Just to give a fair warning, this review WILL have spoilers. YOU ARE WARNED!
Holy shit, I LOVED IT!!! I was honestly worried about how well this would turn out, given some of the previews. I still want to know what the hell they were thinking in the trailer that had the dubstep music. But my fears were laid to rest in the first five minutes. I had ordered some onion rings to munch on, and... I almost forget I had food in front of me. Warcraft caught my attention, and held it from beginning to end.
But I do have to say this. If you're not a fan of the Warcraft franchise and at least passingly familiar with the lore, there are things that won't make sense. It will likely feel like a semi-generic Lord of the Rings ripoff, and not a very good one. But the movie wasn't made for general audiences. It was made for the fans, and this fan absolutely loved it.
The settings were amazing. It was fantastic to see Stormwind, Ironforge, Karazhan, the Black Morass, Blackrock Mountain, the Burning Steppes, and even Dalaran brought to life on the big screen. These are places I've been running around and seeing in-game for over ten years now. I could tell were pretty much everything was taking place, and it made me giddy to see it done so well in a film.
I really enjoyed the characters, as well as seeing the actors and actresses portraying them. Durotan and Draka were fantastic, their relationship was portrayed very well, and in a realistic manner. The friendship between Durotan and Orgrim was also very well done, with some suiting comedic moments at times. Gul'dan was properly evil and sinister. I loved watching Khadgar every time that he was on screen, the actor did a very good job of portraying a young mage still learning about the world. I loved Medivh's performance as well. I was very curious as to how he would be done, if they would show his corruption. And they did. There were many times he was quiet and thoughtful, but there was always something lurking behind his expressions. Something was just not quite right with him... I enjoyed all the actors and actresses that portrayed the human roles as well. Llane Wrynn was a man who was shown to do anything for his kingdom, and Lothar was shown to be loyal to the end. Queen Taria was a good foil for the men. Something I VERY much enjoyed was that the humans were not white-washed. There were quite a few different skintones in all the human parts of the movie. Something else that was great is that both men and women were shown to be fighters on both sides.
The CGI was great. With how the orcs were done, it looked amazing. The armor that the humans were looked fantastic as well, and like something straight from WoW. If I do have any criticism, the wolves looked a bit wonky at times. But I'd imagine it's a bit difficult to fully integrate a wolf the size of a draft horse into a film where the rest is pretty much life action. Another note on the orcs, if you're familiar with the clans, you will see them within the Horde. And Gul'dan... damn. His CGI was great. It was clear how much more corruption he had taken on in how different he was from the other orcs.
To go along with that, any time there was a fight scene, I was entranced. It was absolutely brutal. You felt every bone crunching moment of it. Every time someone went flying into a tree or a rock, I had to cringe. Each fight was a grimy, bloody mess, like a proper war between orcs and humans.
The magic was wonderful to watch. It was clear that spellcasting took something out of each mage, and that it was no simple thing. There were many instances of runes being drawn on the floor, spells being held with concentration, and it's what I want to see in a movie. I don't expect a mage in a movie to just be spitting out spells every five seconds like in the games.
The music. Oh man, the music. I am buying the soundtrack with my next paycheck. I love it. The character themes suit each one so very well. The music for battles set a good background, and it would fit well in any of the Warcraft games. There were several points where I could pick out themes from either World of Warcraft, or the bits I've listened to from the older games. It's quite clear that the conductor did his research.
The movie takes place a ways into the Warcraft story, after Gul'dan has taken over from Ner'zhul. The orcs are already corrupted, and Draenor is dying. Medivh is in contact with Gul'dan in order to open the Dark Portal. The basic storyline that we know from the games and books is intact, though there are some small differences. But most of them, I really liked. It fit that Gul'dan would order a purge of the defiant Frostwolf Clan. It was heartbreaking to watch Durotan battle him to try and save the heart and soul of his people. He kept getting up, time and again, even though he knew he was going to die. But Durotan died to show his people just who exactly they were following. Draka died defending and saving her son. The meeting between Llane and Durotan was pretty cool, and definitely not something we would see in the game, beyond some manner of cinematic. I don't think that would have been done justice in that manner.
There were some injokes and fan service that greatly amused me. There was a murloc in the perfect place. The comment that Khadgar made about the polymorph spell lasting for a minute made me giggle. I'm sure there are others I am missing (I'm tired, lol), and I will likely remember them later.
I do have a few little issues with the movie. There are quite a few things that were glossed over. Like the demon that possessed Medivh does have a name, and it's a huge one for the franchise. It felt like Ironforge was thrown into the beginning as an excuse to make it look awesome (which it did), and to show why humans have guns. We never returned to it, and only saw the dwarves twice more throughout the movie. High elves are shown, though only twice, and they are nothing more than a diplomatic delegation. In the scene with the council table, I would have liked to know a bit better which human nation was which, it wasn't very clear. One story change that I didn't really like... Garona is only really
shown as being subservient to Gul'dan. In the lore that I'm familiar
with, she was essentially brain-washed into being his tool. He forced
her to kill Llane, rather than it being Llane telling her to do it.
But... a minor knitpick. Other than it being a part of Ulduar.
But I digress!
All in all, I had an absolute blast. There was never a dull moment, and I know I had a huge dumb grin on my face throughout the whole thing. I really, really, REALLY want another movie. Duncan Jones, I have to thank you. You did a great franchise justice with your movie.
