World of Warcraft
Summary:
World of Warcraft (WOW) is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) made by Blizzard. One creates a character and levels up their abilities through the gaining of experience and completing of quests. Interaction with other players is constant due to the games online nature. Player versus player (PVP) combat is also available throughout the game.
Gameplay:
I played WOW for several months before writing this review. That time included much joy for me as a gamer and proved that this game is one of the best and most addicting games of all time.
When one starts a character, there is a brief narrative on the history of that character’s race and some story elements on how they have interacted with other races in the past. The game is based on the RTS series Warcraft, and much of the story comes from those games. Other than the initial intro, there is no main plot. As one completes quests, little stories are told and one can learn about the locals of a particular area.
The gameplay is amazingly addictive and enticing. It feels wonderful to have your character level up and learn new skills, spells, and fighting moves. Also, as you progress through the game you acquire new, more powerful items and gear. This process is surprisingly satisfying and is one of the reasons players continue to put up with the monthly fee for this game.
Design:
After further time spent playing this game, one starts to see how magnificent and cohesive it is. The world is gigantic and contains a large variety of different level characters and dungeons. There are certain parameters that ensure balance throughout gameplay. For example, there are high-level computer characters (NPCs) guarding low-level areas so that a person new to the game, who is inexperienced, will not get completely annihilated while they are tying to level up. Some of this “ganking” still occurs though, and is part of the excitement of the game.
The PVP element to the game is also an important one. It allows players to utilize their hard-earned gear and weapons in combat against their peers. It is extremely fun and also gives one honor, which is an incentive that unlocks items for purchase. As a social interaction as well as a team-building activity, PVP is major part of WOW.
Area design and dungeon layout in this game is quite spectacular. Although graphically WOW lacks the latest in technology, it has a certain animated feel about it and enhances the magical RPG experience. Dungeons (called instances) are the one area in the game where a party of players is separated from the rest of the game’s population. This way, nobody can take advantage of a party’s hard work and steal the final reward at the end of a dungeon. WOW has wonderful landscapes and a variety of climates and locations that make it seem like the player is in another world, literally.
add a comment
|