Guild Wars 2: Unlock the Code of Creation

ArenaNet is hoping players are satisfied with Code of Creation, the finale to the Visions of Eternity story line – they’ll have to be, because it’s the last story beat they’ll get for Guild Wars 2 for some time.

That’s because the studio’s focus will be on Guild Wars 3 for the next year or so. That doesn’t mean GW2 will be abandoned – there are plenty of updates and tweaks to existing content in the works – but the “new zone, new story” cadence we’ve grown used to every few months is over, at least for the time being.

So, does Code of Creation provide that satisfying conclusion, and is it enough to keep players entertained through the dry spell? Let’s take a look.

Vloxx-ed In

Narrative Lead Indigo Linde and Story Design Lead Chloe Mills were our guides during a press preview of the update, which Linde said would answer the question of “who decides the fate of Tyria following the Elder Dragons?” It’s a question that’s been hanging in the air for four years, ever since the launch of the appropriately titled End of Dragons, and one that ArenaNet has steadily been building toward during the following expansions.

There are six story chapters in all, because the dev team “wanted to make sure the story was meaty enough and had space to breathe,” Linde said. The chapter we played together featured an early encounter with the now-ascended Vloxx, where he gave a poignant speech about the nature of chak and how, even if you dress them up with a bow (figuratively speaking), they’ll still try to eat your face (literally speaking). There’s something to be said about human nature there, too.

As usual, we don’t want to delve too far into the story here because you’d rather appreciate it in the game. In addition to dealing with Vloxx, the psychotic Kuda is now in control of the Inquest, which is further cause for panic. If it’s not one thing, it’s another, amirite?

Cruel Intentions

After months of trekking through jungle in the expansion’s previous zones, players will now take a trip underground, to the Leyspring Hollows. The map is meant to evoke a kind of “lava tunnels” look, with meandering natural pathways and wide-open spaces carved out by … I don’t know, ley energy? That’s the answer to everything, isn’t it?

Far from barren rocky tubes, the zone is still full of vegetation and architecture, all tinged with an eerie blue glow which will likely wreak havoc on your carefully dyed outfits. In terms of looks, I’d call it “hauntingly beautiful,” and arguably the most visually pleasing of the four Castoran zones, though I do enjoy the tropical beaches of Shipwreck Strand when I want some sunlight. Yes, I do get that sometimes.

Story-wise, the area was used by the seers to hide their magic items from the mursaat, but, as usual, the arrival of the Inquest has mucked everything up. In addition to ley magic permeating the fauna and turning many of them hostile, you’ll have to deal with souped-up Inquest thugs hampering your progress, culminating with the zone’s meta event, Depths of Cruelty.

In this event, Kuda has captured our skritt ally R’tchikk, and beating her will require greater coordination between players than usual for big events. The prime enemy is a Mark III Suppressor Golem, similar in design and mechanics to the Mark I and Mark II golems players should be familiar with from previous content. These include lots of red rings, machine-gun fire, and big ground stompies that you’ll have to dodge or jump over. As the last piece of new content we’ll see for a while, I don’t even mind that it’s a kind of “Greatest Hits” album of boss fight mechanics. It’s a nice pseudo-send-off.

Between sessions of bashing the Golem into its cubic bits, you’ll have to escape through portals at regular intervals and let other groups of players have their crack at it while you clean up additional messes. The strategy of “splitting up” meta participants into groups is something ArenaNet figured out very early on, and probably served as the primary reason why Guild Wars 3 will only allow 20 or so players into big content pieces.

I’ve barely got the space to even mention the new fractal, raid, and convergence, all of which are all coming as well, but weren’t covered in my preview. Suffice it to say that there’s plenty of content here, and ArenaNet hopes it will keep players invested for long enough to last through the coming months.

Paid Proper Wages

Why do we fight? Sure, it’s ostensibly to stop Kuda and Vloxx and all the other evils in the world, but the real answer is the rewards. (That makes one think: If the Commander/Wayfinder wasn’t promised shiny gear for their efforts, would all of Tyria have been consumed by the Elder Dragons or some other major threat by now? Probably.)

The shiniest of the rewards is, of course, the new legendary weapon, the sword Wages of Stars. Featuring a constellation down its blade and stars in its hilt, it flashes a greater array of constellations when unsheathed and offers the expected array of fancy light trails when it’s used in battle. When sheathed, its visual effect is … well, itself, as it floats behind you, ready to teleport into your hand when called forth. It’s one of the best legendary designs I’ve seen in a long time, but I don’t use a sword on any of my characters and I’m a little worn out from making legendaries recently and I don’t need another one right now and oh god I’m going to make this, aren’t I?

The new craftable weapon set is the Shining Ward weapons, which offer some more attainable, but still pleasing-looking, options in blue and gold. There’s also a greatsword that can drop from the meta, and a new infusion with glowing purple eyes. I also have in my notes “Inquest weapons” and “Fractal sword and shield, higher tier on higher difficulties,” which, combined with the rest of the Ward Hunter armor set and Gwyl Knight weapons (darker recolors of the previous Gwyl weapons) offered in the Wizard’s Vault, should give you an idea of the vast number of cosmetics going into this update.

The most charming of them all might be the Bird Pond chair, which does for bird lovers what the Dog Bench and Cat Tree chairs did for dog and cat lovers. Now, where’s a chair for people who have pet spiders?

ArenaNet needed to pack a lot into Code of Creation to tide players over for a while, and my early, pre-launch, view makes me think that was a success. We’ll still get the Hall of Monuments update this year, as well as a new World vs. World map, a new Orr zone, and additional polish for old content later on. This won’t be like previous content droughts, like the ones that preceded and followed the Heart of Thorns launch. The studio learned from that mistake and has a better plan this time around.

And if you don’t want to play Guild Wars 2 while it’s in its semi-maintenance mode? ArenaNet’s fine with that, too. The game will still be there when you’re ready to jump back in, and you’ll have oodles of Guild Wars 3 news to keep you occupied in the meantime. Until then, may the stars guide you on all your journeys.