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Some Thoughts on Video Game Movies
I'm going to be seeing Warcraft tomorrow night, and I couldn't be more excited. I know that the critics don't like it, but I think I have a pretty good idea as to why.
One big problem with movies like this is that directors have to balance a mass appeal with pleasing the fans. And all too often, it seems like the mass appeal wins out. Something like that leads to a mediocre movie, with little to no fan appeal. In some cases, it's barely recognizable as being even related to the video game it's based on. A great example is the Mario Brothers movie. It barely resembled anything coming from the Mario games, other than the names.
Another aspect is that quite a lot of fantasy movies are going to be compared to Lord of the Rings. But I know that it just won't live up to that standard. It's too high of one to pass. It's not that video game lore is bad, but it's just not the same as a book series.
But even with all the criticism I've see, I am hopeful for the Warcraft movie. The many critics who have seen the movie dislike it, but the people who have actually played the Warcraft games, and are familiar with the lore, are enjoying the movie. I'm also looking forward to seeing the visual effects, which have been widely praised. I'm looking forward to hearing how the music is integrated into the film. The soundtrack is available on the WoW site for listening, and it is AWESOME. I had shivers listening to it.
So I'm going into seeing it with exceptions of seeing some of my favorite lore come to life on the big screen. I'm looking forward to seeing the places I've been playing in for over ten years being up on a big screen. I want this to be a movie for the fans, and not for mass audiences. Because we the fans will be the ones to bring their friends into the movie, and we can explain the lore and such so it makes sense to our friends.
One big problem with movies like this is that directors have to balance a mass appeal with pleasing the fans. And all too often, it seems like the mass appeal wins out. Something like that leads to a mediocre movie, with little to no fan appeal. In some cases, it's barely recognizable as being even related to the video game it's based on. A great example is the Mario Brothers movie. It barely resembled anything coming from the Mario games, other than the names.
Another aspect is that quite a lot of fantasy movies are going to be compared to Lord of the Rings. But I know that it just won't live up to that standard. It's too high of one to pass. It's not that video game lore is bad, but it's just not the same as a book series.
But even with all the criticism I've see, I am hopeful for the Warcraft movie. The many critics who have seen the movie dislike it, but the people who have actually played the Warcraft games, and are familiar with the lore, are enjoying the movie. I'm also looking forward to seeing the visual effects, which have been widely praised. I'm looking forward to hearing how the music is integrated into the film. The soundtrack is available on the WoW site for listening, and it is AWESOME. I had shivers listening to it.
So I'm going into seeing it with exceptions of seeing some of my favorite lore come to life on the big screen. I'm looking forward to seeing the places I've been playing in for over ten years being up on a big screen. I want this to be a movie for the fans, and not for mass audiences. Because we the fans will be the ones to bring their friends into the movie, and we can explain the lore and such so it makes sense to our friends.
Monday, November 16, 2015
World of Warcraft: Legion Cinematic and Features Trailers
Everything I have seen about Legion makes me more interested... and these trailers is no exception.
The features trailer comes before the cinematic in the timeline, and I absolutely love how it mirrors the cinematic of Warcraft III with Medivh attempting to warn King Terenas III that the Legion has retuend. We see Khadgar flying in much the same manner as his mentor did, though we also see Varian and Anduin speaking before the wizard makes his appearance. With his shapeshifting abilities, this makes me thing that Khadgar has taken on Medivh's mantle of Guardian, something interesting that could come up later in Legion. Khadgar even strikes his staff against the stones of the court in the same manner as Medivh did when he was trying to get the King's attention. But this time, it works.
There isn't very much to it that we didn't really already know shown in the cinematic, so I will just be focusing on Varian and Sylvanas for the cinematic trailer. They fight an infernal together on the airship, which is really cool to see.
It opens up with Varian Wrynn writing a letter to his son Anduin, admitting that he might not return from this fight with the Legion. He speaks of how he has always fought, alludes to his past in seeing kingdoms burn, and brave men fall. I have to say that I love his look in this cinematic. He looks weathered, beaten, but still with plenty of fight to give. And it is clear he will do anything to defeat whatever foes face Azeroth and its people. He is riding on one of the Alliance airships, headed for the Broken Shore with a huge army of what I am guessing to be both Horde and Alliance ships. After the airship gets blown out of the sky, it appears Varian is drowning, though I know that they wouldn't kill him so easily. An interesting note is that once he gets to his feet, he fights with two swords that come from his greatsword.
Sylvanas is also featured heavily in this trailer, suggesting she will play a large part in this expansion. Which only makes sense, given that her undead state would not exist without the Legion. If I was her, I'd want to kick as much demon ass as possible. Her look is interesting, something about it seems odd to me. But when she's in motion, you see her high elven agility kicking high gear. I love that it shows her helping Varian, it shows that she is still willing to fight for the world itself, and not her selfish purposes. I'm sure those selfish purposes are around somewhere, but I think that Sylvanas know this is not the time to work on her agenda.
The huge column of demonic energy spewing into the air makes me think shit is truly about to get real. And I cannot wait to see just what is in store.
All in all, I am rather eager to see what all is in store once the beta starts. And I cannot wait to get my hands on the next expansion. I just hope that Blizzard has learned lessons from Warlords of Draenor...
