Blizzard releases Wrath Gate trailer in HD
by Michael Sacco 
Dec 12th 2008 at 4:00PM
With the release of Wrath of the Lich King and its inclusion of world-changing phased events, Blizzard's stated goal of ramping up their dynamic storytelling seems more and more like a success, but it doesn't stop with quests alone. The in-game cinematic for the final legs of the epic Wrath Gate quest line really shows what Blizzard is capable of outside of CGI with the in-game engine and a bit of creative tinkering. Not to mention it's a huge lore explosion that fuels the story for the rest of the expansion!Yes, yes, old news for some. For those of you among us who haven't yet experienced this particular quest line, of course, it's not to be missed. For those who've seen it in-game already or who just can't contain themselves, though, you can stream the incredibly spoiler-heavy cinematic in full HD on Blizzard's site now or download it directly from BigDownload. If you're into it, there's also a nice short story/summary of the momentous events directly under it.
We can hope for two things--that Blizzard continues to put these kinds of awesome scenes in the game, and that when they do, they give those of us with nice monitors/TVs the ability to watch them all pretty-like.
Filed under: Machinima, News items, Lore, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MetalIcecrown Dec 12th 2008 4:11PM
Or you could just look into the cinematics folder in the system files.
Cy Dec 12th 2008 4:38PM
Highest resolution available there is 1024x576.
This is actual HD-quality 1280x720.
Sneekr Dec 12th 2008 4:13PM
I kind have wished they made it full CGI honestly. The cinematic is nice, but its still the polygon infested World of Warcraft.
Xandrence Dec 12th 2008 4:24PM
I agree..don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it.
i2hellfire Dec 12th 2008 5:03PM
if you have any insight into cg cinematics, then you should know this is wishful thinking. its a long and painful process...and if utilizing the in-game render engine lets them make more in-game cut scenes, then im all for that.
Turtlehead Dec 13th 2008 1:06PM
It really shows the age of the engine and the limitations of the emotes and such. It felt like well done machinima, which was rather jarring. Not bad, but I was expecting the out of engine which Blizzard does so well.
The lore bits were loads, no, tons, of fun, but I found the Undercity part a total misfire. I understand the intent. Make the player feel powerful. Make the feel player feel part of the lore and the Big Events. Part of the story.
The insane buff was super cool for the first wave. Then I realized it didn't matter that my character was there. They're going to finish it either way. Ran ahead to see if I could get killed. (Yes, though took some doing.) Second time I did the event I kept half an eye on it for the conversations and poked move forward occasionally while frying bacon. Had I been doing breakfast for ten screaming kids, it'd've been heroic. As it was, it was a badly paced should've-been-a-cinematic. "Interactive" movies can bite my non-kosher tuckus.
Then again, everyone in my guild thinks I'm nuts. "It was the best thing EVER!!!" So they've hit their market. I also think they reaaaallly needs to stop trying to do vehicle controls, and everyone loves those too. Wheee, forty dailies and an instance with controls from a bad game from 1990!
[cast: shadow of curmudgeon]
[effect: disappear in a cloud of Bengay, exiting combat. All within ten yards gain the Glad He's Gone! buff for ten minutes. High fives cause Frivolity. This effect may happen no less than once a minute.]
Corth Dec 12th 2008 4:16PM
Gets better every time
FerrioClef Dec 12th 2008 5:01PM
You can also view the cinematic on the Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition if you answer all the trivia questions correctly.
Manatank Dec 12th 2008 4:27PM
I remember when I first watched it thinking it was pretty cool, but looking forward to seeing it in game. It looks like it is done completely with the in game engine, so I assumed that playing it in game would look much better with my really nice video card and 1920x1200. I was so disappointed to watch it in game and find out it was a prerendered cut scene with a terribly low resolution.
Cy Dec 12th 2008 4:35PM
While most of the rendering was done with the in-game engine, there are many other things (mostly minor) that are not, such as lighting effects, focus changes, transitions, etc.
But I agree, it would have been very cool if they had done it all in-game live for you.
Eversor Dec 12th 2008 4:29PM
This cinematic is epic and there is no way to deny it.
Guyledouche Dec 12th 2008 4:33PM
WTB more in-game cut scenes like this!!! I loved it
Naix Dec 12th 2008 4:37PM
Awesome quest chain with awesome rewards.
Ircasha Dec 12th 2008 4:39PM
I can only hope that Blizz does more things like this in the future. It would be even better to somehow include the players as part of the cinematic (sort of a contradiction in terms, but you get the idea).
crsh Dec 12th 2008 6:09PM
Nice and all, but it's a major spoiler... Oh well, it was already on Youtube in crap quality, I guess.
RetPallyJil Dec 12th 2008 4:58PM
TY, Blizz. That tiny, grainy YouTube copy wasn't what you'd call archival quality.
Voiew Dec 12th 2008 5:01PM
Just want to dispel some misinformation in this article. The custscene is a prerendered AVI that plays. It is NOT realtime.
Linaa Dec 12th 2008 5:05PM
Quality of trailer or YouTubage aside, still one of the coolest events I've seen in all the MMOs I've played. I had no idea it was coming, and it flat blew me away.
Please Blizz, more cool goodies like this quest!
Microtonal Dec 12th 2008 5:16PM
^^ This. When the cinematic started, I actually thought that my computer had crashed, because it hung for a few seconds while the cinematic loaded. I had no idea it was coming, so the whole thing shocked me.
Totally worth the few seconds of panic. That questline is among the most epic things I've ever seen in any video game. I actually got chills while I was watching it.
Deb Dec 13th 2008 10:57PM
^^ I agree. I just did The Battle for the Undercity yesterday. Totally caught me completely off guard. One of the most awesome experiences I've ever had in WoW. Two thumbs up and a gold star to Blizzard for such terrific entertainment!