We ride into the Mistburned Barrens for a look around before the Alliance stage their own expedition in Janthir Wilds – Repentance.
ArenaNet just launched the anticipated update to its big Tyrian adventure. Guild Wars 2 rides into battle once again for the latest chapter of Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds quarterly expansion content and a foe that you might have seen before, just not quite like this. Repentance follows form a titanic struggle against powerful forces of nature and follows a trail in towards the Mists. We figured it seemed like a good idea to head in first and see what loot you might find, if you survive.
The Mistburned Barrens
Answer yet another mail call and kick of the latest chapter in an adventure that began further back than most Wayfinders might imagine. ArenaNet’s newest update is on the precipice of something huge, skirting around precarious territory and depositing players in a staging camp on the outskirts of Bava Nisos. For the uninitiated, Bava Nisos can be found in the depths of Janthir Wilds. Teetering on the edge of the world map, it’s a corrupted place that hosts an agonising tale and very little welcoming green space. Unlike other new maps, the outer regions of this once spectacular city have a singular safe spawn, and it’s not exactly expansive. After pressing forward, the Alliance and its assorted factions can be found shuffling around a crumbling ruin, reenforcing defense and preparing a paltry force to push out into an inhospitable welcome. Thankfully for us, the oppressive weather and abrasive locals that linger beyond the warm glow of asuran cannons won’t stop you from exploring.
Bava Nisos is kind of specular in its own agonizing way. An oppressing haze seems to hang over the map, and it’s more than just a toxic glimmer. Giant ruins that could be inspired by the Temple of Febe, are similarly grandiose, but where pustules and organic tendrils cracked the stone, here it’s a Bloodstone haze. Trudging out into the waiting maps, the sense of scale is palpable. Whether you wander into the caverns and gardens, or take a look around the Grand Athenaeum, each of the very separate sections are spectacular in their desolation. Red shards and great gothic designs intersect, replacing gold plating with jade corruption in a very fitting nod to the recent past.
The new verticality is as much about grandeur and intimidation, it’s a reflection of the mursaat’s own self-importance, but for new players it’s also just cool. While this could be simply described as big cathedral ruins, ever section provides its own backdrop and insight into the mursaat and should be a delight for fans looking to see what was left behind after the gold-plated promise of power and presumption fell into the ruin.
What’s Left Behind
For those who aren’t interest in the allegory littered throughout this map like Bloodstone shards, there are plenty of other things to find. After exploring the main story quests you’ll still need to fight for the future of Tyria and push back the frontier of knowledge. Field surveys regularly the start of the latest map meta.
Beginning at the initial staging area, you’ll push out in three directions and beyond the that fortified position, either engaging in combat, research, or reconstructing Jade creatures. Because rebuilding dormant constructs out of Bloodstone seems like a fantastic idea. Up towards the North, players f put this dormant construct back together and wander through a valley steeped in spectral agony. In the middle, asuran golems front an expidition into an ancient library and probe into the unsettling Mistburn spreading across Janthir’s isles. Finally, in the south, tension grows as players lead the Alliance into a laboratory once used for bloodstone sacrifices and experimentation. This arrangement keeps the map from feels overly linear, and there a few powerful champion mobs to contend with. Even a Champion Bloodstone Elemental wasn’t overly demanding during our early preview, but its still fantastic to find an appropriately themed mob spewing telegraphs, exploding Bloodstone, and smashing the press tour to bits. To my eyes, however, this ,ap feels like it’s not going to rise to the challenge of Mount Balrior’s latest incarnations. Instead expect to join a farming train, and there is tons of loot.
Bashing heads and cracking jade drops plenty of currency and players can trade in cions of an unusual vintage for a range of rewards . Look out for the brand new Scavenged Obsidian Weapons, two new rings, more relics, and more from the vendor loitering in the staging area. There’s an opportunity to enhance your fashion war and look fabulous in the new True Sight set, while ArenaNet noted that you can expect new Homestead recipes if you have a look in the achievements section. Have a search for Home Sweet Homestead. Janthir Wilds: Repentance also introduces a new chair for you to look fabulous while lounging, a Wizard’s Vault refresh, and still more that I didn’t note down.
If you’d rather be rewarded for exploring than bashing mobs, then keep an eye out for a new range of movement options. Scattered around are current that will whip you up into the air, whether you’re using a glider or flying mount, providing access to the map without having to fight among the enraged spectres that the mursaat left behind or the monstrous constructs that seep in from beyond. New mursaat mirrors also change things up in this strange landscape. These crystalline shards come together o offer a unique mode of transport. Seek them out and prepare to become nothing more than an eerie wisp. Interact with one and you’ll sweep across the and land in among powerful barriers. Every barrier contains something of interest. Whether it’s a vista, cache, or other object you want to find, and it’s worth the effort to explore the associated Mursaat Shadowcraft mastery line, then go exploring.
That’s not even all you can expect in the latest update. of course, I won’t be chatting story segments, but the Mount Balrior Convergence gets a new Greer shaped challenge, and if my notes track there will liekly BEE a surprise for rangers too. The Mistburned Barrens are worth seeing for yourself. They continue the consistently outstanding map and environmental design we’ve seen ever since Secrets of the Obscure. If nothing else, be a tourist and go explore. There’s a wonderful mix of ideas, scale, and setting here, and that makes it something of a shame that most of the really interesting lore comes out during event dialogue. I’d have loved to see more ambient lore, spirits squabbling with each other, or carvings in the stone for us to find. Janthir Wilds – Repentance awaits anybody brave enough to face the fall of the mursaat, and ready to find out exactly what awaits the Tyria.
Check out more about the latest free update to Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds over on the official website.
