History YMMV / GuildWars2

* RelationshipWritingFumble: If you followed the relationship between Braham and Rox in Living World Season 1, (see ShipTease on the main page) you'd think for ''sure'' they were being positioned as the game's first InterspeciesRomance. Instead WordOfGod states that they're JustFriends... which doesn't explain why they hit so many [[GreenEyedMonster romantic]] [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy couple]] tropes in Season 1.

** The mechanics of flying mounts. You're limited in how much altitude you can gain at once (thus requiring you to land on a nearby platform to regain stamina) unlike most [=MMORPGs=] wherein flying mounts behave like helicopters. Some think this is a little restrictive and is more comparable to [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Falling With Style]]. Others think it's fine the way it is and just requires some getting used to.

** "Falling/Gliding With Style" [[labelnote:Explanation]]The way flying mounts work in this game, in contrast to other [=MMORPGs=], requires the player to move in a direction to gain altitude and limits the amount that can be gained at once. This has caused some players used to games like ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' or ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'''s "Helicopter" style mounts to compare flying in Guild wars 2 to be comparable to the line from Woody in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' of "Falling with style"[[/labelnote]]

* UncannyValley: The Asura were given a rehash in between [[VideoGame/GuildWars Eye of the North]] and ''VideoGame/GuildWars2''. The results make them look like some kind of cross between a hairless troll doll and a [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Yordle]]. And in a more realistically rendered game? The results are less than unsettling...

* DisappointingLastLevel: "Champions", the final episode to the otherwise-well-received Icebrood Saga, was universally agreed upon as the worst part of the saga and perhaps one of the worst set of chapters in the whole game. Culprits include a total and abrupt shift from the intriguing "Charr civil war" plot to yet another "destroy the Elder Dragons" scenario and the much-loathed "Dragon Response" missions, which consist of an incredibly formulaic three-phase mission practically copy-pasted over the length of 10 chapters, with key plot dialogue and elements haphazardly plastered in them. [[WordofGod According to ArenaNet]], IBS was initially supposed to be more fleshed out, but upper management suddenly greenlit a new expansion, ''End of Dragons'', to be made, hence they had to shift resources to that and had no choice but to punt the final episode out the door.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Season 1 of the Living story is heavily criticized for its numerous {{Plot Hole}}s, {{Ass Pull}}s, TheChrisCarterEffect (It took fifteen MONTHS to wrap up the Scarlet arc, which everyone knew was going to lead to a dragon), and a big amount of FridgeLogic and failure to adhere to the basic ShowDontTell rule. The result was a messy, disjointed story arc revolving around a single plant that manages to acquire high-tech weaponry, amass a giant army, and rain down havoc on Tyria and get away with all of it without explanation. And this happens all while the Dragons continue to wreak havoc on Tyria. Now, can someone please explain why there's a dragon on the logo of the game?

** [[spoiler: Ankka]] ends up becoming a DiscOneFinalBoss in ''End of Dragons'' - and ends up being a nice callback to Joko in terms of gameplay. You're fighting against a boss who will summon necromantic energies and try to sap the life out of you, which ends up becoming ''quite'' fitting since [[spoiler: She wants to end ''all life'' on Tyria]], and you're the only one standing between them and their goal. The fact that [[spoiler: She [[HeelFaceDoorSlam killed Mai Trinn]], you'll definitely want her head on a pike.]]

** The Icebrood Saga, even amongst those who felt it tedious, had a rather climactic DualBoss (Technically Quadra-boss) fight against Primordus, Jormag, and both their champions, Ryland and [[spoiler: Braham]]. You have to knock down both of the champions at around the same time, then [[AttackItsWeakSpot hit the elder dragons]].

*** The Aquatic Ruins fractal is widely loathed for two reasons : it's set entirely underwater, which means a different gear (problematic for players who didn't think about upgrading their specific underwater gear) and some abilities that become unavailable, meaning that some character builds won't work at all (fortunately, it's quick and easy to switch to different specializations, but still annoying when some of the most powerful builds won't work at all), and one obstacle course section that can be randomly one of two things : a ridiculously easy course that just consists of grabbing items along the way quickly enough with barely any hindrance, and a bastard hard course that [[BalefulPolymorph turns everyone into powerless dolphins]] having to navigate among enemies that lock you down and kill you in seconds from a distance unless you use a very clunky and inconsistent ability to lure them elsewhere. [[BreatherBoss The boss at the end of the fractal is a cakewalk in comparison]].

* WinBackTheCrowd: After the mass layoffs, a lackluster livestream reveal of the ''Icebrood Saga'', and the... controversial template update, the crowd had started losing faith in the game's future, with an increasing number even believing that it was headed into maintenance mode. This changed when Anet [[https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/looking-ahead-to-spring-summer-and-the-future/ not only confirmed in March 2020 that a third expansion is in development]], dispelling the rumors of the game heading into maintenance mode, but released early concept art that heavily teased, if not outright confirmed that the site of the expansion will take place in '''Cantha'''.

