Guild Wars 2

Or do they just photosynthesize like normal plants?

Yes, and yes. They do both.

To clarify what wanderer said, a-net has stated that they can eat what everyone else can eat. They actually need to eat food. But they enjoy sitting in the sun and it invigorates them. They just can’t live on the energy from photosynthesis.

I think they might be able to survive on photosynthesis if they basically “shut down” and entered a sort of hibernative state. But in order to maintain the kind of active, energetic lifestyle we see normally, Sylvari need to eat, yes.

one of the recent dry top quests actually mentions scarlet coming out to look for meals i think

There is actually a sylvari npc who talks about this, or at least there was as I think she was a visitor in lions arch. One of the locals says something about “do we need to water you and give you sun” and she says “don’t be silly, we eat the things you eat”.

So there is an in game answer out there.

Sylvari eats a lot. Best meal is hamburger I think. Made of beef or charr meat. Especially young charr cub meat…hmmmm…it is like a god coming into your mouth