World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Mac/Windows

I've been playing WoW since early 2005. I've taken a couple months off from it here and there, but I'm always one to come back. This time around I've also gotten into the Beta for the expansion, and have spent some time tinkering around with it. First and foremost, $40 is more money than any other expansion of ANY game to date with the exception of WoW's previous expansion, Burning Crusade, which also went for $40. Is it a ripoff? That largely depends on how much of a fanboy you are. The game's greatest fans will tell you it's worth every penny. The game's haters will point to it as the ultimate expression of greed. The bottom line though, is that enough people will pony up the cash that they won't be bringing the price down anytime soon, and present players will be faced with the choice of paying up, getting left behind, or leaving the game. I'm positive the majority of them will be paying up. Graphics wise this isn't the cutting edge of technology. Contrary to all the 5 star graphics/sound ratings people seem to be giving this game, if gorgeous amounts of high quality visuals are the be all and end all for a game for you, there are plenty of other MMOs out there that LOOK much better than WoW. WoW uses far less polygons than most other MMO's out there, but they make up for that with detailed textures (the paint on the polygons if you will) and SUPERB animation. The end result is a game that runs smooth and seamless on even some of the barest bones of computers out there, while the other MMO guys toting their high tech graphics need to have their games played on more recent and expensive machines, and often, the quality of animation in their games can be somewhat lacking. That said, Blizzard is doing some updates to their graphics engine this time around. I've noticed in the BETA that they've started to play around with the facial textures of characters to bring them a little closer to 2008 (though these changes are far from done), and the new continent certainly seems to be more detailed than earlier parts of the game. Sound wise, the game is good. The music isn't going to give you goosebumps very often, but it's more than adequate to set the mood. Early on, the theme composed for one of the starting zones in the new continent, Howling Fjord has a stirring bagpipe harmony to it that I think several people will find enjoyable. Gameplay is one of the reasons WoW is top dog in the MMO market. The combat system is simplistic and accessible enough to get a handle on early, but with enough complexity and customization available to keep the twitch kids happy enough to keep playing later on. The questing for the most part is your standard "kill 10 of these" "go talk to that person" "fetch me 5 of those" but in recent years Blizzard has made an honest effort to mix in some different sorts of quests that aren't your standard fare to help mix things up a bit. If your primary concern is going to be getting to lvl 80 as fast as you can, be prepared for a nice, long grind fest. If you're more the type of person who wants to enjoy yourself while stopping to smell the roses from time to time, you might not be one of the first 20 people to hit max level on your server, but chances are you'll enjoy yourself a little more on your way there. Lastly, there have been some nice additions put into this expansion. One of my favorites is a new outdoor PVP area where players can pilot siege engines and aircraft with the objective of breaking down a fortress's walls to gain entry and capture it from the side that's holding it. Not a bad change from the standard battleground format the game has become known for. The new Death Knight class is interesting to play, but is still being balanced at this time (in other words nerfed) to make it a little less powerful. I would probably bore you to death going over every planned change and addition to the game, but suffice to say that the majority of the new features shown on their lich king site are being implemented as advertised. In conclusion, for existing players of the game, while the price tag for this expansion is on the high side, the changes and additions are significant enough that most people will be buying it up. If the release of the previous expansion was any indication, you'll only be able to get the expansion through boxed versions from retailers like Best Buy and other game stores for the first couple of weeks and then it will become available for direct download. While I haven't seen an announcement yet, I would imagine Blizzard will have out some kind of boxed set including the original game and both expansions on store shelves hopefully by xmas for those new to the game.

The game is amazing when you consider how many people and how much a server must maintain. There are glitches that occur here and there, but their customer service if you have an issue is very prompt and helpful. The one issue I have is that they continue to come out with new content that is easier than the previous content they have released. I miss the days of MC and BWL in the original that made the game a challenge. The new version isn't quite as challenging as before which has made me lose interest more quickly. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a game to run your life. I have quit and played again so many times that I can't keep track. Very good overall game though.

I beta tested the original WoW release, and had the game at release and quit for 3.5 years coming back last January. I have been testing the beta for WotLK and all I can say is WOW! Once again Blizzard is showing why it is King in PC Gaming. Wrath is very polished, adds a ton of new content, a completely new PvP mechanic that people have been begging for since WoW's release, a new class, and the chance to change your character's haircut! There have been a number of interesting class talent changes, some classes getting a buff, others getting knocked over by the nerf bat. At release, people will be scurrying in the "new" beginning zones, early 70s zones/quests will be very crowded, as will the DeathKnight starting areas. Give it about 4 weeks for that to subside a bit. All in all I'm impressed with Wrath. Blizzard has made a lot of changes that people have been asking for, surpassing expectations in some areaws (No longer have to carry your mounts or vanity pets, can change your appearance, new world PvP mechanics and a new Battleground, a new character class, better versatility for most class/spec combinations), but falling short in others (PvP / PvE balance is still heavily skewed, UI Enhancements, maintaining "Old Naxx", Some class talents are still bugged (which in some cases is good for the player), some new features feel rushed and unfinished (Threat indication). Overall Wrath is a fantastic addition to the World of Warcraft line, and if you're a player, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by passing on this title. Look for many people to be calling in sick from 11/13-11/25. As for me, I'm glad to have the beta to play in the meantime.

