I like Ulduar, I really do. I mean, the place is huge. I don't think we've ever seen a raid so massive. While it has about the same number of bosses as Naxxramas or Karazhan, give or take a few, the scale of Ulduar really dwarfs me. The very first encounter is epic -- it feels like some sort of Mad Max sequence, with throngs of enemies rushing at you. Despite my misgivings about vehicle fights, I thought the concourse to Flame Leviathan was a lot of fun. I think Blizzard outdid themselves with the scope of the zone. When they say that Titans built the place, you see and feel it.

Sometimes the game really makes me feel small. Flying over Storm Peaks gives me a rush and a feeling of grandeur -- the mountains are so high! When I head over to Icecrown, the armies of undead can be truly intimidating, and it provides but a glimpse of the promise of Icecrown. When I first entered Hellfire Peninsula back when the Burning Crusade launched, it felt truly epic because I'd never seen anything so vast before. And who didn't shudder at the first sight of a Fel Reaver? Heck, even the humongous caverns of Maraudon still amaze me, and that flatulent little Princess will always be one of my most epic experiences.

Blizzard has always put a few encounters that dwarf us. Dragons are certainly appropriately huge, and it works. It feels grand. It feels epic. That's why I thought Mount Hyjal was fun -- aside from being steeped in lore, everything was whimsically oversized! But the experience was just improved by it. Ulduar's size just reminded me that sometimes, big is better. What were your most epic adventures in Azeroth? What big things in the World of Warcraft have amazed you?

Tags: Epic, Epic-Proportions, Size, Size-and-Scope, Ulduar

Filed under: Breakfast Topics