I am going to talk about PVE here. Pvp Has another whole set of issues.
First Level Design.
Pros: I think the Mushrooms and Gliding are well executed. the speed mushroom is kinda meh but for the most part I like it. The zones have a very platform-esk feel to them and this is in true spirit of GW2.
Cons: The zones feel too similar in artistic design. I feel like I’m stuck in vines the whole time. It lacks variety, unlike the concept art found in adventure movies and how going from place to place brings with it a level of anticipation. In other words, the map design doesn’t tell the story very well.
It would of been nice to work your way out of all the thorned vines and maybe zone 2 or 3 could of been a large expanse or a open area with fog, a swamp, and maybe at its center a single ray of sunlight, a beacon of hope or perhaps a deadly trap.
Think about The lord of the rings movies, The never ending story, or any adventure movie. Think about the transition of different environments; that’s what HoT lacks.
Instead we get more of a feel like the movie Platoon: stuck in the jungle. And I understand part of the design choice but even in the thickness of the jungle there should of been some mystic transition of environments. A reprieve from the entanglement of vines. Perhaps the forsaken city was supposed to be that, but it didn’t feel that way.
Mechanics
Pros: Adding the blue bar to tougher enemies is a good concept. It is much better this way instead of your cc being useless.
World Boss Mechanics are interesting. Definitely a step up from The Dragon World Bosses of Core in most cases.
Cons:
Some of the Vets and Champs have unnecessary amounts
of Hp and Toughness. It feels like a big grind. (I’m looking at you bonecracker)
Speaking of grind, the mastery system and how it gates content is a bit controlling if u ask me. It forces you to experience the zones a certain way. And it takes a longgg time to get the essential masteries. It wouldn’t be so bad if the grind weren’t as bad, because i actually like the idea of the abilities woven into access to areas and the personal story. The one saving grace is that the mastery system is account wide. But to those who only want to use 1 or 2 characters, that isn’t a bonus at all and makes the grind even more miserable.
I have ventured into all zones but haven’t finished the personal story so Ill probably add to this as soon as I can.