Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos

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 1and 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.