Now that we have had a month to play it, let's sit down and talk about The Burning Crusade. First off, I must come out and say it was good to have a renewed interest in World of Warcraft. I have continued to play the game. After all, I am a gamer and always have to play something. It's just that things can get stale and the game play of the old Warcraft world wasn't something to get fanatical about. As a gamer, that's what I want in my games. I want it to have that lasting impression on me which turns me into a fanatic. Don't take it out of context, and think lunatic, but just a fanatic. I want to be at work wondering about new ways to smite my foes and then get home and be happy that I am playing something worthwhile, not just be playing to feed the need for gaming.

So Burning Crusade came out, just in case you all didn't know. To me, it is a chance for Blizzard to start the whole game over again and take it in a new direction. With a level cap raised to 70, new instances, and a host of new items, there is plenty of room and opportunity to re-balance the game and take it to a new level. The question is; has Blizzard delivered on the two year wait that WoW players have had on an expansion?

Reads like a fair and honest review to me. Fun is a major part, its why you essentially to continue to play a game longterm. Decent review -  One thing I would say is about the customer service: how well do they handle the gold seller spams / mails and did the reviewer experience any of this?  -bring on Vanguard review! Dying to know what you guys think!

First off, there is no new graphic engine, no revisions to textures to help with loading or lag.

I agree with the above post about the graphics. I have played a lot of MMOs, and having played WoW for a year (not currently playing) and then going to games like LotR or Vanguard. I actually like WoW graphics. I don't really think the "realistic" graphics of many other games look all that great. Could WoW improve the graphics a notch? Sure. Are they more then adequate for the game? I think they get the job done.

And as for Lag/Performance, again I agree with the above. Having played so many other MMOs, none of them could handle so many toons in one spot, and then added in Mobs (like 40man raids) and remain playable. Heck a lot of other MMOs are laggy even when not in large populated areas.

I was hoping for something more from BC Xpack. I left WoW at the end of last year and was hoping for something that just made me have to play. Granted the Xpack seems to have addressed the desire for more 5man, and lowering the endgame raid sizes (from 40 to 25). I will more then likely give it a try, but I was hoping their 10 day free trial would allow you to sample the new content. Tossing in a warning that you would have to buy the xpack too, if you made one of the new races or w/e they needed on their end.

In my search for a new game, I keep comparing games to WoW, and in the end, I might just head back there.

Most of the Review seems pretty fair, I am a harsh reviewer as well.  There are really only three areas where I disagree with you.

1.  I don't believe that it is an expansions purpose to take a game in a new direction.  The purpose of an expansion is to give you more of the same.  If you want to go a different direction, you probably need to go to a new game.

2.  Role-play.  I don't feel you should deduct from the Role-play because Blizzard doesn't force you to PVP constantly.  World of Warcraft does not force PVP on anyone (IMHO one of the secrets to its sucess).  As a matter of fact, in many ways Outland is a cooperative effort between the Horde and the Alliance.

3.  Graphics.  Before I played WoW, I played EQ, DoAC, and EQ2.  I had a really hard time getting use to the cartoony graphics.  Even now they can get a little cloying if I play too much.  However, you can still find beauty in the graphics if you look.  You shouldn't really take off for Blizzard not re-doing the graphics, it is really not needed (unless you count off on all other expansions for the same).  The cartoony graphics don't age like the more realistic graphics.  One thing I was very disappointed with in Burning Crusades were the physical animation of the Blood Elves and the Dreanei (?).  Animations have always been one of Blizzards strong points, but they missed the mark with the new races.

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Originally posted by AmazingAvery
One thing I would say is about the customer service: how well do they handle the gold seller spams / mails and did the reviewer experience any of this? -bring on Vanguard review! Dying to know what you guys think!

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As a matter of fact, before releasing of TBC, I never met with a GM at all (which doesn't mean that I had no problems at all, ofc...); since TBC comes out, and a horde of goldsellers has flooded servers (especially new ones), I got answers for all my tickets, and as far as I can check it, GMs are doing their work - to cut it short, I've got good experiences with the support recently.

Final Thoughts

In closing, the scores I gave are very standard but the most important score which is Fun is dominant. Warcraft is the most popular MMORPG in the industry and has made the jump into pop-culture. The total score is a seven if you are looking at it as a model of total package compared to what other games are doing. I still believe the most important score is Fun which certainly remains in World of Warcraft.

So, Its fun becouse its the most popular game? fun is quite subjective isnt it?

