Major progression changes, a standout new zone, and the ability to play solo make WoW’s 10th expansion one of its best.
By Cameron Koch on September 3, 2024 at 11:12AM PDT
World of Warcraft: The War Within makes a hell of a first impression. Within the expansion’s first 10 minutes, one of the Warcraft universe’s greatest heroes, the archmage Khadgar, is seemingly vaporized. Moments later, one of WoW’s most iconic cities, Dalaran, is obliterated. You wake up amidst the wreckage, search for survivors, fend off attacks from the spider-like Nerubians, and then set out on a journey deeper and deeper into Azeroth’s depths to find the one responsible for the carnage–WoW’s new big bad, Xal’atath.
It’s a bold opening for the 10th expansion in WoW’s two-decade history–one that almost reads as a signal to past and present WoW players that Blizzard is looking to up the narrative stakes as it moves forward. The War Within kicks off what is billed as the first part of a three-expansion storyline called the Worldsoul Saga, which will look to bring together many of the game’s core plotlines from over the years, as the MMO nears its 20th anniversary.
The War Within impressively enhances its predecessors by not only progressing the narrative but also by expanding upon the established design principles and trends introduced in the earlier expansion, Dragonflight, which was crucial for redirecting WoW’s trajectory. The implementation of these ideas in The War Within, such as account-wide progression and soloing endgame content, transforms gameplay significantly, despite an initial sense of familiarity. Although not all new features hit the mark, like Hero Talents, the expansion primarily excels in providing players the freedom to experience WoW as they prefer.
World Of Warbands
Blizzard continued its approach from Dragonflight, emphasizing recurrent features over one-time expansion gimmicks, which are likely to become enduring elements of WoW. A notable introduction in The War Within is Warbands, a feature that builds on prior tentative steps toward account-wide progression by allowing almost everything to be shared across all characters on a player’s account. This includes the transferability of items, some gear, and currencies. Even traditional frustrations, like Renown and reputation gains, are now unified across all characters, significantly easing the process of developing and advancing new characters. Players can now even collect weapon and armor appearances through any character, irrespective of their usability by the character collecting them.
This broad implementation of account-wide features marks a revolutionary shift in the game dynamics. For the first time, I found myself eagerly leveling an alternate character right after finishing the main storyline with my primary character. Unnecessary quests already completed by my main could be hidden, allowing me to focus on unexplored side quests. The benefits accrued from these quests, including achievement progress and gear appearances, are enjoyed by all characters on the account, reflecting a long-overdue yet monumental shift in how progression is managed, leaving one to wonder how players managed with character-locked progression for two decades.
Journey To The Center Of Azeroth
The addition of Warbands has made almost any advancement in the game feel significant. This in turn enhances the experience of exploring the newest region introduced in The War Within expansion, Khaz Algar. This area, home to the new playable race known as the Earthen, comprises four distinct zones. Following the destruction of Dalaran, players arrive at the Isle of Dorn, which is situated at Azeroth’s surface. This zone features lush green landscapes and classic dwarven architecture. It is connected through an expansive underground tunnel called the Coreway to another zone, the mines known as the Ringing Deeps, which itself links to two further zones, Hallowfall and the Nerubian kingdom of Azj-Kahet.
The zones within a WoW expansion are typically contiguous, navigable without loading screens, which makes the ability to jump onto your flying mount, soar from Dornogal in the Isle of Dorn, plunge into the Coreway, and emerg in a sprawling underground realm, all seamless, truly satisfying. This might be the most impressively curated collection of zones in any WoW expansion, where each zone offers diverse landscapes, specific events, and compelling narratives. However, Azj-Kahet and Hallowfall are particularly noteworthy.
Azj-Kahet recalls the city of Suramar from the 2016 Legion expansion, engaging players in a similar resistance movement against a tyrannical queen. The City of Threads within Azj-Kahet invites exploration with its myriad quests, patrolling guards, and a dungeon that mirrors the city itself. The formula is familiar, reminiscent of the successful dynamics in Suramar, where overthrowing the city’s corrupt leaders was a pinnacle of that expansion. Additionally, Azj-Kahet introduces the enigmatic Haranir, a dark, troll-like race, glimpsed briefly in a cinematic. Although their presence is minimal at launch, their future role is intriguingly uncertain.
