While playing WoW: The War Inside, I felt like I was at home, but I was already craving something completely new

This year we celebrate our twentieth anniversary World of Warcraft. Blizzard's work has been at the forefront of the MMORPG genre for two decades. Today, its place on the throne is no longer certain, but it is undoubtedly still one of the most popular games on the market. After a few hours with The war is within I have become convinced that this situation will not change in the near future – World of Warcraft It will still be at the top, but as a very different production and clearly learning from the competition.

Meanwhile, I'm afraid that I'm slowly running out of space in Azeroth. after The war is within I did not expect or see a revolution; It's more than just an extension Dragonflyta. So it's just good, but at the same time it's safe, it's accessible, and it's not as MMO style as I would like. I can't criticize the upcoming expansion or praise it too much, which will be positive news for some. I, on the other hand, would like… something more?

Return to the roots of World of Warcraft

The war is within I checked in as part of an industry event, where I gained access to the alpha of the new expansion for World of Warcraft. Not all of the upcoming content has been shared, just a snippet of it, so my final impressions may vary. Especially since an MMORPG is not judged by how it starts, but by how it ends. Previous expansions looked promising, but then turned out to be different. The war is within I wasn't too impressed, but it didn't disappoint either – it felt like I was going back to old garbage.

Dalaran has once again left a crater in its wake, but this time the magical city has collided with the Isle of Dorne. Its ruins were the first thing I saw when I shot it The war is within. Naturally, there were also famous characters like Jaina, Thrall, and Anduin. Magne and Alleria will also return. However, Khadgar was not there, and the game suggests that he disappeared, but is the wizard really dead? It's unknown, although if it did happen, it would be an interesting plot twist. Blizzard aims to shake things up, so anything is possible.

World of Warcraft: The War Within, Blizzard Entertainment, 2024.

The first site itself brings to mind the dwarf Loch Modan. It is no coincidence, because the new allied Earth race resembles representatives of this species. For dedicated players World of Warcraft The floor is not new, as it appeared in previous expansions. This time they will play an important role The war is withinWe will have to get to know their culture. I have to admit that after the dragons, the slightly more realistic atmosphere was a really nice change.

Single-player MMO fun

The biggest new in World of Warcraft Related to the next addition is the so-called “deepening”. These special adventures await us in the open world. Imagine you walk into a mine and Brann Bronzebeard gives you a tour. You can go alone or with friends, and an NPC will help you – as a DPS or support character. The journey itself takes about fifteen minutes on foot with attractions such as annihilating mobs, achieving objectives, and finding secrets. Moreover, when you look around the map, you will find temporary bonuses that strengthen the hero.

World of Warcraft: The War Within, Blizzard Entertainment, 2024.

Delves are a big attraction in The war is withinintended for players who do not have a lot of free time. It's actually a quick adventure that you can complete at your leisure, and that you can take part in entirely on your own. You'll also get powerful enough equipment, so you don't have to be interested in raiding or Mythic+ dungeons. Of course, these latter activities will still provide the best equipment, but mining will be a good alternative for casual players. Blizzard wants everyone to play what they want and how they want, without any restrictions.

If necessary, there's nothing stopping you from increasing the difficulty level or fighting for better loot. We will also develop Brann herself to the next levels. I had the opportunity to check out the excavation and it was actually a nice break from the usual dungeons. Especially since when I activated both, I didn't see any loading screens! World of Warcraft It carried the challenge seamlessly for me without breaking the immersion, so for a while I thought it was just part of the game world.

World of Warcraft: The War Within, Blizzard Entertainment, 2024.

A paradise for gamers on Sunday

The war is within It offers more elements suitable for single or casual player. For example, the dungeon will be part of the story campaign, but don't worry – you don't have to go through it with others. You can choose a group of NPCs with whom you will complete a challenge that is part of the story. Blizzard clearly took a cue here Final Fantasy XIVThis is not a bad idea, because when you learn, you learn from the best. However, I had the impression that it did World of Warcraft Because of these small elements, it is increasingly losing its identity in an MMO.

