I recently returned to Guild Wars 2 after 8 years (Last time I logged in was 2013), and I'm completely hooked and have logged over 2k games since January (currently Gold rank).
I come from fighting games (Tekken, Super Smash 64/Melee), played a ton of MMO PVP (WoW, Age of Conan), as well as battle arenas (League of Legends, Battlerite, Blade & Soul).... This game feels like a combination of some of the best/most engaging elements from each genre. GW2 has elements of fighting games in that you need to read your opponents movement, spacing, and skill animations to react, and absolutely requires high levels of execution to succeed. Even though combat is heavily focused around cooldowns / burst windows / combos, there is never a time where you feel like you're out of options and there's always an opportunity to make a play if you have the right read on your opponent. It's similar to a Battle Arena, where typical 1v1, 2v2, or 3v3s should go ~2-3 minutes and teams alternate pressure and defensive strategies, trying to set up enough pressure / cc / burst damage to tip the scales. Fights actually require thought and extremely high levels of execution, but even when opponents have the upper hand there's still the possibility for a comeback. And obviously it has the build diversity, move diversity, and complexity we know and love from traditional MMOs.
What's truly amazing is that almost any build / playstyle can be viable in PVP, and the sheer number of builds is truly incredible (obviously some depend on your team). If you don't believe me, watch top PVP content creators and the unique builds they decide to run, do well with, and most importantly have fun with. Facing an opponent with an off-meta build doesn't even seem scary; rather it seems familiar in some way, like they're reaching out to you saying "Hey, look at me... I'm an individual". There are a lot of complaints about "Cheese Builds" or "Cheese Classes", which require very little thought and execution to do really well with. While lame that a player would rock a brain-dead playstyle simply because of low effort/high return, the Cheese-lord relies on their class to carry them, and can be outplayed by skill and paying attention to the game fundamentals: spacing, targeting, CD management / set-ups, and baiting. And also sometimes this is a legitimate player who just loves the class / playstyle; to each their own. At the end of the day, the more skilled players / team wins.
Playing this game feels so unique and satisfying (I main Deadeye, Berzerker/Spellbreaker, and Mirage). Obviously there are flaws - a game this big and complex is impossible to balance perfectly, especially across all game modes. But for a competitive player looking for deep and satisfying PVP, what GW2 offers in 2v2, 5v5, WvW it is truly an amazing experience.
