Cortyn has extensively played the endgame zone of World of Warcraft: Legion, Suramar. You can find out how the zone feels in this column.
Suramar – The first impression was a mistake
Okay, right from the start I have to confess. I was quite upset about the zone “Suramar” from World of Warcraft: Legion a month ago, because some developers said that this zone would be further built and expanded in the future. To me, it sounded like a typical “We didn’t finish on time”. Consequently, I was also very biased when I entered the area at level 110 in the beta. But I must say, my opinion has turned 180°.
Oh, I should probably mention that there are some spoilers below. I hereby declare this.
A large part of Suramar is the namesake capital of the Nightborne, which you have already seen in the comic “The Nightborne: Twilight of Suramar”. But the journey begins outside the city, where you meet “First Arcanist Thalyssra”. The lady has made an assassination attempt against Grand Magistrix Elisande, managed to escape with her life, and is now trying to save this world and her people from the Legion. Cut off from the Nightwell, however, the hunger for magic gnaws at her, so she needs the players’ help.
The largest city in World of Warcraft
As soon as you step a foot into the city of these elves, you can hardly stop being amazed. Thanks to a magical disguise, you can wander around largely unbothered and only need to watch out for a few enemies with “detector”. Suramar is significantly more extensive than Stormwind or Orgrimmar in terms of sheer size. It is the first area where you can find both “friends” and “enemies” in the same place. Most importantly, the city feels alive. Children of the Nightborne play in the streets, a noblewoman is carried around in a litter, citizens laugh at their fellow elves at the stocks, who are slowly being drained of magic while they themselves fear for their survival. And grotesquely, demons stomp somewhat “peacefully” through the streets because the Nightborne are currently allies of the Legion.
However, questing in Suramar is “different” and in a refreshing way. In order for the Nightaddicted to speak with me, I must provide them with “ancient mana,” which can be obtained almost everywhere. Approximately every 36 hours, these addicts need a new ration or they will be unresponsive. It sounds like annoying “grinding to unlock quests,” but it isn’t. Ancient mana is practically available on every corner, and those who explore a bit will quickly gather large amounts. With that, you can gradually activate a teleport network to travel comfortably through the zone. The best part? It’s embedded in the story. No more portals just for the sake of having portals!
Characters with soul
At the same time, I can’t remember any quest line – not even from the highly praised Classic – that addresses so many different themes. Politics, intrigue, addiction, assassination attempts, betrayal, the struggle for survival. Even more astonishing: Blizzard creates characters throughout these quests that quickly grow on me. These aren’t nameless NPCs that one wearily smiles at when they hand over a reward. These characters have a soul, and at least the English voice acting, which is almost ubiquitous here, has already ensured that I have fallen in love with more than one Nightborne and Nightaddicted.
Arcanist Valtrois, Thalyssra, Grand Teleman Oculeth. These are just three names that will immediately land on my list of “best Warcraft characters” – and that without having ten years of buildup, as Garrosh did.
I am currently not even done with the area yet, because even after nearly 4 evenings (long, very long evenings) in the zone, I keep discovering new details and quests that keep me entertained.
Everything else from Legion pales
Honestly, I like Suramar so much that the four other areas before it fade in comparison. Don’t get me wrong: Azsuna, Highmountain, Val’Sharah, and Stormheim are well staged, have great quests with exciting twists, and surpass everything we saw in Warlords of Draenor. But Suramar takes it up a notch. For the first time, you really feel like you’re roaming around a city, like it really is “the center of a civilization” and not just 5 lonely houses that someone is trying to sell me as “great city crossroads”.
When we discuss this again in a few years and ask “What did we like about Legion?” I will say “Suramar”. If only every area in World of Warcraft was so brilliant, I would play nothing else.
I don’t know if Legion will be a success. I don’t know if the World of Warcraft expansion can “save” it. But I do know that Suramar has convinced me. More than any other area ever has.
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