The tenth expansion of World of Warcraft is now in the starting blocks and you can already register for the beta test of The War Within. This begins the so-called World Souls Saga in the MMORPG's 20th anniversary year, which will be continued in the following expansions Midnight and The Last Titan and promises an epic story that will determine the future of Azeroth.
Not much is known about the plot, except that a dark threat lurks deep beneath the surface of Azeroth, and an ancient Nerubian civilization continues to grow in power with the support of the Void Herald Xal'atath. I had the opportunity to play the alpha version and plunge into the first battle with my hero against the aggressive spider creatures, get to know the new earthen dwarven people and go on adventures in the depths, short instances, together with my absolute favorite elite NPC Brann Bronzebeard for players with little time to experience.
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The main campaign takes me to the continent of Khaz'Algar and at the beginning I find myself buried under stones on the beach of the Isle of Dorn. I have no idea how I ended up in this predicament. I don't have much time to think anyway, because there is a bitter battle raging between humans, dwarves and the spider-like Nerubians, who, supported by crystal giants, are about to gain the upper hand.
In the middle of the battle I discover the orc Thrall and the powerful magician Jaina Proudmoore, from whom I can pick up my quests: save a few companions in need, kill a dozen giant spiders, repair magical crystals. I prefer to play a tank, and with my Alliance level 70 paladin, which has been equipped with almost all available hero talents for the event, I can slaughter my way through the Nerub hordes with my Melee attacks without much effort. The boss fight against the queen guard Zirix is much more demanding, but rescue comes at the last second.
World of Warcraft: The War Within
The next destination is Dornogal, the capital of the Isle of Dorn, which also suffers from a pesky spider infestation. So I call my dragon or another mount that can fly and set out to give the residents a helping hand. Once the city is freed from the invaders, I will also get to know the earthen people better. This is a new dwarven race that can be recruited as allies for the Alliance and Horde after completing the main campaign.
The Earthen, once created by the Titans, are divided into three factions. The Unbound who live on the surface, the Machine Whisperers and the Oathsworn. As the story progresses, you will bring the estranged tribes together so that you can stand up to the evil Nerubians. Not an easy task, as the Earthen are skeptical of you and suspect that you have something to do with the appearance of the Nerubians, who have not appeared on the surface for centuries. Of course you don't have that, which you prove in varied quests and secure the trust of the Earthen.
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Blizzard offers a huge new area in the expansion, divided into four zones. On the surface, the Isle of Thorn, with green landscapes and massive mountain ranges, including the Sounding Depths, home of the Machine Whisperers who keep gigantic forges and hydroelectric power plants running in the cave system. However, the Earthen have recently become more and more withdrawn and goblins under the rule of the Candle King have invaded.
Even further towards Azeroth's core is Healfall, a gigantic underground cavity lit by a crystal. The Arathi who live there travel through the area in huge airships and could actually lead a peaceful life if it weren't for the raids of the Nerubians, who gather their forces in the deepest zone of Azj-Kahet and become a danger to all residents of Khaz'Algar .
My exploration options were limited to the surface, but I had more than enough to do in just over six hours. In addition to the missions of the main campaign, you can find quest givers for more or less exciting side missions everywhere. Sometimes it's enough to kill a few flying monsters that decimate a flock of sheep, sometimes you have to visit several stations in the extensive area to collect worthwhile loot and experience points so that you can reach the new maximum level of 80 more quickly.
New are the Depths, which are short adventures for up to five players that take up little time but offer lots of loot. So if you can only spend half an hour in WoW and still want to make visible progress, then the depths are an ideal starting point. At least in the first season you will be accompanied by the archaeologist Brann Bronzebeard, who provides valuable services as either a damage dealer or healer.
The depth that I tried directly led me into a mine tunnel that was infested with Nerubians. The task is simple: bring a trolly with dwarves safely through the tunnels, kill all the spiders and kill the boss. In Tier 1 it's little more than a walk, but on higher levels of difficulty you always have to look anxiously at the life bar, because the Nerubians deal heavily and usually appear in packs.
You can play the depths again and again and collect experience points and powerful equipment in a very short time – but nothing changes in the task or structure of the mini-dungeon. This is where another innovation comes into play: The War Within introduces the war band system, in which all characters on your account share fame, reputation or resources with each other. There are also new hero talents with their own talent trees and a transmog update in which you can learn every equipment item template, even if your character cannot equip it.
There is really good news for all players who suffer from a severe arachnophobia and who feel shivers running down their spines when they see the Nerubians. The community and the developers wanted to be able to change the appearance. So if you suffer from arachnophobia, all you have to do is adjust the setting and the Nerubians will be transformed into crabs. This applies not only to the Nerubian infantry, but also to bosses in depths, dungeons and raids. Hopefully you're not afraid of crustaceans, otherwise you'll be thrown out of the woods.
I really enjoyed my unfortunately far too short trip to the island of Dorn with its action-packed mass battles, the consistently interesting quests of the main campaign and the tough adventures in the depths. I'm really excited to see how the other areas deep underground present themselves and what dangers still lurk in the eight dungeons. In any case, my paladin is already ready to hopefully take on Xal'atath and the rebellious spider people soon.