Analyst Bellular finds many positive words for the new dungeons in World of Warcraft: The War Within. We show what makes the instances so special.
The alpha of The War Within is already running, many content creators and streamers already have access to the new expansion of World of Warcraft. Even analyst Bellular, who often expresses critical thoughts and concerns about Blizzard and new games, is positively surprised.
He names the new dungeons in The War Within as clear candidates for “the best dungeons they have ever made” – and he confirms this with two of the new instances.
Which dungeons are we talking about? Bellular has already tested some of the dungeons, but two have stood out to him particularly. They have interesting gameplay and deviate in many places from the traditional systems that have been used in WoW battles. The two dungeons are:
- Darkflame Cleft: A mine inhabited by goblins. Here, everything revolves around the goblins and their candles, which have a deeper purpose. Only light can keep the terrible “darkness” at bay. In the dungeon, you must continuously collect wax to keep the candlelight alive and even escort a trolley with a candle through the mine.
- The Dawnbreaker: The dungeon is named after the great airship of the Arathi. In a final battle against cultists dedicated to the shadows and many hostile Nerubians, the fortress of the Arathi must be defended. There are some flying sequences, and according to Bellular, it’s simply “a really good piece of video game”.
What does Bellular say about it? In the Darkflame Cleft dungeon, there were several points that Bellular praises. On the one hand, he finds the theme of the dungeon appealing, but especially the clarity of the effects. For example, there is a boss fight against a wax elemental, where you have to light candles to create safe zones.
The second point is the passage where you have to escort a candle through a large part of the dungeon. This works a bit like a “payload mission” in Overwatch. While part of the group pushes the cart and wards off mobs, 1-2 characters venture into the darkness to cautiously search for wax – preferably without stumbling into new mobs.
Both are interesting and good mechanics that do not require a weak aura or other addons – they are clearly visible and feel intuitive. For Bellular, this is a true dungeon experience and not just the slaughtering of mobs in a constant run.
During a boss fight on the Dawnbreaker, it happens that the boss casts a spell that shrouds the entire airship in devastating shadows – there is no safe spot. The only salvation: You mount the flying mount, fly around the ship, and wait until the spell is over. This is a very direct way of dodging that has not been present in WoW before.
The big concern that has been circulating in the WoW community for several years seems to have been laid to rest.
What was the concern? In recent years, “Mythic+” has become a cornerstone of the endgame of World of Warcraft. While the mode appeals to many players who gather strong gear and face difficult challenges, there were also concerns.
Many feared that Blizzard would design all dungeons with the “Mythic+” design in mind in the future. This would have favored the creation of dungeons consisting solely of multiple trash mob groups and bosses, without interesting or novel gameplay in between. The dungeons from The War Within show that this concern was likely unfounded. You can see how the Mythic+ dungeons are doing in the current season here.
