WoW specialist demon Cortyn has a bit to complain about. The last chapter of the covenant campaign in World of Warcraft has been released – and lasted just under 7 minutes.
With the start of the new week in World of Warcraft, the last story chapter of the covenant campaign from Patch 9.1 Chains of Domination was also unlocked. Expectations were high, as this chapter was the only one not tested on the PTR. All content was still uncertain.
Now, after I have played the last part of the campaign, it can be clearly said: Expectations were disappointed.
Spoiler warning: The article discusses the last chapter of the covenant campaign from World of Warcraft. If you prefer to experience it yourself first, you should not continue reading.
But let’s first summarize what happens in the final step of the covenant campaign:
The Primus informs us in Korthia that the attack on Torghast is complete. The campaign takes place immediately after the attack on the Sanctum of Domination and the controversial cinematic with Sylvanas and the Jailer.
Jaina has taken the compass that Anduin left behind in Oribos and senses that there is a hidden message within it. Together with Bolvar and Thrall, they manage to play the message. It is a fresh memory of Anduin about a conversation with Sylvanas. He feels like more and more of him is being lost but simultaneously shows sympathy for Sylvanas and can now understand what it must have felt like for her under the influence of the Lich King.
I want to emphasize that the quality of the small in-game sequence is extremely good. I like the dialogue between Anduin and Sylvanas, and the graphical presentation is good as well. For a cutscene with in-game graphics, the lip-sync (at least in the English version) was quite good. Clearly, much more work went into it than in the small Garrosh cutscene, which had only a single employee working on it.
The shortest finale ever
The problem with the whole thing is that that’s basically it for the campaign. After the video, there’s a small quest where all covenants provide their seals to pool their powers and be ready. The Primus points out again that “death seeks the soul of our world,” but we “still have a chance to thwart this.”
Then it’s over. Achievement for completing the campaign, 1,250 Anima – end of the campaign.
This whole thing lasted just under 7 minutes when you include the duration of the cinematic and the cutscene shown.
Clearly, it’s apparent now that the last chapter was just a small “wrap-up” that ties together the plot threads of the last weeks and was supposed to establish the new status quo. The covenants have regained their strength and are ready to confront whatever Zovaal has in store.
However, it leaves an unsatisfactory feeling. Not because there’s yet another cliffhanger – there have been so many at the end of a patch, and that’s something that doesn’t bother me. But the shortness of the quest line this week was an undignified conclusion to the story of this patch.
Honestly, even the 20-second follow-up quest didn’t help, where you have to pick up a book that creates an illusion of Mal’Ganis, who briefly says, “Haha, by the way, I’m free again, you fool” and then disappears. I found myself confused by that even though I still quite like the entire story.
I understand why Blizzard did not show the last chapter of the campaign on the PTR. After all, the content of the quest could have directly spoiled the cinematic at the end of the Sanctum of Domination. Therefore, it was definitely the right decision not to make the chapter playable in advance.
However, the secrecy surrounding the chapter has also raised certain expectations that unfortunately could not be met.
The bitter aftertaste is mainly that this last story bite is likely the last we will see of Anduin and Sylvanas this year. Because my hopes are low that Patch 9.2 will be released in 2021. Considering the delays already experienced with Patch 9.1, the next major update is likely at least 5 months away.
A small consolation is that various NPCs now have “<Stay a while and listen>” options that provide a bit more information. But I’m not really happy about that either.
I look forward to what comes in Patch 9.2 – whenever that may be. But the bitter aftertaste of this particularly short finale will linger for quite some time.
How did you perceive the covenant campaign and especially the finale today?
