Beta Impressions: The Worgen

So I'd like to take a minute and express my thoughts about the experiences I've undertaken in Cataclysm Beta without spoilers.

This week's project:

The Worgen

***************************

You start as a normal citizen of Gilneas. I wont go into detail about the story that leads to you eventually becoming Worgen, but I will say that the entire storyline is one of the most compelling adventures I've ever had in a game.

READ THE QUEST TEXT. You have time to do this. Enjoy yourself and the story, it's riveting.

Now, much like the Death Knight starting area, the entire opening sequence (at least up to the Cataclysm itself -- I haven't played any further yet) is PHASED.

(This is the point at which the non-WoW readers should say to themselves..."wtf? This post clearly doesn't concern me...")

The concept of phased levels has appeared in games before, but it was only until a few years ago that it was realized how beneficial this could be in the MMO environment.

It is just that. Beneficial in every way. The phasing adds a new dimension to the feel of the gameplay that allows you to further immerse yourself into that world.

That's as much as I'll get into that.

The art work is fantastic. The world is drawn in such a way that you can realistically believe that your character is running around in it. Everything from the random dust being kicked up by the wind, to the architecture of the homes and farmsteads in Gilneas, to the way the cornstalks sway in the breeze is outstanding.

For those who have played WoW for sometime, fire is fire. You don't stand in it. You always try to cook on it just to see if it works. (FTR -- you CANNOT cook in Onyxia's deep breath.....yes...I wiped a raid just to find this out.) The particle effect of the fires and explosions is NOT unlike any other fire you might see in the game, however, Gilneas and the surrounding areas are set to a backdrop of a grey sky that could seemingly burst any minute into an all out downpour...this accentuates the fire.

Let's face it. Much like the Ghostlands..it's very dreary. The difference here is that you don't have flamboyant Blood Elves prancing around with their pink tutus to brighten the day up.

So, that's about as much as I can say without spoiling much of anything. Definitely remember to read your quest text and when you talk to an NPC...stick around for a minute and listen to what he has to say...there's some very dramatic voice acting in this area.

I will play with the Worgen for the rest of the week (or so)...and if I have any more dramatic findings, I'll go ahead and post them.

Stay tuned next week for my Goblin adventures. :)