World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

 PC
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1290 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 477 out of 1290
  2. Mixed: 426 out of 1290
  3. Negative: 387 out of 1290
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  1. Th3laugh1ngman
    Dec 9, 2010
    6
    There's multiple ways to go about reviewing Cataclysm.
    The actual event, and the content itself that was distributed for free is utterly excellent and some of the quest chains are so well excecuted that the quests would have you believe that it's been written like a standard, non-mmo while still maintaining excellent functionality. Under that rule, Cataclysm is a solid 10/10.    There's multiple ways to go about reviewing Cataclysm.
    The actual event, and the content itself that was distributed for free is utterly excellent and some of the quest chains are so well excecuted that the quests would have you believe that it's been written like a standard, non-mmo while still maintaining excellent functionality. Under that rule, Cataclysm is a solid 10/10.

    Unfortunately, that is not the only thing to consider. What "Cataclysm" is, as a boxed product, is a meager amount of content that costs as much as a full priced game. £30 for a couple of extra zones and a couple of new races is just utter robbery which they will easily get away with. It's unjustified to give out such little content for such a high price without using the reason "We want the money and we can get away with it".

    So it depends on your stance on Cataclysm. Do you interpret the game as being one solid package, including the content which does not require you actually own the game this review is based around, or do you base it upon the game you are receiving in the box? As far as the boxed copy goes, it's a solid 5/10 for extremely poor value for money. As far as the full content including free content goes, it's a solid 10/10. If you don't own Cataclysm, just get yourself patched up to 4.0.3a and you can enjoy the majority of the content for free without paying a penny.    … Expand
  2. spoocaptain
    Mar 22, 2011
    5
    The 'professional' critics don't even need to be bribed at this point; they're likely all addicted fanboys. I have been playing WoW since a few months after release, so I guess I don't have room to talk. However, this has been, by far, the most lackluster expansion to date. I enjoyed the competitive rush of the first two weeks or so, but now it's slowed down to the exact same sluggish ****The 'professional' critics don't even need to be bribed at this point; they're likely all addicted fanboys. I have been playing WoW since a few months after release, so I guess I don't have room to talk. However, this has been, by far, the most lackluster expansion to date. I enjoyed the competitive rush of the first two weeks or so, but now it's slowed down to the exact same sluggish **** as WotLK, just with less content. This quickie expansion heralds the cry that the peak of WoW's dominance has waned. Say goodbye to the WoW of yore, but hold on to the good memories; WoW was actually good back then. That said, I will certainly look into future Blizzard releases, even this 'Titan' project. Blizzard is by no means a bad company, WoW has just gotten old and far too streamlined-yet-grindy.… Expand
  3. CheyTacGamer
    Jan 1, 2011
    5
    Cataclysm is just the same old stuff. Sure Azeroth looks different and now, but nothing has changed. Original Wow, and BC where 1,000 times better. They actually took skill, time, effort, and knowledge to be good at. What Blizzard has done with WotLK and Cata is almost a shame to WoW. People hit 85 within 8 hours of the release, so leveling was a complete joke. Blizzard tried to makeCataclysm is just the same old stuff. Sure Azeroth looks different and now, but nothing has changed. Original Wow, and BC where 1,000 times better. They actually took skill, time, effort, and knowledge to be good at. What Blizzard has done with WotLK and Cata is almost a shame to WoW. People hit 85 within 8 hours of the release, so leveling was a complete joke. Blizzard tried to make instances harder, but the only people they were hard for were people who joined during WotLK. If you were an original or BC player these instances were a breeze because we know how to CC. When it comes to raiding people should not be able to clear raids the first day they are released. The Tuesday of the raid release patch I logged on and instantly saw someone with 6 epics. People had the Drake mount you get from raiding in the first week. That is just a joke. PvP doesn't take skill like it used to. It's who can do the most burst damage. Most PvP arena teams don't have healers anymore because of the whole mana issue, and lets face it, only being able to heal for 10-15k with most heals is a joke when people crit for 20k+. I've been playing WoW for 6 years now, and the only reason I'm still playing it is because I hope that Bliz will changed it back to original and BC some day. People giving this game a high rating are the people who came into it during WotLK. The original WoW players know this game to be a shame. I have yet to find anything good about this game. I'm going to go back to Starcraft 2, and wait for the release of Dead Space 2 in a month. GG Blizz...… Expand
  4. Etreum
    Feb 1, 2011
    5
    I love World of Warcraft. I have played for over four years and have 11 level 85s.

    I am not criticizing Cataclysm. I loved the new zones and the questing, but... I think Blizzard is really shoving guilds down our throats. Yes, in WOTLK, if you wanted the absolute top of the line gear, you needed to be part of a raiding guild and spend the time. Fine, but if you did not want to raid,    I love World of Warcraft. I have played for over four years and have 11 level 85s.

