ArenaNet once again invited me to discover the new episode in preview during a dedicated session with some developers and journalists. I was able for over half an hour to browse this new episode and learn more about the additions and new features that are going to be implemented in Guild Wars 2.
A new chapter in the Living World is always a must see event in the game. The hours following the update, this is where you will have the majority of players logged in to scan for content and any spoilers of course. . The episode itself remains fairly classic and will complete in a straight line in about 2 hours of play. The big part of the work will again and always be the related achievements which range from the classic success of the instance to specific challenges (timed or finding objects). The reward this time is Palawa Joko's staff head which is not classified as a weapon skin but as a service. Not having unlocked it in time, I don't know what it brings (I was missing the Hidden Object Achievements). Storytelling is always at the heart of the story with plenty of twists / reveals that will continue to fuel the lore of the franchise.
Following this, there is of course a new map to explore called the "Jahai Promontory". For my part, I found the map quite interesting to browse because it does not have places that are difficult to access or really blocking. You should know that it is quite large in terms of area and that, in my opinion, the teleportation points are not always well placed (there would be missing another in the middle of the map for example). The card resource is still volatile magic and will allow you, as always, to buy components and appearances for some of your equipment.
One of the big additions that may appeal to people who like housing a bit is a new personal instance: the Refuge du Soleil. This instance will be available to all the characters in your account once they have access to the map and if one of your characters has completed the "Promontory" story quest in episode 4. This new instance is the size of of a guild hall in terms of surface area. I didn't go very far in adding items to this one, but the studio promises to enrich it through updates. From what has been communicated to us, this instance will also live according to the choices that we have made / will make in the story.
In the slightly less noticeable additions (it all depends on the notion of each one), there is the new raid wing "Gambit of Forgecount" which, according to the related achievements, would have 3 opponents, some with a challenge particle. A new mastery linked to the mount which adds some flexibility to the latter and finally the new legendary weapon "Xiuquatl" which allows you to be accompanied by a new friend when you draw it!
