Shadowlands doesn't feel like Warcraft

[Sentynel]

Maldraxxus is just a high-res Plaguelands.
Ardenweald is just a high-res Teldrassil.

Looks pretty Warcraft-y to me.

[Jastall]

Nope, he's not alone. Shadowlands isn't Warcraft, it's even more alien to the franchise than the asian Mists of Pandaria setting.

If anything I think it's not alien enough if you ask me. Ardenweald in particular could be placed right next to Ashenvale and not much look out of place at all. Maldraxxus is basically everything Scourge condensed in one zone, made greener and with ugly ass terrain. Bastion is a whole lotta Spirit Healers and Val'kyr. The Maw, Revendreth and Oribos are the only zones featuring completely unexplored themes, and the latter is a blip on the radar that still has banks, profession trainers and innkeepers for some reason, all conveniently arranged for us mortals. Hell the Brokers are just a palette swapped Ethereals.

If there's one expansion where everything should look wild, otherworldly and different, it's the one where we visit the realms of death itself. Revendreth is the best at that if you ask me, as a neat variation of Purgatory.

[Ringthane]

Sorry dude, I have a hard time believing this many people are legitimately surprised an expansion set in the fictional version of the afterlife... feels like an expansion set in the fictional version of the afterlife. Some real don't dead open inside in this thread.

The question wasn't if the expansion feels like what it's supposed to feel like. The question was does it feel like World of Warcraft. And no, it does not.

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That's cute. I'm insufferable? Can you please tell me where I said anybody's opinion is invalid? Or that they "hate the game"? Right, you can't. Because I didn't. I simply made an observation that a sample size of "this thread" is probably a bad way to support an argument.

You have said in every reply you make that anybody who thinks it doesn't feel like WoW is wrong. That's basically saying their opinion is invalid. You present your responses as "I'm right and you're all wrong and loony for even suggesting such a thing". Dude.

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Care to explain to me how you, a random person on a WoW forum, have a better idea of what WoW's afterlife should be then the people who made the video game? I'm curious to learn more.

Oh, the irony here is palpable.

[GreenJesus]

I feel like if the Shadowlands was based more closely to JUST Azeroth then it would feel better. The fact the Shadowlands encompasses the souls of the entire universe just makes everything feel bland and homogenized since Blizzard isn't able to attribute cultural aspects to each afterlife. Instead of the tauren afterlife, night elf afterlife, troll afterlife, human paladin afterlife etc etc, it just became some moral color wheel that feels too separated from Azeroth.

If each afterlife was more focused on characters that we knew it could have been more interesting. However, they couldn't really do that because there had to be souls from the entire Universe. These covenants just don't feel grounded in the cultures and peoples we know in Azeroth and it just doesn't feel right to me. Why Alexandros Mograine is in the plaguelands working with people that create Abominations and plagues and stitch souls together just doesn't feel right. Draka being some high level rogue commander also just doesn't feel right. Who are these Kyrian dudes and why should I care?

Why does our mission table have a bunch of no-name characters I don't give a shit about instead of named heroes from Azeroth?

[crusadernero]

I feel like if the Shadowlands was based more closely to JUST Azeroth then it would feel better. The fact the Shadowlands encompasses the souls of the entire universe just makes everything feel bland and homogenized since Blizzard isn't able to attribute cultural aspects to each afterlife. Instead of the tauren afterlife, night elf afterlife, troll afterlife, human paladin afterlife etc etc, it just became some moral color wheel that feels too separated from Azeroth.

If each afterlife was more focused on characters that we knew it could have been more interesting. However, they couldn't really do that because there had to be souls from the entire Universe. These covenants just don't feel grounded in the cultures and peoples we know in Azeroth and it just doesn't feel right to me. Why Alexandros Mograine is in the plaguelands working with people that create Abominations and plagues and stitch souls together just doesn't feel right. Draka being some high level rogue commander also just doesn't feel right. Who are these Kyrian dudes and why should I care?

Why does our mission table have a bunch of no-name characters I don't give a shit about instead of named heroes from Azeroth?

yeah having four covenants covering every soul in the entire universe feels a bit weird. Especially when all of them feels kind of bland.

I guess we gotta wait and see how SL pans out though. The game has been decent so far so we should atleast give Blizzard benefit of the doubt here. They have said theres much more story/lore to unfold.

I havent really thought it wasnt fit for the Warcraft universe, but I understand what people are saying. But maybe its nice with a change of pace?

[GreenJesus]

yeah having four covenants covering every soul in the entire universe feels a bit weird. Especially when all of them feels kind of bland.

