The game takes place in the same universe but centuries in the future, and Tyria is a much-changed place. Following from the events of the Eye of the North expansion, when players saved the world from a Dwarven menace, five ancient dragons, masters and mistresses of specific elements and even undeath itself, have woken up and created chaos in their wake. Their re-emergence has ripped apart the continents and sent many species spiraling towards extinction. Post-Searing, the dragons have chased old races from their homes and great cities have fallen into ashes. Human civilization had been most effected but now races stand much more united and with a common language. But, when one door closes a window is always left open. Guild Wars 2 also introduces new ones but it has turned Tyria into a much more dangerous and bewitching place.

Race-wise, we can expect the return of humans, Charr and Asura, as well as the introduction of the gigantic Norn and the strange Dream-born Sylvari, the children of the Pale Tree. Similarly, the playable classes has also changed to reflect the different world. As of writing, ArenaNet have begun having themed race weeks – the first two focusing on humans and the Norn, allowing for more information specific to each race to be released. It’s not a great leap of the imagination to think it won’t be long before we have weeks focusing on the Charr, the Asura and the Sylvari.

After races, the next thing people want to know about are the classes you’re going to get to play. Five professions – as they are being called – have been announced so far: the Elementalist, the Warrior, the Ranger, the Necromancer and – most recently revealed – the Guardian. Each has its own pros, cons and play styles which echo the classic MMO archetypes but also give them a little twist which makes them new and inviting. That said, veterans will recognise the Tank, the Healer, the Mage and the long-range DPSer, even if all are dressed up with their own unique skills and abilities.

The Guardian, for example, is a master tactician, while the Necromancer can summon undead minions to do their bidding and feed on the lifeforce of others. The Ranger is excellent at long-range combat and comes with animal companions who can fight at their side. Then there’s the classic Tank, the powerful Warrior who relies on brute strength and armor to keep them alive during the harshest of battles. Finally there’s the magic-welding Elementalist, who uses the four elemental to devastate, which more than makes up for their squishy exterior.

Given how long Guild Wars 2 has been in development, ArenaNet has been working on updating the official wiki with information as well as slowly revealing new game and class information to the Guild Wars community. The official site is regularly updated with essays and posts on specific subjects, and the wiki is continually updated to reflect the post-Searing world. Will finally get their hands on the biggest release since Aion.

The game promises to offer much more, including dynamic events and choices which will leave marks upon Tyria and its people. Indeed, it feels like a single-player game, more like Oblivion or Dragon Age, than a traditional MMO in these moments. That said, the ability to not need to rely on other player characters in order to do quests, raid and progress was one of Guild Wars’ success stories, and it’ll be interesting to see how this addition of choice changes each player’s personal game experience.

Yet because of the slow build and the ever-increasing level of hype, Guild Wars 2 promises to be a revolutionary MMO, mixing the best of the original with new and exciting zones, fun classes and old and new races. The game promises so much but is also setting a precedent for MMO sequels. After all, this isn’t just a new expansion to a much-loved game, it’s a whole new stage in Guild Wars’ evolution. This means it’s a dangerous and exciting time for players, and anyone else who is keen to walk through Tyria with their friends. Here’s hoping it will deliver when Guild Wars 2 is eventually released – hopefully sometime before the end of this year.

Electing for the everyman option when you’ve got Space Marine, Ork, Eldar and Chaos factions to choose from may seem like a wasteful option, but thankfully every faction is selectable in Retribution, both in multiplayer and single-player, and each with their own skewed 16-mission campaign to work their way through.

Set in the traumatic sub sector of Aurelia, the plot is set 10 years after the resolution of Chaos Rising and involves each race rushing to escape a coming armageddon delivered by an Inquisition fleet that has declared Exterminatus against an unfortunate part of the galaxy. Every being will be annihilated by massive atomic orbital bombardments which can turn a once green planet into a mass so unstable that it eventually explodes leaving only dust in its wake.

