When the original Guild Wars was released in the spring of 2005, ArenaNet shattered many of the conventions commonly associated with core MMOG gameplay, and did so to great success. With the most recent gameplay reveal for upcoming Guild Wars 2, it seems the developer has aims to do so once again, as even the death mechanic has undergone some radical revamps since the original.

In Guild Wars 2, not only will death be a vastly different experience, but players will have the chance to evade Grenth’s icy grasp entirely. Upon defeat, rather than immediately being taken out of the fight players will be put into what is being called “downed mode”. In this state, you’ll gain access to specific abilities that will help you continue to contribute to the fight, albeit in a limited capacity.

• Continue reading Guild Wars 2: The Evolution of Death in Tyria.