Fortunately, I'm sure there will be more events like this in the open world Dragonflyta. Moreover The war is within It will take them one step further – designer Maria Hamilton told me about an event involving light emanating from a crystal in an underground space. When darkness sets in, monsters will emerge from the shadows, and unusual attractions await players! I hope it's something like meta events from Guild Wars 2.

As for hero talents, the upcoming new addition, in my opinion, they are another dose of standard talents. I asked a Blizzard representative if it would be better to include them in the regular tree. I was told that this system is specifically intended to be distinct because it gives the class and specialization some exclusivity. Players should choose a specific set due to its atmosphere and visuals, as the entire set will not bring an advantage in the form of power, but will only add mechanical novelties.

World of Warcraft: The War Within, Blizzard Entertainment, 2024.

I had a slightly different impression when I reviewed the different chapters. I chose certain hero talents specifically because of the mechanics they offered to strengthen my hero. That's why I was surprised that a decision was not made to include them entirely in the regular talent tree, as it works on the same principle. Although this system will not have energy borrowed from it as was the case in previous expansions.

Dynamic flying isn't just with dragons

after The war is within We have to move using the dragon ride that was introduced in Dragonflegacy. Almost all flight mounts will be updated accordingly, which is good news. I could try a few of them and I can't imagine going back to the classic “Walking on Air”. However, if someone wants such an option, just one click will be enough to switch to the old flight model. As part of affordability, Blizzard also introduced Candidate for people with arachnophobia. Thanks to it, all spider opponents will turn into crabs.

World of Warcraft: The War Within, Blizzard Entertainment, 2024.

Other new features worth mentioning are Warbands, i.e. sharing achievements within a single account. Due to this system, a special login screen will appear, where we will see our characters at the fire. It's a cool idea, but the Warbands action itself promises to be even more interesting! Blizzard helps fans create new heroes who will be able to share reputation, fame, achievements, or even a bank. I haven't had a chance to test it, so I won't say how it works, but it looks really good. It is unfortunate that we had to wait so many years for such an improvement.

Some of you will probably be happy to hear that soon after starting The war is within The Dractyr race will be able to have a different class than just the Evomer class. Moreover, we will be able to remain in Visage form during skirmishes! Combat itself works as before. There's something about Blizzard that the responsiveness of such an ancient system is still at the highest level – it's smooth and simply fun, despite the classic TAB aim.

I think it's time for World of Warcraft 2

The aforementioned arrogance is my biggest problem World of Warcraft. On the one hand, when checking The war is within I had the impression that I was having dinner at my grandmother's – my favorite pork chops with potatoes, which no one makes better. On the other hand, I feel like this is just false nostalgia, because the game itself has changed several times and is now a completely different product. A ton of powder wasn't going to hide the fact that I was playing, no matter how you look at it, a title that was twenty years old. It holds up remarkably well for its age, but lacks innovation and flair. However, there is a constant quest to meet the standards set by the younger competition – the old man also wants to be up to date.

World of Warcraft: The War Within, Blizzard Entertainment, 2024.

Here I would like to clarify that if you like the current World of Warcraftl The war is within It will suit you too. The add-on is aimed at casual players, but doesn't forget about veteran players. The upcoming expansion simply improves on what exists rather than turning everything upside down. However, I couldn't shake the feeling of, “Damn, it's the same thing again.” Honestly, what can I expect? Should I do that?

To me, it seems that Blizzard's formula is slowly exhausting itself, but that's just my opinion – I'm convinced that crowds of players will have fun. Because I had fun too, although somewhat harshly. It would be easier for me to complain about something or be offended by something, then I could say goodbye to Azeroth without any regrets. Maybe I'll come back for the first show The war is withinI will be playing for about two months and I will be looking for the new king of MMORPGs, which will probably never come, because World of Warcraft There is only one. And… that's… a very large crowd!