Cortyn from MeinMMO finds a lot of good things about WoW: Shadowlands. However, three aspects have been particularly well done in the new expansion.
It’s been almost a week since the release of WoW: Shadowlands. After I threw all reason out the window and played the game all night on release night I’ve been able to take a good look at everything in the last few days. I have now completed the quests in all areas, taken a few trips to Torghast, visited several dungeons, and unlocked quite a few secrets for my Sanctum.
To put it briefly: I’m having fun. So much fun that I think about what I’ll do in WoW later at work. So much fun that at 2:00 a.m. I find myself having the silly thought of “just one more hour,” even though after 15 years I should know better by now.
There’s so much to do and so much to experience in Shadowlands. But in particular, three changes and improvements have led to me grazing the 10-hour mark while playing almost every day and neglecting pretty much everything else.
Treasures feel like treasures again
One of the best changes has been made to treasures because they feel really good again.
In the last expansions, treasures were almost just loveless chests standing in the middle of nowhere, containing junk worth 7 gold. It didn’t feel like a treasure, nor did it seem like someone had put much thought into it.
In Shadowlands, it’s different. Almost all treasures are rewarding, containing a piece of armor, a toy, a mount, or a cool transmog – at the very least, some anima. Although you can already see treasures on the map beforehand, the path to them isn’t always easy. Often they are actually hidden behind a secret path or require solving a particular puzzle to be opened.
For the Kyrians, you can only open a treasure if you are “pure.” The chest does not reveal more. To do this, one must first ring one of the bells and then stand under a waterfall for several seconds.
For another puzzle, one must find an “ancient offering.” A few meters away, two Provosts sit with an “ancient wine bowl,” which cannot be used without wine. When speaking to the Provosts, they give the hint that they are still waiting for someone to bring the wine. So you follow a small detective story until you have everything together to open the treasure.
Sure, one can simply look up the solution to the puzzle online – but that would somewhat ruin the game and the exploration for oneself.
PvP is fun again, thanks to obvious rewards
I’m not exactly a revelation in PvP – I know that. In rated PvP, I have never achieved a particularly high rating, even though I do enjoy watching arena matches and understand what it’s all about.
But I have always enjoyed the occasional “getting beaten up a bit” in WoW, whether in battlegrounds or in war mode.
However, I completely avoided battlegrounds in Battle for Azeroth. I simply found it no fun, mainly due to the rewards that were largely random. What I got at the end of a battleground was left to chance. There was no way to work towards something specific.
But now there’s a PvP vendor again – even if it was temporarily removed.
When I log into WoW now and look at my character, I can clearly say: My shoulder armor is not good yet, I need something better. The PvP vendor entices with an upgrade and the promise of being able to further enhance the item. I was able to exchange my outdated 135 shoulders for fresh shoulders from the PvP vendor and upgrade them directly to level 171. This is done simply through earned Honor with the NPC right next to the vendor.
This is straightforward, enticing, and rewarding. I know what I’m working towards and am confident that I will get it. With some victories, it’s quite fast, if I only incur losses, it takes a bit longer.
This would also be a tip for everyone: At least do your weekly PvP quest in the battlegrounds; it gives another 500 Honor and a bit of Anima.
Yes, those who already have full equipment from mythic dungeons and do this all day will not get much interesting anymore. But those who have leveled a bit more leisurely or are currently exploring the vastness of Shadowlands will find a few easily earned improvements for their character in PvP. Especially at the beginning of an expansion, every improvement is still very noticeable.
World quests are better because they last longer
Yes, some players are bothered that world quests are now significantly longer. There are virtually no missions left that are just “kill a mob and vanish again.” World quests require more time, and those who want to complete them must invest time.
But honestly? I think that’s great. This panicked “fly from A to B and one-hit a mob” has always annoyed me. It didn’t feel like I was playing my character but rather a flight line aiming for maximum efficiency between landing points. Now world quests are longer, requiring the killing of numerous enemies, or even have different phases – just like the quests had during leveling.
In general, I also have the impression that the world quests have more variety than before. Sure, the quests are still often “kill X” and “collect Y” – but that’s the main aspect of MMORPG quests. However, there are numerous world quests that mix things up a bit. Whether it’s the “Flappy Bird” mission for the Kyrians, the monstrosity slaying in Maldraxxus, or a parachute flight in Revendreth – there’s enough variety if you just want to do your 3 missions a day and aren’t into kill quests.
Conclusion: Much has improved with Shadowlands
After a week, I now have time to look at the game with a bit more calm and less “launch hype.” Just thinking about all the things I can do makes me smile with satisfaction. Even more so because very little of it feels like an obligation. I can decide quite freely what I want to do in WoW at any time and make progress everywhere. I’ve missed that for a long time.
In my opinion, Shadowlands has made a fantastic start and is doing a hell of a lot right. At every corner, it feels like the developers have learned from past mistakes and created an expansion where very little feels like work, and most is just open offerings and possibilities, with little turning into obligation.
If Shadowlands can maintain this course, it will keep me engaged throughout 2021.
Or what do you think?
The first week of Shadowlands is almost over – you should definitely take care of this!
