World of WarCraft (Collector's Edition)

The Good
If you are into any MMORPG, this game has a lot to show for. If you're a Blizzard fanboy/girl and/or like any Warcraft folklore, you will enjoy this game. Playing any of the Warcraft games lets you appreciate the game but nothing gives you a deeper appreciation than its ease of use. I have played MMORPGs since Ultima Online and since then, I haven't seen anything impressive. Everquest and Final Fantasy XI was a disapointment in MMORPGs not because of the quality of the game but because of how it is managed and unbalanced. I liked Final Fantasy XI because of its graphics, style, and presentation but the game was completely unbalanced and the bug fixes were constant. Everquest was good because of its many many gameplay elements and stability but the look and feel of the game was unappealing to me. Part of it was because of its horrendous player models which resembled mostly of square heads and triangle hands. It's sequel was an huge improvement but it didn't have the seamless feel of World of Warcraft's interface. World Of Warcraft is fast and easy to get into. There are barely any learning curves. Just the other day, a friend joined in World of Warcraft at work and has never been a big fan of games for many reasons. He was just amazed at how easy it was to get started and begin questing with other co-workers.

The game is also immense and truly epic. There are always new places to explore. Also, if you're in the same realm (server) with another friend (you know in real life), it makes it much more amusing and fun. World Of Warcraft is definitely in a world of its own. It arguably put MMORPGs into the mainstream market. Playing MMORPGs since Ultima Online has left me with several experiences of MMORPGs to compare with World Of Warcraft and this game really CURRENTLY shines above the rest. I have owned several MMORPGs before and have sold them either because I have lost interest in them or they were truly unplayable. I have yet to try Guild Wars but right now, World Of Warcraft has seen a lot of playing time by me and a few others.

Blizzard has done a great job at designing this game. From interfaces, environments, monsters, and overall look of the game, Blizzard went through great lengths to get the most casual gamer or non-gamer to easily jump in and out of this very social game. The pacing for quests is good as well as the variety of characters. Blizzard has also recently released the honor system for Player vs. Player combat and it is more decent than some of the systems I've seen in other games of this type. There are still some balancing issues such as the killing of lower level players.

In addition, Blizzard has also created a good ticket system to "unstuck" players or deal with other rare issues. Creating MMORPGs are a grand undertaking but Blizzard has done their homework. They've studied what other games have done wrong and applied the right stuff with this one. GMs (game masters) have been very productive in managing the realms as well as minimizing cheaters. World Of Warcraft has very interesting quests too that cascade between several NPCs. In some cases, you'll feel like you're doing work. In other cases, you feel like there is a true purpose to them. The best part of this whole thing is (like other MMORPGs), you don't have to carry them out. You just do what you want to do in the world.

The Bad
There is nothing I didn't like about this game. I have been playing the game for three months now almost everyday and I feel that I get a unique experience every time. Stay away from this game if you plan to have a life.

The Bottom Line
The Sims have sold well as a good offline game for many casual gamers. World of Warcraft seeks to do the same for the next couple of months...and after playing many games of this type, I truly recommend World Of Warcraft. It is the best way to make the most out of your PC, irregardless of its speed.

radcastro.com