The features trailer comes before the cinematic in the timeline, and I absolutely love how it mirrors the cinematic of Warcraft III with Medivh attempting to warn King Terenas III that the Legion has retuend. We see Khadgar flying in much the same manner as his mentor did, though we also see Varian and Anduin speaking before the wizard makes his appearance. With his shapeshifting abilities, this makes me thing that Khadgar has taken on Medivh's mantle of Guardian, something interesting that could come up later in Legion. Khadgar even strikes his staff against the stones of the court in the same manner as Medivh did when he was trying to get the King's attention. But this time, it works.
There isn't very much to it that we didn't really already know shown in the cinematic, so I will just be focusing on Varian and Sylvanas for the cinematic trailer. They fight an infernal together on the airship, which is really cool to see.
It opens up with Varian Wrynn writing a letter to his son Anduin, admitting that he might not return from this fight with the Legion. He speaks of how he has always fought, alludes to his past in seeing kingdoms burn, and brave men fall. I have to say that I love his look in this cinematic. He looks weathered, beaten, but still with plenty of fight to give. And it is clear he will do anything to defeat whatever foes face Azeroth and its people. He is riding on one of the Alliance airships, headed for the Broken Shore with a huge army of what I am guessing to be both Horde and Alliance ships. After the airship gets blown out of the sky, it appears Varian is drowning, though I know that they wouldn't kill him so easily. An interesting note is that once he gets to his feet, he fights with two swords that come from his greatsword.
Sylvanas is also featured heavily in this trailer, suggesting she will play a large part in this expansion. Which only makes sense, given that her undead state would not exist without the Legion. If I was her, I'd want to kick as much demon ass as possible. Her look is interesting, something about it seems odd to me. But when she's in motion, you see her high elven agility kicking high gear. I love that it shows her helping Varian, it shows that she is still willing to fight for the world itself, and not her selfish purposes. I'm sure those selfish purposes are around somewhere, but I think that Sylvanas know this is not the time to work on her agenda.
The huge column of demonic energy spewing into the air makes me think shit is truly about to get real. And I cannot wait to see just what is in store.
All in all, I am rather eager to see what all is in store once the beta starts. And I cannot wait to get my hands on the next expansion. I just hope that Blizzard has learned lessons from Warlords of Draenor...
Friday, November 6, 2015
Coming Soon!
I have two reviews planned once I have some breathing room. I will be taking a good, close look at the World of Warcraft: Legion trailer which was released at BlizzCon. And I will also be taking a look at the Japanese trailer for Star Wars. Keep an eye out!
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Trailer Review
Oh.
My.
GODS.
I just sat staring at this trailer when it finally came out. I know I had this huge, stupid grin on my face, and I am GIDDY to see the film looking so good. It looks real, and it sounds right. I am going to take a few minutes (and another dozen viewings) to break this thing down, scene by scene. It's at 21 million views in about a day's time, and websites were crashing when people tried to buy advanced tickets. This is going to be amazing.
The first scene has Rey scavenging around in what looks to possibly be the crashed Star Destroyer that we saw in a previous trailer. What's really curious here is it looks like she's wearing goggles very similar to the Snowtroopers in Episode V. A voice comes out, asking her "Who are you?" and changes to Rey walking across the desert with BB8 and her staff. to which Rey replies "I'm no one". Which I do not believe for one second. The next cut is a ship of some kind launching, but what really interesting is it looks like there's a foot from some kind of Imperial Walker in the foreground. Rey is watching the ship, and tinkering around with something. This made me curious, since it reminded me a bit of Anakin in Episode I. Very interesting.
The next scene is one of the First Order, with a high ranking officer giving orders to a number of Stormtroopers. And here, we are introduced to Finn, who pulls off his helmet and looks like he's trying to catch his breath. Possibly having a moment of crisis as well. "I was raised to do one thing. I've got nothing to fight for" is spoken by Finn as it shows a TIE fighter spiralling down towards the planet's surface. Looks very deserty, very familiar... Then we see Finn standing on a ridge looking over... what looks like Mos Eisley, and he's carrying a leather jacket of some kind. Definitely doesn't look like Imperial issue, which makes me wonder where it came from.
Our next seen looks like it's on the bridge of an Imperial ship of some kind, and we see Kylo Ren. "Nothing will stand in our way. I will finish what you started" he says and it cuts to VADER'S burned and twisted helmet. Now this raises a couple questions. Where the hell did he get the helmet in the first place? And just what is he talking about finishing... Then Kylo Ren is holding his hand in front of someone's forehead, and that man starts screaming, I'm guessing in pain. It then cuts to a forest exploding, in a very similar red light to what we saw on the bridge of the ship that Kylo was just on. Related? Quite possible.
And then the moment that made me grin like a big idiot. The motherfucking Millenium Falcon flying around some crashed Star Destroyers being chased by TIE fighters. Rey speaks "There are stories about what happened", and Han Solo himself replies "It's true. All of it." as we see Rey, Finn and Solo all on the Falcon. The ship is then seen traveling through hyperspace, which looks awesome!
