Choose Black Desert
Choose Black Desert if you want an Action and Strategy experience. 35,523 Steam reviews back the pick.
Black Desert vs Guild Wars 2®
Black Desert and Guild Wars 2® both land in Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam. Black Desert (2017) is 5 years older than Guild Wars 2® (2022). Guild Wars 2® scores higher on Steam reviews (88.5% positive) than Black Desert (72.5% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Guild Wars 2®
Choose Guild Wars 2® if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.5% positive across 17,646 reviews.
Both Black Desert and Guild Wars 2® sit in Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, and RPG on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Black Desert |  Guild Wars 2® | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 72.5% positive (35,523 reviews) | 88.5% positive (17,646 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Pearl Abyss | ArenaNet® |
Side by side
- Both share Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam.
- Black Desert (2017) is 5 years older than Guild Wars 2® (2022).
- Guild Wars 2® scores higher on Steam reviews (88.5% positive) than Black Desert (72.5% positive).
- Guild Wars 2® is free; Black Desert is paid (9.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Black Desert is Deck Unsupported, Guild Wars 2® is Deck Playable.
Black Desert vs Guild Wars 2® — FAQ
- Which is better, Black Desert or Guild Wars 2®?
- On Steam reviews Guild Wars 2® scores higher (88.5% positive) than Black Desert (72.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Guild Wars 2® is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Black Desert or Guild Wars 2® first?
- If you want chronology, Black Desert (2017) came out before Guild Wars 2® (2022). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Black Desert and Guild Wars 2® similar?
- They overlap on Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both Black Desert and Guild Wars 2® have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Black Desert ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Guild Wars 2® ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Guild Wars 2® free?
- Yes — Guild Wars 2® is a free-to-play Steam title. Black Desert is paid (9.99 USD).