The battle of the “wow” factor!
Long-running MMORPGs have a way of evolving through the years. Changes come naturally to meet the demands of the ever-changing landscape of the gaming industry as well as the oftentimes fickle fancy of gamers all over. This is particularly true with a game like World of Warcraft. But with the many iterations of WoW over the years, just how much has it evolved over the years? Here, we’ll try to answer that. One thing’s for sure, though! Cheap WoW gold has never been easy to come by and you’ll definitely want to keep your eyes peeled for good bargains whenever you’re out to buy WoW gold.
Here’s a brief look at World of Warcraft as seen through its many permutations in WoW Classic, WoW Battle for Azeroth, and WoW Shadowlands!
World of Warcraft: Classic
As the classic version of WoW has been around for more than a decade, it’s obvious that the later versions will have the edge in terms of graphics. But don’t let that be the deciding factor. The sheer nostalgia of WoW Classic is something that you just can’t get in the newer ones—try as Blizzard might. And that’s a good thing. Every version has something unique—albeit subtle—to offer gamers with varying tastes. But if you’re relatively new to the WoW franchise, chances are you’ll have a harder time grasping Classic’s nuances because of the many QOLs that it conspicuously lacks.
World of Warcraft Battle For Azeroth
While we’re on the subject of quality of life improvements, perhaps the most noticeable improvement from Classic to BFA is the fact that quests can be seen on the maps. It certainly helps to know which way to go as opposed to strolling around blindly through Azeroth! The main difference is that players need to read the text prompts and promptly head to the locations indicated. Over the last decade-and-a-half, WoW’s interface has also undergone numerous changes. One of the most noteworthy changes to come was how optimized the spell bar was in BFA. A simpler UI meant user-friendliness, and that’s certainly good.
The thing that marred the legacy of BFA, though, is ultimately the somewhat lukewarm response it received from the WoW audience. Maybe it lacked appeal. Maybe it was a simple matter of players wanting to try something else. But whatever the case may be, it certainly didn’t do as well as Blizzard expected it to.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Now comes Shadowlands. In the hearts and minds of the WoW faithful, Shadowlands is everything they have been clamoring for in recent years. Truth be told, it came at a critical juncture in the game’s long and winding history. There’s no denying that Shadowlands is moving the game forward into the new decade. And with the momentum it has built in the months following its release, it’s quite clear that it has enough steam in it to power Blizzard’s prized game through!
To erase the bitter taste that BFA left in a lot of fans’ mouths, Shadowlands was specifically tinkered to smooth out the somewhat rough experiences of the previous patch. This includes ability restrictions, unpolished Island Expeditions, and the tall order of playing multiple characters just to reach the endgame content. Thanks to the unending tower that is Torghast, it seems that Shadowlands is set to make amends for past failures brought about by recent World of Warcraft expansions.
Conclusion
In the world of video games, franchises come and go. Very seldom do you see a title like World of Warcraft hold its own throughout the years. And that’s because Blizzard doesn’t resist the prevailing tides; it instead goes with the flow and gives its fan base what it wants. With all the changes and various quality of life improvements, World of Warcraft has steadily given long-time fans something to come back to while giving enough excitement for fans who are only starting to collect WoW gold and WoW items in their journey through Azeroth.
What do you think? Is there a specific incarnation of World of Warcraft that stands out for you? Is it Classic, Battle for Azeroth, or Shadowlands? Do let us know by leaving a comment below!