Then the classic Star Wars theme starts playing, and we see Kylo Ren once more, though this time he's surrounded by a number of troops. He's the only one with a lightsaber out, which is a bit interesting. Makes it seem like Force uses are still rather rare in this time. Then we get this huge scene with X-wings, TIE fighters, Stormtroopers and Rebel forces all going at each other. And Han Solo is narrating over it. "The Dark Side. The Jedi. They're real". Very amusing turnabout for someone who once said "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid". But that being said, Han has been through some shit. Big time. we also see Finn and a X-wing pilot have an interesting moment, where the pilot hits him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, and Finn just turns and stares at the guy. Kinda wondering if that pilot was the original owner of that jacket? Then we have Rey and Finn running across the desert, having to stop for a huge explosion. Then they're at some kind of big building with a droid walking behind them. Interesting point here, if you look carefully at the building among all the banners, there's a Mandalorian symbol on the building. when Han says "they're real", we see the shot of R2D2 and what was implied to be Luke Skywalker with his mechanical hand on the droid.
Then it cuts to an Imperial shuttle landing, with Stormtroopers running all around. Captain Phasma in all her glory is also shown for a few moments, then we see Kylo Ren once more slashing down on someone. Then we see Rey crying over someone we can't see, then a cut to Finn, Han and Chewbacca surrendering. Interesting note here, Chewie has a band-aid on his arm. Then the female voice from earlier speaks again. "The Force. It's calling to you". We briefly see BB8 being used as a droid in an X-wing over a snowy planet as well. And there is some kind of MASSIVE trench in the ground, definitely manmade since it is far too straight to be made by nature. More TIE fighters and X-wings fighting over that planet as well, then a shot of Rey shooting at someone with a blaster, interspersed with more Stormtroopers. Though the planet for the last bit is more forested and less snowy than the dogfighting of moments ago.
Then a lot more fast shots, the Falcon again, Han seems to be comforting Leia, Kylo Ren Force-pushing someone/something away. Then we see Finn holding a blue lightsaber with Kylo Ren coming straight for him. This raises a couple of interesting questions. One, where's he from, that he would be Force sensitive, but not trained in that way? It could be implied that his abilities with the Force are what made him a TIE pilot, but also what caused his crisis in trusting the New Order. Second, where did he get the lightsaber? Was it scavenged, was it a gift, is he trained with it? If he has been trained, it hasn't been for long, because Finn almost looks terrified when Ren starts swinging. Then that female voice speaks again and says "Just let it in" and we see the title.
First question on my mind. where the hell is Luke Skywalker in all this? We've got one possible shot of him, and it's very brief. we don't even get to see his face. Second, that female voice without a body, who is she, and what does she have to do with Rey? It seems like they are speaking throughout the trailer, which leads one to believe that Rey is Force sensitive as well. Second thing on my mind, it's clear while the Rebel Alliance won the battle at the end of Episode VI, they didn't win the war. Or even if they did, the Galactic Empire made a comeback in a huge way. I'm not familiar with the Extended Universe, so I can't draw anything from there.
All in all, I'm still very excited for this movie. I cannot wait for December. If I get the chance, my ass is going to be at a midnight showing. In costume. Everything that I've seen from Abrams I've enjoyed, and I truly hope that he continues this trend. It's a very good sign to me when I show the trailer to my mother (who saw the originals when they came out I believe) and she's even excited.
Abrams, you had best not screw this up. We're all counting on you.
My.
GODS.
I just sat staring at this trailer when it finally came out. I know I had this huge, stupid grin on my face, and I am GIDDY to see the film looking so good. It looks real, and it sounds right. I am going to take a few minutes (and another dozen viewings) to break this thing down, scene by scene. It's at 21 million views in about a day's time, and websites were crashing when people tried to buy advanced tickets. This is going to be amazing.
The first scene has Rey scavenging around in what looks to possibly be the crashed Star Destroyer that we saw in a previous trailer. What's really curious here is it looks like she's wearing goggles very similar to the Snowtroopers in Episode V. A voice comes out, asking her "Who are you?" and changes to Rey walking across the desert with BB8 and her staff. to which Rey replies "I'm no one". Which I do not believe for one second. The next cut is a ship of some kind launching, but what really interesting is it looks like there's a foot from some kind of Imperial Walker in the foreground. Rey is watching the ship, and tinkering around with something. This made me curious, since it reminded me a bit of Anakin in Episode I. Very interesting.
The next scene is one of the First Order, with a high ranking officer giving orders to a number of Stormtroopers. And here, we are introduced to Finn, who pulls off his helmet and looks like he's trying to catch his breath. Possibly having a moment of crisis as well. "I was raised to do one thing. I've got nothing to fight for" is spoken by Finn as it shows a TIE fighter spiralling down towards the planet's surface. Looks very deserty, very familiar... Then we see Finn standing on a ridge looking over... what looks like Mos Eisley, and he's carrying a leather jacket of some kind. Definitely doesn't look like Imperial issue, which makes me wonder where it came from.
Our next seen looks like it's on the bridge of an Imperial ship of some kind, and we see Kylo Ren. "Nothing will stand in our way. I will finish what you started" he says and it cuts to VADER'S burned and twisted helmet. Now this raises a couple questions. Where the hell did he get the helmet in the first place? And just what is he talking about finishing... Then Kylo Ren is holding his hand in front of someone's forehead, and that man starts screaming, I'm guessing in pain. It then cuts to a forest exploding, in a very similar red light to what we saw on the bridge of the ship that Kylo was just on. Related? Quite possible.
And then the moment that made me grin like a big idiot. The motherfucking Millenium Falcon flying around some crashed Star Destroyers being chased by TIE fighters. Rey speaks "There are stories about what happened", and Han Solo himself replies "It's true. All of it." as we see Rey, Finn and Solo all on the Falcon. The ship is then seen traveling through hyperspace, which looks awesome!
