Guild Wars Reforged is a fairly big update for the ancient MMO-lite that revitalises it for a new age. Rather than multiple different versions littering storefronts, ArenaNet has condensed it down into a package. If you were addicted to the game in the 2000s, the content is very much the same here, but how and where you can play it has fundamentally made it innately more accessible.
I’ve been playing Guild Wars Reforged across three different locations. Firstly, on my main gaming PC (RTX 5080, Ryzen 9800X3D), with a 1440p ultrawide monitor. Keyboard and mouse remain supreme here, offering the classic tippy-tap combat the game has always been known for. If you’ve played pretty much any MMO since EverQuest, you’ll know the score here.
Guild Wars 1 is Fantastic for Solo MMO Players
Where Guild Wars differs, and is extraordinarily appealing to solo players, is that the MMO stops once you leave town or any other hub space. Exploration, dungeons, and pretty much everything else are treated like a co-op game, wherein you’ll have to find a guild or friends within the game to get the benefit of humans. Thankfully, once you reach the “post-Searing” part of Guild Wars’ story quite early on, you’ll be joined by computer-controlled “henchmen” that will take on the roles you’re missing.
I went with a monk, and upgraded to a necromancer, but even after over 20 years of Guild Wars, magic still feels a little limp compared to battering enemies with physical weapons.
However, despite being over 20 years old, Reforged never particularly feels it. Maybe due to how the MMO genre stagnated, maybe nostalgia has blinded me. The update brings some under-the-hood graphical updates, but it still very much looks like it fell right out of the 2000s. That’s not a bad thing, as Guild Wars’ world often allows me to feel like I’ve also just fallen into the 2000s, and none of the world’s problems are poking at my brain.
Reforged Update Makes it Easier to Play
All said, what has been updated graphically, like support for high DPI displays and the updated user interface, are the most crucial changes. Having tried to jump back into Guild Wars last year, the game wasn’t made for screens bigger than 1080p at most. Now with 1440p, 4K, and other resolutions the norm, and the Reforged user interface, it’s far more playable and readable.
Another point that’ll make the game far easier for newcomers is the updated direction system. Quests can be easily followed thanks to this, allowing those of us who are laidback, or maybe watching something on another screen, tune out for a bit while we level up.
Obviously, my main PC is very much overkill for it, but the game ran smoothly without any noticeable hiccups. Even when the update landed, servers maintained with the sudden influx of players.
Where the game might lose people is that it is very much ancient at this point. The MMO genre might have stagnated or moved on in some capacity from this style of game, but, understandably, those without the penchant for older software might not get a kick out of it.
Guild Wars Reforged is Brilliant on Handheld
Then I booted the game up on my Steam Deck. I haven’t been back to my PC since, as there’s no need. Guild Wars Reforged is one of the better examples of why the Steam Deck and PC handhelds rock, but Reforged’s controller support is great.
As the game isn’t a constant slugfest or dealing with picky players every second, playing with the controller is absolutely viable. With the Steam Deck itself, it’s enhanced just that bit more thanks to the expanded choice in said controller (four additional paddles on the back). Community presets will alter mapping so you can find something that fits your style relatively easily.
On the controller, Guild Wars Reforged has opted to mimic that of Final Fantasy XIV, wherein the triggers activate a different hotbar. In my game, the left trigger and the side of the hotbar are filled with my healing spells. On the right, all my attacks. My back paddles allow me to bring up the inventory and other options without fiddling with the menus.
Pushing right on the D-Pad will bring up a cursor, so you can still manhandle the user interface if needed. I did find that some aspects of moving to the Steam Deck weren’t handled elegantly, but quickly remedied. For instance, the inventory will sometimes hide part of the menu behind itself, making it look as if the game isn’t registering buttons.
It was when I docked it to a TV that it became clear that Guild Wars Reforged was the real deal. Yes, it’s not a perfect implementation, and there are some irritations when it comes to getting used to how its rigidity works, but it’s just all very clean.
Sitting in bed until 2 am, exploring and questing is an immense joy. Switching it back to handheld is even better. Having the pure comfort of a bed, a weighted blanket, and the heating on in the middle of the day while Brooklyn 99 plays for the umpeenth time has become a quality way to spend a rainy Sunday.
A glimpse into the future for Guild Wars 2?
Really, it feels as if Reforged is a gateway to updating Guild Wars 2, which is fairly playable itself with custom Steam Deck mapping. However, we’ll have to wait and see on that front, but if it’s anything like Reforged, ArenaNet will presumably knock it out of the park as they have here.
Closing Thoughts
MMOs come and go, but clearly, Guild Wars never heard that on the grapevine. I’m glad, actually, because it’s a genuinely good game at its core that just needed that sprinkle of modernisation to keep it afloat for – hopefully – another 20 years.
Reforged won’t convince you to change your tune on older MMOs or even Guild Wars itself if you bounced off it before. For those of us wanting something less World of Warcraft-y or even FFXIV, it’s the perfect fit. The added Steam Deck and controller support just brings it all together in a way that makes the relaxation of questing that bit more comfortable.
4 / 5
| Guild Wars: Reforged | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Plays great on every PC handheld | Still an MMO from 2005 |
| A solid revitalisation of the original Guild Wars | Steam Deck support could use some work |
| Updates to support modern hardware make it far more playable | |
Platforms: PC
Developer: ArenaNet
Publisher: ArenaNet, NCSoft
Release date: 3 Dec, 2025