* GuideDangIt: Good luck getting some of the crafting skills, particularly Chef, up to 400 without a guide. A lot of the components needed to make the higher level items are just so rare, obscure, and hard to find that figuring out all the recipes can be nearly impossible. And not everything can be bought from the Trading Post.
** Finding all the jumping puzzles in the game. While some are located near their namesake waypoints (eg. The Sector Zuhl jumping puzzle is located in, believe it or not, Sector Zuhl.) others are VERY well hidden in the world. And in at least one case, a jumping puzzle is ''not'' located in its namesake cave, but instead on some rocks outside and around the side of the cave.
** Reaching some of the Vistas can cause this as well. Most of the time, it's fairly obvious where to go, but some require platforming from a starting point a great distance from the Vista marker itself, and may even require traversing terrain that's difficult to tell from the sections you can't actually climb.

** Racial abilities were nerfed in order to avoid this trope happening, but it still happened just in a different way. As a result? They're never used, unless the palyer wants to have a little bit of fun every now and then.

** While rarely to the level of other examples, the fact that no new races have been PromotedToPlayable or added to the game. Particularly in the Tengu - which were actually a fairly popular request for a playable race since ''VideoGame/GuildWars Factions''. Some sides think this is some wasted potential, others think it makes no sense and [[RememberTheNewGuy would cause some odd additions to justify]]. Some acknowledge that it is wasted potential, but point out just how much ''work'' this would be [[labelnote:Explanation]]As this would require three new chapters for this race's "Personal story", multiple lines to be rerecorded to accomodate this, as well as a new capital city&starter zone to be added when the vast majority of players would only go there for OneHundredPercentCompletion[[/labelnote]] for little payoff as the race ''of'' the commander largely stops being relevant once every Personal Story paths converge and racial skills aren't considered very useful in the long-run to avoid [[TierInducedScrappy balance issues]] that some [=MMORPGs=] encountered.

* ToughActToFollow: The Icebrood Saga was this to some, following Season 4 ending ''many'' lingering plots and subplots that had been in the game since launch.

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: Despite their [[ScrappyMechanic irritating targeting mechanics]], grenades are far and away the dominant choice among damage-dealing Engineers.

** Palawa Joko's [[spoiler: death scene]] is hilarious for two reasons. One of which is [[spoiler: Aurene eating him mid-sentence]]. Another is the fact that the player character is held in stasis and is ''completely'' frozen. Which can be humorous for anyone ''except'' a human or a Norn.

* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: Played straight AND subverted in the very same moment. The reaction to Rytlock's attempt to lift the curse of Ascalon. Players who doubted its success cited the unreasonably large development effort that would be required to redo all the outdoor Ascalon zones to remove ghosts. Naturally, he failed... and disappeared into the Mists in the process, ridding the charr players of their racial ambassador/hero for a very long time.

** [[http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Hobo-Tron Hobo-Tron]], a Golem NPC at Divinity Reach, has gotten a lot of fan adoration and appreciation due to its humorous dialouge between many other [=NPCs=], its cute appearance, and i's ChewToy[=/=]ButtMonkey[=/=]TheWoobie status. Some speculated that Hobo-Tron is Job-O-Tron from the May 2013 Southsun event. [[https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/livingworld/jubilee/Hobo-Tron-Appreciation-Thread/first#post2576749 This is confirmed]] by WordOfGod himself. Hobo-Tron has since become Ho-Ho-Tron (for the Wintersday festivities), Heal-O-Tron (as a support unit during the siege of Lion's Arch) and finally, Hero-Tron for the stripes it has managed to earn there.

* CryForTheDevil: Kralkatorrik's death makes his death almost tragic despite the countless lives he has ended.

** After experiencing the horrors of [[spoiler:being killed and a terrifyingly sad afterlife, the Commander doesn't seem too shaken up by the fact they actually ''died''. In fact, they seem willing to die again for the greater good, despite the fact that they might get just flung back into the Domain of the Lost if they died one more time, and this time might just stay there for good.]] It's pretty likely that [[spoiler:someone would definitely develop ''some'' sort of trauma from such an ocassion, the Commander shakes it off quite fine.]]
*** Not exactly. Based on the quest [[spoiler:Shining Blade Secrets]], The Pact Commander is clearly seems haunted by the people they've lost and the mistakes they've made. They're being smothered under the weight they've taken on, but they also know that if they let it paralyze them, countless people will die, including [[spoiler:Aurene, who is effectively their surrogate child.]] There will be time to grieve later. For now, [[TheDeterminator there are still people who need them.]]

** Another moment in this same chapter is when Taimi calls in to check in with the commander about their temperature level [[spoiler:while they are rescuing the druid spirits in exchange for a fire-resistant shield of protection so they can face Balthazar int he volcano]]. They have a hilarious exchange about the Commander possibly hallucinating and 8 voices, but if your character is a Sylvari and so soon after the events of Heart of Thorns [[spoiler:it might a little too soon to start hearing voices and seeing delusions again, especially since Mordremoth was [[MindRape messing up their head]] the entire story]].