Then the classic Star Wars theme starts playing, and we see Kylo Ren once more, though this time he's surrounded by a number of troops. He's the only one with a lightsaber out, which is a bit interesting. Makes it seem like Force uses are still rather rare in this time. Then we get this huge scene with X-wings, TIE fighters, Stormtroopers and Rebel forces all going at each other. And Han Solo is narrating over it. "The Dark Side. The Jedi. They're real". Very amusing turnabout for someone who once said "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid". But that being said, Han has been through some shit. Big time. we also see Finn and a X-wing pilot have an interesting moment, where the pilot hits him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, and Finn just turns and stares at the guy. Kinda wondering if that pilot was the original owner of that jacket? Then we have Rey and Finn running across the desert, having to stop for a huge explosion. Then they're at some kind of big building with a droid walking behind them. Interesting point here, if you look carefully at the building among all the banners, there's a Mandalorian symbol on the building. when Han says "they're real", we see the shot of R2D2 and what was implied to be Luke Skywalker with his mechanical hand on the droid.
Then it cuts to an Imperial shuttle landing, with Stormtroopers running all around. Captain Phasma in all her glory is also shown for a few moments, then we see Kylo Ren once more slashing down on someone. Then we see Rey crying over someone we can't see, then a cut to Finn, Han and Chewbacca surrendering. Interesting note here, Chewie has a band-aid on his arm. Then the female voice from earlier speaks again. "The Force. It's calling to you". We briefly see BB8 being used as a droid in an X-wing over a snowy planet as well. And there is some kind of MASSIVE trench in the ground, definitely manmade since it is far too straight to be made by nature. More TIE fighters and X-wings fighting over that planet as well, then a shot of Rey shooting at someone with a blaster, interspersed with more Stormtroopers. Though the planet for the last bit is more forested and less snowy than the dogfighting of moments ago.
Then a lot more fast shots, the Falcon again, Han seems to be comforting Leia, Kylo Ren Force-pushing someone/something away. Then we see Finn holding a blue lightsaber with Kylo Ren coming straight for him. This raises a couple of interesting questions. One, where's he from, that he would be Force sensitive, but not trained in that way? It could be implied that his abilities with the Force are what made him a TIE pilot, but also what caused his crisis in trusting the New Order. Second, where did he get the lightsaber? Was it scavenged, was it a gift, is he trained with it? If he has been trained, it hasn't been for long, because Finn almost looks terrified when Ren starts swinging. Then that female voice speaks again and says "Just let it in" and we see the title.
First question on my mind. where the hell is Luke Skywalker in all this? We've got one possible shot of him, and it's very brief. we don't even get to see his face. Second, that female voice without a body, who is she, and what does she have to do with Rey? It seems like they are speaking throughout the trailer, which leads one to believe that Rey is Force sensitive as well. Second thing on my mind, it's clear while the Rebel Alliance won the battle at the end of Episode VI, they didn't win the war. Or even if they did, the Galactic Empire made a comeback in a huge way. I'm not familiar with the Extended Universe, so I can't draw anything from there.
All in all, I'm still very excited for this movie. I cannot wait for December. If I get the chance, my ass is going to be at a midnight showing. In costume. Everything that I've seen from Abrams I've enjoyed, and I truly hope that he continues this trend. It's a very good sign to me when I show the trailer to my mother (who saw the originals when they came out I believe) and she's even excited.
Abrams, you had best not screw this up. We're all counting on you.
Change of Format
I cannot keep up with my self set schedule, so I am just going to post as things come to mind. I wish I could do better, but stress from work and such is the quickest thing to kill my writing muse. that being said, I will have something up soon, so stay tuned!
Monday, September 21, 2015
World of Warcraft: Legion
Okay, so it's taking me a bit longer to get through the second installation of the Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing. So I'm going to go through all the information that's out so far for the next WoW expansion. I'm pulling my information from MMO-Champion, WoWhead, and WoWWiki. I will also be referencing Warcraft III quite a bit, as it is the game that introduced me to the Warcraft universe. They are still claiming that Warlords is not a filler expansion... which I have my doubts on. But this isn't about Warlords.
Random Stuff
The Broken Shore will be released as a pre-expansion event, and I am looking forward to this. The developers said that we will be shocked as to what happens there, and that we will wake up to its aftermath to a world on fire. We should also be getting a new character slot. Flying will be obtained in a similar manner as to Warlords, which I'm good with. I had fun earning flight in this expansion, so be quite honest. The team for professions has been expanded, and there will be a quest line for each one.
Setting/Zones - we will be fighting once again on Azeroth in the Broken Isles. It is an area that people who played Warcraft III will be familiar with, it is the home to the Tomb of Sargeras, and that is where quite a few interesting things in the history of Warcraft happened. It is where Guldan found his death seeking power, it is where Illidan left Maiev Shadowsong to die on his own quest to destroy the Lich King, among other events not seen in Warcraft III. It appears we will have six zones, Suramar, Azsuna, Stormheim, Highmountain, Val'sharah, and Thal'Danath. It has been mentioned there is a Titan artifact called a Pillar of Creation in each zone that we will be hunting for in order to keep it out of the Legion's hands.
Suramar - This was the ancient capital city of the Night Elf civilization, and where the Well of Eternity was located. It is where Queen Azshara invited Sargeras himself in the world, and where the Sundering took place. It would appear that another branch of the elven race lives here, one that has thrown in their lot with the Legion. It was also mentioned that this is where we will finally confront Gul'dan.
