World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector’s Edition Reviews

3 comments on “World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector’s Edition Reviews”

1. 30 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

   
   For the hardcore fan, December 7, 2010

   By 

   David “Of Billings” (Florida) –

   This review is from: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector’s Edition (DVD-ROM)

   This review is for the contents of the collectors edition package, not the game itself.

   The 175 page art book is fantastic. It’s hardback and has a nice protective sleeve covering it. The sleeve depicts Deathwing as seen on the Cataclysm website. The concepts and literature inside are great to read/view and it’s really cool to see the artistic visuals of all the new NPCs, clothing items, zones and even stills from the cinematic trailer. Many pieces of art depict several different stages of concept certain characters passed through over the period the expansion was developed. Some pieces give a visual representation of events that have transpired and affected the current storyline (there is a piece showcasing the Garrosh/Cairne duel which ultimately ended in.. well i won’t spoil that one for you 😉 ) The artwork is just really cool. Blizzard certainly has some very talented artists working for them. Various letters written by characters in game are peppered throughout the pages which give insight to the events which have happened and served to shape the new world since the shattering. While not essential for casual fans, they are still a great read for those who love the lore behind World of Warcraft and the book is a wonderful addition of graphic art to any person’s collection.

   The soundtrack features 17 absolutely phenomenal orchestral tracks from in game. I’m a huge fan of the music of World of Warcraft and the new tracks are very beautifully done and really invoke a real sense of “epicness”. The title track is the best its been since the vanilla days (it even incorporates the original Legends of Azeroth theme), and the addition of revamped tracks from old world zones like Elywnn forest and Durotar are a nice, nostalgic touch. I enjoyed the score from Wrath of the Lich King but i think i enjoy this one much more.

   Also included:

   – In game Lil’ Deathy companion pet. He has a welp model, but looks like a midgit-fied Deathwing. every character you’ll ever start again will receive him along with a feat of strength. Standard and digital versions of Cataclysm will not receive this pet.

   – Mouse pad depicting Deathwing looking upon the ravaged continents of Azeroth. I use an optical mouse so i really have no use for a mouse pad, but it may very well serve as a nice showpiece for any player looking to add a little flavor to their desktop.

   – Wrathgate starter deck with a Landro’s Gift loot card. Not really useful to me since i don’t play the trading card game, but the loot card can provide a very lucrative reward if you’re lucky. For instance, one of the possible obtainable items when you receive your gift box is a swift spectral tiger, which bar none is the rarest mount in game and very expensive if purchased from anywhere else. I wasn’t lucky, and only got Papa Hummel’s pet biscuits.

   – Behind the scenes DVD featuring insight into the development of Cataclysm, which is about an hour long. I haven’t watched it yet, but i would say it’s a fair guess that the DVD is top notch. No hardcore fan of the game would pass up the chance to see how the creative process at Blizzard works, since we rarely if ever have a chance to outside of blue posts.

   ** After writing this review i was able to watch the DVD in it’s entirety. Let me tell you, i didn’t expect much going in but by the end my expectations were well exceeded. There is a lot of information packed into this disc and Blizzard went into great detail about all of the changes that were made and explained a lot of the secrets behind their programming magic. There are thorough explanations behind why old world flying was never included in the last 2 expansions, the reasoning and logic behind many of the zone changes, and the developer’s went into great detail on the process of creating new zones for this expansion, the challenges they faced in creating content that would rival or exceed what we saw With wrath and their desires to create an experience that was rewarding not just for new fans but for old veterans of the game as well. Also discussed on the disc was the process behind creating the cinematic movie for the expansion ( a project that proved to be far more challenging than i ever thought it was), Warcraft History and a plethora of interviews by developers and artists associated with the World of Warcraft.

   – And the expansion itself, which comes on 1 DVD disc. The beauty of this expansion is that the bulk of the material was already patched in before release, so all players really needed to do was provide their activation codes and wait until the servers went live. since all the content can be digitally downloaded once your account has been upgraded, the DVD is more or less a means to reinstall the game without an internet connection.

