"World of Warcraft: Cataclysm" - Story Elements & Gameplay Tweaks Impressions

Deathwing the Destroyer is here and nothing but tragedy is to come. Its time for World of Warcraft players to take up their swords and face this new challenge. I have to admit, I was pretty excited after suffering disappointment from Wrath of the Lich King. Let me go no further without saying that Cataclysm is the worthy successor to Burning Crusade that we've all been waiting for.

Story-wise, Cataclysm gets you hyped early on but is ultimately a bit disappointing. The premise of the repeated disasters and the coming of the great 'cataclysm' draws you in almost right away. You're interested in seeing just what is at the root of all this turmoil and want to aid your allies in bringing it to an end. However, what you get in the end is too clichéd for RPGs. For World of Warcraft gamers that have never touched a sophisticated console RPG, the twists and turns of the Cataclysm story will appear fresh. Though anyone with a gaming degree beyond MMORPGs, it will be a ride that's all too familiar.

On the plus side, it's nice to be able to use flying mounts in the old zones- though it felt like something that should have been taken care of before. The new quests (numbering over 3500) have certainly given World of Warcraft players a lot to do. I am a bit bothered by the new PC requirements- as I feel the content upgrade doesn't quite justify the jump. While Goblin isn't the most appealing new race, the introduction of Worgen is an awesome addition- potentially my new main. There are a few questionable changes to the game- the Talent System tweaks are a bit in left field. I never really found myself getting upset by the changes, but I did ultimately wonder what the reasoning for some of them was- namely some of the PVP decisions.

Under the hood there's been a lot of gameplay tweaks that I'm appreciative of. While rogues are still too broken for my liking, it is nice that the healing classes got some overdue improvements. A number of the system tweaks and refinements in Cataclysm have been long-requested and are a relief to finally have. While I don't particularly find the PVP additions that interesting, I am very happy with the Raid upgrades. For World of Warcraft players put-off by Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm is the cure to what ails you.