Players are placed right in the middle of it all and are asked to guide their chosen faction to either challenge or avoid the impervious threat. There is a witch-hunter inquisitor to work with those who wish to avoid the destruction, but in time-honoured fashion there will be branching options for players to explore with special loot and gear to earn on the way, as well as different plot options to determine the end of your race’s mini-story.

This doomsday backdrop is beautifully communicated with dramatic FMVs and heavily scripted missions which dial up the drama nicely. We sampled two different missions which featured the Imperial Guard fleeing from a giant Space Marine Land Raider, and another where one of the planets in the Aurelia system had succumbed to volleys of orbital cannons and was only minutes away from annihilation.

The addition which will really get strategy heads excited is the ability to build units. This was an option which was removed in Dawn of War II, but thankfully Retribution won’t be lacking in that much sought after area, with resources that can be spent on unit production via specific points on the map or channeled into upgrades for heroes and standard units. In addition, each faction will now have Super Heavy units which require massive amounts of resources to produce and have the power to almost single-handedly turn the tide of battle. Watching an Ork Battlewagon bulldoze over enemy forces or seeing a Super Marine Land Raider Redeemer toast large sways of forces instantaneously provided immediate gratification, even if your guys were the ones being rolled over. We’re happy to report that the missions still had that devilish mix of humor, destruction and delight, especially when coming across trashtalking Orks.

Content-wise, Retribution should please existing fans of Dawn of War and new players alike, as newbies are given an approachable experience, thanks to the lower difficulty levels. Multiplayer has also been given a spruce up, with new units for each faction, with a new lava-puddled map and additional Last Stand options.

For all the new inclusions, the biggest revelation we took away from seeing the game was how every type of gamer is catered for. Each race should provide enough variation to encourage plenty of experimentation in both the campaign and multiplayer modes, which should result in greater value for players. We admire Relic’s kitchen sink approach to this add-on, and if it is the last hurrah for Dawn of War II, it’s shaping up to be a good one.

Launched in September 2009, Fallen Earth is still a newcomer on the MMO scene, but thankfully most of the issues which plagued the game’s opening months have been rectified with no floating NPCs, unbalanced combat or insufferable lag.

The way Fallen Earth’s world is introduced to players is just as pitch perfect as before and manages to hold players’ hands just long enough as to not insult their intelligence. The prologue set inside the Hoover Dam does a fantastic job of clarifying your origins as a clone created by the mysterious GlobalTech corporation in the year 2156, and includes escaping your would-be prison to save any friendlies still trapped in the facility.

This segment was much more fast paced and guided than we’re used to, but it works, and introduces all of the key concepts necessary to understand your life outside of the compound. It’s here where one of Fallen Earth’s greatest assets is revealed, the first-person combat structure. Split into two parts, players have a choice of either selecting melee- or projectile-based weaponry, with damage against enemies dependent on what part of their body you hit. For gaming as a whole this isn’t new, but in MMOs it’s a rare find and makes skirmishes in Fallen Earth much more satisfying. If you hit a victim in the head, you know you’re going to cause much more damage.

The sheer amount of weaponry on offer is also staggering, with a wide array of rifles, pistols, shotguns, crossbows and even the almighty rocket launcher all making an appearance. There are close-range options too, but smashing an enemy in the face with a handy sledgehammer isn’t anywhere near as satisfying as picking them off from a distance with a sniper rifle.

Crafting is this franchise’s other main attraction, and even though this concept is common in other MMOs, the way Fallen Earth approaches it is genuinely revolutionary. Almost everything from buggies, weapons, armor, potions and poisons can be created from hundreds of different components collected from the wasteland. This is where the survival aspect comes in, because even though most things can be bought from NPCs, it is usually much more satisfying to go and farm resources such as copper, water, steel and iron from the wasteland yourself and craft them using recipes.

The wasteland is littered with thousands of different plants, hives and salvage piles to harvest. It isn’t just about random drops, because as soon as your nature skills are up to the appropriate level, players can predict what they’ll yield from any specific target. Constructing items doesn’t take long and thankfully you can go about your business while the magic is happening. Creating something new from what is effectively a load of junk is very satisfying.

