This post’s title might lead you to believe that I think cancelling my video game pre-order is newsworthy. I assure you, it’s not, and I’m not here to proclaim my victory over consumerism or anything to that effect. But the Shadowlands delay got me thinking: It’s probably for the best if I don’t submit to…
Occasionally, I’m reluctant to try new things, which causes me to miss out on some good stuff. The most recent example of this seems to be The Outer Worlds (2019), a sci-fi FPS RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment. When Obsidian initially released The Outer Worlds, many players and reviewers painted the game as a spiritual…
This is ancient history by internet standards, but Blizzard has delayed the latest World of Warcraft expansion, Shadowlands. Originally, Shadowlands was scheduled to launch on October 27th, 2020. But, citing quality concerns, the studio made the decision to delay the game. I’m assuming all is not well with Shadowlands, because Blizzard hasn’t even set a new release date. As of…
With World of Warcraft: Shadowlands set to drop in just under two months, I’m running out of time with the game’s current expansion, Battle for Azeroth. Such is the case in an MMORPG. Although WoW’s world is persistent, the game’s content ages like bread. Stale content needs to be regularly refreshed and replaced with new offerings.…
I’ve been writing about how World of Warcraft has really been scratching my gaming itch lately. But something I haven’t covered is my enjoyment of WoW’s daily quests. These (sometimes infinitely) repeatable quests have been an integral element of WoW for some time now. They’ve also earned the ire of many players, which seems to stem from how…
I’ve been struggling to understand my affinity for World of Warcraft lately. Historically, I’ve never held a sustained interest in the game beyond a month or two. Don’t get me wrong: the online world of Azeroth is charming, mesmerizing, and unforgettable. But WoW’s core gameplay pales in comparison to the richness of other titles. Where other…
I’ve played World of Warcraft on-and-off extremely casually since 2009. The game’s colorful, charming art style and extensive lore still hold a certain allure all these years later, even if WoW’s emphasis on grinding has repeatedly pushed me away. But now that WoW is more respectful of its players’ time, I’ve found more reason to stick around…
The Last of Us Part II is one of the most subversive video games I’ve ever played. As you may have read or heard, TLOU2’s post-apocalyptic story doesn’t attempt to placate fans of the first game: this is a brutal story set in a brutal world. But rather than developing the story and gameplay as…
It was a few weeks after the launch of World of Warcraft Classic, and I was navigating my Gnome Mage through the tepid Wetlands. With a click of my keyboard, my character deftly weaved his hands and hurled a magical bolt, dealing the killing blow to a nearby spider. The fuzzy-legged creature fell and writhed in agony.…
Grinding, or repeatedly participating in a mundane in-game activity in anticipation of an in-game reward, is nothing new. Both single-player and multiplayer games have featured elements of grinding, whether intentional or as a byproduct of bad design. While I don’t have a problem with optional grinding in standard games, the inclusion of grinds in subscription-based…