Azsuna - This zone is mentioned as the dying remnants of the Night Elf society, home to a group of exiled nobles from Suramar, as well as Blue dragons. The Naga will figure prominently into this zone from the looks of things.
Stormheim - This is one I'm REALLY looking forward to, since it will give us a closer look at the Vrykul that we first encountered in Northrend, then again in Cataclysm. From what's been shown so far, this will have a very Nordic feel, with Titan keepers battling each other, and riding around on ghost ships.
Highmountain - This is another zone I'm quite interested in, as it has a branch of the Tauren race, my favorite of the Horde races. It is also the home to Neltharion's lair, before he went mad and became Deathwing.
Val'sharah - This is where the first Night Elf druids were taught, and where Malfurion Stormrage learned under Cenarius. Xavius will be here, trying to unleash the Emerald Nightmare into Azeroth. Bad thing, very bad thing!
Thal'Danath - We know next to nothing about this area, other than its location on the map. But a twitter post confirmed it will be in the expansion.
Dalaran will also make a return, and once more be a neutral city in the skies. The pictures that have come out are just amazing. I forgot where it is, but there's one picture of a face carved into a tree. That is just so cool to me.
Dungeons - As of right now, it looks like Legion will release with 9 dungeons. Some are familiar, some are entirely new.
Halls of Valor - Located in Stormheim, with a heavy influence from Valhalla. It is also where we find out the Vrykul are working with the Legion.
Black Rook Hold - There isn't a lot of info yet, other than it is located in Val'Sharah, and where Lord Ravencrest once lived (the first leader of the Kaldorei resistance in the first Legion invasion). It was designed an a fortress against the Legion, and some kind of shadow has fallen over it. Players will start in the catacombs and work their way towards the top.
Vault of the Wardens - This is where Maiev Shadowsong locked away the remains of Illidan, and where the demonhunters will begin. Since this is where we see Gul'dan awakening Illidan, this is where we start our hunt for both of them.
Eye of Azshara - Not much mentioned, other than we will be fighting Azshara's minions here.
Darkheart Thicket - This is the home of Shaladrassil, a corrupted World Tree, and where the Nightmare is spreading from. It is mentioned that we will be rescuing Malfurion from this dungeon.
Neltharion's Lair - Located in Highmountain, and where another Pillar of Creation is located.
Helheim - This is an opposite to the Halls of Valor, where Vrykal go to die and become the cursed Kvaldir. The dungeon takes place on a ghost ship.
Suramar City - This is where the Nightbourne elves rule, and where we will discover their ties to the Legion. More catacombs are mentioned as well.
Violet Hold - This was a dungeon from Wrath, and pretty neat in my opinion. It is mentioned that the proximity to the Tomb of Sargeras will allow us to see more secrets about mages and the beginnings of the world itself.
Raids - We start off with two raids, and both look pretty bad ass.
The Emerald Nightmare - This has been one of those places rumored and hinted at since the launch of WoW, and it looks like we will finally be seeing it! This will be a seven boss raid, and it's mentioned that Cenarius will be aiding us along the way.
Suramar Palace - This will be a ten boss raid tier, and based on the Night Elf society. It was mentioned this will be akin to the Black Temple, where you don't go in the front gates, but from the side, and work your way. This is also where Gul'dan will meet his fate (finally!).
New Class - Demon Hunter!
This is another one of those things that feels like it's a long time in coming. Ever since the Burning Crusade expansion, I think just about everyone has wanted to play one of these. In Warcraft III, Illidan was one of my favorite characters. They will be the only class to use Glaives, as well as Daggers, Fist Weapons, One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Maces, and One-Handed Swords. There will be two specs, a DPS and a tank spec. I'm fine with this, since it keeps things from getting too watered down. I also love that they can only be blood or night elves. It's something that fits with the lore, and what we have seen of them in game so far. It looks like there will be many different cosmetic options too, which is awesome. Their abilities are also familiar with what I've seen in the lore, such as double jumping, an eye beam, a fel charge, and a retreat that lets you jump out of range. They start at level 98 and ten years in the past, with Illidan sending his demonhunters on a mission. I cannot wait to give one of these guys a go.
Class Order Halls
This is rather interesting, and it feels like this is meant to replace the garrisons of Warlords. It is based on classes, and the Horde and Alliance both meet within the Halls. Each class has its own unique location, with Paladins under Light's Hope Chapel, Warlocks offworld on what is described as a Legion Portal world, Shamans in a cave overlooking the Maelstrom, and Rogues in the sewers of Dalaran. We will also be recruiting Champions instead of followers, and it's sounding like these will be more interactive. It's mentioned that some will be established characters, and they will help you finish missions, rather than going off and completing them. I'm very curious to see what other locations will be revealed for the Order Halls, but this seems like a good evolution from garrisons.
Class Changes
It's been mentioned that all classes are getting an overhaul of some kind. The greatest amount of detail we have is for Hunters, and I LOVE what I've seen so far. Survival hunters are becoming melee with a pet, Marksman is becoming ranged only, and Beast Mastery is ranged with a pet. Survival hunters also get an ability called Harpoon to drag targets into range. The Hunter specs have felt alike for far too long, and I can't wait to see this. My night elf hunter was my first WoW character, and I look forward to giving all the specs a shot (see what I did there?) Warlocks are also getting a big overhaul to demonology, which is overdue. It's supposed to become more about demon summoning, and not becoming one, which fits better in my mind. Discipline priests are going to be more about offensive healing, but still with a DPS aspect. Rogues are changing as well, Assassination themed around poisons, Subtlety around ninjas, and Combat has more of a pirate/swashbuckler feel.