11/13/2008 OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE, Best Buy also announced that they are doing midnight releases in specific locations, check your local Best Buy for more details, also lets get one thing straight, with World of Warcraft no one should be complaining about the new level cap going to 80, with the new 'recruit a friend' available to all players through the account management page you can link your account to a new one (your friend) and between both accounts when they are played leveling together you will recieve triple experience and the new account can grant the veteran player 2 levels for every level gained... We just started our accounts three days ago and we already have 3 different characters that we leveled up together above 50, and with the new experience changes with patch 3.0.2 60-70 experience will be drastically reduced sooo for new players this game is highly recommended, you won't have to go through the long leveling like we did 3 years go, plus you can get through most of the quests quickly with a friend that can help you along the way, and they won't mind doing it since you can give one of their lower level characters free levels!! Granted 70-80 will take longer, you play this game to enjoy its content, it only happens once every year or so that you get to 'level' your main, experience new quests, and obtain very unique and very powerful gear that no one has ever seen before or used in combat. Everyone among the 10-16 million player fan base of World of Warcraft is excited to see that Blizzard has announced a relatively close release date, right in time for the holidays!!

I have been a World of Warcraft player for the past 2 years. In my opinion this is the best game out in the market, you have a storyline you can follow, world events, a market to sell goods on, also there are proffesions you can pick up like cooking, fishing, leatherworking, engineering. There is a handfull of things for each and every person to enjoy in this game. For example if you like Player verses Player combat, Roleplaying, and so on. True its a little slow when you first start but after you start playing and getting good abilities it starts turning into a lot of fun not only for you but for the whole family. Because there is communication within the game, between players, guilds. There is also parental controls for parents that want to keep out profanity and also time limits on how long the kids can play. I guarantee if you are looking for a great game to play this is the one stop shop game to play.

This game is very fun and very very addicting I dont recomend it to someone that is married because it could possibly end that marriage lol. Anyway ive been playing the game since its been out and no matter what your doing in the game you could be bored out of your mind but you still play and find something to do...there is always something you could be doing. The biggest pain is finding a good guild or a good group that knows whats going on...Other than that this is the only game that got me off of diablo 2.

I've been a World of Warcraft player for a while now and I have enjoyed it as a casual player. I have tried Wrath of the Lich King on a buddy's account and I enjoyed it just as much as I did with Burning Crusade. The great things about it are the new instances, quests and the Death Knight class. I have had almost no difficulty with changing from my usual Hunter play style to match that of a decent Death Knight style of play. The Death Knights are overpowered in their own way, just like every other class. For all the people that have written reviews about how "geeky" World of Warcraft is, obviously haven't tried playing it or have not given the game a chance. Despite the game's occasional annoyances (glitches, people who are jerks, etc) World of Warcraft is an extremely good game. Many people believe that the game is only for those who have been fans of Warcraft for a long time, they couldn't be any more wrong. This game is quite interesting in it's own sense as it allows you to control your own hero and to combat others from the five other races of the opposite faction. All in all, the game is very good and is recommended for both newcomers to MMORPGs but is also recommended for the experienced players as it allows you some customization in the way you want your character to play.

This game is so good it should be submitted to legislature that we are required as Americans to spend at the minimum of an hour a day experiencing the entire World of Warcraft package (you need both of the previous editions of the game to play). I am amazed by Blizzard Entertainment once again, as they have created a completely open ended and rich game environment complete with appeal for hard core gamers, but an amazing accessibility for both brand-new and part time players. -The in-game community is so rich and full that this game actually seems to provide the players with the perfect social networking tool, and the guilds in this game are more often than not like large groups of siblings (ones that get along). -The new continent provides BREATHTAKING scenery, challenges to players who could no longer strive for character advancement on the previous expansion due to the level 70 cutoff, and plenty of new quests, dungeons, and raids. -The highly anticipated and completely perfected "Death Knight" Hero-Class was introduced and seems to be a flawless and extremely rewarding option for anyone with a pre-existing level 55 or higher character in the world of warcraft. The greatest nuance of this class is that you do not have to convert the level 55 character you'd built, but simply have one and create a new and nefarious Death Knight. -Blizzard Enertainment. kept their perfected tradition of 110% non-linear exploration, customer support, and attention to detail. Problems just don't seem to stay problems for very long. -The In-Game Economy is second to none, and the spider-web thin line between rewards being too plentiful or too sparse is really laid down by this game as it goes and grows. World of Warcraft truly defines itself as a game by making you appreciate every single piece of currency you earn from your exploits. All in all, this is a game that appeals to all ages, all walks of life, all points of interest, and just generally has at least one part geared toward every single person with the time and patience to stick with it. Wrath of the Lich King is Flawless, and completely satisfies the expectations of it's player base and loyals. Till' the next one... Shade