest rise and Raven help them they will need everything to get through the rest of this season.
A Whisper in the Dark is out now. Just log into Guild Wars 2 to unlock this episode for free or head over to the official website to grab a copy of Guild Wars 2.
https://www.gamespace.com/all-articles/news/guild-wars-2-a-whisper-in-the-wind-impressions/
Guild Wars 2 begins its latest adventure today as A Whisper in The Dark heralds the start of Living World Season 5. Gamespace formed an advanced guard and headed into the Shiverpeaks last week.Warriors of Tyria will be familiar with the Shiverpeaks of late. September’s prologue, Bound By Blood, might have opened on revelry and rock concerts but ended with a foolhardy Imperator barrelling north into danger. As the forces of Tyria seem to pivot towards the growing threat of Jormag, the first episode of this new Living World Season continues to wade deeper into the snowy frontier.
This isn’t the first time that the grim north has featured in ArenaNet’s Living World. The Bitterfrost Frontier appeared during Season 3 and gave us a brief glimpse of the danger posed by Jormag and its associated minions. It was never much more than a fleeting visit and a tour of the Kodan domain. Now, A Whisper In The Dark is about to take us into the heart of this battle. Hot on the heels of Bangar, players will find is an unforgiving frontier ready to consume anything that stands in its way.
The newest region to adorn the map of Tyria is the frosty frontier of Bjora Marches. The coldest extremity that we’ve probably seen in Guild Wars 2 made an instant impression when I landed in it for the first time. Although many of my previews touch on the scale or grandeur of a new location, this is distinctly claustrophobic. Setting down amidst a torrential blizzard, the Marches barely give a glimpse of what’s to come and it’s not pretty. Tumbling down an icy slope, the opening moments with the Commander and their cohorts brings players to an abandoned fortress that seems almost as dead as Orr.
Dead Scary
It’s clear that something horrid happened here and while I’m not going to spoil the narrative this jumping-off point for A Whisper In The Dark is one of the most impactful I’ve seen since the opening Act of Heart of Thorns. The Commander is stepping into nothing good and ArenaNet really builds a sense of foreboding in this place. The high walla and weather-beaten buildings of this fortress continue to build on that claustrophobic tension and imply that you might very well be trapped while the blizzard penetrates every area, closing off each avenue of escape and cloaking the entire world in threat.
Horror is something that this episode leans on heavily. Some incredible audio cues play throughout the opening moments and on into the wider map. Discordant notes, ripped straight from great horror franchises, play in the background as an accompaniment to the whispering voice that serves to keep you looking over your shoulder. The voice isn’t just to keep you guessing either, it does a fantastic job of reminding players that there might just be something stalking you in the wind while you creep out into the forests that await.
Nevermore?
As the episode creeps out towards the Fallen Ruins and the forests beyond, the wider map continues to unsettle anybody brave enough to step out into the void. A great evil has its sights set on our party. Taking some very obvious inspiration from Game of Thrones, an icy interloper leads an army that would bring a chill to the heart of any Commander. Much like the assault on Joko’s palace, this particular moment, when it arrives, is part of a wider map meta that provides a push and pull across the map. The only difference here is that this time you are under assault.
Thankfully, players are not alone in holding the line. Ancient Norn spirits are able to guide you and bless your party with a range of buffs that provide protection from the bitter cold. The Raven Mastery line and shires dotted throughout the snow provide a fantastic reason to engage in the map’s wider dynamic events. Without utilizing these or the map’s new Raven Mastery the only alternative is to succumb to the permafrost as it chills you to the bone. The Raven blessing that these shrines bestow is critical to survival, and yet not the only buff that the map has available. The three new Essence Manipulation Mastery Lines make taking the fight to the north a breeze. As you unlock both two tiers of each Resilinacec, Valor, and Vigilance Mastery line the foes you face in the field will begin to drop orbs that assist you. Downing most enemies will provide a single orb of this Essence and stack to provide bonuses and protection against Vigilance, Resilience, or Valor depending on the type of mob that you takedown. Taking on larger enemies will result in more stacks and higher stakes, encouraging players to escalate their endeavors up into the outer reaches of the map.
The specifics of this Essence Mastery are already detailed in an ArenaNet blog post and accessing them isn’t too difficult. There are plenty of Mastery points scattered among the northwest of the map, in Raven’s Sanctum, but I do still have some reservations. Whether this new power track provides an ingenious rock, paper, scissors style element to grouping up on enemies or just simply causes more fractious elements between the haves and have nots is going to be down to how players take to tasks like the weekly Strike missions.
