Written by: Bryant Donato
Disclaimer: I’m a Warcraft Fan Boy.
After a wonderful time at Blizzcon 2019 and hot on the heels of multiple announcements of main series sequels, an announcement flew under the radar that sparked some long dormant excitement of my childhood gaming memories. Warcraft 3: Reforged, the remastering of the classic RTS (real-time strategy) that helped establish Warcraft as a contender in the fantasy genre, has added the third race to their multiplayer beta, the ghoulish Undead Scourge.
This marks the third playable race of the four from this hallmark strategy game, and really starts to round out matchmaking diversity and the matchup depth that Blizzard RTS’ are known for. With this addition, I was able to excitedly hop in and get my feet wet with something I was both excited to try and familiar at its core (I played Undead when the original game launched).
Overall, this game feels like the Warcraft 3 we grew up with. From the deliberately choppy menu animations to the 16 limit control groups and skirmish style gameplay, the game is faithful to its core mechanics to a fault, as was StarCraft: Remastered. After floundering a few matches getting the hang of playing against actual people, I caught my stride and was able to comfortably compete (note: I’m not very good) and had a blast doing so, reliving the past with a renewed sense of direction in how to actually approach an RTS.
While under the hood the engine is faithful, the new art assets, unit models, texture, terrain, and in some instances, the new voice over and hero designs (Female Death Knights!) are all wonderful, and breathe (un)life into this game in a way that really makes it feel brand new again. Although a few things are missing some effects and textures, like missing spell effects and animations, the overall experience feels like a restored classic sports call, with all the familiar feel, with a brand new coat of paint. I personally can’t wait to dive into the campaign, to truly relive the epic tales of Warcraft 3.
Although slated for late 2019, no official release date for Warcraft 3: Reforged has been given.
Follow Bryant on Twitch: Thirstxx and Twitter: @thirstx3
