The Island of the Exiled is for Cortyn more than just a new starting area. It is one of the best experiences that World of Warcraft has to offer.
The next expansion of World of Warcraft, Shadowlands, is currently all the rage. But while people are eagerly talking about the Shadowlands, the new character customizations and the Tower of Torghast, one topic is less frequently addressed. The new starting area “Island of the Exiled” (Exile’s Reach) receives less mention. And that’s a shame, because it’s one of the best innovations that Shadowlands has.
I have played the area multiple times in the beta and still have a lot of fun with it. This is not only due to the fact that the Island of the Exiled is the most modern starting area in World of Warcraft. More so, it is just incredibly fun to experience this small, self-contained adventure.
Simple, but great story
It’s a storyline that is not complex, but rather straightforward and purposeful. In short, the story can be summarized as follows:
- An Alliance strike team was dispatched to scout an uncharted island. The team is missing, and contact has been lost. As part of a second team, you are now to find the missing soldiers and investigate what is happening on the island.
- Your ship is caught in a storm and crashes on the shore.
- After you have battled Murlocs and recovered supplies, you venture deeper inland.
- Spiky boars are preparing strange rituals, and they are being watched by an ogre.
- It quickly becomes clear that the ogres are pursuing some dark goal and are using the Alliance troops as fuel for their spells.
- After a small rescue mission, you learn that the ogres want to resurrect a dead dragon and make a plan to prevent exactly that.
- You gather resources and remaining Alliance troops and then infiltrate the ogres’ camp.
- In the end, there is a small “mini-dungeon” against the ogre boss to thwart the ritual, followed by a battle against the (still weakened) undead dragon.
Questlines like a Pen&Paper adventure
Yes, all of that is not great literary art or a story with many twists and unforeseen events. But that’s not what the Island of the Exiled wants to be. It is a solid, short, interesting, and coherent adventure. Something that World of Warcraft is lacking.
This makes the Island of the Exiled feel very much like adventures from Pen&Paper role-playing games. There is a clearly defined framework, a handful of characters, a (relatively) clear objective, and a fixed endpoint in the plot.
To be completely honest, I wish for more areas like this in the future. They don’t necessarily have to be starting areas, but could also be scalable zones for the mid or endgame. I don’t even want these zones to become “daily areas” or any other grind afterward. Unique, short adventures lasting a few hours would be completely satisfying for me.
The details make the adventure perfect
Especially the many little details on the Island of the Exiled ensure that the experience remains vividly memorable.
Each class has a small but unique quest. As a warrior, for example, I must speak with an old Vrykul spirit who has been trapped here for years. He cannot leave until someone defeats him with truly heroic swordsmanship. For this purpose, he teaches us a skill and then wants us to defeat him in battle using that skill.
This is also a typical element from Pen&Paper. Small moments where only your hero can experience something that remains hidden from other characters.
Much on the island is also commented on by the NPCs, who – incidentally – provide insights into the cultures and views of the various peoples of Azeroth. While a dwarf might gleefully rejoice that hundreds of giant spiders have burned in their caves and are no longer a threat, the night elf druid is quite saddened by it. After all, the spiders were only following their nature, while a large part of nature has now been destroyed.
The characters deliver “dumb jokes”, bicker, and reconcile, occasionally voicing their views on the happenings.
And this is exactly what World of Warcraft needs more of. Small, focused adventures within a defined framework. Perhaps monthly, small mini-quest areas that do not belong to the main storyline of the game and only “run along the side.” It does not take an entire Maldraxxus or a whole Icecrown to tell a cool, coherent adventure. A small but fine island – like the Island of the Exiled – captures the true essence of World of Warcraft much better and sparks a desire for more.
I think you’ve already noticed it – but I really love the Island of the Exiled. I firmly believe that you will see it this way in a week, when Patch 9.0 goes live. And I can only hope that Blizzard brings more of these small quest areas. Because that is a “pure” Warcraft experience, as it would hardly be possible in the setting of large areas with addon-spanning story.
