Factions is the follow-up to the hugely successful free MMO from last year, Guild Wars. It's a stand-alone game, so you don't need the original title to play. For the most part, this is a completely separate game. Although you'll still find themes that carry over from one game to the next, including the five core professions and some of the gods. However, land of Cantha, which Factions introduces is different from Ascelon in just about every way. All the architecture and clothing is Asian inspired, so if you create a Factions character it looks and feels truly unique to the game. Cantha is at least as big as Ascelon, so there's plenty to explore, like the original title.

The great thing about Factions is that the main gameplay is just like the Guild Wars, so people who are used to the original game can jump right in. Big additions include two new classes, the Assassin and Ritualist. The Assassin is the master of jumping in and hitting hard with a combination of moves before teleporting away. Meanwhile, the Ritualist summons spirits that will assist the team either by taking damage, increasing defenses, or acting as a sentry to fire on enemies.

Unfortunately, if players had any major gripes with how the original game worked, particularly the extremely crowded towns and outposts. Getting a team together can still be challenging, especially when you have to search through a sea of names in order to group up. The mission world is still completely instanced, which is both a good and bad thing. The good thing is that all the monsters and loot are completely dedicated to the team, but if someone should drop from the group for any reason, they cannot rejoin the mission. Players still have the option to put computer controlled henchmen on their team to help fulfill certain roles, like that of a healer. Although there are a greater variety of henchmen compared to the original game, they are still bound to disappoint and frustrate. Particularly bothersome is the annoying habit the fighter henchman has of sandwiching the player between himself and a foe, making it almost impossible for the Assassin to quickly get in a few hits and flee. There is also no way to command henchmen to go in first, which is important considering that neither the Assassin nor the Ritualist are necessarily first strike characters, since both may be overwhelmed in short time.

Obtaining a second profession helps quite a bit and definitely mixes up gameplay. Players need to keep in mind that they can only carry eight skills with them at any given time, and carrying a Signet of Resurrection among them is almost a must have. This becomes extremely challenging with the Assassin profession, since it many of its moves need to be used in sequential order to make devastating combos. Between the offensive moves and Shadow Magic, it's often difficult to fit much else in. This doesn't even take into consideration carrying a Signet of Capture to copy skills from bosses.

Factions seeks to strongly combine role playing with the PvP action that it has become famous for, and in this it is successful. Leveling goes pretty quickly in Guild Wars.

By the time you're ready to leave the first island, where the tutorial and monastery are located, you will probably have made it over halfway to level 20, the games cap. A broad range of skills is also made available to the player to start off with, in addition to purchasing some from skill traders. Players gain points with the two competing factions, the Luxons and Kurzicks, by doing specific missions. By picking a side, you battle for territorial control, which is shown on the world map. Even when your faction controls a specific region, there are internal battles within the factions themselves across the different guild alliances for control over the cities. Controlling a city unlocks special abilities, including the option to embark on elite missions where higher grade loot and elite skills may be found. Unlike the first game, it's more important than ever to be part of a strong guild alliance that is willing to organize and partake in PvP battles. The PvP game has been expanded to support more players, and it's as frenetic as ever.

Perhaps what is most enthralling of all about Factions is the breathtaking landscapes, which range from rolling grassy fields to snowy mountains with giant Yeti wandering around. Players can wander through a huge sprawl of tenements, making their way to cities in a petrified forest, or ones that look like they've been carved of solid jade. Just exploring Cantha can be as fun as playing through the missions. But players need to take care, the game becomes difficult very quickly, and large teams of skilled players are often needed in order to succeed. It's this difficulty that makes the issue of people spontaneously or easily dropping from the game all the more frustrating.
For players who already enjoy playing Guild Wars, Factions offers a fresh experience that is both new and familiar. Those who don't wish to make new characters can bring in their old ones to Cantha via boat. Having both games has a lot of benefits, including access to crafters some crafters and items that might not be immediately accessible in the other land. All items can be exchanged across different characters through the universal storage system.
Factions successfully delivers solid gameplay, an engaging story, and a great looking world to explore. It's everything that fans have come to expect from a Guild Wars title after playing the first game. Plus, it's still a subscription free MMO, so even if it's not a game that you would necessarily play non-stop, it's definitely one that's a joy to return to.