A LEGACY OF GREATNESS

This past 4th of July there were more than just fireworks on display with the release of Warcraft 3. After three years in development the third game in the series that put Blizzard Entertainment on the charts was released to wide acclaim among the fans. Blizzard Entertainment needs no introduction as they are what one would term, the “masters” in what they do. They have many award winning titles within their history from their very first strategy game Warcraft and its follow-up Warcraft 2, to the role playing games Diablo 1 and 2 and the strategy sci-fi game, Starcraft. Many of these titles have been played countless times and titles such as Starcraft and Diablo have won the coveted game of the year awards. This gamer has not been part of such a memorable gaming experience in recent memory as I was given when I received Warcraft 3 on release day. A week later, and with over some 50 hours of gaming excitement, I can attest to the fact that Blizzard has a definite winner and contender for game of the year. I simply can’t contain the excitement and wonder that I feel having completed this game. You may ask though, what makes this game so memorable, so engaging and so much fun to play. Read on to find out why this game is a rare gaming classic.

THE STORY BEHIND WARCRAFT

Many players will remember the ancient battles fought between the vile Orcs and the valiant Humans in the last two Warcraft games. Now two new playable races enter into the mix, in the form of the Undead lead by the Burning Legion and the Night Elves, ancient and century old guardians of nearby Kalimdor, who must now face a past they hoped they would never relive again. For you see, the Burning Legion, composed of demons and creatures from the netherworld, has returned leading the Undead in a trail of destruction that threatens all life. An evil so sinister and malevolent to make the petty disputes between the Orcs and Humans seem like child’s play. It is up to the player to experience the outcome of adventure and role-playing through the four finely crafted campaigns (one for each race) with over 30 scenarios offered in them. The story within this game is masterfully told as it will move the player to tears at the jarring impact it will have upon you.

Only by playing the main campaigns can the player truly understand the intense emotions that the game will cause the player to feel. This is a testament to the strength of the writers and their desire to give players a story they will never forget and one that will leave you speechless after you have completed the game. The writers have woven many important themes within the story which speaks about the humanity in all of us and thus touches our heart in a profound way. When you play the game yourself, you will see this more clearly than words can express to you now. Be prepared to face some huge revelations and plot twists throughout the four campaigns that will keep you at the edge of your seat to keep playing. The reason I finished so soon after the games release was due to the intensity of the story and action being conveyed before my eyes in each and every scenario throughout the campaigns.

THE ART OF WARCRAFT

This game is an example of the beauty and dedication of the Blizzard artists. Vital game events are unveiled to the player’s eyes in exquisite film quality CGI (computer generated image) movies that will leave the player breathless. One wonders if Blizzard will some day take the challenge of producing a full length CGI movie for the cinema for they certainly have the artistry to do so. The attention to detail is so easily seen when you look at some of the human faces in these scenes, as you will be in awe at how realistic the skin can really look. One particular scene is so powerful in its impact that it may bring some to tears. Other scenes use the in-game engine to portray what is happening and move the story along. Whether CGI or in-game engine cutscenes, you will not be disappointed as Blizzard has used them to great effect in telling a dramatic and suspenseful story. The 3D engine used within this game is so complex and powerful, and can create areas with striking beauty and detail. There is also a night and day cycle within this game which is crucial in terms of gameplay. At night, your units will not be able to see as far ahead of them as they could during the day. Some of the Night Elves units also have the unique ability to shadowmeld or turn invisible at night.

One can’t forget the beauty of the terrains on which you play upon which range from summer splashed grasslands, desert barren wastelands to snow drenched battlefields and others. So memorable were the moments that I first saw the ridges of the mountains overhead, to waterfalls cascading off a hill side, or even the graceful water from the nearby river overflowing its banks upon the open grasslands. Little details such as fish swimming in ponds dot some of the landscapes as birds fly overhead to make one pause for a moment and admire the artful design of it all. I look back at games like Warcraft 1 and 2 that had flat terrains and look now at what can be created with this 3D engine and it makes me smile to see how far technology has come since then. Even in the cold and snow drenched elevations one will look in wonder as snow falls ever so softly from the skies. This engine can produce weather effects from the snow I just mentioned to thunder and lightning in various instances throughout the game. At night, your units will not be able to see as far ahead of them as they could in the day. Warcraft 3 will not disappoint in this department as you will constantly be treated to some brilliance by the Blizzard artists.

THE SOUNDS AND MUSIC OF WARCRAFT

As the cutscenes are able to convey the serious tone of the story being told in this game, so does the orchestral and soothing music add its own magic as well. Each race has its own particular music and in cutscenes where pivotal events transpire, you will hear the music soar with great frenzy or lower depending on the scene being shown. Obviously the musicians at Blizzard took the time to precisely match adequate music with a particular scene or event. I especially enjoyed the earthly music that played for the Night Elves that are bonded with nature. The sound effects for cutscenes, battles or a particular event are as equally matched as anything else. But who can forget the legacy that Blizzard is known for in adding cute and humorous voices to the many different units when you click on them.