    I am not criticizing Cataclysm. I loved the new zones and the questing, but...

    I think Blizzard is really shoving guilds down our throats. Yes, in WOTLK, if you wanted the absolute top of the line gear, you needed to be part of a raiding guild and spend the time. Fine, but if you did not want to raid, there were still quite a few ways to improve yourself through heroics, PvP and achievements and still have fun.

    Now, everything from achievements, to PvP, to heroics are guild-centric, so as a solo player, your options for advancement have been pretty much destroyed.

    I have raised all my alts to level 85, but now what? I hardly got my guild (consisting of my alts) to level 3. So many of the achievements are guild related. Doing heroics with a Pug? Impossible. Rated battegrounds without being part of a PvP guild? Can't do that either.

    So you get to 85 and that is it, nothing more to do unless you are willing to join and spend the time with an active guild. And what do I have against guilds? The drama, the power games, etc. Why play a game to reproduce the idiocy that takes place at the workplace?    … Expand
  5. gamegeek
    Mar 5, 2011
    5
    I have been playing World of Warcraft since its release, lots of changes have happened and 3 expansions later we have arrived at Cataclysm. For me, Cataclysm looked great, it seemed that WoW was going to move up another step in the MMO ranks. For me, its the same old stuff, to get to 80-85 its tons and tons of quests. The story line...well, I kept doing so many quests I started to justI have been playing World of Warcraft since its release, lots of changes have happened and 3 expansions later we have arrived at Cataclysm. For me, Cataclysm looked great, it seemed that WoW was going to move up another step in the MMO ranks. For me, its the same old stuff, to get to 80-85 its tons and tons of quests. The story line...well, I kept doing so many quests I started to just accept the quests without reading them. If your an avid WoW fan you will love it. If your new to the game, there isnt any reason to buy Cataclysm unless you want a different looking avatar (Worgen, Goblins). The new starting zones are beyond great, the story lines are VERY well done. But thats just until level 20ish, when your around level 80-85 the quests just keep coming and there seems to be no end to it. If your looking to advance the next levels in WoW go for it. But once you hit the level cap, its the same old story of PvP and 5 man dungeons and play your eyes out until you have the correct gear score to do 10 and 25-man raids.… Expand
  6. fanficbug
    Jan 2, 2011
    6
    Cataclysm is great fun, if you have the time for it. For new users, the expansion has improved the leveling experience so that it feels cohesive and flows better. The use of in-game cinematics also makes the whole experience much more fun and immersive. There really is no better time to get into the game than right now, IMO. Be warned, though, that the user base tends to be a bitCataclysm is great fun, if you have the time for it. For new users, the expansion has improved the leveling experience so that it feels cohesive and flows better. The use of in-game cinematics also makes the whole experience much more fun and immersive. There really is no better time to get into the game than right now, IMO. Be warned, though, that the user base tends to be a bit sociopathic. Just try not to let random players being mean ruin your fun, and you'll be fine.

    For users that are already into the franchise, views seem to be mixed. I actually found leveling from 80-85 to be much harder than previous tiers, but then again I'm not geared for dealing damage--I'm geared for healing as a paladin. Your mileage may vary here. Leveling from 80-85 didn't take much time at all. That being said, I hate leveling, so this is a good thing. The new zones are also amazing, using brand-new quest mechanics with great story lines. One of my favorite zones in the game is one of the new ones--Uldum. Pretty much all of the content I've played has been spot-on.

    Here's where my low score comes in. I found that once I hit 83 and began to do semi-max to max level content, difficulty increased steeply. (Again, because I'm a healer, YMMV. Healing difficulty has certainly sharply increased.) I found that very jarring, personally, because earlier content is very simple to complete. Groups in the 80-85 range must be coordinated if they want to get through heroic dungeons, and to some extent regular dungeons. While this is much less boring than the Wrath model of dungeon running, it takes much more time. Most heroics take groups on my server around 3-4 hours to complete at this point in time. My server (Zangarmarsh) is about average on the side of progression--not good but not bad, either. I can imagine that it would be better or worse, depending on the server.

    Since I'm working, going to college, and raising a (currently) 1-year-old girl with my husband's help, I simply do not have time for that much gameplay in a week. The Wrath model would have allowed me to keep playing, but sadly, this was not to be. Since the only way for me to get gear to raid would be to run one regular dungeon a day for a very small amount of currency to get gear, my estimate gear up time is going to be several months. I think perhaps I will take a break until I either have more time or the content takes less time to do.

    Pros: Much better leveling experience, great zone redesigns as well as new areas, story lines generally improved, much better gameplay at max level.

