The War Within
Part 2
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Platform: PC
The War Within has had two content updates since its release (not including hot fixes and the like): The Siren Isle and Undermine. The Isle is the latest version of the Timeless Isle formula, with everything that has come to entail over the years. Undermine(d) brought the addition of a whole new zone with the goblin city of Undermine. The goblin capital city has been talked about for years and years in game, so it was about time we finally got to visit this underground city of goblin innovation. I am having a good time playing Goblin Theft Auto, even if it is a bit barebones.
The Siren Isle
The Siren Isle is the latest iteration to the Timeless Isle formula: a hub of daily quests, rare mobs, and treasures. Catch-up gear is also available here, as well as a selection of cosmetic items and mounts. The most important part of the Isle, aside from the story which I didn’t get much of in my limited time here, is the upgradeable ring you get right away. This ring is leveled up while you adventure across the isle, and you get to socket new and unique gems, know as citrines, into the ring. The ring is still the best in slot for most classes with the release of Undermine(d), and I wonder if that is going to be the case until Midnight? It is very powerful, and unless something new and even more powerful comes along in future content, I don’t see us replacing it anytime soon.
All in all, Siren Isle is okay. It seemed like an okay stopgap between patches, but I’m glad it wasn’t all I had to do for months until the release of Undermine(d). I will go back to the Isle from time to time, because some of the cosmetics are rad and I always need more mounts, but I doubt I will visit it much, if at all, after that.
Undermine(d)
Undermine(d) finally added the much talked about goblin capital of Undermine to the world, and so far, I am a big fan. Working with the goblin cartels to rest control of the city away from Gallywix and his Blackfuse cartel is the focus of the zone. The goblins and their lore are built upon as you go about questing in the zone, and I’m having a good time with it. The whole thing has the feeling of Grand Theft Auto in spirit and vibe: driving around Undermine in your car from the suburbs to the ‘countryside’, doing jobs for the cartels, and fighting the Blackfuse in the streets.
The city of Undermine is one of, if not the main character of the expansion. Goblin ingenuity is on full display throughout the city, with the buildings cobbled together from whatever they had on hand and all of it built without proper permits, or any regard for safety. Undermine is densely packed with activities ranging from rare mobs, to world quests and treasures, to dumpster diving and all lot more; it’s all standard stuff these days, and while it will keep you busy for a bit, I found it got old quick. Now I don’t know what else they could have added, that’s not my job, I am just saying that after less than a month I was over Undermine’s grind. Add to that the cartels to level up, and there is a lot of grind needed to get the most out of Undermine. If that sounds good to you, then have fun, but I am done with it for now.
The car you get in Undermine is one of the patches major mechanics, known as D.R.I.V.E (definition here). The car controllers unlike any of the other ground mounts, as you accelerate and brake like a racing game instead of holding down ‘w’ to go forward like all our horses, raptors, nightsabers, and others. A whole bunch of the car’s parts can be modified and upgrade by collecting parts dropped from the rare mobs around the zone, crafted by the professions, and by leveling up your rep with the various cartels. I don’t have a ton of options available to me, but the few I do really change how the car drives. I do wish the city had a highway running around it so you could push your car to its limits, because I feel Undermine isn’t big enough to really realize D.R.I.V.E; I am running into walls more often than not, and the few straightaways are way too short to really get any sense of speed.
The raid is a lot of fun, even from a raid finder casual. I still have a few wings to get through but making your way through Undermine doing battle with the followers of Gallywix is pretty good. It’s a raid, and if that is something you are down for, then have at it.
The two delves added with the patch are pretty good. They seem harder than the older ones, and the challenge is always welcome. I enjoyed my time running them, and even though I am feeling like I am done with WoW for now, I can see myself running them again and again when I do come back.
Conclusion
Overall, I feel like the War Within, and its patch content have been good so far. While I am feeling like I am done with WoW for now, it is not because of the quality or quantity of the content, it’s more so that since I am not raiding, I don’t feel as if I need to keep playing to stay current. I feel like I have got some good fun out of The War Within so far, and I am looking forward to the coming content, but I have so many games I want to experience, and it’s not like WoW is going anywhere. When I do come back, I will be sure to update you all!
I whole heartedly recommend The War Within. It’s a solid WoW experience, and from what Blizzard is saying the coming years are going to be a good time. We will be eating good, and I hope to see you all in The World of Warcraft!
