World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade review (World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC))

Member Name: Orichalon

Product:	World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC)
Date:	08/09/08 (6 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent gameplay, very addictive, competitive

Disadvantages: Have to pay, ruins your social life

The original World of Warcraft game has rather famously killed eight people (due to over-playing and subsequently forgetting to eat) and ruined the nine million or so subscribers social lives. Unfortunately (or luckily?) World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (or WoW: TBC) is unlikely to change any over that. Yes, that's write: the best MMORPG has got even better.

The main differences are that the level cap is now raised to 70 (from a previously rather low 60), lots more dungeons are available, there are two new races (blood elves, which are Horde and rather similar in appearance to Night Elves, and Draenei, which are Alliance).

The main new feature is the new world: Outlands. While this isn't as big as the Eastern Kingdoms, it's certainly not pokey. Indeed, it takes several minutes to fly your flying mount (which are available as a dragon, gryffin or wyvvern) from one end to the other (the flying mounts are either 150% of 300% speed increase).

Combat etc is similar, as is the monthly subscription of around £5-8 a month (depending on whether you pay for 6months, 3 months or one month at a time).

The new dungeons are good fun, and similar to dungeons of old. There are no more 40 man raids, the maximum dungeons are now only 20 man, which mean that lots of the smaller guilds now get a chance to experience what proper raiding is like.

Overall, WoW: TBC is an excellent game. It combines all the best features of the original Warcraft games with even more. The only bad points are that any items etc gained at level 60 are now obsolete as level 70 items are far better, and even more social lives are going to be ruined!

Summary: An excellent game that is a must have if you have the original WoW