As we all know, the Warcraft movie has already been in theaters with mixed feedback from both fans and audiences. Blizzard is also preparing to launch their latest expansion for World of Warcraft, Legion in August 2016, as such, here’re our first impressions from the Beta version of World of Warcraft: Legion.
Plot
In Warlords of Draenor (WoD), the last expansion for World of Warcraft, players had to face the final boss, Archimonde in the Hellfire Citadel. After defeating Archimode, however, Gul’dan escaped into the dark portal. He returns to the Broken Isles with the Legion to summon Sargeras, the creator of Legion. The Heroes of Azeroth must join force once more to stop Gul’dan and the Burning Legion.
Graphics & Gameplay
In order to cater to a wider demographic, the graphics of World of Warcraft are not highly demanding. During vanilla WoW, it was undoubtedly for the hardcore audience, but now it is much easier for casual players to enjoy. The game is not too “grind-heavy,” you can still achieve progression and loot even with short duration play. There is so much content, even a hardcore gamer would have trouble blasting through everything. In Legion, the quests are much easier to complete compared to WoD and you will feel more engaged with the environment as you complete side quests in the world.
New Class – Demon Hunters
Being the disciples of Illidan the Betrayer, the Demon Hunters were captured during the raid of the Black Temple from the Burning Crusade Expansion. Now, you’ll have to the chance to join the fight as released Demon Hunters, and combat the Burning Legion.
Demon Hunters are very mobile, melee fighter that can leap in and out of combat. They can double jump, and have wings to glide around. Demon Hunters can fulfill a role of a tank and damage dealer. Their weapons are the War Glaives, the iconic weapon of Illidan the Betrayer. They can transform into Demons to further enhance their strengths. After a few hours with the Demon Hunters, I felt the class functions as a hybrid between Rogues and Warriors. They wear leather armor and has the mobility of Rogues, with their main source of damage being from Fury, similar to a Warrior’s Rage bar. Overall it is a fun class to play and will give you some new perspective in the game.
Legendary Weapons & Class Halls
In order to fight with the Burning Legion, Legendary Weapons are now available to even the odds. Each class will have several Legendary Weapons to obtain. It can be upgraded and personalized, depending on the play style. At the beginning of your journey, you’ll able to choose which Legendary Weapons you want to pursue.
Each Class has their own designated areas, called Class Halls, where players from the same class can meet up together. The vital function of the Class Halls is to complete Class missions, and upgrade the Legendary Weapons.
Class Revamp
Every class in WoW has been also been revamped, with abilities not matching the lore of the classes being removed.
For example, the ability Dennounce, which is a ranged spell, has been removed from the melee-focused Paladin. This will certainly mean some changes are due for veteran players returning to the fold.
PvP Changes
Since the classes have been revamped, some of the skills that are important for PvP, have also been removed. Hence, in Legion, a PvP talent system is introduced, which you can customize according to your own play style.
New Zone – Broken Isles
In Legion, a new zone, the Broken Isles, which is just below Northrend, is now available. Players can sail there via boats and begin their mission against the Burning Crusade. It has six zones to be explored. Players may also begin in The Broken Shore.
Conclusion
It seems that Blizzard is trying to address the many issues of Warlords of Draenor. They introduced the Class Halls, which can help foster the feeling of community. Questing feels much more interactive than before, and it feels less grindy, which is perfect for the casual players.
World of Warcraft: Legion expansion will be released on 30th August 2016.