As I stroll through the streets of Lion's Arch past Sanctum Harbor and through Hooligan's Route, I kneel upon a perch overlooking the city. Oh how far we have come. The people thrive yet all the while, know so little of the dangers that lurk beyond the boundaries of this sanctuary.

OK, so now that I got that bit of RP out of the way, I hope you caught my references. 

I am speaking of one of the top MMOs on the market today, and that is Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns.  I have to admit, it was hard for me to get into GW2 at launch. Not because it wasn't a top notch game in every way. But because I am an old timer, stuck in my ways. I was left adrift after departing from my near-decade's long alt-life in World of Warcraft. I had tried my hand at virtually every MMO that has come out since.  None stuck, although I did have a casual romance with Star Wars: The Old Republic, Champions Online, Rift and a few others that since I can't remember their names, couldn't have been that great after all. 

Guild Wars 2, on the other hand, is starting to feel like home.  I will admit, having been a hobbyist in the genre for many years, I have a tendency to see things coming. Guild Wars 2, however, is surprisingly keeping me interested long past the point that other games would have failed.

Now when you play an MMO or any game of any genre for that matter, you have to accept certain things.

Just like how you have to accept that no matter how innovative a new car design is, it still needs tires, an engine, a transmission and some doors. You can't escape the roots of the genre. You're gonna have leveling, and loot, and epic bosses and the like. Guild Wars 2 puts a great new face on a tried and true standard. I'll never quite get over World Of Warcraft, though. Like your first high-school crush, some experiences just stick with you.

I'll never forget taking eight hours just to get to Garr in Molten Core, only to wipe into oblivion. Or finally defeating nefarious in the depths of Blackwing Lair and having our names shouted in the streets of Stormwind. Those days were hard. It was a challenge to dress up in epics. It's just not that way anymore. Oh well, you can never go home again I guess. But since I can't, I'll enjoy spending my days battling across the mountains of Lornar's Pass and swimming the blue waters off the Bloodtide Coast.