| Though massively multiplayer online | | | | most of the various aspects of play. It's |
| role-playing games have been around for | | | | also important to point out that World of |
| years, it has taken this long for the genre's | | | | Warcraft runs fast and smooth. You can go |
| breakthrough hit to finally emerge. Here is | | | | from your desktop to being in-game in just |
| the online role-playing game you should play, | | | | seconds, and it's virtually just one great, |
| no matter who you are. This is because World | | | | big, seamless world. Loading times are as |
| of Warcraft brings out all the best aspects | | | | rare as they are brief. They only crop up |
| of this style of gaming, if not many of the | | | | when traveling across the game's enormous |
| best aspects of gaming in general. It also | | | | continents or entering some specific |
| features many of the specific characteristics | | | | higher-level zones that are instanced for |
| that have made Blizzard Entertainment's | | | | each player group, which guarantees you a |
| previous games so entertaining, memorable, | | | | fresh challenge. |
| long-lasting, and successful. Of course, the | | | | |
| company's past track record did not guarantee | | | | So World of Warcraft is painless to get |
| that World of Warcraft could have turned out | | | | into--with the possible exception of you |
| this well. Such high quality simply cannot be | | | | needing a credit card or prepaid game card to |
| expected, nor should it be missed. | | | | create an account, as well as initially |
| | | | deciding on which sort of character to play, |
| In World of Warcraft, you create your alter | | | | since so many of the options seem like they |
| ego by choosing from a variety of colorful | | | | could be interesting. And it turns out they |
| races and powerful classes, and then you | | | | are. So why not try them all? The game lets |
| begin exploring, questing, and battling in | | | | you create multiple characters on the dozens |
| Azeroth, the fantasy setting featured in | | | | of different available "realms," each of |
| Blizzard's Warcraft real-time strategy games. | | | | which is a unique instance of the gameworld |
| Fans of those games (especially Warcraft III | | | | that is capable of hosting thousands of |
| and its expansion pack) will spot tons of | | | | simultaneous players. Some of the realms |
| references here, and they will be impressed | | | | cater to role-playing fans that prefer to |
| at how faithfully World of Warcraft | | | | play in character the whole time, while other |
| translates so many of Warcraft's little | | | | realms are custom-tailored for |
| details and even some of the finer points of | | | | player-versus-player action. Regardless, |
| its gameplay into such a seemingly different | | | | World of Warcraft's realms are nicely (if not |
| style of game. Meanwhile, fans of other | | | | densely) populated already, and the |
| online role-playing games will be impressed | | | | unfortunate issues with login and lag that |
| at the sheer breadth and volume of content on | | | | plagued the game when it first launched were |
| display in World of Warcraft, whose setting | | | | mostly taken care of in a matter of days. The |
| seamlessly connects a bunch of wildly | | | | game just has a solid feel to it that's |
| different-looking types of places and somehow | | | | uncharacteristic of the genre, and for an |
| makes them appear as if they all belong as | | | | online RPG, World of Warcraft is surprisingly |
| parts of a whole. | | | | responsive. Actually, no qualifications are |
| | | | necessary: World of Warcraft boasts the tight |
| World of Warcraft is superficially similar to | | | | control and polished presentation that's |
| numerous other games that came before it, and | | | | desirable in any kind of game. |
| it clearly draws inspiration from some of | | | | |
| them. The fundamentals are all here, such as | | | | The imaginative world of Azeroth is already |
| fighting dangerous creatures (optionally | | | | teeming with players. |
| including other players), exploring the | | | | |
| countryside either alone or in the company of | | | | After countless hours spent playing, the |
| other players, undertaking various quests, | | | | great first impression doesn't wear off. This |
| gaining experience levels and new abilities, | | | | style of gaming is notorious for being a time |
| and acquiring powerful items. However, | | | | sink and for effectively forcing players to |
| directly comparing World of Warcraft with any | | | | engage in repetitive, monotonous gameplay for |
| of its predecessors would be almost like | | | | hours on end in order to make progress. But |
| pitting a professional sports club against a | | | | in contrast, World of Warcraft will keep |
| school team. With all due respect to the | | | | throwing variety at you, and the combat |
| other online role-playing games out there, | | | | system at the heart of it features fast, |
| World of Warcraft is in a league of its own. | | | | visceral, action-packed battles that are fun |
| The game clearly benefits from not being the | | | | and intense, whether you're fighting alone or |
| first of its kind, as the design issues that | | | | in a group. Furthermore, World of Warcraft |
| plagued previous online role-playing games | | | | finally achieves that long-sought-after goal |
| are handled extremely well in World of | | | | of many massively multiplayer games, which is |
| Warcraft. In addition, the game's own subtle | | | | to make the player feel rewarded regardless |
| innovations turn out to have a dramatic | | | | of how much time he or she invests in a |
| impact on the flow of the action from minute | | | | single sitting. |
| to minute, hour to hour, day to day, and | | | | |
| beyond. So the particulars of the game's | | | | This is due to several key reasons. For one, |
| design--along with its incredibly vast, | | | | World of Warcraft has a nice, brisk pace to |
| beautiful, majestic world--translate into a | | | | it, and the fast-loading, seamless world |
| one-of-a-kind experience that seems fresh and | | | | obviously has a lot to do with this. But, in |
| original in its own right. | | | | addition, recovery times between battles are |
| | | | minimal, as even those characters without |
| Fortunately, the game is very approachable. | | | | healing spells can still easily recover from |
| World of Warcraft is a complex game whose | | | | their wounds by using bandages, eating a |
| complexity is carefully disguised by a | | | | quick meal, or just from natural healing. The |
| simple, highly legible, uncluttered interface | | | | battles themselves are quick, too, and they |
| and an impressive 3D graphics engine, which | | | | scale nicely so that higher-level encounters |
| delivers high performance on a wide range of | | | | don't just seem to drag on. Yet the pacing of |
| systems while not skimping on pure flash. The | | | | the combat seems to strike a perfect balance, |
| game's interface is so slick and easy to | | | | because it's not so hectic that those |
| learn and understand, and the gameplay itself | | | | unaccustomed to fast-paced action games will |
| is so quickly intuitive, that there isn't | | | | feel overwhelmed. You can also look forward |
| even a tutorial to wade through; there are | | | | to facing some fairly intelligent foes that |
| just some helpful, optional pop-up tool tips, | | | | will do such things as flee when injured, |
| as well as an excellent printed reference | | | | tag-team with their comrades, and use some |
| manual that goes into specific detail about | | | | dastardly special abilities against you. |