The original Guild Wars? Not really an MMORPG. With just about everything instanced, it failed to actually feel “massive” at any time, something the developers hope to address in the sequel while maintaining one major aspect: no monthly fee. Today, NCSoft has released a video showing off the playable races of Guild Wars 2, the first of many changes that the developer has made in the hope of making it feel comparable to games like World of Warcraft, Aion, and Warhammer Online.

The video above gives a good look into some of the big differences between the two games, with professional actors voicing the different races. The human is voiced by Troy Baker (Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece), the charr is voiced by Steve Blum (Spectacular Spider-Man), the norn is voiced by Jocelyn Blue (Invader Zim, Space Jam), the asura is voiced by Felicia Day (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, The Guild, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and the sylvari is voiced by Kari Wahlgren (Wolverine and the X-Men, Aliens in the Attic). Yeah, Felicia Day is in this video, so you know it has to be good. She plays a little cat thing, it's really great.

You can read the press release, below, to find out a little more information. For as much as I’m enjoying the publisher’s other MMORPG, I’m still finding it easy to be excited for this one. Hopefully the sequel manages to be better than the first, since Areanet and NCSoft really know what they’re doing when it comes to this market. Then again, this will likely launch after The Old Republic, so, yeah. Let’s see how much attention I have left when we’re raiding some Wookie village.

New Guild Wars 2 Video Previews Races and Asks, "What is YOUR story?"

In the upcoming MMO Guild Wars 2, choosing which of the five distinctive races to play is just the first step down the road to your ultimate destiny. Starting with this crucial decision, your character's epic tale begins. With their new preview video, NCsoft and ArenaNet pull back the curtain to reveal more details of the five diverse player races in Guild Wars 2. Which will you choose?

Take the role of a noble human defender and fight for the survival of your people. Play a ferocious feline charr, carving a trail of conquest. Become one of the brilliant asura to study hidden knowledge and harness incredible magical technology. Assume the form of a shapeshifting norn, the massive battle-forged warriors from the far north. Explore the mysteries of Tyria as one of the sylvari, a mystical new race of plant spirits. From these five races, mighty heroes shall rise!

To set the stage for Guild Wars 2, this video introduces the five iconic heroes of each race, all voiced by accomplished actors. Logan Thackeray the human defender is voiced by Troy Baker (Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece). Rytlock Brimstone the charr warrior is voiced by Steve Blum (Spectacular Spider-Man). Eir Stegalkin the norn is voiced by Jocelyn Blue (Invader Zim, Space Jam). Zojja the asura is voiced by Felicia Day (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, The Guild, Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Caithe the sylvari is voiced by Kari Wuhlgren (Wolverine and the X-Men, Aliens in the Attic).

Guild Wars 2 is a visually stunning MMO that will offer players the epic grandeur of a massive role playing environment as well as the challenge of intense player vs. player competition. Building on the success and popularity of Guild Wars, ArenaNet is creating a subscription-free MMO where players create their own personalized story in a richly imagined world where their actions have real consequences.