I guess we gotta wait and see how SL pans out though. The game has been decent so far so we should atleast give Blizzard benefit of the doubt here. They have said theres much more story/lore to unfold.

I havent really thought it wasnt fit for the Warcraft universe, but I understand what people are saying. But maybe its nice with a change of pace?

I think they should have at least shown glimpses or short scenarios where you can explore other afterlives that aren't the covenants. Sort of like the Argus portal invasions except they are quests to maybe recruit souls in those other afterlives that we know to help us temporarily restore the shadowlands and then they can go back to their afterlife. Maybe the brokers could have inside information or clues leading you to find them.

[crakerjack]

Not necessarily, mainly because there's still familiar faces around. There's still murlocs and similar creatures, they're just the alt-variants in the afterlife. Like in Ardenweald, there's murloc-like creatures.

[Vakir]

You know what? Fucking good. I'm tired of visual and musical references to things we liked rather than why we liked them as a shorthand for Warcraft. WoW needs to take a hardline change in its direction to begin with. The afterlife is always a massive trap in terms of explaining things, so it's definitely a setting that isn't perfect, but I say them going in new directions is a good thing. The old influences on Shadowlands - our Torghast survivor buddies and the like - are some of the weakest parts of it compared to the heights of the new societies and cultures we're getting.

Soft reboot, please.

[Dhrizzle]

I feel like if the Shadowlands was based more closely to JUST Azeroth then it would feel better. The fact the Shadowlands encompasses the souls of the entire universe just makes everything feel bland and homogenized since Blizzard isn't able to attribute cultural aspects to each afterlife. Instead of the tauren afterlife, night elf afterlife, troll afterlife, human paladin afterlife etc etc, it just became some moral color wheel that feels too separated from Azeroth.

If each afterlife was more focused on characters that we knew it could have been more interesting. However, they couldn't really do that because there had to be souls from the entire Universe. These covenants just don't feel grounded in the cultures and peoples we know in Azeroth and it just doesn't feel right to me. Why Alexandros Mograine is in the plaguelands working with people that create Abominations and plagues and stitch souls together just doesn't feel right. Draka being some high level rogue commander also just doesn't feel right. Who are these Kyrian dudes and why should I care?

Why does our mission table have a bunch of no-name characters I don't give a shit about instead of named heroes from Azeroth?

It didn't sit well with Mograine at first either until he came to appreciate the denizens of Maldraxxus as honourable warrior in their own way, during the campaign we see why it is a more fitting place for him than the obvious choice of Bastion.

yeah having four covenants covering every soul in the entire universe feels a bit weird. Especially when all of them feels kind of bland.

I guess we gotta wait and see how SL pans out though. The game has been decent so far so we should atleast give Blizzard benefit of the doubt here. They have said theres much more story/lore to unfold.

I havent really thought it wasnt fit for the Warcraft universe, but I understand what people are saying. But maybe its nice with a change of pace?

They aren't to cover every soul in the universe, those are just the "prime" afterlives that serve particular purposes - the Maw keeps the worst of the worst, Bastion maintains order, Maldraxxus has a standing army to repel attacks, Revendreth attempts to redeem souls that may or may not be fit for the Maw and Ardenweald replenishes souls that are tied to the forces of life ready for rebirth. Souls that aren't bound for one of those - or those that find redemption in Revendreth - are sent by the Arbiter to an afterlife that best suits them.

[Scathan]

...Oh wow, a realm we've literally never been to before doesn't "feel" like WoW, all because you're seeing shit that doesn't apply to literally everywhere else you've been to in the game.

This is actually the most nitpicky thing I've seen all day. Almost like the realms of Death should be completely new and different to anything we've seen before in WoW. Also, not everything in the Shadowlands is about Azeroth?! HOLY SHIT, THAT'S CRAZY! It's almost like the Shadowlands is the afterlife OF THE ENTIRE COSMOS FOR MORTAL LIFE!!!!

Which is actually the problem I have with it myself. It is too broad. Bigger is not always better. Something more personal to the races of azeroth would have been preferred. Instead we have this big gray blah that is all generalities and no specifics because it has to apply to everywhere. At the same time its weirdly azeroth centric.... Sylvanas and muezallah for example. Two big parts to the jailers plan both from azeroth. The other characters are exclusive to the shadowlands themselves. Arden weald addresses this a but with the bear. But that could have been narrowed in scope as well and just been ursoc.


