Review for Warcraft III: Reforged. Game for PC and Mac, the video game was released on 28/01/2020
When it was announced during Blizzcon 2018, Warcraft III: Reforged generated high expectations from both new and old Blizzard fans. Surely it was an opportunity to discover (or rediscover) one of the pivotal titles of the Warcraft universe, released in the now distant 2002, with a renewed graphics and supported by high definition, finding a consolidated gameplay but enriched by elements of modernity especially on the multiplayer side.
Blizzard has once again managed to get people talked about even if on this occasion in a mostly negative way, with many controversies and even refund requests following the release of its title. The reasons are many but, mostly, it is a question of having offered a title devoid of most of the additional content announced multiplayer side and beyond.
Analyzing what Warcraft 3 represented in the gaming world, and now it represents with Reforged, the doubts about the goodness of the operation carried out by Blizzard are legitimate but, at the same time, we should not disperse the positive aspects of the story.
For those unfamiliar with the Warcraft III plot it is good to remember that the lands of Azeroth, formerly the scene of clash between Orcs and Humans, are about to be hit by the scourge of the undead, weapon used by the Demons of the Burning Legion and with the aim of conquering and subjugating the world, with the start of the Third War. The mysterious prophet Medivh warns Orcs and Humans of impending danger, suggesting migration to the Kalimdor region.
The Orcs, under the guidance of the shaman Thrall, follow the indicated path and prepare to abandon the lands of Lordaeron while the Humans, led by the leader of the paladins Uther and by Prince Arthas, decide to stop the advance of the scourge by defending their lands .
The launch of Warcraft III: Reforged is a blast from a past of pleasant memories, characters and familiar locations. Just the sense of familiarity that pervades Reforged represents its main positive aspect but at the same time a constant limit of this Blizzard production entirely devoted to memory. The reason is soon said, after the introductory cinematics revisited and also "reforged" it immediately seems evident that the title is not what Blizzard had promised in its announcements and it is immediately perceived that 2002 is not so far away, starting from the menu practically identical to the original.
The transition from the Classic version (with a clean and adapted graphics) to Reforged (with the complete modernization work of the graphic sector) and the editor for maps is appreciable but the hottest disappointment undoubtedly concerns the multiplayer side in which we find historical modes but which are now affected by time (1vs1, 2vs2, 3vs3 and all against all). Very trivially, unlike for example StarCraft Remastered, they are devoid of a simple ladder and matchmaking system and very limiting. Once you have tried all three races available (orcs, humans and night elves) in the various maps it is in fact possible that the multiplayer component may soon be abandoned, because it lacks a progression and ranking system.
The game campaign, the real flagship of Reforged, remains structured as in the original with the handover between the various races as the plot progresses. The package so well packaged is also enriched by the presence of the expansion Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. The plot is still very enjoyable as in the original, and there have been no changes to the lore to smooth it out with the evolutions of World of Warcraft. As well as for fiction too the campaign gameplay offers the same innovations and dynamics that this RTS introduced to the genre 18 years ago.
The hero, who according to the faction we will go from time to time to lead, presents a system of growth and learning of new predefined skills, for a total of four. The units, on the other hand, do not have an autonomous level of growth but have the possibility of being upgraded exclusively through the purchase of upgrades in the appropriate buildings. Even the game interface has remained unchanged and has been exclusively cleaned of those unnecessary elements, resulting still functional but definitely below expectations.
As for the highlight of the title, it is undeniable that the work on the graphic restyling done on Warcraft III: Reforged is remarkable, especially on hero models with refined textures and crammed with new details, as well as general units and buildings. However, there is a fairly clear detachment with the backdrops and some game environments that appear much less refined and enriched than the rest of the sector.
Despite some discrepancies, this is one of the most satisfying and successful elements of the operation, and which will be able to bring new players closer to an outdated title and a particular genre such as that of real-time strategy. The other more than positive component of the Reforged package concerns the partly revised sound sector, with dubbing entrusted to the same historic voice actors for the modified parts. Unsurprisingly, the dubbing in Spanish is, as is customary for Blizzard titles, of the highest level and preserves historical phrases and expressions that have now entered the collective memory of gamers.
Operation nostalgia? Commercial move? Warcraft III: Reforged is undoubtedly a "lame" title because it fails to satisfy the expectations of the players for all the components previously announced, resulting in a mere graphic and sound restyling. The patches will undoubtedly be useful to Blizzard but it is undeniable that the image of the software house will suffer in the future from this false step. There remains the affection and nostalgia for the characters and the passion for a story aged very well, but on the other hand a high-level multiplayer component is also required from an RTS, especially from those who, like Blizzard, have managed to evolve the kind.
► Warcraft III: Reforged is an RTS-type game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment for PC and Mac, the video game was released on 28/01/2020
