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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsThe importance of the Wrathgate story in Icecrown Citadel
by Mike Schramm 
Nov 11th 2009 at 1:00PM
Zubon has mostly high praise for the storyline -- I agree that Borean Tundra and the Howling Fjord are preludes to the real anti-Scourge action you find in the Wrathgate questline. But then he goes one step further, and says that the end just shows how old Blizzard's game really is. Even while such an epic story is unfurling, graphical glitches and the realities of Blizzard's game (one of the phases is essentially an ongoing fight in which you personally have no effect) bring the experience back down. Wrathgate is certainly an epic event, and every indication is that we're going to be feeling its repercussions a lot in the next dungeon. But five years after launch, it's also a sign that Blizzard is pushing this old game as hard as they can.
Patch 3.3 is the last major patch of Wrath of the Lich King. With the new Icecrown Citadel 5-man dungeons and 10/25-man raid arriving soon, patch 3.3 will deal the final blow to the Arthas. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3 will keep you updated with all the latest patch news.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Raiding, Leveling
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Cho Nov 11th 2009 2:48PM
I loved the Wrath Gate sequence and was caught totally and completely off guard by the whole cinematic. I though my game had crashed when the screen went black and then witnessed this battle as an unexpected reward for the questline. I was impressed and immersed.
I also loved the battle for UC. I remember sitting at the gate waiting for the battle to start, snapping screen shots of my epic battle with Thrall and Sylvannas. I truly felt like a part of the story. Much like realizing the reason we can down epic bosses of lore in the end game is that we are no longer the gathering drones killing boars like we were in the earlier levels. Now WE are the valiant and seasoned heroes of the realm. Preparing to charge in to battle next to Thrall was truly epic.
Henri Nov 11th 2009 3:06PM
Yes, we were pretty much useless in the Battle, but it was most likely meant to be an event with dozens of players. When I experienced it, I was there with one other player, but if there had been say, 20 other players, I wouldn't have noticed the uselessness. I think that's also why they didn't make it an instance of its own.
CDave Nov 11th 2009 3:59PM
The Wrathgate event should have been a full cg cinematic, not one using the game engine. Though seeing characters up close in that much detail shows how far the graphics have come. It's the only thing Blizzard could have done to make it more right.
Malfural Nov 11th 2009 4:11PM
Wrath Gate was a great idea, but along with the rest of this expansion it kind of failed for me. Mainly because I looked at all the wrath spoilers I could find, so I already knew about all the cool quests before I bought the game. I can't wait until I get to a Cataclysm equivalent and it takes me completely by surprise.
Wulfkin Nov 11th 2009 4:30PM
Yeah, this is why, although I am interested in Cataclysm, I dont want to know the story. Sure tell me that there'll be Goblins and Worgen bla bla, but I don't actually want to know cool events of questlines, I want to experience them myself and have those "woah" moments.
Keleron Nov 11th 2009 6:52PM
I am pretty surprised that so many felt anything negative about the wrathgate quest. Personally I felt it was the best quest in the game. The fact that we were merely escorts in a way added to the excitement for me. If I had to do more than I did I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the story telling going on. As it is, I could watch Thrall and Sylvannas in action, and that, to me, was a very rare treat. None of the other quests are as interesting or enveloping as this one. In fact the only quest I even remember besides wrathgate is the warlock dreadsteed quests. That too seemed epic in nature.
I hope Blizzard gives us a few more very epic quests with cut scenes. When I am flying near WG doing dailies and collecting embers, I sometimes swing by and watch the cut scene even now:)
Derrek Nov 11th 2009 6:56PM
"But five years after launch, it's also a sign that Blizzard is pushing this old game as hard as they can."
I take that as a prophecy of impending doom. Silently, I lol at your gloomy pessimism. :)
No, I think you've got it all wrong. Blizzard is not pushing this "old game" ( which is not old for an mmo ) as hard as they can. Wrathgate may be a defining moment, and a pretty darn good one at that, but it's merely one of hundreds of uber content chunks they pump out every year without even trying. Wrathgate, iyam, was not "pushed". Not much of the LK content was or needed to be. Granted, they want and need to get the story/quests/cutscenes just right, but painstaking perfection is not the same as pushing.
Blizzard stopped pushing years ago. Now they're all riding with hands in the air as the roller coaster speeds along the track.
Jayjay Nov 11th 2009 7:03PM
I loved Battle for UC - I don't know why people are moaning - I have so far put 4 toons thru it - it never gets old - and on one toon (NOT I hasten to add, the first one to go through), I got so excited I died 3 times because I threw myself into it with too much gusto.
Didn't phase me one bit - and wasn't bothered either that the end was a 'foregone conclusion' (do we really want to have the power to stuff it up becuase we played like a lettuce??) anyways still enjoyed myself immensely and will enjoy it next time I put a toon through the questline.
Kaid Nov 12th 2009 12:22AM
Wrathgate still impresses me, even after taking 5 toons through it. Yes, there were some very predictable cheesy moments in the cinematic, but WOW, like a good pantomime, has always made a habit of taking stock fantasy tropes and pop culture references and using them well. So I don't say that as a criticism.
I agree that Battle for UC was a little bit of a letdown after that. It was fun, but it didn't compare with the experience of the LIght's Hope Chapel battle.
Despite Wrath's improvements in storytelling (and I think that even when Wrath doesn't quite get it right, it's still impressive) my favourite event of this kind still has to be back in vanilla with the alliance Onyxia attunement. I did the march to the throne room with Marshall Windsor as many times as I could. It was great that in those pre-phasing days anyone could tag along with that part of the storyline...I always enjoyed the reaction of puzzled low levels in SW who'd see the parade and join in, only to have Onxyia appear in their faces.
Maybe I just have a bit of a thing for Bolvar Fordragon.