Do you think the Jailer’s story, the Maw and the future raid with the Jailer will bring back some of the scary vibes of the game?
Who remembers the screams from Naxxramas?
Thaddius was built by dead women and children’s flesh and their souls were trapped inside the body and the screams you hear in Naxxramas are those souls coming from Thaddius.
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The game is getting more and more childish. I don’t think we’ll ever going to see anything that’s not suitable for anyone older than 4.
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Sadly i see this aswell. I have a bit of hope with Shadowlands tho, especially the Maw, Jailer. I truly hope they don’t f his story up and make it actual good.
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I think you’re going to enjoy Maldraxxus as a zone, has a very Naxxramas vibe to it.
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I am def taking this dk there. The scourge lore behind that zone made me choose it over Revendreth.
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There are moments.
SPOILERS!! When you’re in the maw there’s a river with the souls of the dead flowing to oblivion. The souls are hopeless, confused, and screaming.
What you’re talking about isn’t really about the story being dark as such, it’s about atmosphere. WoW started out being a very atmospheric and not very bombastic game. Music was very subdued and environmental storytelling and sound effects were king. This was also reflected in the official soundtracks, most of which were in point of fact sound effects.
Anyway, these sounds and environmental effects are often still in the game, and quite often they are very well thought out. Ny’alotha has the ambient sounds like the screams of torture, the gurgling sounds of N’Zoth’s stomach acid, occasionally his laugh, there’s ringing and other effects in the large rooms before the elevator, there’s small whispers which, if followed, will lead you to some of the objectives for the Glory achievements (although most will just look them up instead of finding them).
But there’s a problem - the default ambiance setting is very low volume. Turn it up and see the world spring to life just as you remember it.
Unfortunately turning the music doesn’t doesn’t make it any less bombastic - it just makes it quieter, which means you’ll have trumpets and drums blaring at you with no volume, which just doesn’t sound great. But at least you can get the atmospheric sounds.
Here’s Kun’lai summit to show the problem:
This is basically sound with the mix straight out of the game. You can’t hear the ambiance at all… but it’s there underneath it all. It sounds great. It’s great music, but it ain’t the sounds of Kun-Lai.
My recommendation: Ambiance should be set about 60% above other sound and sound effects a little below. For example, sound effects at 30%, everythin else at 50%, but ambiance at 80%. Then the balance starts to come out.
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Woah, this was a well written reply. Thanks so much, i will def try this!
Actually the system they have working in the Maw right now is more interesting. But I suppose it depends on the individual. Some people might find it scary others, not so much.
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Drustvar is a really cool scary vibe zone. I just love the dark forest stuff, just wish there was more empty space with just trees and stuff, without any mobs blocking the cool view.
But for Shadowlands, I think they’re going that way. That Jailer CGI photo from one magazine looks scary to me and I hope it’s actually from a CGI cinematic that’s coming soon.
But I agree with you, definetly needs screams and stuff to make you wonder. Like those children from Elwynn Forest.
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Yeah, it’s there. It’s absolutely there.
Maybe I should make a little video where I compare having sound effects at default and having them where I like them.
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One of the zones that i really like in the game is Undercity, even as Alliance. The music, ambience is so great there. Same with Ebon Hold.
screams gives me plesure the screams of the inesents what i kill puts a smile on my face … Well afther all i am a death knight i bring death with me where ever i go …
I think my annoyance at having to walk everywhere on a slow class ruins any scary effect 
I haven’t been back recently so I’m not sure if anything has changed. I’m kind of all beta-d out atm.
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will be intresting to see what will happen to Undercity afther Sylvanas ruen it …
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This might explain why I heard sounds in Ny’alotha nobody else heared. I have ambience set higher, and other sounds set lower. I was so frustrated when we raided that place because one of the ambient sounds are exactly like hearing them poke stones with this big drilling machine when building houses etc. in Norway! And nobody but me could even hear the sounds! (“Aylish, we think it’s all in your head”).
I made a video recording of the sound when I heard it in my neighbourhood to let them hear the comparison even, though I lost the vid so have to make a new one. It is a very common sound in Norway, and it’s one of the ambient ones in Ny’alotha. So it is so weird to me, since I know what makes the sound 
. It is a bit creepy to listen to though.
Torghast is filled with ghostly and spooky sounds and the sounds of chains hitting stuff, etc.
You’ll love it.
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sadly its been going this way since mop which through its lore and main race seemed to be an expansion to cater to disney fans…and dont even get me started on the vulpera…if I wanted to play as crash bandicoot I wouldnt be playing wow :P:P:P
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I actually disagree that wow took a recent turn for being childish.
BFA brought us both Nazmir and Drustvar, two of the most eerie atmospheres in the game. The other zones aren’t spooky- but they aren’t meant to be.
Even the assault zones look creepy once you get past the mob density.
I mean naxxramas was creepy, sure. But elements of it always reminded me it was cartoonish. You had bright green slime here and there, and lots of bright colours dotted around. For me the scourge has had a tendency to be represented as creepy perhaps in too hammy a fashion. They have massive skulls on their architecture, and their paving has skulls tiled into it. It’s like ghost Train levels of spook.
Drustvar and Nazmir used simple environment to achieve a sense of dread without plastering obvious signs of creepy stuff at every turn. For me at least, that’s why they were so good. It made the discovery of the wicker shrines, or the tents pitched with flayed skin more meaningful because you’re not seeing this stuff around every corner.
Put the Drustvar team in charge of remaking naxxramas and then we’d see something special id wager.