Guild Wars 2 MMO News, Guides, and Features at Ten Ton Hammer

This morning Ten Ton Hammer took the opportunity to get our first hands-on time with upcoming Guild Wars 2. While we were aware that developers ArenaNet would be allowing you to experience gameplay as either a low level human or higher level charr character, we were in for a pleasant surprise in terms of the professions available in the demo. The three previously announced professions – Warrior, Elementalist, and Ranger – are all available, however, much to our surprise the Necromancer is also fully playable at the event as well.

While many of the defining mechanics of necromancers in the original Guild Wars have made a return, the profession has been completely reimagined and features some incredibly cool gameplay. For example, as you use the different skills slotted on your bar, you’ll begin building up a health resource which allows you to enter a wraith-like state. In this state you gain access to a new set of potent skills, such as a powerful AoE ability. This state only lasts as long as your health resource holds out, but the cool thing here is that you can exit the wraith form at any time and doing so will return you to your original location. It’s almost like a perfect marriage of necromancers and assassin’s Shadow Step abilities in the original GW, only you get to do all sorts of damage to your enemy while in this state before returning.

Pets are also back, and this time you’ll even have some in the mix that are persistent rather than having the limited lifespans of the original. The wraith state even comes complete with a temporary (and very powerful) pet that can be summoned and used so long as the wraith state is active. And if exploding corpses and making pet bombs is your thing, fear not, as those will also be staples of the class.

Be sure to check back soon, as we have a full hands-on video of the human necromancer in action live from the show floor. In it, we’ll also have a first look at character creation, including background selection and more dynamic events than you can shake a stick at. The big question on everybody’s lips: does Guild Wars 2 live up to the hype? From what we’ve seen of the demo so far it certainly does - so keep your eyes peeled right here at Ten Ton Hammer for our continuing gamescom 2010 coverage, and our exclusive hands-on with one of the hottest titles at the event!