Striking At The Boneskinner
Up beyond the last vestiges of civilization, among the ancestral home of the Norn, tales of a monstrous beast creep across campfires and prey on the unprepared. Something is coming for Tyria but you will have more immediate issues. While you wander the white wastelands you might think you’re going mad. Voices pierce your consciousness and a huge creature seems to appear and vanish without warning. You’re not having hallucinations. Unfortunately, the Boneskinner is real. The recent introduction of Strike missions provides the perfect opportunity for players to take on this champion and overcome a new enemy. Available every week, Strike Missions are easily the peak difficulty this map possesses and provide a range of boss challenges and reward chests that encourage players to make full use of the new Essence Mastery enhancements that ArenaNet has incorporated into this area. Not only does the new Essence Manipulation system provide a series of damage modifiers, but it also allows players to unlock chests that are vulnerable to a particular type of Essence attunement.
While the entire Essence Manipulation system sounds like a version of elemental attunement found in other RPGs, ArenaNet appears to be planning this as part of the wider Season 5 progression arc, expanding the tiers in the same way as Mount skills featured in Season 4 of the Living World. While I found that Mount skills made life significantly easier, they didn’t feel as mandatory as Essence Manipulation. You might not need to take on strike missions but venture into the weekly rotation of monster encounter and these torrid encounters will absolutely punish teams that cannot keep up the damage mitigation via this new bonus.
Beyond The Wall
There is far more to this map than a skirmish with the ice king or taking down a crooked predator. As you push past the opening the latest map, more spooky goings-on lie before you. There’s a distinctly unnatural element to the whole scene. Whether it’s fallen Kodan or spirits that skulk around the fringes of these maps. In fact, one of the most disturbing moments that you’ll encounter happens in the ramshackle remains of an outpost located in the fringes of this map. Beyond the consuming storm front, you’ll find an abandoned Kodan. What begins as a simple fetch quest quickly turns into a moral quandary as this broken Kodan turns into a far more unnerving problem and a problem that you want to just get away from.
It’s been some time since I pointed out the writing and character development in these episodes but A Whisper in The Dark plays on the sense of impending doom and claustrophobia that I mentioned earlier to delve into the psyche of its characters. From the deeply disturbed ambient whispers to the rumors of bit-part characters and the ultimate redemption of some of our less loved heroes. This is not just a horror story but a deeply engaging experience that explores a different type of battle.
The entire episode leans heavily on Norn influence and that’s no surprise. From the Norn spirits to the enemy that attempts to overwhelm the few forces of Tyria that would hold the line, it makes for a great look into the Norn that doesn’t create a series of caricatures, swilling booze and enjoying a quick Keg Brawl. It also drops some awsome looking rewards in the form of a brand new weapon collection too. While our first few hours in Bjora Marches might have felt distinctly like a trip beyond the wall, I felt like ArenaNet made great use of this obvious nod. The epic onslaught of frozen warriors, whether it is the defense of Jora’s Keep, the Strike Missions, or the gigantic Icebrood Construct that eventually attacks, all feels like it is simply a stage for the personal battles that our characters fight. A Whisper in the Dark is not a grand sweeping epic and the map reflects this. It is crammed with things to discover, lots of character development, and lovely little touches that give the entire northern front a depth that is otherwise stretched out across other episodes. In the dark night, only the bravest rise and Raven help them they will need everything to get through the rest of this season.
A Whisper in the Dark is out now. Just log into Guild Wars 2 to unlock this episode for free or head over to the official website to grab a copy of Guild Wars 2.
https://www.gamespace.com/all-articles/news/guild-wars-2-a-whisper-in-the-wind-impressions/
Guild Wars 2 Icebrood Saga Whispers in the Dark Preview
image: https://images.mmorpg.com/images/heroes/features/14126.jpg
Today is the launch of the next season of living story content for Guild Wars 2, Icebrood Saga. However, aside from being the next chapter of the story for Guild Wars 2, this update also brings with it some features we have previously only received with paid expansions. Last week I had the opportunity to check out this new update ahead of release and not only experience the story firsthand, but to also poke around the new map a bit. So let’s dive right in and discuss some of the exciting things arriving today. I’m also going to steer clear of any story spoilers that weren’t shown in the trailer.
We start by returning to check on how things have been going since we were forced to retreat at the end of the prologue. Unfortunately, we find the keep deserted and must start a search for our friends. This search takes us into the new map Bjora Marches, though it should probably be called Bjora Tundra because it’s much more of a frozen wasteland than anything else. Seriously there’s an ice storm that’s continuously going so not only is it snowy and covered in snow, but it’s also sort of hard to find your way around at first.
image: https://images.mmorpg.com/features/14126/images/image003_t.jpg
Sure there’s plenty of wildlife around, and the Sons of Savanir are a huge presence, but the touch of Jormag is on everything. Whenever I went out into the map the raging storm would cause me to get a debuff, which among other things would create a frost effect around the screen. If I ignored it too long I’d get frozen and would have to break myself out, which seemed like more of an annoyance than an actual problem. For example, as soon as I broke out of the ice, I was freed of all frozen effect, which is excellent in terms of gameplay but doesn’t make much logical sense. There’s also the raven statues throughout the zone, which will warm you back up and prevent the frozen effect.
