136 of 158 people found the following review helpful:

Blizzard is just getting better and better, December 7, 2010

This review is broken into sections. It is long so just skip to the parts that you are interested in.

***NEW STUFF***

* Level cap raised from 80 to 85

* Players can use flying mounts in old-world Azeroth zones (flying mounts were previously restricted to Northrend and Outland because of design limitations)

* Redesigned and updated zones within Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms

* New towns and around 3500 new quests

* Redesigned low and mid-level quests to accompany updated zones

* Seven new dungeons:
1. Blackrock Caverns
2. Throne of the Tides
3. Stonecore
4. Vortex Pinnacle
5. Lost City of the Tol’vir
6. Halls of Origination
7. Grim Batol

All seven are available in regular and heroic modes at level 85

* Three new raids:
1. The Bastion of Twilight
2. Blackwing Descent
3. Throne of the Four Winds
Plus the Tol Barad Prison raid dungeon after PvP zone completion (more raids planned to be released with later patches)

* Two previously released dungeons–Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep–are re-vamped with an added Heroic Mode for level 85 players

* New battlegrounds and a new world-PvP zone, Tol-Barad (similar to the Wintergrasp world-PvP zone introduced in Wrath of the Lich King)

* A new secondary skill: Archaeology

* An overhaul of the Glyph system with three types of Glyphs:
1. Prime
2. Major
3. Minor
In addition, Glyphs are taught as a spell and can now be switched around without the purchase of additional glyphs.
However, you will need a new material called “Vanishing Powder” to replace existing Glyphs with new ones.

* A rated battleground system, along with associated new rewards

* Newly accessible zones including:
1. Uldum
2. Deepholm
3. The Sunken City of Vash’jir
4. Twilight Highlands and Mount Hyjal (previously only featured as a time travel destination within the Caverns of Time)

* Two new playable races:
1. Goblins (Horde)
2. Worgen (Alliance)

* Addition of new race/class combinations (Tauren can now be Paladins, Gnomes can now be Priests, Undead can now be Hunters, etc.)

* Introduction of new stats such as Mastery, which will enhance certain abilities (both active and passive) depending on the player’s class and talent specialization

* Changes to class mechanics, including abolishing the use of ammunition and stand-alone warlock soul shards, consolidation of totems and buffs, the addition of holy power for paladins, an eclipse mechanic for Druids, Rage normalization, changes to the rune system, the change from mana to focus for hunters, and racial bonuses

* Warlocks and Hunters now attain a combat pet at level 1 without needing to do a quest. Warlocks get an imp, Hunters get a pet based on their race (Dwarves get a bear, Humans get a wolf, Undead get a spider, etc.)

* Revamp of the stat system, removing such stats as mana per 5 seconds (MP5), armor penetration and defense rating and integrating them in other ways such as talents or the new mastery stat.

* Major changes to the cities of Stormwind and Orgrimmar, with minor adjustments to others

* New starting areas for Trolls and Gnomes at levels 1-5

* Player talent trees have been reworked to a 31 point tree and players will have a total of 41 talent points at level 85. Consequently, the talent trees are being “trimmed”, and will look (superficially) much like the talent trees players had available on WoW’s launch. Although it seems counterintuitive, Blizzard actually says this will give players more options, as the talents they are trimming felt mandatory previously. Instead of the old method of one talent point per level (after level 10) players get one point at level 10, then a point every odd level (e.g. 11, 13, 15….) afterwards.

* Unlike the current talent system where a player learns his or her first talent point at level 10 and is able to place that point and any subsequent point wherever he or she chooses, in Cataclysm, at level 10 a player must choose a talent specialization (spec) and only spend points in that “tree” until they have reached 31 points. Once 31 points have been spent, he or she is able to use the rest of his or her attained points in any of the 3 trees. When the player chooses a specialization at 10, they will gain one major active skill that sets that spec apart from the others, and 2-3 passive skills that support that particular tree. This was done in order to make players feel as though…

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36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

The most environmentally friendly WoW expansion yet, December 19, 2010

Well, what can I say. It’s a WoW expansion, and if you’re on this page you probably already own WoW, BC, and WoLC. Hell, you probably own Cataclysm too at this point.

I have never described myself as a ‘hardcore’ WoW player, but with over 3000 hours of in-game time over the last 6 years I probably should be classified as one. I’ve run with an arena team to 2450 and done plenty of raiding in ICC. I am not the kind of person who gets every achievement or who is willing to show up at 8PM on a Friday night to raid. If you’re one of those people, this review doesn’t even really matter to you since you’ve already made up your mind on the game – and as someone who has put an average of 10 hours a week into this game for 6 years, I can respect that.

But what if you’re a casual player, like most WoW players? Maybe you got bored during one of the past expansions and decided to quit. Maybe you’re wondering whether it makes sense to come back.

And what if you’re a new player, who has never played an MMO before and is wondering what all the fuss is about?

Well, this review is for you.

