Screencaps of the recently released Guild Wars: Eye of the North trailer.
This is pre-Searing Ascalon, one of the most gorgeous settings for a game I’ve had the pleasure of playing in. Each and every screenshot from this place could earn a place in a museum. The screenshot seen above is of Lakeside County close to Ashford Abbey.
Ascalon City, the starter area for the first campaign (now retroactively titled Guild Wars Prophecies). I can still recall my nervousness and excitement as I surveyed the surroundings almost two years ago. I can scarcely believe I’m still playing the game and looking forward to my next adventure in the franchise.
(Speculation based on spoiler-ish material after the break.)
Gwen, as first seen in Prophecies. Her character doesn’t stand out all that much and her fame (or more accurately, her notoriety) stems from the manner in which one beta weekend event ended. Players have been wondering and speculating about her ever since (often with tongue firmly in cheek) so the developers must have decided to give Gwen an important role in, ahem, GW:EN.
Blue skies, everything’s nice.
Red skies, everything dies.
The Great Northern Wall, Ascalon’s shield against her enemies, an impenetrable defenc-…
Okay-y-y.
This was the Searing, a cataclysmic event engineered by the Charr to bring down the Great Northern Wall.
A raven flying in what must be the Far Shiverpeaks, home of the Norns.
A Norn tower, perhaps?
“What news, Munin?”
“Caw caw caw.”
“Munin, you know I don’t speak French.”
This appears to be a Charr Flame Keeper tending to a brazier. Fire has religious significance to the Charr.
Is this a Norn’s bear shape? Are there other animal shapes? Dare I hope for a wolf shape in Guild Wars 2?
Snakes. Why does it have to be snakes? Flying snakes on top of that.
So, King Jalis Ironhammer, the dwarven monarch, is still around. This was the guy who readily agreed to his brother’s suicide mission in the Ring of Fire. “Yeah, bro, you go right ahead and get your ass Spectral Agony-ied to death. Yeah, sure, go do that.”
This must be Pyre Fierceshot, the Charr Ranger Hero who joins you for his own personal reasons. Possibly part of a rebellious faction within the Charr ranks.
And Pyre Fierceshot completely fails to emulate William Tell yet again.
Note that the guy is all bundled up in thick winter clothing while the woman is in a sleeveless outfit.
With all those spikes, somebody could die if there’s a wardrobe malfunction. The GuildWiki suggests this could be the Ebon Vanguard, the remnants of Ascalon’s elite force.
“Rawr!” (Translation: “The forest is on fire! I’m conflicted. Is this a religious event or does it mean I’m about to get burned to a crisp?”)
“Where shirt go?” wondered Sven Olaffson. “Was here, now go away? What happen?”
These two are probably Vekk, the Asuran Elementalist Hero, and Ogden Stonehealer, the Dwarven Monk Hero.
Peter Fries, an ArenaNet artist, confirmed there was a nod to 300 in the trailer so this must be it.
“Oh, come on, Herbert! Be a sport. Put the apple on your head. Pyre’s definitely going to hit it this time.”
“Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that’s how it always starts. Then later there’s running and screaming.”
Bowstrings are for sissies claimed the Charr Synchronised Archery Team as the quadruplets let fly their arrows.
A very cool shot. Wallpaper-esque.
The Charr homelands are supposed to resemble pre-Searing Ascalon so this must take place there.
A homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark? The dungeons in GWEN are supposedly trapped and this might be one of them. “Welcome to the Hall of Heroes. How you did you meet your heroic end? Slain in battle with demons? Titans? A god?” “Got run over by a rock, actually.”
“To the skies, Munin! Find us Sven Olaffson’s shirt! It’s a 4,000XP quest!”
“Caw caw caw.”
“Anglais, mofo. Do you parlez-vous it?”
Gwen, all grown up.
