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Volume 72, Issue 91,
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Life & Arts Gamers will say WoW to first expansion
by STEPHEN CLEBOSKI
The Dark Portal is now open, and beyond it lays Outland, the extra-dimensional conglomerate of alien realms cemented together when the doorway was closed centuries ago. The Burning Crusade is a satisfying expansion to a game that has been crying for added content. This is the first expansion pack to the World of Warcraft franchise and contains the entirety of Outland, which is divided into seven zones: Hellfire Peninsula, Zangarmarsh, Terrokar Forest, Nagrand, Shadowmoon Valley, Blade's Edge Mountains and Netherstorm. Each zone is a different experience complete with a huge variety of new quests and unexplored dungeons. Outland requires the player to have risen to Level 58 before the Dark Portal will allow access. Upon entering the swirling vortex, the player is transported to the introductory area, Hellfire Peninsula. Nearly everything in Hellfire Peninsula is either burning or already burnt. As players progress, they will encounter the dank swamps of Zangarmarsh and the terrors of Terrokar Forest. World of Warcraft, Burning Crusade also introduces two new races to the population: The Blood Elves for the Horde and the Draenei for the Alliance. Both races have access to the previously opposed classes of Paladin and Shaman. Previously, Paladins had been available to the Alliance faction and Shamans to the opposing faction, the Horde. The Blood Elves are the straggling survivors of the High Elves, nearly extinct thanks to the Undead Scourge. Starved of precious magic, the fair-faced and attractive Blood Elves seek a new source of mystical power to sustain their physical addiction to the arcane. Their in-game racial abilities include a mana drain followed by an eight-yard radius silence effect. The Draenei are a blue, behooved people with squid-like growths sprouting from their throats. Stranded in Azeroth because of a Blood Elf saboteur aboard their extra-dimensional vessel, the Draenei seek to destroy an army of demons spawned by former members of their own race. Draenei are able to cast a heal-over-time effect on players. Veteran players will notice they again have an unfilled experience bar at the bottom of their screen and are confronted with the renewed agony of continued character leveling. However, in contrast to prior leveling, such as the infamous 50 to 60 gap, leveling in Outland is a surprisingly pleasant experience. Most of the quests are completed in chains and have an interesting side story to complement the wanton slaughter of enemies or the quiet gathering of stale mushrooms. Diligent questing is rewarded with items that are actually useful. Luckily, the utility of the items overrides their aesthetics, as nearly all rewards come in lovely lavender and pretty pink. The new dungeons that Blizzard has added provide a pleasant respite from the lonely hours of solo questing. The dungeons are numerous and varied, and have inviting names such as Hellfire Citadel, Coilfang Reservoir, Auchindoun and Tempest Keep. The dungeons are divided into many sections, each of which contains interesting new monsters and challenging bosses requiring strategy and teamwork to defeat. The appearance and quality of gear takes a sharp turn upward as the player approaches 70 -- the new level cap for Burning Crusade. At this new pedestal of supreme achievement, players are permitted to purchase a flying mount capable of aerial acrobatics within the confines of Outland. The raised level cap and improved talent trees allow players to continue their never-ending quests for more power, and Outland is a fun and appropriate place to do so. Burning Crusade delivers an enjoyable addition to an already well-made game. Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu |
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