First, to the new player: despite the fact that WoW is described as a “casual-friendly” game (which, for the most part, it is), it’s still probably an order of magnitude more complex than any game you’ve played before. WoW is “casual-friendly” because it’s forgiving – you can screw up a lot and the game doesn’t really punish you for it. But there are still a *lot* of moving pieces here. Long-time players don’t really see it (because they’re used to the complexity) but it’s there. I give people a lot of crap for screwing up things like threat or standing in ‘bad’ or failing to target healers in PvP, but the reality is that it’s not as easy as it looks to get all of this stuff right. What I frequently describe as merely ‘competent’ actually takes 100s of hours to master for people who have never played an MMO before. When you’re playing a game like WoW seriously (e.g. in high-end raiding or arenas) you don’t have a lot of time to react and the wrong choice can mean a wipe for your entire raid or an instant loss for your team. The good news is that you mostly don’t have to be that good. There’s a lot of content for people who aren’t experts, and when you’re ready for a bigger challenge it’s there for you.

That said, new players shouldn’t buy Cataclysm. Go play the trial first, and if you like it you can drop $20 on the battle chest (WoW + BC) which is enough to keep you busy for 40+ hours. The sad news is that you missed out on the fantastic way this game has evolved: each of the WoW expansions has had a different ‘feel’ to it, and despite my frequent complaining on the forums about balance issues I wouldn’t have it any other way in practice. But you can still have a fantastically good time with the classic, BC, and WoLK content, and Catacylsm will be here when you’re ready. It will probably be cheaper too.

If all of that sounds daunting, well, this game is a bit daunting to new players. But that’s OK: part of the fun is discovering the world as it is. And no matter what level of time you’re willing to put into it, there’s something for you.

Now, for the existing (perhaps inactive) WoW player:

This is the most environmentally friendly WoW expansion yet. Because there’s so much recycled content.

What can be said here? In many ways this is a half-expansion. 80 to 85 takes no more than 30 hours or so if you focus on XP, which is considerably shorter than BC or WoLK. There are some fantastic new zones, but for the most part questing is pretty much the same thing you experienced in every other WoW game. For serious players that’s OK (because most of the time is spent at the level cap anyway) but it’s disappointing if you enjoy that aspect of the game.

But in a different way this is the freshest WoW expansion yet. Every expansion ‘resets’ the game in terms of gear, but Cataclysm is much more dramatic because the mechanics have changed. Perhaps in an effort to avoid the ‘hungry-hungry-hippos’ style in WoLK where damage (both player and NPC) scaled much faster than HP (leading to a game that was fast-paced but also infuriatingly luck-based in many cases), Blizzard has decided to slow things down this time. Healers aren’t going to see tanks get killed in two hits, Mages aren’t going to be able to two-shot players, and in general there’s more time to think and more options to consider.

That’s a good thing. As a healer WoLK was about reaction time and output. Threat was not a factor. Mana was not a factor. Well? Guess what: instead of playing whac-a-mole in Cataclysm, you have more time to focus on being efficient and smart – which you need to do because mana and threat limitations are back in a big way.

The story for DPS and tanking is the same, too. You can’t just go mash buttons…

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72 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

Read this before buying this expansion…., December 7, 2010

If your new to WOW, buying this for a friend or just a bit dense like me…. Keep in mind that you (or your friend) MUST have the previous two expansion sets, “Burning Crusade” AND “Wrath of the Lich King”.

I’m sure that to long time players of WOW this is not news, but it was to me and it’s something that Amazon and Blizzard need to make just a bit clearer in their marketing.

197 of 204 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent game, but use caution, read this post., May 11, 2009

This is a very long post, but well worth it if you’re seriously considering this game.

Pros:

First and foremost this game is a milestone in the both the MMORPG and online gaming industry. With over 11 million subscribers, it’s the largest online game to date, and for good reason.

The graphics, while cartoonish, indulge you in a moving work of art with flowing waterfalls, freezing tundras, and shadow-ridden caves. The world itself is simply huge (though surprisingly easy to navigate), spanning across four continents (one in outer space), and leaves the gamer with an unparalleled sense of citizenship. Once you log into World of Warcraft, you truly plug into a hidden universe.

The music is truly worthy of mention. When you first launch the game, you are met with a symphony of heart-pounding drums, violins, bassoons, or what-have-you. The music/ambience then changes frequently throughout the game depending upon your current location and really adds an element of class to the experiences of stepping into a haunted mine, or riding up to the gates of a citadel.

The gameplay ranges from simple to slightly complicated depending upon your class selection, but always maintains the smooth controls that are oh-so-user-friendly. You can select from 9 different classes at the start (another is available further on in the game), each of which have their own roles to fulfill by either Healing, Tanking (taking the hits for other less-hardy classes), or DPSing (DPS: Damage per second, a term used to explain classes adept at dealing damage). Also with the introduction of “dual-spec,” a character is able to switch between two customizable talent builds (determines your main role: healing/tanking/dps, through the selection certain talents) at the drop of a hat.

