Alright, I've watched what I needed so far.
- System Performance - Abysmal for WvW and cities. Divinity Reach and others seriously run at like 10fps. They look fantastic but I can't even watch. WvW seriously drops as well when large scale fights are going on. Definitely sub 30 no question. PvP seems OK but I saw some weird rendering issues. An example would be a structure that sort of drew itself progressively late as you ran around it.
- Loading - Initial loads are about on par with GW1. But they have to axe the loading between quick-travel in WvW. I'm sure it will be ironed out but you just can't have that.
- Mesmer - The latest class which wasn't very well known. It looks...OK. A far cry from the original mesmer in its mind games. You are now reserved to illusions maintenance. It looks somewhat fun but still devolves the mesmer into a mix-up fighter. However, this could just be play-style from the players and build choice. Looks boring how it was being run currently.
- PvP - One word, boring. Comp PvP is just so stale compared to PvE/WvW. Again, take the most boring/loathed mode in GW1 and sure, just go with it. Numbers are small, map gets really boring already, and the battles are zzzzz. A complete snore compared to everything else shown.
- WvW - Excitement. Well, when people actually don't just run around like assholes. Can't spell IG...never-mind. Battles are massive, economy resides within, and defense/offense look exciting. Maps look well designed especially with the usage of choke points. Keeps/castles look epic in scale and fun to defend. I can picture many epic rush-downs and take-overs. And sieging is more Starcraft then camping, which is what I expected.
- Miscellaneous - Dyes, skills, traits, PvP unlocks, karma, whatever. We need lists because videos are poor to convey these systems. Will have to wait on those.
My first impression is that they simply
HAVE to fix all these performance issues before a public beta. Delay that shit as long as necessary because it is horrific. A serene stroll through an epic city is now delegated to frustration. I'm sure the loads I mentioned will be fixed.
PvE just hasn't been shown enough. However, I did see AI aggro established on initial spread, DPS, and a bit of tanking. The main issue shown so far is that everyone seems to be tanking in PvE a bit too much. Now, when you are alone it makes sense for a enemy to get in your face. But so many players are just playing up close statistics which is a snore. GW1 could do this since it was team-based. This looks awful with 1v1. This could be another examples of play-skill/choice. I would like to see more aggro behavior.
Comp PvP looks like shit. It currently looks to be a mode for high ranking players to get e-cred when they are bored. WvW looks 1000x more fun, balanced, and thought out. I don't care what ANET says, WvW is the focus. Now, this leads me to my current issues with both modes. Rush-down waves are the "in." In PvP, watching a guardian/warrior lug around is painful. Speed builds with quick rush-down will be prevalent day1 if anyone gives a damn. You simply would have to be foolish not to prioritize rush-down waving around the map. It shouldn't even matter if you aren't camping cap points if you continuously are following the strat.
WvW is all waving. Who cares about builds. Who care about skills. Who even cares about player skill (mash 1!). If you have the superior wave, you will win. However, this is a
HUGE double-edged sword. A well coordinated alliance will absolutely demolish any PUGs with waving. So I would expect many "holy shit, X alliance is on server x" stuff going on. And total avoidance of that territory unless you are the "holy shit, Y alliance" who can compete. PUG accessibility will at times be fruitless. And there will be enough players who will comes together to build this structure. So you better get in on the fun early and know how to play your shit. Relationships are usually found in PvP or GW1 old-hats. But ANET wants to avoid this so we shall see...
As for my personal view, I'm only interested in coordinated alliance WvW and elite PvE.