Exploring the vast Hallowfall cavern for the first time during the core adventure triggers a sense of awe and wonder akin to what players felt when emerging into the world of Cyrodiil in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or experiencing the expansive Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The art team at Blizzard has excelled, with airships soaring above and a gigantic, luminous crystal casting the underground environment in a light so strong it seems as though you are on the surface. The transformation of this crystal from radiating sacred energy to being engulfed by dark void energy dramatically changes the ambiance of the area. Hallowfall serves as the terrain for the Arathi Expedition, deriving from an ancient, secluded empire. The Earthen, introduced as a new culture and playable race, come across more like dwarves, yet it is the Arathi, particularly the half-elves among them, who captivate the most interest. Delving into their mysterious past and rich culture soon becomes compelling.
However, the Earthen themselves are not without intrigue. Initially, their rocky, dwarf-like appearance didn’t excite me. We’ve seen glimpses of them in WoW before, but nothing previously sparked a desire to learn more or play as one. Fortunately, they proved to be much more fascinating than expected, split between those still loyal to their Titan creators and those desiring to forge their own paths. Intriguingly, their storylines often center around memory due to their near-mechanical nature and longevity, with memories being frequently reset. Some choose to reject this cyclic nature in favor of a natural end, while others face the challenge of beginning anew. A particularly poignant quest involves an aging Earthen grappling with memory loss, asking for your aid in their final journey. Witnessing their decline and its impact on them and their caregiver is profoundly touching, reflecting real-life experiences of such decline. Blizzard approaches this sensitive topic with a delicate touch, crafting a memorable and emotional narrative.
For The Alliance
Narrative strength is a key highlight in The War Within. Unlike the preceding expansion, Dragonflight, which seemed detached from the primary WoW storyline and key characters after moving on from the unpopular Shadowlands era, The War Within swiftly takes an important character out and introduces Xal’atath. Easily shrugging off magical attacks like a character from Dragon Ball Z, Xal’atath, originally a speaking knife in the Legion expansion, has evolved into a formidable enemy. Her almost invincible aura adds a fresh dynamic to her character as a Warcraft antagonist. Her development throughout ‘The Worldsoul Saga’ is highly anticipated, confirming her role extends beyond just this chapter.
Although many key figures from World of Warcraft were largely absent in the Dragonflight expansion, they are prominent in the latest narrative. However, fans of the Horde might feel let down as the storyline primarily revolves around Alliance characters like Alleria Windrunner, Magni Bronzebeard, and Anduin Wrynn, each battling their own personal challenges amid a recurring crisis on Azeroth. The focus is mostly on these Alliance heroes with only a brief appearance by Thrall, the former Horde warchief, who departs early to seek reinforcements. Without giving away too much, aside from Thrall and a short cameo by Jaina Proudmoore, the story delves into each character’s development, offering them fresh perspectives by its conclusion. The narrative isn’t revolutionary but provides significant progression for someone like Magni, who has seen minimal character growth as Azeroth’s Speaker. Regrettably, the spotlight on Horde characters during the main storyline is minimal, though they receive more attention in post-campaign quests.
Blizzard’s latest installment also showcases an enhancement in how the story is delivered, a noticeable improvement over Dragonflight. The central narrative is concise but well-paced, navigating players linearly through zones interspersed with numerous in-engine cutscenes that show the evolution of Blizzard’s storytelling through better animations and character models. An innovative feature in this expansion are NPC Follower dungeons that intertwine the main story and some dungeon experiences—a first for WoW expansions. Players exploring the campaign with additional characters can change the order of the story or opt to skip it entirely, focusing instead on side or world quests. Reaching maximum level on the initial playthrough will require engaging in side content, where many of The War Within’s engaging story elements are found.
This expansion enriches NPC interactions significantly, offering players more dialogue options to delve deeper into the lore surrounding Khaz Algar’s people and their traditions. Some engaging, optional quests include simple activities like playing an Arathi board game or attending a family meal, enhancing the storytelling. The “Stay awhile and listen” dialogue option, although not new, is employed more effectively, contributing to memorable narrative moments such as Magni bonding with his grandson or Alleria reuniting with her partner. Choosing to explore these conversations rather than rushing through has enriched my engagement with the storyline and its characters.
Delving Into Endgame
Beyond enhancements in narrative delivery, Blizzard has acknowledged the existence of a significant contingent of WoW enthusiasts who prefer not to engage in high-level Mythic dungeons or participate in 20-person raid groups for gearing and progressing through WoW’s high-tier content—a model that has been relatively stable since the release of the Legion expansion in 2016. Introducing Delves: a novel type of endgame activity that players can tackle solo or with others.