The most basic gameplay consists of leveling your character from 1 to 80 via the completion of quests, invading of dungeons, and slaying of monsters, all of which grant “experience,” and move you closer to the next level. If you grow wary leveling, it is possible to “que” into a battleground from anywhere in the world. There are four different types of battle: capture the flag, protect the resources, defend/attack the keep, and control the territory. You compete against real players controlling real characters on different computers, which is typically referred to as “PVP,” or player versus player.

Once you have reached the maximum level, the fun has just begun. You will continue advancing your character by upgrading his or her equipment (or “gear”). Raids, dungeons and “heroics” offer thousands of powerful monsters that, when killed, give weapons and armor that strengthen your character. Dungeons and heroics are typically conquered by five players effectively working together to defeat the obstacles and creatures within. Raids follow a different suit, requiring 10 to 25 skilled players able to communicate and coordinate themselves in order to (hopefully) kill the most difficult monsters in the game.

Another option to the post-leveling stage (or “end game content”) is coordinated PVP. Beside the four available battlegrounds, the game contains four “arena” maps offering extremely competitive play in the form of 2v2, 3v3, or 5v5. If you are successful, the rewards are some of the most powerful upgrades in the game.

Guilds, world events, seasonal events, mounts, professions, mini-games, parties, transportation and real-time economies are just a few more of the many other unnamed aspects to this game. Some things are simply best if discovered.

Cons:

In recent times, the game has found difficulties in PVP in terms of equality. Some classes seem to always be more powerful than others, however, the developers of the game promise that they’re addressing this situation.

It is fairly expensive if thought of as simply a video game. The game runs at (I believe) $15 a month, or $12.99 if you pay for 6 months at once. By the time you’ve purchased the original game and the two expansion packs, you’re out $100+, which doesn’t include subscription fees. The cheapest route to take is to purchase the Battle-chest (the first two games), the second expansion pack (soon to be added to the Battle-chest) and a large chunk of game time.

A key thing to consider in terms of price is that you’re buying much more than a game. You’re paying for the new content which is released almost every two months, the server maintenance, and in-game customer support. Also, keep in mind, that this game will (probably) entertain you for much longer than a TV or DVD or Console game. Sure, an XBox game is only $59.99, very cheap compared to World of Warcraft, but within a few weeks/months the XBox game will become dull, whereas this game will have already released new content to be conquered.

*This is why I only gave it 4 stars*…

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131 of 137 people found the following review helpful:

Useful especially for adding a new account for a family member., December 4, 2007

I bought this for my son, since I had only bought him WoW without the expansion.
With the assumption that you’ve decided you want to play WoW, all the way through to lvl 70, this is the pack for you. You get WoW and expansion, which would cost 50 bucks if bought separately. You also get two strategy guides, but the strategy guide for the expansion (see my review for it here World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Official Strategy Guide (World of Warcraft)) is terribly lacking, so we’re really looking at one valuable guide, one crappy guide. What you also get, and not even the box mentions this, is the game on DVD! Oh, how many times I’ve installed and reinstalled the original WoW on multiple computers at home and at my friends place, swapping disks. Well, no more! Unless you were lucky and bought the original Collector’s edition World of Warcraft Collector’s Edition and World Of Warcraft Burning Crusade Collector’s Edition, you’re stuck with 4 CDs each instead of 1 DVD.
Overall, I would buy (in fact, I did).

Update December 2009:
I’ve bought my 4th copy of this battlechest (yeah, I try to enlist friends and families to play WoW, so call me the Wow drug dealer….), which arrived the week before Thanksgiving 2009. Instead of 2 DVDs (one for WoW and one for The Burning Crusade), you now get everything in one DVD, with the two activation codes both printed on separate labels on the DVD cardboard sleeve. Not very different, but it’s nice that they at least save a bit of plastic by packing it all in one disc. Still comes with one month of play included, contrary to what the one comment on my review claimed.

And until they release a new battlechest that will include Wrath of the Lich King (which I doubt Blizzard will do until right after they release their next expansion [to be titled Cataclysm {which I preordered my max of 3 from Amazon already!}]) this battle chest is still the deal to buy. Also, in my opinion, including the Burning crusade makes sense, since it does include 2 new player races as well as their corresponding zones in Azeroth, which can be played from the beginning, whereas pretty much all of Wrath of the Lich King isn’t available until you’re at least lvl 55, and then Blizzard sinks in the extra hook. Would have been nice if there was a battlechst that included all 3, since that would have potentially saved me money, but oh, well….

Still greatly recommended for the person wanting to start playing WoW.

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

Suprisingly addictive, December 29, 2007

I got this after doing a free 10 day trial from Blizzard. After about 3-4 days of the trial I was pretty hooked and decided it was worth the money to get the full version of the game. (Very limited differences in the trial version so it’s definitely worth testing out before you buy the full version.)

I’m not usually into long play games like this, but after seeing a bunch of different things about the game (including a very funny South Park episode) I decided to check into it a bit further.

I will say the game is much more fun if you can play with people you know, but you don’t have to. I’ve found almost every person I’ve met in the game to be very helpful and understanding to new players so it makes it easy to get into the game and get what you want out of it.

I’d encourage people to definitely do the trial software and see how you like it, but I’m confident most people that play video games will find some portion of this entertaining.