Wrath of the Lich King: Grandeur mixed with more openness for newbies

Blizzard's new "World of Warcraft" expansion "Wrath of the Lich King" manages to provide experienced players with grand, polished, compelling new content they'll love, while also giving new players good stuff they can enjoy without grinding for hours, reports Variety critic Gus Mastrapa (who kindly and ably pinch hit for us as a "WoW" specialist).

"The Death Knight’s versatility as a damage dealer, armored bruiser, magic user and necromancer will make it quite popular, especially to veteran players who have tried and tired of all the other classes," he says, pointing to the new class that lies at the heart of the expansion.

The content isn't quite as varied as last year's expansion "The Burning Crusade," but "Lich King" makes up for that through sheer grandeur. "Areas feel more sprawling and quests frequently allow players to take to the air atop dragons, airships and player-controlled fighter planes," he notes. "The landscape appears more organic than in the past and new graphical flourishes like real-time shadows add emotional resonance."

As a "Warcraft" virgin, however, I was most intersted in, and impressed by, Gus's description of how the game manages to satisfy the 11 million-plus existing players, while still opening things up for millions more to get addicted:

In the game’s early days, most “World of Warcraft” players experienced major plot points from the periphery only, toiling in obscurity while hardcore devotees earned the glory, witnessed the coolest content and reaped the greatest rewards. “Wrath of the Lich King” continues a recent trend away from that elitism, letting the average punter cross paths with the story’s major players and writing them into several run-ins with Arthas himself as they explore Northrend...

The hardcore, however, are still amply served. An entire new zone, Wintergrasp, is dedicated to massive player-vs.-player battles involving new siege weapons like catapults, steampunk tanks and player-piloted flying machines. Endgame dungeons like the floating necropolis of Naxxramas challenge 10- and 25-player teams with intricate, drawn-out boss battles.

Suffice it to say, it's no surprise "Lich King" sold 2.8 million units its first day and it looks like the "Warcraft" addiction express won't be slowing down soon if Blizzard keeps up this level of quality.

Full review: Wrath of the Lich King