Public Disclaimer/Intro
About four months ago, I was blessed enough to get some good old fashioned "hands-on" beta testing with Warcraft III. What really perked my interest was not only that I was able to play the game in a testing stage; but also beta testers could actually play this on Battle.net. Blizzard has always been known for setting the standard for online play, and just couldn't wait to take to the Net.
After playing the Beta for a few months, I was more than familiar with the controls and online play. A little over a week ago, I received my retail version via overnight mail (don't ask because if I tell you I'll have to kill you...). Needless to say, I've gone through about two cases of Bounty paper towels to sop up my drool.
The entire RTS (real time strategy) genre is an incredibly tough genre to be in. Blizzard has always been on the cutting edge for gamers, and when the original Warcraft came out nearly a decade ago, RTS fans have been gnawing at the bit waiting to get their next installment. Games like Warcraft, Starcraft and even Diablo have all combined similar elements to produce amazing titles (although somewhat unstable).
The basic premise behind WC3 is fairly simple. There are four races competing for precious land, and each race has their pro's and con's. From a user interface, you control a race and have the ability to create anything from buildings to weapons. To add a bit to the storyline an encompassing evil (yawn) is trying to overthrow the world and staying alive is your primary objective...
Dungeon Siege meets Diablo
The overall ambience that WC3 gives you is a warm and welcomed one at that. The interface is super clean, easy to navigate and slightly customizable. While the Beta version was highly unpolished in just about every aspect, the retail version is just about perfect. Blizzard has a huge challenge on their hand when it comes to expectations. A game this long in progress sets the bar quite high for the online juggernauts. For the most part they do the job well, a bit of nit picking will show a few design flaws...
One thing Warcraft fans will cheer about is that the controls (and for the most part the interface) is near carbon-copied from Warcraft II. Since gameplay is the most crucial aspect of any RTS, it was vital for Blizzard to re-create the feel of their old, successful games. Hats off to them, for the migration is seamless.
Many Beta players were hoping for camera angle changes, although I'm glad they kept it the way it was. With other RTS (such as Myth), the camera could be rotated 360 degrees, thus allowing you to "spin" around a point. WC3 does allow you to zoom in and out, but spinning is not an option; although you can slightly "side-step" a bit. Believe me, as the battle intensifies you won't be thinking about your camera angles... Simply by moving your mouse to the edge of the screen moves the viewpoint scrolling in that direction. The effect is superb, and makes controlling your troops and workers easy and effectively.
Most people know that RTS involve creating an army, a building or weapon. This is standard fare for the genre. I was happy that Blizzard has kept the meat of the game in a "classic" style, but the improvements are amazing. Little things like "the fog of war" really increase the challenge of sight. One thing you will notice is the effect of time. Morning changes from a dusky orange to a mid-day squelter. Evening then turns to night. Weather effects also increase the challenge of play. Your sight can also be limited by obstructions such as trees and buildings. You can see farther in the day rather than the night; so planning and attacking can be equally challenging. Remember this is an RTS and not an adventure game, so planning is everything. And if you don't have the resources to build and expand, you are as good as Orc fodder.
The biggest (and most noticeable) change has to be the overhauled viewpoint. The game is set in a 3D setting, which allows greater detail to onscreen activity. You can zoom in and out, which is mandatory for troop placement and building development, but most of the time is spent in awe with the wonderful 3D environment. There are a handful of other changes that you should expect going from WCII to WCIII. There are annoying NPC's called "creeps" that guard valuable treasures as well as randomly attack you. My favorite addition is the creation and development of special characters. These characters are called Heroes. These heroes can learn new techniques and abilities, and really become the core of your game. This adds a nice RPG element that goes hand-in-hand with a good RTS. Since most fans are familiar with the Orcs vs. Human saga; there are two new classes available to you. The first are the undead; which play off the whole "necro" thing and are very similar to the Necromancer antics off of Diablo. The night elf happens to be my favorite and they combine the darkness of the undead, with human aspects but with supernatural advantages. Expect the night elves to be an online favorite...