There is still no game out that is anywhere close to being as good as WOW - in any context.  Vanguard, you say?  please, that is the biggest non-immersive, mediocre, bug filled, piece of crap in existence - and this from someone who really tried to like it.  EVE Online?- hahaha. 

I find the graphics in WOW to be great  - just what a 'fantasy' setting should be.  The game is smooth, it works, it flows, it's as fun and entertaining as you make it .  

The expansion added some great content - new races, lands,  mobs, quests, crafting, story, great pvp scenarios, instances, flying mounts, items.  I bought the expansion, installed it , started it up and haven't crashed once since it came out - no lag either.

Communitty is, like the game itself,  what you make of it - you can find good people to play with if you put some effort into it. 

I am looking forward to trying LOTRO,  Spellborn , and AoC.   But until then, and most like through and beyond then, WOW is a phenomenal game I enjoy playing and the expansion just made it even better.

biased and unoriginal

graphics a 5? are u kidding me? yeah it doesn't have the highest polygon count or the most "modern" of super spiffy effects, but the art direction is outstanding, the animation is outstanding, the variety between zones and dungeons is incredible, I run on the highest possible settings with a widescreen monitor and I've never been more impressed by a game's engine. Yeah, it doesn't look like Oblivion or Gears of War or anything like that, but it looks better and runs 1000000 times better then any other mmo. I'm sorry the OP likes bright flashy shiny things rather then having a true appreciation for a little thing called "artistic style." It's SUPPOSE to look cartoony, it's how warcraft has always looked. People aren't saying the same cartoony crap about Warhammer, which is EXACTLY the same but lacks the same creative direction and style of the WoW engine.

sound is a def 10/10. there is a MAJOR increase in voice acting in terms of quality and quantity in TBC. ever run Shattered Halls? the two headed ogre boss who keeps switching which head is in control, each with own personality and hillarious voice acting? no, OP probably hasn't. probably never got past the first main hallway because it was "too hard." The music in this game is better by far then anything else, in any game, period. Well, only thing close is any Star Wars based game, and that's just because it's frick'n Star Wars music. Iconic. Ever just sit at the login screen and listen to the whole track? Wow. Just Wow.

community and role play all depend on where you play, who you play with, and what you put into it. Stop complaining about it and try to find what you are looking for. Just like EVERY mmo, role play / community are what YOU make it. Stop complaining. With this many people, you'll find a TON of people you love/hate/etc

i too am biased towards WoW, but I'm not an editor for a website giving "objective" reviews, which this was not

My personal opinion I thought BC could have been better. For example, let flying mounts be in all zones not just the new ones. Or create two new classes to go with the two new races. I know they didn't do new classes cause they wanted to create balance but with WoW I feel restricted in my class/race selection, and everyone ends up looking the same. BC is a solid expansion but could have been more. I hope in the coming expansions to take note of an old Verrent (pre SOE EQ) and put in Alternative advancement skill points to add more endgame to the game.

I did get excited about reading where there is a town in BC to fight over and control that would have made me come back for long anticipated world PvP with objectives but after reading about the arena ladder matches I wonder if that is going to kill world PvP for good. I was never into the ganking nonsense because I wanted to have large battles and even small skirmshes that involved objectives such as capturing resources, towns, cities, etc. But I guess now everyone will be in the arenas trying to compete for # 1 position which I guess will be the new end game.  I know Blizzard has to find ways to keep people interested and subscribing but arena ladder matches seems so Guild Wars. WoW is supposed to be a seamless world but I wonder how populated the zones are with so many new instances from 5 man, 25 man, battleground, and arena instances? I still may give it a try if world PvP with objectives is ever made where players will have incentives to come out their instances for some fun, intense combat.

I love WOW's graphics, it's the only mmorpg that feels like a real world with sooo much content. Games like Vanguard however just feel like boring bland lifeless worlds with no content, i just dont get the feeling i do like in WOW and i believe the trees make a mmorpg.

Originally posted by Kerika
I think that the graphics are just fine the way that they are.  Every Warcraft game has had cartoony graphics, and everyone has loved them.  I'd much rather play a game with really good cartoony graphics then a game with mediocre realistic graphics.  No matter how good realistic graphics are, you're always going to be disappointed.

You Sir, are a Tool, a Noob, and a fool.

The game you would give top scores to does not exist, and never will exit.

There is NO 3rd gen MMORPG on the market today.  What the heck are you talking about?

And to compare BC to games that are years from release, if they ever do release, is foolish at best.

You have no business writing reviews as you don't understand even the basics of the job.

Please, return to playing V:SoH.  Now.

kthxbye