Lorenhall divides the community of World of Warcraft. What some celebrate as “genius”, others find “absolutely horrendous”.
The latest patch of World of Warcraft has been live for a few days. Lorenhall is “something different” – and that’s what divides the community. While some celebrate the patch, others find it horrendous and are glad to leave the whole goblin setting behind.
What is special about Patch 11.1? The centerpiece of Patch 11.1 is Lorenhall. This is the capital of the goblins and an entire area in World of Warcraft. Although the area is relatively small in size, it is packed with content – it represents a vibrant goblin metropolis. There are many vehicles, tall buildings, NPCs, and a merchant on every corner – and of course, plenty of pollution.
Additionally, there is the F.A.H.R.E.N., a new mode of transportation that is even faster than dragon riding, but only works on the ground. Goblins zoom in their cars across the streets.
What do people like about the patch? If you look in the comments, there is a lot of praise for Lorenhall and many aspects are well received.
- Lorenhall feels a bit like GTA with the F.A.H.R.E.N. You race through the streets, complete small tasks, and get showered with sweet praise in the process.
- The music is fantastic and diverse. Depending on the chosen cartel, it changes a bit, and the jazz vibe fits well with the mafia and film noir feel of the city.
- Lorenhall has given the goblins a lot of depth and story. They are now more than just a funny sidekick race.
- Gnomes finally get what they deserve.
What do people not like? Curiously, what many note as positive is seen as negative by others. What brings joy to one person is an annoyance to another:
- The map is too full to really take advantage of the F.A.H.R.E.N. You constantly get caught on small edges and there are hardly any long stretches.
- The winding alleys and multi-level houses make it difficult to find anything directly. You have to look around and search for a long time.
- The setting is dirty and grimy. Not a place where you want to stay for long.
- The typical Warcraft feeling is missing; the fantasy background is somewhat pushed aside.
Blizzard does “something different” – and that is impossible to achieve
Blizzard is increasingly facing a problem with World of Warcraft. The player groups of the MMORPG are extremely diverse, with different preferences. While some want “more of the familiar”, others long for “something new”. With Lorenhall, the momentum this time is more towards “trying something new” – and that frightens many from the start.
Especially some veterans, who have already struggled with dragon riding, can now make no sense of the F.A.H.R.E.N. And if you don’t like this mode of transportation, it depreciates the whole city of Lorenhall. Because then much feels tedious and cumbersome, even though you could actually zip across half the map in 4-5 seconds.
We had already suspected that Lorenhall would likely bring some problems with it. Because even though it gets a lot right and fits wonderfully with goblins, the duration of the stay could lead to many getting fed up with the stinky streets relatively quickly.