   The package is very sturdy and well put together. All the items that come with it rest in little…

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2. 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Good game 3 stars because…., December 30, 2010

   By 

   Clifford Dale Harrin Jr. –
   
     

   Fun: 

   This review is from: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector’s Edition (DVD-ROM)

   This game is good. I like the new story line. It seems to be more in depth than the past expansion. Also they have voice overs now and alot of cutscene cintematics. The heroic dungeons are a challenge now and you really cant just walt in and aoe pull like you used to (atm anyways) If your a hardcore and casual fan you will like this. It will keep you occupied for at least a month if you like to play for new content. The reason I gave it 3 stars is because the game itself is getting Old. while there is new content nothing really catches the eye anymore for veterans. Iv’e played WoW since open beta. While this game offers new instances, lore, pvp its not really enough to hold someone in thats played a long time in my honest opinion. Would reccomend buying though just to try out.

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3. 12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Everything Old is New Again, December 7, 2010

   By 

   G. Cody “Kaku” (NY) –
   
     

   Fun: 

   This review is from: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector’s Edition (DVD-ROM)

   Azeroth sure is a crowded place. It seems everywhere you turn there’s a nearly immortal creature under the sway of an ancient, horrible tentacle god from below our feet or a malevolent, cosmic demon lord from beyond the stars. Once again, the world’s many mortal heroes will lace up their (now green) boots and start the process of vanquishing evil one boss at a time all over again. Is it worth the trek over the ruined yet familiar landscapes of WoW yore? You bet, and then some.

   The theme of Cataclysm is change. Being six years old, World of Warcraft has clout. It has established memes, fondly remembered zones, questlines, characters and inside jokes. The latest expansion fully exploits this and works hard to get their dedicated fans into a nostalgia fumigated frenzy. Remember that one guy you may remember once rescuing from an Orc cave in Redridge Mountains five years ago? Now he’s your best friend and shameless Rambo reference for an epic questline. Do you remember Old Blanchy? I have bad news for you. Thankfully someone’s on the case. Just like Deathwing himself ripping out from under the earth to settle unfinished business, WoW itself is coming back to these old story threads, old locations and old enemies to give them the resolution they deserve.

   Yes, many of the old zones are redone, changed both physically by the presence of Deathwing and the updated game design philosophy of Blizzard. Gone are the days of frustrating fetch and kill quests (though they are still present, much less in abundance) and sketchy zone transitions. No more with the harsh, slow trekking that served only as a timesink in the past. Leveling, talent trees, riding skills, character skills, etc have all been streamlined to allow more of what players actually like to do: progress their character in a fun and entertaining way so that by the time they reach max level, they might actually miss the high quality questing they’d been doing.

   As with every expansion, class mechanic revisions and new spells have essentially made World of Warcraft a new game all over again. Guild levels, perks, and achievements will help solidify a real community experience within the game, which is good, because you’ll need a tightly knit group to survive some of the game’s PvE challenges. Having played many heroics and a few raid encounters in the beta, I am happy to say that Blizzard has really gone to great lengths to challenge veterans and cajole newcomers into learning the ropes at the same time. Epics are harder to attain and give a greater sense of accomplishment than with WotLK, and heroic mode bosses right from the first tier of content add a further degree of satisfaction for die-hards.

   Alongside this are the tried and true profession updates, including Archeology, a new secondary profession that unlocks bonus items. Two brand new races, the Worgen and the Goblins, are available for the Alliance and Horde respectively. Thousands of new items, five new zones, hundreds of new, engaging quests, brand new music for almost every area, and the same Blizzard spit and polish we’ve known for years ensure any MMO fan’s dedication to the cause of saving Azeroth from certain destruction. So get cracking, guys. The Aspect of Death is not in the business of vanquishing himself.

   {FEEL FREE TO HARRASS}
   Kaku, Shattered Hand
   Pundit, Shattered Hand

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