New skills can also be learned via manuals earned during quests or bought from vendors, but everything is governed by the complicated level and AP system. All skills are governed by core character traits such as Intelligence, Perception, Agility, etc. and attributes can also be increased by targeting specific skills. This is an interesting idea; however it can confuse advancement early on, as it’s very hard to tell whether you’re moving your character in the direction you want it to go. The opening 10 hours are also a little overwhelming as the initial quests are so craft heavy, that you are usually tasked with just making items for one vendor after the next. This is necessary as you should at least try every different crafting skill once, nevertheless it can feel like a slog. This is further compounded by a lack of teleport or fast travel points between settlements, and a heavy reliance on mounts to cover the vast distances between towns. The trick is to mix up quests with plenty of exploration while keeping risks to the minimum, as slogging back to the mount retrieval point is a pain. After you get the hang of this balancing act, Fallen Earth becomes a real joy with a fascinating world to explore.

The landscape here may appear somewhat bleak, but beneath the rusted cars and decrepit buildings contained in the initially drab and dreary sector is a very accomplished MMO which has all the functionality required in a modern day MMO – like a waypoint-supported mini-map, clan contests and faction system – as well as three gigantic sectors which get even more interesting as you venture into them.

Now that all the launch kinks have finally been ironed out, this is one wasteland that you’ll surely relish spending many, many hours in, and it’s easy recommendation to any gamer who wants to sample a gaming experience that is truly original.

Total War has always been a very fragmented experience, with some only playing on their own, and others thrusting themselves fully into competitive online combat. Shogun 2 is set to change all that with a dedicated online hub, league structure and tweaked game modes. Before entering into the online realm, players must create a General which has his own skill tree, customizable armor and elite bodyguard regiment. This unit has its own skill-tree and can be guarded down four different skill paths – physical, bow, close combat and leadership. Choosing from these 27 traits will determine not only tactics, but also your online persona’s descriptor which betrays tactics from your previous 30 matches, as well as titles concerning your behaviors. For instance, disconnect during battle multiple times and you’ll earn the ‘Dishonorable Coward’ accolade in your traits column.

This creation aspect feeds directly into the flat 2D-based multiplayer hub, which offers persistent battle rewards. If you initiate a battle for one of the regions and win, you’ll own that particular portion of the map and a special piece of kit to outfit your General with. These hubs will be populated by 30 other players, matched on your skill level, and should result in region ownership constantly changing. Clans will also be facilitated in this area and leaders will be able to order their brethren around, instructing which area to invade next and reward those obeying with Clan Tokens, which can be used to unlock kit or respected Generals.

When it came to the gameplay, battles were even more atmospheric than before with an improved UI which communicates the strength of units, and visuals that encapsulate the period perfectly. There are plenty of tweaks, and all-new units such as explosive packing archers, but the excellent Total War formula is still in abundance.

All this additional functionality flanks a lengthy campaign mode – now facilitating two player co-ops with Generals able fight battles together – offering limitless hours of play.

The strategy genre and online competition are natural bedfellows as StarCraft has proven, and it’ll be interesting to see if Total War can emulate that title’s multiplayer success. With a system as well thought out as this and a battle system which is even more unpredictable than before, we have extremely high hopes.

Centre to the online play is the suit itself and the supernatural potential of being one with technology. With a press of a button, players can enter into various modes, such as Predator (which makes the player turn invisible for a short time), Armor (which makes the inhabitant slow but provides a shield boost), or a Hyper Agility (which enables players to sprint and jump 10 feet and engage in a little parkour to flank enemies in imaginative ways). The customisation potential is truly staggering, with over 20 different nodes available across 80 different levels, which vary from the more standardised abilities we mentioned previously, to very specific ones such as silencing a player’s footsteps or extra offensive abilities, such as the ground stomp which sends out a burst of energy to disable enemy suits in a short radius.

