It's Hard to Say Where Guild Wars 2's Story Will Go Next After the Conclusion of War Eternal
The fight against an Elder Dragon comes to a close.
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Today marks the full release of War Eternal, the final episode of the fourth Living World season. The MMO's seasons are all about new content and a focused narrative moving the overall plot of Guild Wars 2. This season has been one of the biggest outside of the expansion, concerned with the threat of the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik.
The season kicked off with the death of Balthazar, god of war and fire. Bathazar's considerable energy was absorbed by two dragons, Kralkatorrik himself and Aurene, a young dragon spawned from Glint, Kralkatorrik's own child. The players and heroes of Tyria had to contend with the lich Palawa Joko while trying to find a way to fight Kralkatorrik and prevent the end of all things.
This journey eventually finished with a paired solution: Aurene consumed the lich, ending his threat and becoming powerful enough to take on her grandfather. In the last episode though, things took a turn for the worst, as Aurene's visions of dying in battle against Kralkatorrik came true.
War Eternal kicks off with a sad, hopeless opening, with the heroes mourn the eventual death of reality as they know it. Kralkatorrik's power runs rampant and Aurene is dead. There's a twist though, rooted in those earlier events. The power of revival that Palawa Joko commanded was absorbed by Aurene, and the young dragon is able to use it to save herself. Emboldened once again, the players and Aurene dive into the Mists to strike down Kralkatorrik.
This plays out in a huge flight sequence out of Panzer Dragoon, where you strike at Kralkatorrik as he transitions through the different realms. But ultimately you bring him down, shearing off his wing, and sending him crashing down in the oceans of Tyria.
The new region for the season finale of this Living World is the fallen body of Kralkatorrik. Pretty cool, huh? He's not dead, simply dormant and healing. Around him are facets of the various realms your passed through, including Melandru's verdant paradise, Balthazar's Fissure of Woe, and the Underworld. Each occupy their own space on the island known as Dragonfall. Here's where you'll explore for this episode, gaining a few new mechanics and items along the way to finally taking down Kralkatorrik.
The major new addition is the Skyscale, a new flying mount. It's a flying mount, but unlike the Griffon it can fly more under its own power. With the press of a button, the Skyscale can take to the skies, but it can only rise so high as determined by an endurance meter. That said, it can refill its energy to go even higher by holding onto cliff walls. With this new mount, players can explore the mighty peaks that Dragonfall has to offer.
There's also another Legendary weapon to pick up, the greatsword Exordium. The blade shifts and changes to mirror the profession that's using it, turning into shields, axes, hammers, and more as you wield it in tandem with specific abilities. It also looks badass, with a shimmering diamond exterior, radiating various shifting colors. Finally, the new Mist Shard Armor is available for every weight class. As you upgrade the armor, it'll slowly grow Mist crystals.
Dragonfall itself is pretty unique, with certain sections really selling the idea that you're on the body of a giant dragon. There's one section I saw where Kralkatorrik's tail would periodically rise and slam down. The sense of scale in that action is simply unreal, emphasizing how massive the Elder Dragon truly is. The island as a whole features new creatures from the various realms, and many of the heroes of Tyria will wander around the environment, offering chances for you to interact with them.
Completing events in each of the regions of Dragonfall will upgrade that region up a tier, offering harder and more interesting encounters. It's something for players to work at over the course of this episode. All players progress, with no specific timers. Once all three regions are upgraded to Tier 4, then you move into the final phase of Dragonfall, striking at the last vestiges of Kralkatorrik. The episode culminates with a journey inside Kralkatorrik, but I'll leave what happens then up to you imagination.
Suffice it to say, it's a pretty big ending, one that feels like it almost closes Guild Wars 2 as a whole. Two Elder Dragons are dormant, one is dead, another is on death's door, and the players have literally killed one of the Gods. Not much else can be done without putting Tyria in danger, as part of the thrust of this recent season is you couldn't kill an Elder Dragon without a replacement. Guild Wars 2 isn't over yet, there's still another season coming, but there's definitely a question mark over my head with regards to where the story goes next. Guild Wars 2, Living World Season 4, Episode 6 is available in-game right now.
