After spending the past week logged into the latest version of Azeroth, it’s time to share out initial feelings on World of Warcraft: Forever. Has the game met or exceeded your expectations, or left you unimpressed? What were your favorite moments from your first few hours in Forever?
Personally, I think that dropping into the starter zones in Forever would have hit the nostalgia bullseye a lot more directly had Classic not been available for the past seven years. The original login screen and theme music, Earl Boen’s voice setting the scene for each race, and the first time walking up to any of the capital cities was undeniably cool, but they were all a repeat of the throwback vibes I got just a few years ago. If it’s been longer for you, then the first few minutes may have been significantly more impactful.
For me, the changes from Classic really made Forever stand out and keep me right on the edge of my seat through a very familiar leveling experience. Just about every player I have spoken with is in awe of the weather effects. Experiencing the fog, storms, and day/night cycle has been spectacular.
I’ll share my absolute favorite moment that was added to Forever that I stumbled upon while leveling a Tauren through Mulgore. There’s a quest offered to you upon reaching Thunder Bluff that involves running around to a few vendors to collect ingredients for some ceremonial incense. Once you’ve prepared it, you head to the edge of the mesa and scatter the incense to the wind.
The quest itself isn’t that impactful and doesn’t reward any unique gear. The fact that hit me like a photo of myself from 20 years ago was remembering that what I had just done was depicted in the original World of Warcraft trailer from 2004. The Dwarf Hunter from that cinematic is seen in the Forever trailer choosing a new path and visiting unexplored lands, but there is a Tauren in the original sprinkling some dust into the sunset atop a cliff. Realizing that I am that Tauren came with quite a number of feels.
So what are your initial thoughts on World of Warcraft: Forever? Are you underwhelmed after launch weekend, will you log in from time to time for small servings of nostalgia, or are you all in on exploring this new slice of Azeroth?