I have a serious problem: I have officially resubscribed to World of Warcraft.
Despite my calls for the game to become free-to-play, and ignoring the issues the game has, here I am, anxiously awaiting another expansion from Blizzard.
World of Warcraft has turned into something of a siren’s song, fully aware I can’t ignore its chorus. It’s hard to, though, when you have so much of your life invested into a game. There are irreplaceable memories and undeniable feelings involved with the world of Azeroth. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. So what is it about Warlords of Draenor that have me interested enough to come back?
Let’s start with the fact that one of the dungeons takes place on a mother flippin’ moving train, Sunset Riders style.
I’ve been paying attention a lot to the Fatboss dungeon videos and they all look incredibly intriguing. To me, that’s the biggest sign of an MMO’s strength: can the end-game content keep you hooked? Blizzard has been on an absolute tear when it comes to creating mesmerizing leveling experiences. The world of Pandaria was an absolute delight. Cataclysm’s zone-specific story lines kept me on the edge of my seat, all leading up to a climactic quest. Yet their end-game experiences have been, well…
Unsatisfactory.
Despite the fact that Cataclysm’s first raid tier started out on an incredibly high note, there hasn’t been much to keep me coming back for more since those days. Mists of Pandaria started out nicely, but I ultimately experienced the same old feelings that I did before. I’ve been here, I’ve fought these bosses, only before they looked different. I had no emotional attachment to these places, these characters.
Maybe the theme of Pandaria ultimately led me astray. Maybe it’s the allure of Warcraft’s past that has me interested in Warlords of Draenor. Or maybe I’m just programmed to always come back for more.
Plus, I really want that damn Corgi.
