I know this blog entry is supposed to be about the trailers but after watching them, it made me realize that the difference between the two games is worth pontificating on. If you would rather skip my whining, complaining, and bloviating then scroll down. Otherwise you will be waylaid with petulant, gamer angst.
You have been warned.
For you World of Warcraft players out there who might have been hiding under a rock – AKA farming honor in Alterac Valley – Blizzard revealed the opening cinematic for Wrath of the Lich King.
The video shows the currently ensorcelled Arthas waving around the most malevolent Pudding Pop ever encountered in lore, summoning his undead war host and a large, necrophied dragon I have nicknamed “Snuggles.”
It’s a beautiful sequence, but if anything it is a grim reminder of what WoW has become. Of course I’ll pick up Wrath of the Lich King when it comes out, much like everyone else I imagine, but I’ll be judging it with a much more callouse and jaded set of eyes. There is no doubt that WoW has grown a little long in the tooth, and WotLK will breathe some much needed life back into the game. The problem for me isn’t what’s coming, but rather what’s already come to pass.
Lore, in WoW, is a joke and one that is made at the expense of the player. The introduction of the Draenei was so poorly wrought, so poorly imagined it not only made a mockery of the lore, it set the lore on fire then pushed it down a flight of stairs.
As a gamer, I want a story. I want a rich mythology that endears me to the world in which it is set. A world like the one that can be found in the Warhammer universe.
Warhammer: Age of Reckoning has been shaping up nicely. Watching the developer diaries, talking to people who have participated in the closed beta testing, and watching gameplay videos have gotten me excited about what could be what so many online gamers have been looking for: a legitimate WoW alternative.
Graphically, WAR has a darker, edgier tone than WoW and the character models reflect that. Inventory appears to be the same as with WoW, but with slight variations. As with loot, from what I have seen.
But that’s not what’s pulling me into the game. The lore man, it’s all about the lore.
The history that exists in the Warhammer world is incredibly deep and diverse, with legendary and iconic characters that embody the best story-telling available in the medium.
Warhammer is an intellectual property that has been guarded jealously by Games Workshop, who has taken great pains to make sure that the game itself is true to the world in which it dwells.
It is my sincere hope that GW continues to make sure that Mythic stays true to the lore. No trans-dimensional aliens crashing their ship into Norrath. No Dark Elves suddenly gaining the powers of the paladin. I want a game that is true to itself, true to the story I know, and perhaps I am at fault for wanting to be a purist in that sense. In my opinion, a game is only as good as the story it is built on.
I challenge WoW gamers out there to watch the trailer and then check out the WAR website, then compare the two.
Which do you think is going to be better? Does WoW deserve a second chance with Wrath of the Lich King or will Warhammer: Age of Reckoning be everything we ever wanted WoW to be, and more?
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
