[dropcap]W[/dropcap]orld of Warcraft is arguably one of the most popular MMORPGs of recent years. The newest installment, World of Warcraft: Legion, only adds fuel to the fire. Legion has brought several big improvements to the game and tons of fresh new content of which there is even more to come. The Burning Legion invading Azeroth was probably one of the best things that could have happened to the world… of Warcraft.
The storytelling in Legion is probably some of the best yet and questing is fresh and innovative. I am a longtime fan of the Warcraft universe and the story of the last expansion felt largely dry and boring. Already in only the first week and a half of having access to the expansion I am immediately invested in the storyline. With the return of the Burning Legion, one of Warcraft’s largest and most dangerous faction of enemies, the situation is dire. While adventuring, players are constantly reminded that the Legion has returned and with the loss of some of Azeroth’s greatest heroes this is only exemplified.
Artifact weapons are a new addition that further strengthen the class fantasy and make players feel important and powerful. When players start Legion, they are given the choice between multiple iconic weapons for their specific class to help battle the threat of the Burning Legion. Hunters may choose to pursue a gun crafted by the gods themselves, death knights can seek out the shattered fragments of the Lich King’s runeblade, warlocks can bind the skull of an ancient enemy to their will, and that’s only a few of the dozens of questlines that all the classes can experience.
Players, depending on what class they have chosen, have access to unique storylines and experiences via the new class order halls. These are distinctive places in the world that players of a specific class come together. The order halls function as a base of operations for players. No two are alike: for example, hunters have a lodge in the peaks of Highmountain whereas death knights are based out of a citadel of darkness that floats above the Broken Isles.
The Broken Isles is the new continent that players travel to in Legion. It contains a total of five different zones. One of the great things about Legion is that players are given the ability to choose any of the first four zones to level in because of scaling; that is, enemies are scaled to the player’s level allowing them to choose what path they take. The last zone, Suramar, is where the end-game questlines take place so players need to be level 110 before you can delve into it. When I was playing, I couldn’t help but stop and take in the sights multiple times during my journey to level 110. All of the zones have completely different feelings to them. Highmountain is very open and mountainous with small settlements here and there, whereas Val’Sharah is a lush, thick forest full of plant and animal life.
With the expansion also came the introduction of a new player class: demon hunters. Demon hunters have been iconic ever since World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade, so they are a very welcome addition to the playable classes. The class feels powerful and plays well; you can even double jump and glide with demonic wings, giving them more mobility than any other class in the game.
There are too many things for me to cover in this review, but I wholeheartedly recommend trying the game out for yourself whether you’re a returning veteran or someone who is completely new to the series. World of Warcraft: Legion is one of the best expansions thus far.