Thankfully, this functionality is facilitated by a system that allows players to hotswap between their suit’s different nodes instantaneously, which is key because the gunplay is so fast. We sampled Rooftop Gardens set atop a skyscraper, and even though the map was rather small and only had a handful of inside areas, it perfectly showcased the game’s varied combative potential. During a round of the game’s team deathmatch (Team Action mode) teammates and enemies were being stabbed from behind by invisible enemies, sniped from seemingly impossible to traverse locations and killed by enemies which managed to survive entire clips of fire due to the various suit abilities. After only minutes of play we found tactics changed as people managed got to grips with the system, and every skirmish we haphazardly wandered into had a tangible feel of unpredictability to it. All these abilities are governed by energy usage, but we respawned so often that usually the cooldown element wasn’t an issue.

The final game will have six different match types, but thus far only the former has been revealed, as well as a new Capture the Flag-inspired mode where teams race to a crashed enemy probe site and eliminate the alien hostiles, before defending the spot from the opposition.

Weapons seemed more of a standard affair, with shotgun, assault rifle and sniper rifle variants all offered, none of which made a great impression. However, when you have the ability to stab a foe from behind while entirely cloaked, using a projectile weapon just seems like you’re wasting your potential.

Buff-based combat is something all PC gamers know very well, yet Crysis 2 offers a thoroughly enjoyable amalgamation of the grittiness of Modern Warfare 2 with the balls-to-the-wall craziness Team Fortress 2 offers. The biggest test will be if these powerful abilities can be balanced to create a compelling multiplayer component, but rest assured, at the moment this is definitely shaping up to be an experience not to be missed.

Quite well, actually. LEGO Universe doesn’t try to be WoW or EVE, or even one of the simpler MMOs on the market. Rather, it sits in the middle and sets its sights on kids, both big and small. For those with children who love LEGO, this could easily be a good way to introduce them to the MMO genre, as the game carefully teaches everything we bigger kids know and love about the genre, from class archetypes, lore to other important aspects found in MMOs, like doing quests and collecting pets.

The storyline explains how the LEGO Universe is under threat from the Maelstrom, a malevolent force created from imagination itself. Only a handful of the yellow-skinned minifigures have survived the destruction and so they form the Nexus Force to try and save their universe. Player characters can take one of four roles that emulate the traditional classes under a new name. There are the Mage-like Paradox who are able to harness the Maelstrom and fight back, the Warrior-esque Sentinals, the builders of the Assembly and the explorers’ Venture League. These four classes also introduce the black and white world of opposing factions, and it’s black and white as opposed to other games’ murky grey.

The game operates on a standard subscription model but parents worried about their little ones needn’t worry, as there’s plenty to keep them safe. The game allows players to connect with their friends but also has the in-game legend of the Mythrans, who offer lessons in online safety and helping others. The developers and LEGO Group have also taken time to lay out how the same is safe for younger players, and if you’re a parent of first-time gamers then this can be reassuring. LEGO have taken pains to outline their stance on safety, and it’s a refreshing stance from such a massive, well-loved company.

As for gameplay, LEGO is understandably all about playing and building. You take the roll of one of the iconic minifigures and set out on an epic adventure across a massive universe. There’s plenty to do, too. You can race and play minigames, you can build all manner of amazing creations using LEGO blocks and other accessories which drop from smashable mobs. The collectors out there will also enjoy the pets you can tame. This involves a minigame where you have to identify the blocks in a particular pet. By getting this correct, you get yourself one of a range of crittery companions that include everything from dragons and pandas to robo-animals and dinosaurs.

People expecting graphics found in WoW or Aion will be disappointed but for fans of the other games created in the LEGO style will see a very recognisable look to their first MMO. The simple graphics accentuate the whole experience. This is a game created from one of the world’s most beloved and iconic toy brands. What it might lack in sophistication, it makes up for in inventiveness and sheer fun. The learning curve is perfectly pitched so that even big kids will be able to get in on the act, Indeed, kids might actually end up teaching their parents. LEGO Universe is not just an MMO for kids, it’s an MMO for beginners so that young gamers will easily be able to graduate to more complex games like WoW.

LEGO, quite simply, offers the building bricks that teach gamers the ins and outs of the MMO and lets them have fun at the same time. So that’s not a bad combination for something that’s so fun.