Artifact Weapons
Instead of getting weapon drops throughout the expansion, we will be getting an Artifact weapon appropriate to our specs. This is going to be something that has to be done very well, or it will fall on its face. I do like the idea though. You get a weapon of legend, and over the course of the expansion, you can customize what it does for your abilities. You can also upgrade your weapon, and change its appearance. I also remember seeing that it will be transmogable. We have a few of these out already. The Doomhammer is going to Enhance shaman, and the Ashbringer to Retribution paladins, and are the two most well known weapons we have right now. Fangs of the First Nightsaber are for Feral and Guardian druids, Fire mages get Kaelthas' sword, Frost deathknights get a pair of swords forged from Frostmourne, Survival Hunters get the Eagle Spear, Mistweaver monks are getting the staff of Emperor Shaohao. There will also be Relic slots to fill, and Relics are obtained by doing the expansion's content.
This will be an interesting aspect to the expansion, and it was mentioned that the people who previously weilded these weapons either died or lost hope. Which means Tirion Fordring and Thrall both are potentially on the chopping block. That will be very curious to see how that goes.
Transmog Changes
There isn't much information out YET, but the whispers I've seen make it sound like we're going to have a system like the Dressing Room in Diablo III, which is a good system. I currently have both pages of Void storage full on one of my characters, so yeah. I need more room, hehe.
Thoughts for Now
I have to admit that I am REALLY looking forward to this expansion, though I am wary with what happened in Warlords. I'm also wondering how many more expansions we will have after this, given that the Legion has always been the big evil baddie of the Warcraft universe. Hopefully we will get more information at BlizzCon in November, and the beta should follow soon after. I will be keep a close eye on things, since I want to see where the story goes with this expansion.
Random Stuff
The Broken Shore will be released as a pre-expansion event, and I am looking forward to this. The developers said that we will be shocked as to what happens there, and that we will wake up to its aftermath to a world on fire. We should also be getting a new character slot. Flying will be obtained in a similar manner as to Warlords, which I'm good with. I had fun earning flight in this expansion, so be quite honest. The team for professions has been expanded, and there will be a quest line for each one.
Setting/Zones - we will be fighting once again on Azeroth in the Broken Isles. It is an area that people who played Warcraft III will be familiar with, it is the home to the Tomb of Sargeras, and that is where quite a few interesting things in the history of Warcraft happened. It is where Guldan found his death seeking power, it is where Illidan left Maiev Shadowsong to die on his own quest to destroy the Lich King, among other events not seen in Warcraft III. It appears we will have six zones, Suramar, Azsuna, Stormheim, Highmountain, Val'sharah, and Thal'Danath. It has been mentioned there is a Titan artifact called a Pillar of Creation in each zone that we will be hunting for in order to keep it out of the Legion's hands.
Suramar - This was the ancient capital city of the Night Elf civilization, and where the Well of Eternity was located. It is where Queen Azshara invited Sargeras himself in the world, and where the Sundering took place. It would appear that another branch of the elven race lives here, one that has thrown in their lot with the Legion. It was also mentioned that this is where we will finally confront Gul'dan.
Azsuna - This zone is mentioned as the dying remnants of the Night Elf society, home to a group of exiled nobles from Suramar, as well as Blue dragons. The Naga will figure prominently into this zone from the looks of things.
Stormheim - This is one I'm REALLY looking forward to, since it will give us a closer look at the Vrykul that we first encountered in Northrend, then again in Cataclysm. From what's been shown so far, this will have a very Nordic feel, with Titan keepers battling each other, and riding around on ghost ships.
Highmountain - This is another zone I'm quite interested in, as it has a branch of the Tauren race, my favorite of the Horde races. It is also the home to Neltharion's lair, before he went mad and became Deathwing.
Val'sharah - This is where the first Night Elf druids were taught, and where Malfurion Stormrage learned under Cenarius. Xavius will be here, trying to unleash the Emerald Nightmare into Azeroth. Bad thing, very bad thing!
Thal'Danath - We know next to nothing about this area, other than its location on the map. But a twitter post confirmed it will be in the expansion.
Dalaran will also make a return, and once more be a neutral city in the skies. The pictures that have come out are just amazing. I forgot where it is, but there's one picture of a face carved into a tree. That is just so cool to me.
Dungeons - As of right now, it looks like Legion will release with 9 dungeons. Some are familiar, some are entirely new.
Halls of Valor - Located in Stormheim, with a heavy influence from Valhalla. It is also where we find out the Vrykul are working with the Legion.
Black Rook Hold - There isn't a lot of info yet, other than it is located in Val'Sharah, and where Lord Ravencrest once lived (the first leader of the Kaldorei resistance in the first Legion invasion). It was designed an a fortress against the Legion, and some kind of shadow has fallen over it. Players will start in the catacombs and work their way towards the top.
Vault of the Wardens - This is where Maiev Shadowsong locked away the remains of Illidan, and where the demonhunters will begin. Since this is where we see Gul'dan awakening Illidan, this is where we start our hunt for both of them.