Imho we should have gone to the azerothian pocket of the shadowlands. Which could have been an exploration of all the different races beliefs, with some interesting crossovers for outliers. It would have also made all the familiar faces feel more natural

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It didn't sit well with Mograine at first either until he came to appreciate the denizens of Maldraxxus as honourable warrior in their own way, during the campaign we see why it is a more fitting place for him than the obvious choice of Bastion.



They aren't to cover every soul in the universe, those are just the "prime" afterlives that serve particular purposes - the Maw keeps the worst of the worst, Bastion maintains order, Maldraxxus has a standing army to repel attacks, Revendreth attempts to redeem souls that may or may not be fit for the Maw and Ardenweald replenishes souls that are tied to the forces of life ready for rebirth. Souls that aren't bound for one of those - or those that find redemption in Revendreth - are sent by the Arbiter to an afterlife that best suits them.

You do understand why some people see that as a cop out right?

[Dhrizzle]

You do understand why some people see that as a cop out right?

No, not really. We're exploring the main aspects of Shadowlands and how it's structured by the prime "gods" of death as set up by the First Ones whoever the hell they are. I find it interesting.

[Osmeric]

WoW felt fun. Shadowlands didn't. So I agree, it didn't feel like Warcraft.

[shadowmatrix]

I think they should have at least shown glimpses or short scenarios where you can explore other afterlives that aren't the covenants. Sort of like the Argus portal invasions except they are quests to maybe recruit souls in those other afterlives that we know to help us temporarily restore the shadowlands and then they can go back to their afterlife. Maybe the brokers could have inside information or clues leading you to find them.

There are portals for 4 more realms so I'm sure we will be seeing others especially Thoros. Also when you first go in front of the Arbitor you can see lots of portals through which souls can be sent. The brokers in Maldraxus send us into an invasion point to capture a new arena combatant.

[Steelangel]

I'm sure the gameplay feels much better than BFA but I don't want to play a game that looks and feels soulless and empty to me. I'm going to take a break until the next expansion and see if it gets any better than this.

On the other hand, I feel like Revendreth is the most "soul-ful" place that the WoW team has created since MoP. I could play in that zone forever and never leave again.

[msdos]

Feels like mediocre garbage with nothing new added. Also feels like the art team and the other devs work 1000 miles away from each other because the game never feels as good to play as it looks. It also feels like there are zero PVP devs.

More of the same for 15 years straight, with a dumbed down, simplified, grind to the core twist and it's harder than ever to find arena partners.

In other words, not worth the bones, thank god Classic exists.

[Relapses]

The question wasn't if the expansion feels like what it's supposed to feel like. The question was does it feel like World of Warcraft. And no, it does not.

Hey dude, thanks for universally defining what WoW should feel like for 100% of its players. Can you go ahead and cure cancer and solve world hunger while you're at it? Thanks champ. You're a real gem.

[Spiral]

Yeah, I feel the same. Has really thrown me off my desire to play, which I wasn’t expecting since I was never a huge lore buff having skipped from WC and WC2 to WoW around TBC. But it feels like it could just be a completely different game with how empty and uninvested in the afterlife stuff I am.

Kind of a weird flex that people are vehemently attacking you over this since objectively this expansion is the largest departure from the established Warcraft world, but whatever. I wish I could enjoy as much as they do in feeling like it’s a continuation of the story instead of a wild offshoot Joanie loves Chachi thing.

[druchii5]

I do agree with this as well. Most of the time, I'm wishing I could be back in Kalimdor or Eastern Kingdoms, or even a "new" Azeroth landmass like Dragon Isles.

[Irian]

OP I really, really agree. Shadowlands feels like the most out there and alien expansion we've ever had since BC, and not in a good way. There's something about it that just really doesn't connect with me thematically. Aside from a few cameo characters here and there in the zones, they have almost nothing to do with any part of the Warcraft universe we've seen so far.

Everything in Shadowlands feels extremely self-contained, even down to the creatures in each individual realm. There's some part of me that just can't bring myself to care or find anything interesting about these places that we know are, in the end, going to end up completely irrelevant in the future and never matter. I'd love to be proven wrong but I seriously doubt I will.

[cparle87]

I agree, that's my main gripe with the expansion too. The lack of familarity, and known faces and characters aside from the few key characters we are dragging out of the Maw.

Though the whole "chinese knock-off, Narnia" thing is something I do *not* agree with.

So far we've seen Uther, Vashj, Draka, Kael'thas, Zul'jin, Mankrik's wife, Huln Highmountain, and several more. Wowhead posts a little article about familiar faces we see.