Today we will continue with my exploration of the awesomeness of Blizzard. To recap, we have seen two amazing Warcraft games and the incredible Starcraft. Now we jump up to the time when 3-D really hit a new peak. The old look of a sort of 2-D cube changed into something that look of a 3-D cube. This is around the time when Nintendo really hit its final stride to the top, and the computer game industry charged into full force. The game Blizzard created at that time was the third installment of the Warcraft series: Warcraft 3 Reign of Chaos. The example of this 3-D is shown in the following pictures (of course the graphics are a bit dulled by the fact that they are pictures):
As you can obviously see, this game was well-developed visually. It was a pioneer of this technology, and used it so well that it played in a significant part in gaining Game of the Year, and gathering players for World of Warcraft in later years.
Part of the appeal and greatness that this game had had nothing to do with technology or hardware or advanced creating techniques. You see, every one of Blizzard's Warcraft games had been rather standard and stereotypical. Evil Orcs versus Valliant Humans. Blizzard looked at its games, and saw that it hadn't really added something to the world of fantasy. So it decided to do something different. It created a one-of-a-kind story.
When you first come into the game, you notice several things. First, the cutscene displaying that evil is coming. Second, there are no longer only two races. We'll get to that later. Third, you notice that there is a small Orc prologue to the rest of the campaign. Here is where the ultimate beauty comes in that has made Blizzard famous. The Orcs have been imprisoned for a long time. They have become calm, quiet, and a lot less disruptive. It is odd, since they were once so bloodthirsty and violent. Up rose a leader by the name of Thrall, who was raised by humans. He saw that his people were not violent naturally, but only because they had been under the curse of demons. He turned to the shamanistic ways, and liberated the orcs from their camp. He became their Warchief. Then, when they were in hiding, trying to make lives for themselves, a mysterious prophet appears, and tells Thrall to travel across the sea to the unknown land of Kalimdor to face the evil demons that will return. Here is part of it in the second cutscene.
As you can see, Blizzard has taken something, and turned it into a beautiful story, free from regular cliche. The Orcs are only a fourth of the story, however. Humans have been changed as well, but is it for the better, or will it cause their dooms?
The Human campaign tells the story of Arthas, son of the king and a noble Paladin. At first, he serves the cause by driving out the still demon-corrupted Black Rock Orcs, and protects the people. While this is going on, the government is corrupt, and word of a mysterious plague in the north reaches their ears. Finally, after ignoring it for so long, they decide to send Arthas and a wizardess named Jaina to investigate. What they find out is horrifying. There is a strange plague in the grains that turns all who eat it into undead. Not only that, but a mysterious force of undead has begun to take the land. As Arthas fights to save what he can of the people, a major city falls into plague. He purges the whole city, and act that defies the order of Paladins, and goes against what his father wishes. He lets the rage get the better of him, and embarks on a quest to find a sword which shall turn him into a being of darkness, a Death Knight. A servant of an evil master. He then returns, kills his father, and takes his place with the Undead Scourge, a new race which I shall explain in the next paragraph.
The Scourge is a group of Undead that are under control of the evil Lich King. They are armies of rotting flesh, bones, and destruction. They have been given a charge to destroy all of the strong races of the world, and to prepare for the coming of the Burning Legion, the group of demons who corrupted the Orcs. As they began their rampage across the Human lands, they destroy the wood elves, and take away much of their power. But, the plan of the Undead did not succeed fully. First off, the Orcs had fled to Kalimdor. Second, the Prophet had been trying to convince a human leader to flee to Kalimdor, and had succeeded in Jaina, who had fled with a large part of the population.
Next is the real Orc Campaign. As the Orcs arrive, they begin to search for a place to settle. They meet the Tauren, giant bull-men who follow shamanistic ways, and befriend them by driving away the Centaurs that plagued them. The chief of the Tauren tells Thrall to travel to a nearby cave to consult a mysterious Oracle. When Thrall ventures in, he is surprised to find humans, the same humans Jaina had fled with. Then he meets the Oracle, who convinces him and Jaina (who is also present) to work together. Unfortunately, Thrall had sent a leader of part of the horde Grom Hellscream to the northern forests to collect wood. Angered, Grom quickly calms down as he meets mysterious warrior women in the forest, who turn out to be the Night Elves (see next paragraph). Then a Demon named Mannaroth finds Grom, and re-enslaves him and his group he had with him. Thrall then works with the humans to catch and release him from the Demon influence. He and Grom then travel together, and kill Mannaroth, forever ending the Demon curse.
The last chapter of the story is of the Night Elves. The Night Elves are dark wood elves, who fight to protect their forests. When a strange force of green-skinned and white-skinned people move in and settle, they drive them out, only to be attacked and almost captured by the Burning Legion. Tyrande Whisperwind, the Priestess of the Moon, then escapes and gathers all of the Night Elf Forces. Unfortunately, it will not be enough, but soon Tyrande and her leader Malfurion Stormrage meet the Prophet, and join with the Humans and Orcs to make a final stand against the Demons. They win, and live to see another day. But at what cost? The entire world is in Chaos, the Scourge is still ever-present, and there is little left. That is the point where this story leaves off, and World of Warcraft comes in.
World of Warcraft took the story, and created a world where you could play a single person, and fight for your side. Although there was an agreement between all races, they once again split up into the Alliance and the Horde, and went to war with each other. Now you fight for your side, and for the very survival of your people. It is pretty fun, I played it for a while. You could be one of several races, and several classes. When they made the game, the producers at Blizzard joked about making the 1 Million player mark. Well, they hit the 10 Million player mark instead.
Starcraft 2 came out recently. There is a whole website full of info, and plenty of Youtube videos. All I need to say is that Raynor wants to overthrow the government, but when a sudden unexpected attack from the Zerg happens, Raynor is forced to choose to save lives, even if that means he must side with his hated Dominion.
Thanks for reading all those you did. I will be going back to my observances once again after this. Sorry for the late post! For the HORDE!!!
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