World of Warcraft Cataclysm review

Cataclysm also packs two new PvP arenas, and while they're not new game types, Battle for Gilneas and Twin Peaks are both nice changes of pace for the classic Arathi Basin and Warsong Gultch setups, respectively. Blizzard hasn't left PvPers clamoring for new ideas entirely high-and-dry, however. Problem is, the new PvP zone, Tol Barad, isn't quite a level playing field. Attackers, unfortunately, have to dominate all three capture points while defenders only need to maintain control of one. The end result is a sometimes frustratingly lopsided experience even though attackers can bring out the big guns in the form of siege weaponry. Even so, taking Tol Barad grants you access to an exclusive dungeon and some other goodies, so it's not exactly something you can ignore.

The only area where Cataclysm really manages a YouTube-worthy belly flop is in the implementation of its new profession, archaeology. On the upside, it's a secondary profession, so you don't have to give up your life's work in the fields of, say, herbalism and alchemy (or whatever combination you prefer) to pursue it. Unfortunately, it almost hearkens back to old-school WoW by being generally repetitive, clunky, and time-consuming. In a nutshell, archaeology sees you collect artifacts that can eventually unlock rare (or completely useless) items, but uncovering and piecing together artifacts - perhaps fittingly - feels like it takes ages. First you have to find a dig site on your map, and then you've got to fly/ride/etc. your way to said dig site. Once you're in the right place, you have to locate and extract three artifact fragments, the act of which tends to be time-consuming and - more importantly - boring. On the whole, it's simply not an enjoyable profession. As a result, we doubt Azeroth's legions will be quitting their day jobs any time soon.

That, however, is a single drop in Cataclysm's massive bucket, and the amount of good here far outweighs the bad. Cataclysm's certainly not perfect, but it's the best World of Warcraft expansion so far and a damn near miraculous dip in the videogame fountain of youth for Blizzard's six-year-old MMO. Unless you absolutely, militantly despise World of Warcraft and all that it stands for, this one's a no-brainer.

Dec 23, 2010