Again, the control is fairly straightforward with an intuitive interface. Troops and individuals can be controlled in a lump group or on a single basis. Each character has specific traits with menus to boot. Attacking, gathering and building is easily done with the menu system; and even novices should be able to pick up the game and play with no problems.
The single player mode should last you a good 15-20 hours. Chances are, however, you will only clock maybe half that until you delve into the multiplayer world. Blizzard is the absolute best at online play; and it shows... Battle.net is wonderfully interfaced and game creation really couldn't be easier. Simply choose the type of game you want and hit play. It is that easy. Online play is a total blast, and I've sunk scores of hours into playing on the net with other lucky souls. I expect the performance to take a hit when the game is released to the general public; but Battle.net has come along way and learned a ton from Diablo II. Those who have played Starcraft for a while will truly love the interface and play of WC3 as well as long time Diablo fans. WC3 is really centered on the multiplayer functions, and with a soon-to-be ladder it should really keep the interest for long-term fans. Those who enjoy clan play, expect a nice clan setup and control within the waxworks of online menus... The "scoring" method is still fairly enigmatic, for depending on your win/loss percentage effects your number rating. I was up to a level 10 at one time, and now have dropped down to a level 7... [sigh] There won't be a shortage of online games anytime soon, and online play is like binary crack. Get ready to lose sleep over this one...
Everything but the kitchen sink...
Ok, so the game is everything the critiques and fans wanted. The old school gameplay, with added features, two new races and tons of subplots. But what really gets most people is the amount of detail that went into the game. The graphics are smoother than silk and just have to be played to be believed. Every minute detail is here. Things such as realistic physics, like swaying branches and rain to the belt buckle on a lowly foot soldier. Everyone who has ever loved RTS will be in heaven. For far too long RTS fans have had the bottom of the visual barrel in terms of graphics; but not any longer...
Honestly, everything is here. The light and shadow effects are amazing, and each building and character is superbly detailed. For a game in this genre, it is best of show; hands down. While taking a similar approach that Dungeon Siege presents, it really doesn't compare. The environments are so huge and so mind numbingly big at times, that one can easily get lost in this complex world. Since the maps are pregenerated, the maps are limited but for some reason seem like they never end. The performance is equally impressive. Anything with at least 128-MB of RAM and a post 400 mHz CPU should have no problems at all running the workhorse of a game.
Really the game has to be played to fully appreciate the extent of detail that went into the game, and can't wait to see the publics reaction to it. As far as audio goes, old time Warcraft players will be glad to see the evolution of the games sound. Classic sounds and the soundtrack are remixed and reimplemented. I was amazed to see actually how much time was spent on the actual voices in the game. There are dozens of unique sounds for each character, unlike two or three from previous games... Most expectations will be obliterated, and the audio flows with the game perfectly. With the classic and subtle humor of the various races to the engaging soundtrack; this should satisfy a wide range of players.
Lastly, the ambient effects work well and also play a part of the strategy involved in the game. Sounds of crashing, building and mumbling can be heard from different directions. So, keep an ear out for badguys coming through the forest...
Sheesh. I can't help but not recommend this game to every person that I come across with. As of now this is a perfect game which is why I'm giving it the five stars. The only way the game could actually be hindered is if the online performance suffers when it hits the streets in a couple weeks. But as for now, this is the best game I've played all year on the PC and should win a ton of awards.
The PC gaming scene has seen (nice use of words eh?) a ton of great titles. This should be a nice addition to any RTS/RPG fan. I recommend pre-ordering and getting this as soon as you can. Don't go online for a few days though, because I forecasting Battle.net to crash at least a dozen times in the first 24-hours after it's release. Give the single player a good workout for a few days and then jump into the vast online play and I'm sure you will be hooked... Truly a must have title for any PC gamer.