Fans of the Warcraft world know that when you continually clicked on a unit, they would say something so ridiculous you could not stop laughing. For example, if you click on a particular undead unit, it will say, “I see undead people.” or even the line, “Click on me for some hot undead action”. To reveal anymore would ruin the hilarious moments that can be found when one does this and I leave it up to you to play this game and try out the rest of the humorous lines spoken by many of the units. The voice acting within this game is also very well done and adds to the richness and immersiveness of the story. The musicians and sound effects designers do an impressive job within these departments which add to the overall enjoyment and atmosphere of the game.

THE ADDITION OF RPG ELEMENTS

There are four races that the player can take control of, the Humans, Orcs, Undead and Night Elves. Each of the four races offers it own unique assortments of units, special abilities, and technologies that only each separate race has. The Night Elves were an especially interesting race as the buildings are all living trees which can uproot themselves if necessary. As is true with many strategy games like Warcraft 3, you have units that must gather resources that will allow you to construct the buildings from where your units will be trained and bought, units that you must use in battle against your enemies. The controls are handled well in this game, and a detailed tutorial is included that will explain the basics for those not familiar to these types of games. Something new and the reason I loved this particular sequel is the addition of RPG elements that really add new dimensions to the Warcraft world. The use of heroes is an entirely new element, with three different types available for each race. For example, the human heroes include the Archmage, Mountain King and Paladin. Each of these heroes has the ability to upgrade in strength by defeating other enemies or by going creep hunting. When heroes upgrade to the next level they are able to spend the experience they earned in choosing a particular spell from their own personal roster. Spells can be upgraded and increased in power over time as well to deal even more damage to your enemies.

Heroes can only go up to level 10 in the course of there races campaign and any experience or items they obtained in one scenario will be carried with them to the next one. Heroes are limited to the amount of experience they can earn in each scenario; as this has been done to balance the heroes out. Your heroes will not be fully upgraded with all their spells until they reach the end of there particular races campaign considering you leveled them up as much as you could before. Heroes have an inventory area which can hold up to six items that they may find along the way. Items include special potions that will refill the heroes’ health or mana to items that will add to your overall health or mana points or items that provide increased attack or defensive properties. Creep hunting is essential for leveling up your hero and requires the player to go hunting creatures that will often give you beneficial items. Creatures are also rated by how strong they are, as level 10 creatures will give you a better item than defeating level 5 creatures. Heroes can command and lead up to 11 units and be able to influence the units under their direct control. For example, the Paladin can use the devotion aura ability which will give an armor bonus to all the units under its command when it is used. The player will grow to love these heroes as you experience their battles with forces that threaten to overwhelm them. From the human prince Arthas, to the orc warchief Thrall, you will grow to admire and love how the characters develop throughout the campaigns and be there to see what happens to them.

In each scenario within the campaigns there are primary and optional secondary quests available to be completed by the player. While secondary quests do not need to be completed, they may offer valuable items that your hero can use. Examples of main quests range from surviving a base under heavy attack for a certain amount of time or finding the location of an enemy camp and destroying their base before they do this to yours. Secondary quests include finding a child lost out in the wilderness to recovering items stolen from citizens. The wise player will take the time to research all the technologies available for their regular units so that they have the best opportunity of surviving enemy assaults. The heroes need to also level up to their highest levels so that they can deal more damage to their foes. The hero needs to quest often and defeat as many creatures as possible, gaining the experience and items necessary to become an unstoppable force that can tear through anything that confronts them. These RPG elements engage the player to search every bit of terrain that is available in each scenario in search of defeating creatures or completing secondary quests for valuable items. It is because of these important RPG features that attracted me most to this game and surely the main factor that many will enjoy when going through this excellent game. The RPG elements in this game are what make Warcraft 3 so fun and entertaining.

THE FUTURE OF WARCRAFT

Warcraft 3 is not like any other game out there but a masterpiece of gaming that does not happen very often. The RPG player will be quite pleased to see that the core elements of an RPG are here: epic story, diverse quests, magical items and spells, heroes, experience system and much more. Warcraft 3 is truly magical in every sense of the word and if this review will not convince you, nothing will. Blizzard also excels in that they offer their free battle.net arena which allows you to play the game online with other players. Let’s also not forget some of the secrets hidden throughout the campaigns, for if one looks closely in one of the areas, they will find a zergling from Starcraft among other surprises and easter eggs if the player takes the time to explore every area completely. Fans will also be delighted with the inclusion of an editor which allows players to make their own campaigns similar to those in the game.

Already, many quality campaigns have been released by fans due to the easy and powerful editor, as the imagination is the only limiting factor to what you are able to accomplish with it. This can only help to increase the shelf life of an already well balanced and addictive game. Although the only major flaw in this masterful game is that it is quite evident that the end of the game was rushed when you look at how well the rest of the game went. Obviously this is only a trivial matter and not of major concern since Blizzard will likely remedy this with a future expansion pack and then the continuation of the Warcraft world, in the future online game known as World of Warcraft. Blizzard Entertainment is comprised of a team of talented artists, writers, musicians that worked closely together to produce a classic example of how great a game can become when it is done right. Warcraft 3 is a rare game that transcends all boundaries and leaves the gaming world in awe of its brilliance!