It’s premature to judge the long-term success of Delves, as only three of the eleven difficulty settings are currently accessible. Nonetheless, they generally provide an enjoyable experience. Upon their introduction, there are 12 distinct Delves, each encompassing a scenario that lasts between 10 to 15 minutes with various objectives and challenges. Tasks range from freeing imprisoned miners to locating specific items. Some Delves introduce unique game mechanics that are more engaging than others—for example, one particularly challenging underwater Delve requires players to seek air bubbles to avoid drowning, while another involves dodging spider webs that trigger additional enemy spawns when disturbed. Each Delve varies slightly and concludes with a boss fight, followed by a treasure room filled with rewards. Defeating rare creatures within a Delve grants players a temporary power boost similar to those found in Torghast or occasionally in Dragonflight activities, providing an advantage especially useful in more challenging levels. Each Delve also features a seasonal NPC companion; at launch, this is the dwarven explorer Brann Bronzebeard, who can be tailored as a healer or damage dealer and equipped with various skills.
While Delves might not be as innovative or visually stimulating as the series’ traditional dungeons—which include some notable new entries like an airship assault or a grand cathedral reminiscent of the old Scarlet Monastery—they are markedly straightforward at lower difficulties. However, this ease is expected to evolve as higher levels become available. As a mechanism for solo players to equip themselves and accrue rewards, Delves appear poised to fulfill their intended purpose by offering manageable adventures that provide significant returns, even for players pressed for time.
Talent Show
If there’s a weaker spot in The War Within, it’s the implementation of Hero Talents. These sub-specializations, two per class spec, are designed to amplify player power and fulfill beloved Warcraft fantasies, such as embodying a Dark Ranger Hunter or an Apocalypse Rider Deathknight. Each Hero Talent tree consists of 10 nodes, unlocked by reaching the new level cap of 80. Most trees provide a choice between two options at several nodes.
While aesthetically striking (witnessing a Pit Lord emerge from the Twisting Nether as a Diabolist Warlock is a spectacle), Hero Talents may fall short in enhancing gameplay. The choices within the trees are limited, primarily boosting existing abilities with passive skills. From the Hero Talents available, few seem to significantly change gameplay. As a Retribution Paladin and Demonology Warlock, none of the four Hero Talent trees I explored altered my playstyle notably.
Balance poses another problem. Some Hero Talent specs seem inherently stronger than others, which was evident with the Templar and Diabolist talents for Retribution and Demonology, overshadowing the Herald of the Sun and Soul Harvester options. This creates a dilemma where players might prefer the lore of one Hero Talent but feel compelled to choose another to remain competitive in endgame content. Although damage metrics and other aspects might be adjusted later to level the playing field, it currently appears to detract from what is otherwise a strong expansion.
Elsewhere in The War Within, PvP enthusiasts get a significant update with Deephaul Ravine, a new battleground not seen since 2018 and reminiscent of Mists of Pandaria’s Silvershard Mines. The objective is for two teams to escort carts to earn points, along with capturing a central flag for additional scoring. After participating in several matches, I’m impressed with the straightforwardness of the battleground. It’s smaller in scale, keeping the combat intense, but introduces greater verticality. Players can fight from elevated minecart rails, adding a strategic layer where displacement skills can send opponents plummeting to take fall damage.
The War Within includes several new and exciting zones, demonstrating excellence in art and music as well as a strong focus on narrative and character depth. The introduction of Delves as a new endgame challenge, an overarching account progression system, and the first new PvP battleground in six years contribute to a comprehensive World of Warcraft experience. While it might lack a headline feature typical of major expansions, the additions made are significantly enhancing the gameplay. The new Hero Talents might not be perfect in practice, though they are visually appealing — an important aspect in a game where aesthetics are pivotal. These talents, poised to be a mainstay, provide Blizzard the opportunity to refine and enhance these features, enhancing their impact over time.
The launch of The War Within signifies the beginning of The Worldsoul Saga and heralds a new phase for WoW. It retains the core elements such as Mythic+ dungeons, raids, PvP, and world quests, yet shifts towards a more flexible play style that accommodates players’ preferences. This shift away from a rigid gameplay approach to a more inclusive, player-centric model marks a significant improvement. Blizzard’s intention to align with the diverse preferences of its players — whether they prefer playing solo, as part of a guild, focusing on a single character, or managing multiple ones — makes WoW more accessible and enjoyable than ever.
