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World of Warcraft (PC)
Review by Scott Carlin
Okay, okay. I’m the guy who swore up and down that I’d never play a MMORPG. I’d never play a MMORPG. But then, I was talking to my brother, who asked me if I had heard of World of Warcraft. I thought ‘Yeah’, and chuckled to myself. He then said that he had been beta testing it. 'Whatever' I thought.
Next thing I knew, his roommate had bought it. I was over visiting for the holidays, and they both showed it to me.
Well, so much for never playing MMORPGs… ;-)
* as to MMORPGs being addictive: Bull. To me, this is a well-done RPG. But I end up treating it like all the other RPGs I've ever played; only getting to them when I have time (which is why I'm still not that advanced in levels). I think the people that get "sucked into" MMORPGs are the same people that get "sucked into" Dungeons and Dragons, or for that matter, any game... Soccer Moms, you can relax. ;-)
Blizzard’s initial foray into the Online realm of RPG-ing, World of Warcraft, is a smash. Set in the same world of their famous Warcraft titles (hence the name), players can play on the side of the Alliance (Humans, Night Elves, Dwarves and Gnomes), or the Horde (Orcs, Trolls, Tauren and Undead), and head into a vast world full of monsters, dungeons, and guaranteed late nights (I speak from experience).
Gameplay -
I was quite impressed at how simple the controls were; learning the interface is incredibly simple. On top of this, Blizzard provides players with the option to design their own interface (I have yet to try this, but I’ve heard of some good results – at the risk of screwing up some game files, but they also provide a fixer app just in case). The execution is graceful and well conceived. The only drawback is server lag; even with a top of the line computer, things get really slow (e.g. Ironforge Auction House, Bank, et al). The other thing that irritated me was the respawn rate of some of the monsters (this has since been addressed in one of the updates). Speaking of updates, Blizzard is really good about supplying bug fixes; and should you ever fall into a pit you can’t jump or climb out of, you can ask a Game Master for a hand.
Worthy of mention is the professions. One can choose from blacksmithing, engineering, alchemy and enchanting, to name a few. These skills enhance the experience by allowing secondary skills for creating and/or modifying items. This can come in handy not just for making things for yourself or others, but also for making money. You can also go fishing, and even cook what you catch.
Player vs. Player: I personally never play on "Normal Mode". I can't even fathom having an Orc and a Human meeting in some wasteland and not trying to kill each other -- even if there is a vast difference in level (it's just the way life is). It adds to the experience of the game, knowing you have a live opponent that isn't stuck with the rather predictable computer AI. Even players on the same side can enjoy seeing who's toughest in duels.
Characters are capable of all sorts of activities. They can dance, laugh, cry, tell jokes, make rude gestures, and even get drunk. There is built-in support for guilds, including guild tabbards, where the guildmaster decides on what logo the guild should wear (they're expensive, though!)
All in all, there are way too many features to list here, but the game experience is, overall, excellent.
Graphics -
My friend had bought a top of the line gaming system. The only flaw the computer had was an insufficient heatsink on the Video Card (which, I might add, is an incredibly good one) – turning the graphics detail on World of Warcraft all the way up made his computer freeze… the graphics in this game are incredible. For a few seconds of bliss (before the freeze), you can see for miles and miles in-game, and the textures are pretty darn good as well (some, like the trees, seem almost a little origami-like, but who buys a game to look at trees?) Even at lower settings, the light of the moon shining off of the grass, the sparkle of sunlight on the water… ahhh….
My friend is looking for a better heat sink for his graphics card. He can’t wait.
Sound and Music -
Blizzard didn’t pull any punches when they composed the score for this game. The themes for the capital cities, wilderness and dungeons (and even when you're dead) help add to the already rich atmosphere. The sounds are well done, although sometimes a little redundant. Not much else to say here. But I'm really impressed with the music.
Storyline -
Okay, here's where I have to admit it: I'm lost. Bear in mind this is probably due to my having about 5 different characters, all exploring different areas of the world, but it appears to me that I can't seem to find much of a plot line. However, I'm sure I don't know all there is to this, but so far I haven't seen much in the way of a driving plot. That there may be one, I don't deny, but I feel it would have been much better to introduce at least a strong hint of one near the beginning, before the player is totally lost in the vastness of the World. If all there was to this game was doing various "Kill this" or "Get that" jobs, then I'd get bored really quickly.
Overall -
I can't say I'm really fond of monthly fees just to play a game -- I guess I'm just not accustomed to it (I justify it by comparing it to a monthly subscription to a magazine). Basically, this game rocks. For those of you, like me, who like to get the most out of gaming, like a good story and plot twists, this may take a little patience before things start getting interesting. However, if you're looking for a game that not only pays good attention to graphics and detail, but also sports good gameplay, then (provided you have an income) this game is recommended. Just don't get lost...
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