Our colleagues from GamePro also awarded a 100. In their conclusion, they said:
The new locations, characters, items, and monsters are simply fantastic. The voice acting is perfect, the sound effects are perfect, and the music is sometimes menacing and sometimes uplifting.
What is the worst score on Metacritic? Unlike Cataclysm and Wrath of the Lich King, the first expansion of WoW received significantly more backlash. Game Revolution gave it only a 67 and justified this by stating that the price is high and major changes are lacking, such as a graphical overhaul.
Worth Playing rated it only a 75 and wrote:
My overall impression is “somewhat disappointed”. There are quite a number of technical issues, and the lack of new classes is a huge disappointment. Additionally, it is the ever-present feeling that everything remains the same that prevents me from singing praises.
How do players see the expansion today? Burning Crusade remains a favorite among WoW players, even if the expansion gets somewhat overshadowed by our number 2 spot in hype.
Place 4: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment | Platform: PC | Release Date: December 7, 2010 | Score on Metacritic: 90 | Number of reviews: 53
What was special about the expansion? With the third expansion Cataclysm, Blizzard aimed to reinvent World of Warcraft and changed many of the old game contents. The dragon Deathwing awakened and changed the game world. Some areas began to regreen, while others were scorched.
During this change, old quest areas were overhauled and played in a more streamlined and modern manner. The talent trees were also adjusted. They became smaller and clearer, but lost some complexity.
Cataclysm is considered by many as a “turning point” in the history of WoW. Although subscription numbers reached record highs at the time, many found the “new WoW” too easy, too casual, and some complained that content they had come to love was “taken away” from them.
What is the best score on Metacritic? Critics initially responded very positively to the changes in Cataclysm. Five times the full score of 100 was awarded. Eurogamer said at the time:
Cataclysm not only makes WoW better. It does something far more valuable than that: It renews it. It rekindles your excitement to embark on the long leveling path once more and invites you to enjoy the journey just as much as you will lose yourself in its end.
PC Games gave a “only” a 91 but was also full of praise for the revisions:
Finally, Blizzard is revamping the entry into World of Warcraft. With a new guise, the shattered Azeroth becomes more challenging for returnees and encourages newcomers to start. It is the perfect time to play the best MMO of all time!
What is the worst score on Metacritic? The worst reviews came from GamePro, PC PowerPlay, and Gamer.nl. All three testers gave the expansion “only” an 80. GamePro wrote at the time that Cataclysm might not be the best WoW expansion but allowed for a much better entry point for new players.
How do players see the expansion today? Cataclysm is viewed critically by many and is rather unpopular in the community. In a survey here on MeinMMO, only 4% of readers voted for Cataclysm as the best WoW expansion. Only Battle for Azeroth, Warlords of Draenor, and Shadowlands landed behind.
Place 3: World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment | Platform: PC | Release Date: January 16, 2007 | Score on Metacritic: 91 | Number of reviews: 46
What was special about the expansion? Burning Crusade was the first expansion for WoW and players set off on a journey to the new continent of Outlands. There were new areas, new quests, and also new dungeons and raids. A significant innovation was the heroic dungeons, to keep dungeon runs interesting in the long term.
New players and veterans also gained access to the playable races Draenei and Blood Elves; both factions had access to the Paladin and Shaman classes from then on.
The major highlights, however, were the well-known personalities that players could face in raids – foremost among them Illidan. But the battles against Lady Vashj or Kael’thas will still be remembered by many today.
What is the best score on Metacritic? Burning Crusade received six times the perfect score of 100 from testers. Eurogamer, for example, praised the new access to the endgame for players who were more casual. GameShark was thrilled with both the new level content and the technical implementation.
Our colleagues from GamePro also awarded a 100. In their conclusion, they said:
The new locations, characters, items, and monsters are simply fantastic. The voice acting is perfect, the sound effects are perfect, and the music is sometimes menacing and sometimes uplifting.
What is the worst score on Metacritic? Unlike Cataclysm and Wrath of the Lich King, the first expansion of WoW received significantly more backlash. Game Revolution gave it only a 67 and justified this by stating that the price is high and major changes are lacking, such as a graphical overhaul.
Worth Playing rated it only a 75 and wrote:
My overall impression is “somewhat disappointed”. There are quite a number of technical issues, and the lack of new classes is a huge disappointment. Additionally, it is the ever-present feeling that everything remains the same that prevents me from singing praises.
How do players see the expansion today? Burning Crusade remains a favorite among WoW players, even if the expansion gets somewhat overshadowed by our number 2 spot in hype.
