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The Past, Present & Future of MMORPGs
Blizzard's very first attempt at an MMORPG. Who would've guessed
they'd ever venture beyond the realm of their popular RTS games?
When I first heard about this game I was skeptical, fearing
they'd gone the way of Ultima. You remember those old games that
turned into a meaningless MMORPG? Luckily Blizzard has held its
standards and has quite possibly turned out the best MMO game
ever. Let's begin with the review, shall we?
~*Graphics: 10/10*~
To sum it up in a simple sentence: These graphics are
incredible. Don't hop into this game and expect the word
"incredible" to equal Half-Life 2 or something because this is
no FPS. This is an MMORPG and that means this game isn't about
how superior it is, but the experience that the graphics give.
Turning that into something a lot of the more recent gamers will
understand, allow me to elaborate on the game's environment.
You begin the game in the city or camp key to the race you
chose. Immediately you'll see a world that makes you feel small
by comparison. And you are small, make no difference there.
You'll be able to look up into the treetops in the Night Elf
realm of Teldrassil, look out across the sprawling plains
inherent tp the Tauren homeland of Mulgore, observe the rugged
lands of the Orcs and Trolls, and feel the chilly breeze in the
icy realm of the Dwarves and Gnomes. Describe the scenery how
you will at first, but you're only getting a taste of it.
Once you've done some work and have established yourself fairly
well you can begin to really stretch out into the world. You'll
quickly find that you can actually get lost out there without
paying attention to your map, and I'm only saying that because
you *will* be looking at the scenery. Even if you've gone
through the place twenty times you'll occasionally turn your
character's head just to stare off into the trees or hills.
Now focusing down into the NPC critters and player-characters
you'll find that each one is well-done. Though you will see
some"spin-offs" of the monsters (same models with different
colors), can you honestly blame Blizzard for cutting themselves
a little slack? It still makes the area feel unique in its own
way. If you're an arachnaphobic and can't seeing spiders in any
way, shape or form you may wish to steer clear of this game.
There are spiders that seem to literally be *everywhere,* and
they're about the size of your dog. Or much bigger. It depends
on where you are in World of Warcraft.
Anyway, the animations in this game are rather fluid. Everything
from the attack animation which varies per-weapon (and then per
dual-wield or no) to simple emotes such as laughing, sitting,
and even dancing or behaving like a chicken. All this adds up to
some visual eye-candy you don't want to miss if you ever want
MMORPGs to give you a good impression.
~*Sounds: 9/10*~
The reason I docked this category down a point is because the
sounds, though performed well, are often reused. The NPC speech
seems professional and expressive for as short as it is. You'll
hear some familiar quips from various characters throughout the
game, but since it is quite unending you'll likely hear them
several times over. Not enough to drive you mad though.
Now on to the REAL power behind the sounds of this game. The
music. World of Warcraft's music is simply INCREDIBLE. No other
word can describe the variety and beauty of much of the music in
this game. I myself am particularly fond of Stormwind's music
(which sounds like something out of LotR or some such) and the
must akin to the Night Elf forest realms. The music elsewhere
remains good, but those're the music I like. Get the game and
find your own or enjoy the same, in either case there's bound to
be at least one piece of music in this game you'll hunt your
drive for so you can listen to it.
~*Gameplay: 10/10*~
The meat and the bones. Gameplay in the sense I'm speaking is
almost unheard of in MMORPGs. Basically every MMORPG has
"quests" now, but what is a quest? Is it being given linear
instructions and being told to go out and hunt some item BARELY
above your current one in power? No, that's as low as you can
possibly go on the scale. Quests are the foundation of this game
because of Warcraft's immense story. They are executed
professionally and provide reason (not to mention logic) for
going to do something.
An example would be the very first Night Elf quest you'll likely
undertake. The seasonal rains have blessed the forests near
Shadowglen with an abundance of life, but the animals are taking
a toll on their environment. If you're truly into playing a
Night Elf, especially as a Druid, you'll feel an urgency to
correct this imbalance. Thus your quest begins and you set out
to slay Young Thistle Boars and Young Nightsabers, thinning the
population and aiding in what nature will do so much more slowly
in the coming months.
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