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If you play and follow MMOs regularly, you’re quite familiar with the behemoth that Blizzard built, World of Warcraft. Each time an expansion has been released for this game, records have been broken – both in game sales and hours without sleep. I know firsthand; given my love for the Diablo, Starcraft, and Warcraft series, I decided to delve into the exciting world of WoW. Though I stopped after the first expansion, Cataclysm seduces me with promises of more streamlined quest progression, two unique new races, more epic lore, and the chance to observe the devastation that has be wrought upon the lands of Azeroth myself.
I can’t say I wasn’t impressed with Blizzard’s Collector’s Edition offering this time around either. Devoted fans should have plenty to get excited about, with features including:
- 176-page Art Book
- In-Game pet, “Lil’ Deathwing”
- Behind-the-scenes DVD
- 17-track Soundtrack
- Special Edition Deathwing mousepad
- 60-card starter deck for the WoW Trading Card Game
Further, Blizzard Game Designers Luis Barriga and Craig Amai answered some questions about upcoming changes to the memorable zone of Darkshore.
Geared towards Night Elves and Worgen levels 11-20, Darkshore has been a central victim to the events of Cataclysm. Auberdine has been wiped from the earth, and the Elves are scattered and vulnerable. Malfurion Stormrage has returned from the Emerald Dream to combat the unstable elements using the ancient power of Cenarius. One of the most visually stunning changes to the zone is the gigantic vortex in the middle of Darkshore. It is here that Malfurion is positioned, and where the climactic events of this zone’s lore will likely play out.
Barriga and Craig intimate the unexpected amount of work that went into Darkshore’s transformation:
At first we thought that we would be able to work with the majority of the original quests in Darkshore, but most of them just didn’t make sense when viewed in the context of the zone’s new storyline and direction. Reaching the realization that we would basically have to scrap all of the old content and start from scratch — and then actually bringing that plan to fruition — was probably the hardest part of the process.