Eye of Azshara - Not much mentioned, other than we will be fighting Azshara's minions here.
Darkheart Thicket - This is the home of Shaladrassil, a corrupted World Tree, and where the Nightmare is spreading from. It is mentioned that we will be rescuing Malfurion from this dungeon.
Neltharion's Lair - Located in Highmountain, and where another Pillar of Creation is located.
Helheim - This is an opposite to the Halls of Valor, where Vrykal go to die and become the cursed Kvaldir. The dungeon takes place on a ghost ship.
Suramar City - This is where the Nightbourne elves rule, and where we will discover their ties to the Legion. More catacombs are mentioned as well.
Violet Hold - This was a dungeon from Wrath, and pretty neat in my opinion. It is mentioned that the proximity to the Tomb of Sargeras will allow us to see more secrets about mages and the beginnings of the world itself.
Raids - We start off with two raids, and both look pretty bad ass.
The Emerald Nightmare - This has been one of those places rumored and hinted at since the launch of WoW, and it looks like we will finally be seeing it! This will be a seven boss raid, and it's mentioned that Cenarius will be aiding us along the way.
Suramar Palace - This will be a ten boss raid tier, and based on the Night Elf society. It was mentioned this will be akin to the Black Temple, where you don't go in the front gates, but from the side, and work your way. This is also where Gul'dan will meet his fate (finally!).
New Class - Demon Hunter!
This is another one of those things that feels like it's a long time in coming. Ever since the Burning Crusade expansion, I think just about everyone has wanted to play one of these. In Warcraft III, Illidan was one of my favorite characters. They will be the only class to use Glaives, as well as Daggers, Fist Weapons, One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Maces, and One-Handed Swords. There will be two specs, a DPS and a tank spec. I'm fine with this, since it keeps things from getting too watered down. I also love that they can only be blood or night elves. It's something that fits with the lore, and what we have seen of them in game so far. It looks like there will be many different cosmetic options too, which is awesome. Their abilities are also familiar with what I've seen in the lore, such as double jumping, an eye beam, a fel charge, and a retreat that lets you jump out of range. They start at level 98 and ten years in the past, with Illidan sending his demonhunters on a mission. I cannot wait to give one of these guys a go.
Class Order Halls
This is rather interesting, and it feels like this is meant to replace the garrisons of Warlords. It is based on classes, and the Horde and Alliance both meet within the Halls. Each class has its own unique location, with Paladins under Light's Hope Chapel, Warlocks offworld on what is described as a Legion Portal world, Shamans in a cave overlooking the Maelstrom, and Rogues in the sewers of Dalaran. We will also be recruiting Champions instead of followers, and it's sounding like these will be more interactive. It's mentioned that some will be established characters, and they will help you finish missions, rather than going off and completing them. I'm very curious to see what other locations will be revealed for the Order Halls, but this seems like a good evolution from garrisons.
Class Changes
It's been mentioned that all classes are getting an overhaul of some kind. The greatest amount of detail we have is for Hunters, and I LOVE what I've seen so far. Survival hunters are becoming melee with a pet, Marksman is becoming ranged only, and Beast Mastery is ranged with a pet. Survival hunters also get an ability called Harpoon to drag targets into range. The Hunter specs have felt alike for far too long, and I can't wait to see this. My night elf hunter was my first WoW character, and I look forward to giving all the specs a shot (see what I did there?) Warlocks are also getting a big overhaul to demonology, which is overdue. It's supposed to become more about demon summoning, and not becoming one, which fits better in my mind. Discipline priests are going to be more about offensive healing, but still with a DPS aspect. Rogues are changing as well, Assassination themed around poisons, Subtlety around ninjas, and Combat has more of a pirate/swashbuckler feel.
Artifact Weapons
Instead of getting weapon drops throughout the expansion, we will be getting an Artifact weapon appropriate to our specs. This is going to be something that has to be done very well, or it will fall on its face. I do like the idea though. You get a weapon of legend, and over the course of the expansion, you can customize what it does for your abilities. You can also upgrade your weapon, and change its appearance. I also remember seeing that it will be transmogable. We have a few of these out already. The Doomhammer is going to Enhance shaman, and the Ashbringer to Retribution paladins, and are the two most well known weapons we have right now. Fangs of the First Nightsaber are for Feral and Guardian druids, Fire mages get Kaelthas' sword, Frost deathknights get a pair of swords forged from Frostmourne, Survival Hunters get the Eagle Spear, Mistweaver monks are getting the staff of Emperor Shaohao. There will also be Relic slots to fill, and Relics are obtained by doing the expansion's content.
This will be an interesting aspect to the expansion, and it was mentioned that the people who previously weilded these weapons either died or lost hope. Which means Tirion Fordring and Thrall both are potentially on the chopping block. That will be very curious to see how that goes.
Transmog Changes
There isn't much information out YET, but the whispers I've seen make it sound like we're going to have a system like the Dressing Room in Diablo III, which is a good system. I currently have both pages of Void storage full on one of my characters, so yeah. I need more room, hehe.
Thoughts for Now
I have to admit that I am REALLY looking forward to this expansion, though I am wary with what happened in Warlords. I'm also wondering how many more expansions we will have after this, given that the Legion has always been the big evil baddie of the Warcraft universe. Hopefully we will get more information at BlizzCon in November, and the beta should follow soon after. I will be keep a close eye on things, since I want to see where the story goes with this expansion.
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