One of the most exciting aspects of this episode is the whispers everyone hears throughout the episode. These whispers are consistently clawing at each character’s most closely held worries and their own perceived failings. Of course, some characters are more susceptible to this than others, but it was fascinating to see how each handles these moments. Aside from hearing their reactions there is also a visual which happens to indicate when they hear the voice in their head. These are small moments for the most part, but it goes a long way towards continuing their story arcs. Especially certain characters we haven’t known for long.
image: https://images.mmorpg.com/features/14126/images/image005_t.jpg
The Mastery system has also been expanded with the addition of this chapter to include masteries to make use of the new resistance system. These mastery tracks use a new type of mastery point, similar to how expansions worked previously. There are three different resistances that players gather from various mobs in the map. Each resistance is related to a type of creature, and every resistance is strong and weak against another resistance. ArenaNet did a great job of outlining the system in this blog post for a more in-depth look at the system.
Anytime I was fighting any type of enemy throughout the fight they’d drop these small orbs, and picking them up would grant me a stacking buff. For example, one is called the Essence of Valor that at thirty stacks gives a buff, which increases Magic Find and gave me resistance to damage from Savanir. When they dropped the orbs it looked like a small circle with the green sphere in the middle, which had the face of a badger on it. Thirty stacks also granted the occasional use of the Night Terror ability, which would deal a great deal of damage to whatever I was fighting. Since these buffs drop while fighting any creature, ones with more substantial health pools dropped more orbs.
image: https://images.mmorpg.com/features/14126/images/image007_t.jpg
While this system is exciting and adds a bit of flavor to being out on the map itself, it also could have some interesting uses for the strike missions. Making sure you have whatever buff would be most useful for the strike mission that’s up would be a huge help. It is also an excellent call for these buffs to not be a detriment to the player at all, just a buff. I’m not sure how I feel about the Masteries not being tied to things that change or enhance how I can move around a map. On the one hand it will be nice not to be held back in completing the story because I need to unlock masteries. On the other though, it’s always nice to get to explore a new part of a map because I unlocked a cool new ability.
Either way, this story installment sets the new season off with a bang. I, for once, am not at all sure where things will go from here. Icebrood Saga so far feels like an expansion lite, which we’re getting for free, and that’s fantastic. I can’t wait for everyone else to hop in so we can start discussing the story in earnest. See you in Tyria!
https://www.mmorpg.com/guild-wars-2...-saga-whispers-in-the-dark-preview-1000014126
image: https://images.mmorpg.com/images/heroes/features/14126.jpg
Today is the launch of the next season of living story content for Guild Wars 2, Icebrood Saga. However, aside from being the next chapter of the story for Guild Wars 2, this update also brings with it some features we have previously only received with paid expansions. Last week I had the opportunity to check out this new update ahead of release and not only experience the story firsthand, but to also poke around the new map a bit. So let’s dive right in and discuss some of the exciting things arriving today. I’m also going to steer clear of any story spoilers that weren’t shown in the trailer.
We start by returning to check on how things have been going since we were forced to retreat at the end of the prologue. Unfortunately, we find the keep deserted and must start a search for our friends. This search takes us into the new map Bjora Marches, though it should probably be called Bjora Tundra because it’s much more of a frozen wasteland than anything else. Seriously there’s an ice storm that’s continuously going so not only is it snowy and covered in snow, but it’s also sort of hard to find your way around at first.
image: https://images.mmorpg.com/features/14126/images/image003_t.jpg
One of the most exciting aspects of this episode is the whispers everyone hears throughout the episode. These whispers are consistently clawing at each character’s most closely held worries and their own perceived failings. Of course, some characters are more susceptible to this than others, but it was fascinating to see how each handles these moments. Aside from hearing their reactions there is also a visual which happens to indicate when they hear the voice in their head. These are small moments for the most part, but it goes a long way towards continuing their story arcs. Especially certain characters we haven’t known for long.
image: https://images.mmorpg.com/features/14126/images/image005_t.jpg
Anytime I was fighting any type of enemy throughout the fight they’d drop these small orbs, and picking them up would grant me a stacking buff. For example, one is called the Essence of Valor that at thirty stacks gives a buff, which increases Magic Find and gave me resistance to damage from Savanir. When they dropped the orbs it looked like a small circle with the green sphere in the middle, which had the face of a badger on it. Thirty stacks also granted the occasional use of the Night Terror ability, which would deal a great deal of damage to whatever I was fighting. Since these buffs drop while fighting any creature, ones with more substantial health pools dropped more orbs.
image: https://images.mmorpg.com/features/14126/images/image007_t.jpg
Either way, this story installment sets the new season off with a bang. I, for once, am not at all sure where things will go from here. Icebrood Saga so far feels like an expansion lite, which we’re getting for free, and that’s fantastic. I can’t wait for everyone else to hop in so we can start discussing the story in earnest. See you in Tyria!
https://www.mmorpg.com/guild-wars-2...-saga-whispers-in-the-dark-preview-1000014126
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