After completing a few quests, it’s evident that Guild War 2, like most modern popular literature, follows the classic storyline of a hero’s adventurous journey. The embodiment of this storyline adheres to a universal pattern. The monomyth usually starts with a turmoil within a utopian world, inciting the protagonist to exert all forces to fight against the emerging conflicts, and upon victory, the protagonist transforms into a brave and heroic character.

For instance, once the players enter the game, they were often informed by the NPCs that the beautiful homeland is being destroyed by monstrous beings, such as the Termite Larvae invading the farmer’s village. To restore peace and justice for the villagers, players ought to dismantle these evil creatures.

By following this classic heroic plot, Guild War successfully draws players into this preconditioned narration. A sense of fulfillment developed as the players spontaneously placed themselves into this fearless heroic character. Guided by the NPCs, one quest after another, a thrilling experience flourished as there is the perception that the more “bad guys” players destroy, the more they are contributing to a more liberated digital community.

However, if the players would give a more comprehensive thought into the storyline, they would begin to realize that the entire heroic tale is built on the nature of narcissism. The plot of heroism naturally triggers players’ desire to be seen and recognized. For example, when I first played the game, I find the storyline intriguing. When I was rewarded with prizes and tokens after completing a quest, I felt a sense of urgency to complete another one so I can level up. Yet, the more I play, the more I realize that there is a difference between addition and engagement. In my case, I am simply addicted because the game gives me a sense of agency and empowerment when I destroy the vicious villains. Yet, ironically, my developed sense of agency from the game was only in relation to the opposing force of an adversary. Without the opposing forces, my heroic presence in the game became mediocre and meaningless.

Though Guild War’s storyline is alluring at first glance, it provides little depth when the historical context and the detailed traits of different characters of the game are provided with limited information. There was never an explanation from the NPCs why specific invaders ought to be destroyed, players simply enact because they were told to. Thus, as players continue to engage in quests, the plot became fragmented and frivolous when no justification is provided for the enactment of such violence.

In essence, the classic heroic tale is useful to draw players’ attention into the initial gameplay. However, to continue to engage with the players into the magical world, I would suggest Guild War to be more invested into the development of different aspects of the characters – to create more backstories and historical context for the NPCs or the wonderland itself. If we could have a deeper look into different characters’ motives and emotions, the better we can enact our roles within the gameplay. Hopefully, we will not simply be fighting for villains because we all want to feel like the “hero,” but that a true sense of agency is developed as we continue to engage with the game itself.