World of Warcraft lures for the eighth time to explore the game world. Cortyn explains why this still works so wonderfully.
The now seventh expansion of World of Warcraft has once again captivated me and ensured that I am exploring Azeroth and its new areas for the eighth time. And I am already sure that this will still be the case for the ninth time.
For many players, World of Warcraft is not “one game among many,” but the one game that continues to attract players year after year. And the call is irresistible.
The feeling at the launch of an expansion can best be compared to the end of a long school trip or a vacation. You no longer want to be around other vacationers or classmates, and the longing for the familiar sets in.
It’s not really homesickness, and somehow the time away from the daily grind was quite brilliant – but no bed is cozier than your own.
The perfect mix of new and old
Numerous other games have failed at this very phenomenon. Anyone too similar to World of Warcraft simply couldn’t keep up with the features that Blizzard has created over nearly 14 years. After a decade and a half on the quality throne, it is nearly impossible to directly challenge World of Warcraft.
So impossible that even Blizzard did not attempt this with Titan – even though there were other reasons at play.
Those who wanted to be completely different frightened off World of Warcraft players. The combat system is completely different? What, there are no professions? Why don’t quests guide me through areas?
All the innovations that sound exciting and “different” on paper, WoW players initially want – until they realize that they don’t want it after all.
In my circle of friends, many rave about other MMOs, check them out for a week or two, and then realize: That wasn’t so great after all, precisely because it was different and often not as polished as Blizzard’s competition.
Yet every expansion of World of Warcraft finds the nearly perfect balance to remain exciting. Classes change time and again, individual mechanics are reintroduced, or the graphics are slightly improved. Island Expeditions feel new, fresh, and hectic. They are unpredictable and chaotic but do not stray too far from the “typical” Warcraft feeling.
The WoW Moments of World of Warcraft
There are the aptly named “WoW moments,” where I think: “I wouldn’t have expected that such an old game like World of Warcraft can still achieve this.”
As the best example, let’s take the cinematics. They have improved over the years. When I saw the video for the Gate of Wrath in Wrath of the Lich King, I was amazed.
Now, in Battle for Azeroth, I am still blown away by how detailed the facial features are in the cinematics: How clearly Jaina’s regret is visible in her expression. How disdain radiates from her mother’s eyes. How the corner of Priscilla Ashenwind’s mouth lifts slightly at the end of the video when Jaina’s fate is left in her hands.
All of this is presented with slightly enhanced in-game graphics. A few years ago, I would have shown the bird to anyone who said that World of Warcraft would one day have such cutscenes.
Not everything is perfect, but enough is very good
Nevertheless, World of Warcraft is not a perfect game. Anyone who follows my articles a bit (or just looks for 2 minutes in a general chat channel of any MMO of their choice) will repeatedly find points of criticism.
I could philosophize for hours about why the shadow priest is currently a catastrophe in terms of gameplay. When my priest barely manages to defeat two melee opponents at once and just barely escapes with her life, it is incredibly frustrating to see a retribution paladin pull together seven enemies, two enemy horde players, the imminent server maintenance, and three Game Masters from Blizzard, and burn them all up in holy fire within seconds.
Complaints about the “artifact power grind” already existed in Legion and they will return with Battle for Azeroth, just like the whining about “all noobs always getting warforged items” while I go home empty-handed.
But these problems are so trivial; they are complaints on such a high level that they hardly drive any player away in the long run.
Other games, other standards
For every die-hard WoW fan, it is also difficult to judge other games fairly and objectively – because objectivity doesn’t really play a role in your own enjoyment of the game. When I judge what MMORPG I want to play in my free time, I don’t ask “fairly”. I don’t ask: “In what aspects is game X exactly as good as WoW?”
No, the real question I ask myself is:
“In which aspects is game X better than WoW, while simultaneously providing as much content and features, and is then so convincing that I would leave behind 14 years of accumulated player experience on my account?”
No game can achieve that. It is nearly impossible.
Of course, this is not “fair.” But why should I care about fair treatment of games when it comes to my personal enjoyment in my free time?
But no matter how good other games may be and how convincing their stories are: They can never surpass the bond of the players to Warcraft and beloved characters like Jaina Proudmoore or Sylvanas Windrunner as a new game.
Many players grew up with these characters, controlling them over 20 years ago in Warcraft 3 and experiencing adventures with them. Whatever wants to come close to WoW would have to displace 20 years of Warcraft affinity from my heart or at least make me forget it for a while.
And that is nearly impossible since the heroes not only meet me in World of Warcraft but also in Hearthstone or Heroes of the Storm.
World of Warcraft is indispensable
World of Warcraft has simply become an integral part of my life. Not constantly and permanently present, but a part that frequently peeks around the corner and lures with beautiful promises that it can indeed fulfill.
In an age where a large portion of games are successful for only a week and their player counts then drop sharply to 10% of the value, WoW remains a phenomenon. A guarantee that the world will still be populated in one or two years.
For I am sure that there are many players who feel similarly and have developed a comparable bond to Azeroth as I have. Blizzard has created far more than a game with WoW; I would call it a piece of quality of life. A familiar form of relaxation that can be returned to time and again.
What is your relationship with World of Warcraft? Are you excited and drawn back to the game world with every addon?
Perhaps you are also interested in Benedict’s first impression of Battle for Azeroth.
