Why is WoW Dragonflight being so well received?
WoW players have gotten used to disliking the newest expansions of the game for one reason or another. Be it the convoluted story elements or the borrowed power systems, it's been a while since the player base and critics have received an expansion of World of Warcraft with praise.
Dragonflight came like a tornado, turning everything on its head with an amazing story, the specialization system, professions revamp, and the amazing Dragon Riding mechanic. Is this the beginning of a WoW renaissance? And if so, what are the reasons behind this? Let's find out.
10. Large Player Base
World of Warcraft is an MMORPG, which means Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, and we are going to emphasize the “Massive” part here.
WoW still remains on the top of the list as the most popular MMORPG in the world, with over 1 million active subscriptions and many highly populated servers for all sorts of players, whether you are a PvP fanatic, a hardcore raider, a casual player or a roleplayer, you will never be alone in WoW.
While the most important part of an online game is to be, first and foremost, a good game, having a large active player base makes it all the more enjoyable and allows you to tackle endgame content more frequently.
9. Stylized Graphics
One of the biggest concerns for any older game with such a long lifespan like World of Warcraft is to become graphically outdated.
Technology advances at an ever-increasing pace, especially when it comes to gaming. 20 years ago we could never imagine that we would see the kind of graphics that we see in AAA titles today. Thankfully, WoW has managed to keep up due to the stylized nature of its graphics, and the well-deserved graphic remaster it received a few years ago.
The game exudes style and atmosphere to this day, and the new zones released in Dragonflight are beautiful. Don’t let the age of WoW give you the wrong impression, this is still a magnificent world to be in.
8. Responsive Combat
The combat in World of Warcraft was one of the most important factors that set the game ahead of the competition ever since it was first released.
Every class in WoW has its own style of gameplay with amazing skills for you to choose from, as the combat is still snappy as always, with very responsive commands, fluid animations, and those beautiful damage numbers popping out of your enemies for your satisfaction.
WoW’s combat still feels amazing and even better than most recent MMORPGs, especially when it comes to PvP and endgame content. Some boss encounters are very challenging, with unique mechanics that keep you on the edge of your seat and feel all the more rewarding once you manage to succeed.
7. Expansive Lore
Blizzard might have made some questionable decisions in the past when it comes to the story development in World of Warcraft, but one thing that we can say for sure is that the Warcraft franchise has a deep ever expanding lore attached to it.
Dragons have always been very important in WoW’s lore, even though they might not have received the proper spotlight yet, with the exception of Deathwing of course. Well, that has now changed with the release of WoW Dragonflight, an entire expansion focused on Dragons and their amazing lore.
In Dragonflight, we can expect to learn much more about the dragonkin in Azeroth, finally receive answers to questions we have always had, and maybe even see some returning faces. This is a very exciting expansion for any Warcraft lore nerd out there, and I know I’m one.
6. Casual Player Friendly
It is very important for a game to pay attention to the hardcore players, who are undoubtedly their most loyal fans, but ultimately it is the casual player base who keeps an MMORPG alive.
World of Warcraft is very approachable for new and casual players, especially since the release of WoW Dragonflight. In previous expansions, you had complex progression systems such as Artifact Weapons and Azerite Armors, which only made the game unnecessarily complex. Worst of all, these systems were rendered completely useless once the next expansion came out. Dragonflight provides the classic vertical progression that we all know and love, with the simple Item Level that anyone can figure out.
Furthermore, the Random Group Finder is a great tool for casual players who just like to open up the game, do some group content for an hour or two, turn the game off and go on with their day. You can easily have fun doing dungeons and PvP battlegrounds using this tool, even if you don’t have a lot of time to play WoW.
5. Amazing Raids
Now, this is what World of Warcraft is really famous for: the massive-scale epic raids. Team up with dozens of other players and tackle the most difficult content in the game.
What makes raiding in WoW so great is the fact that it actually poses a challenge to the player, with complex mechanics that require good positioning, knowledge about your class, and, most of all, teamwork.
If you like PvE content that looks awesome and feels rewarding to complete, then you will most certainly love the raids in World of Warcraft.
4. Classic Fantasy RPG Storyline
Previous expansions in World of Warcraft have struggled with story developments that divided the player base of the game.
That seems to no longer be an issue because in WoW Dragonflight we return to a classic fantasy RPG adventure. Hop in the ship and venture into a new island full of beautiful landscapes, giant monsters, and many challenges to overcome.
The story of Dragonflight is what the player base of WoW has been waiting for. It ties into the lore of Warcraft, finally bringing dragons into the spotlight, and presents us with an exciting adventure to be had in a new part of Azeroth.
3. Professions Revamp
Not everyone enjoys fighting monsters all of the time. Some players prefer to chill out gathering and crafting, earning some very welcome gold in the meantime.
Professions have always been a big part of World of Warcraft, and recently with the release of Dragonflight, they have received a major revamp that was very well received by the player base, with all new systems such as crafting orders and a new profession UI, and the long-awaited comeback of crafting specializations.
If you enjoy life skills such as cooking, mining, blacksmithing, or any other profession in WoW, this is the perfect moment to come back to the game or even experience it for the very first time.
2. New Specialization System
This might be the most impactful change that World of Warcraft has received in the last few years, and it all comes down to the new specialization system.
Specializations look very similar to the old Talent Tree system, and they give the player so much freedom when it comes to choosing how you want to play your class. You can have so much fun figuring out the best combinations of skills, or the ones that most suit your playstyle.
When it comes to RPGs, character building is a huge part of the game, and this new specialization system is a very welcome addition to WoW that brings a whole new level of customization to your character.
1. Dragon Riding
Whether you like it or not, most of the time you spend playing an MMORPG is spent walking from point A to point B. Well, this is no longer an issue with the all-new Dragon Riding system.
The name Dragonflight isn’t just for show. In the newest expansion of WoW, you will be soaring through the skies on top of massive dragons. This is a major change to the gameplay loop of WoW because Dragon Riding provides you with unique flying mechanics and skills to boost your movement speed.
Trust me, venturing through Azeroth never felt so fun before. Furthermore, you can fully customize your dragon, changing its color, face, horns, tail, and much more. Dragon Riding is an awesome system that makes WoW much more dynamic to play, and we can only hope that the game further expands that system in the future.
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