The story was one of the stories of all time. Once again, delivering great aesthetics and pleasing characters and side-quests but the main plot is so low stakes it hurts. The fact that Geya’rah is being written to appease the garrosh crowd is hilarious, when she doesn’t have half the charisma he had. Turalyon’s loser-husband desperation and protagonism does overshade any horde presence in the main storyline, as Thrall has, by all means, become an Alliance character.
Kid yourself all you want, have him sitting in a throne in an orc ship, but he’s acting very alliancey. Aedelas Blackmoore created a decades-long psyop to break the spirit of the orcish people from the inside. And he succeeded.
The main quests were alright. I’m a bit miffed about dalaran, but I thought the loss would set up precedent for consequence in the story, however all of that was lost when khadgar makes a full recovery after we “save” him. Between that and Magni’s fakeout sacrifice the writing team seems scared of killing off characters.
Surprisingly, I enjoy the earthen. The unbound not so much, but the quiet horror of a functional society of automatons, wether intended or not, was a great thing. The other races are quite alright. Kobolds are the “joke” of the expansion and the Hallowfall Arathi are the squandered potential of it. They’re fun, in a very nice zone, but for a group of zealots surviving in the deep they were far too quick to trust us.
Speaking of Arathi, the sidequest where you help their last living mage is extremely funny when played as a Mage. What do you mean you don’t know how to cast a portal? Lol.
I’ve been enjoying the race and class fantasy “dialogue options” sprinkled around.
But this is the negativity thread.
- What’s with Xal’atath? I see plenty people claiming she’s WoW’s next big thing, but to me she combines the worst from the Jailer and the bastardized Sylvanas. Seemingly appeasing the fans with blatant queerbaiting in her interactions with Alleria (being queerbaited by an MMO is equivalent to losing a game of chess to a dog, by the way). Toxic yuri this, toxic yuri that. You wouldn’t last a day in the Asylum where they raised me.
- Alleria: I have my problems with Alleria since Legion, but this entire expansion and her role seem to be a hastily rewritten sylvanas plot. Or, rather, the Xal’atath/Alleria situation seems to be a hasty rewording of Sylvanas and Tyrande in Shadowlands, however using two characters nobody really gives much of a damn about so complaint is kept much to a minimum. (Alleria and Xal’atath fans aren’t real.)
- The Horde: Where are they? I know they’re hanging on the beach, but you mean to tell me of the main cast we travel with we couldn’t spare a single Forsaken? Oh, wait, Voss is there. And then she isn’t.
Though my grievances are minor.
Wait, no. One more.
Why is Jaina here? I’m tired of seeing her. Go back to Boralus, miss Genocide 2012. Don’t play coy with me, Proudmoore. I know what you did.
Despite all that it’s quite fun. Harmless distraction.
Things have been looking up for Terrorizer. Rehabilitation and character development loom over the horizon. And despite this newfound lust for life, I will never stop hating.
