Our MMORPG expert Karsten Scholz had the opportunity to play the new WoW expansion The War Within during an exclusive alpha test round. The new adventure in the World of Warcraft is as comfortable and accessible as never before, while losing even more of its MMO roots.
Blizzard is preparing for the upcoming alpha of WoW: The War Within and allowed me to play the new expansion a few days in advance. The following content awaited me on the press client:
- A tailored introduction to the “The War Within” adventure, which is supposed to differ at the final launch.
- The three campaign chapters of the new area Island of Thorn, which is home to the Earthlings (all in-game sequences were locked).
- Some depths instances that I was able to explore with NPC dwarf Brann Bronzebeard.
- At level 71, I unlocked the new hero talents for my rogue, which were still placeholders for my favorite class. The talent trees from Dragonflight will still be present.
- Revised UI elements and options like the spellbook, character overview, or the new mode for arachnophobes (which replaces all spiders with other creatures).
- Access to the first advantages of the Warband feature (such as an account-wide bank with multiple slots and account-wide reputation for all characters).
- The opportunity to test the dynamic flying properties of dragon riding with a pure heart runner – the horse mount hops through the air.
Through the group search, I was also able to queue for the new battleground “Deephaul Ravine” and the first two dungeons. However, due to a lack of players, I was unable to conduct any practical tests. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to enter the PvE instances of The War Within with followers (which should be possible later).
The cinematic trailer of WoW: The War Within:
Typical WoW …
On a cozy evening, I was able to complete the quests of the island, master several depths, and bring my rogue to just below level 73. The War Within felt very much like Dragonflight during this time, only that dwarves are bouncing around everywhere on Thorn and much revolves around smithing.
True to WoW, my pre-made fighter equipped with green clothes chopped through enemies and quests like a hot knife through butter. You probably shouldn’t expect a crispy difficulty level or innovative quest mechanics while leveling.
The only remarkable task I found was one where I had to fend off several waves of Nerubians. For this, I had to place defensive structures at different access points. I then watched the actual fight from the back of a flying mount while throwing various lightning attacks at the approaching enemies.
… but even more accessible
What you can count on, however, is the even higher accessibility of WoW. With dynamic flying, you’ll reach every quest in just a few seconds while leveling. All dungeons of The War Within that you encounter during the campaign or leveling phase can optionally be played solo or with AI followers. Waiting for other players? That’s so 2020!
And the new depths also play comfortably: There are several difficulty levels, if needed Brann Bronzebeard provides healing as well as additional damage, and after ten minutes you’re back in the fresh air. By the way, there are some special features awaiting you in the depths:
- In the Earthcrawler mines, there are nets lying everywhere on the ground that slow down and regularly summon attackers as soon as you touch them.
- The depths of Warvals empowerment are shrouded in darkness that gradually reduces your maximum health. You can only counter this with the bright glow of candles that burn out after a while.
- In the depths, traps (such as flame thrower candles), special tasks (for example, I had to save all the Earthlings spun by the Nerubians) and elite bosses lurk.
- Through boxes, you can earn temporary buffs that remind of the perks from Torghast in Shadowlands.
- In the end, a treasure chamber awaits you with the final reward as well as a shortcut to the entrance of the instance.
- Brann Bronzebeard gains experience points, levels up, and unlocks more abilities for your joint adventures.
Lastly, the new Warband feature brings more comfort and accessibility. You get access to a new account-wide bank with multiple slots (unlocking all slots costs a pretty penny). Additionally, reputation progress, achievements, and collections count for all characters on your account. For those of you who play multiple characters, this new feature is a blessing.
Homeopathic traces of MMORPG
For many years now, World of Warcraft has followed the path of all major theme park MMORPGs, breaking down walls and offering increasingly more options and content designed to expand the target audience and lure new players to the servers.
Especially casual gamers are the target of Blizzard, who only want to play quietly for a certain period from time to time. And players who do not want social obligations, fixed raid times, and unfriendly dungeon teammates.
A part of me can absolutely relate to that. As a dad of two kids, a quick dungeon run of WoW: Dragonflight or Final Fantasy XIV, which I complete alongside AI companions, fits much better into my daily routine than a three-hour trip through the Blackrock Depths in WoW Classic.
However, the other part of me thinks: At least you remember the whimsical visits to BRD! Modern MMORPGs already play too often like single-player RPGs with optional multiplayer. With The War Within, WoW is now moving even more in that direction. Silly!
My wonderful colleague Mary also had the opportunity to take a look at the alpha of The War Within for Gamestar. Furthermore, she was able to grill the Blizzard developers with all sorts of questions about the upcoming expansion of World of Warcraft. What she learned and what her personal view on the addon is, you can find out in her preview of WoW: The War Within.
You see, there are two hearts beating in my chest. Luckily, it’s not a matter of “either … or”, since WoW Classic and The War Within are running in parallel. Which version of World of Warcraft do you prefer?
More about the upcoming expansion of World of Warcraft can be found here: The alpha of WoW The War Within is not live yet, but Blizzard says: Sorry, we are changing that