    Cons: Time sink at max level. Difficulty curve sharply steepens around 83 or so (at least from a healing perspective.)    … Expand
  7. thebenjster
    Jan 10, 2011
    6
    Smaller scale than the first two expansions and not as well tested. Some of the PVP content, Tol Barad - the new Wintergrasp- in particular, is very poor. Its a far cry from the days Blizzard delays the burning crusade because they wanted to releases as polished a product as possible. The concept is great and when its good it really is but it just feels far to rushed in places.
  8. Dyskresiac
    Feb 25, 2011
    5
    This may be the hardest ame to review. Cataclysm's gem comes for free. Get Vanilla, get to level 60 a few times, find another game. You will love every minute of it. 60-70 was like getting teeth pulled, and 70-80 dragged on towards the end. Cataclysm (strictly speaking) 80-85 content was wonderful. Wonderful, but disgustingly short. It can be done in just a few hours. Imagine aThis may be the hardest ame to review. Cataclysm's gem comes for free. Get Vanilla, get to level 60 a few times, find another game. You will love every minute of it. 60-70 was like getting teeth pulled, and 70-80 dragged on towards the end. Cataclysm (strictly speaking) 80-85 content was wonderful. Wonderful, but disgustingly short. It can be done in just a few hours. Imagine a roller coaster where you get to the bottom of the first hill and- woop, ride's over. Not horrible, but not exactly what you were expecting after waiting out that long line. It's not worth the torture of 60-80 to play 80-85 content, but 1-60 was great, first second and third time.… Expand
  9. dondon
    Mar 7, 2011
    7
    I've played WoW since the BC days and seen the changes. The old classic world is revamped forever and quests have become linear. The storyline for this expansion is not the best compared to previous expansions. Compared to WoTLK the dungeons and raids have been made a bit harder. Probably for the outrageous numbers of players in forums complaining how easy Wraith was. Graphics are neverI've played WoW since the BC days and seen the changes. The old classic world is revamped forever and quests have become linear. The storyline for this expansion is not the best compared to previous expansions. Compared to WoTLK the dungeons and raids have been made a bit harder. Probably for the outrageous numbers of players in forums complaining how easy Wraith was. Graphics are never high end because Blizzard tries to get as many people as they can get. Be it that people have a crap computer to high end users. This game is a bit shorter than usually for the start of a expansion but more content will come in the months ahead.… Expand
  10. mjwilliams84
    Apr 10, 2011
    6
    Revamped areas, two new races, new instances/battlegrounds and a general streamlining of the levelling process make Cataclysm a fairly decent expansion to the series. However, as much as Blizzard sugarcoat it, it still results in a lack of end-game content if you're not in a huge raiding guild. This alienation of the player base that prefers playing in small groups or solo is unforgivableRevamped areas, two new races, new instances/battlegrounds and a general streamlining of the levelling process make Cataclysm a fairly decent expansion to the series. However, as much as Blizzard sugarcoat it, it still results in a lack of end-game content if you're not in a huge raiding guild. This alienation of the player base that prefers playing in small groups or solo is unforgivable in a game that promises so much. The new heroic mode provides a few hours of challenge which sadly doesn't last once you've seen them all at least once. Battlegrounds are, as ever, down mainly to pot luck (being in a decent server group) or the gear you have on. Level to 85, check out the areas, talents and instances, but don't expect anything much different from previous offerings or even anything particularly challenging. What was once an endless grind to the next piece of gear has stayed relatively unchanged.… Expand
  11. Welterweight426
    Jun 10, 2012
    5
    The weakest expansion so far. The new content seemed mostly cosmetic to me and it was not even on the disc. It was patched. Also, the Worgen were awesome but the Goblins sucked. I couldnt stand them. I thought that the destruction aspect was kinda cool but overall it was a waste of money.
  12. MrMT
    Dec 16, 2010
    6
    The game gets a 6 for some lovely new zones, a fun reworking of Azeroth, but essentially a failure to move forward in terms of gameplay or design. In other words, it is more of the same old endless grind. If you enjoyed it before, you will enjoy it again. It's worth a trip to fly round Azeroth, enjoy a couple of the new zones; but it is not fresh and not innovative.

    The new high level    The game gets a 6 for some lovely new zones, a fun reworking of Azeroth, but essentially a failure to move forward in terms of gameplay or design. In other words, it is more of the same old endless grind. If you enjoyed it before, you will enjoy it again. It's worth a trip to fly round Azeroth, enjoy a couple of the new zones; but it is not fresh and not innovative.

    The new high level world content is fun while it lasts, but quickly finished. After that it's the same old sit in a city and wait for dungeons to pop, pray your gizmo drops so you can do a more difficult version of the same dungeon; grind reputation, grind honour, grind justice points by endless repetition.

    I can't wait till we see a new breed of MMOs which emphasize dynamic change, and interaction in a living breathing world, rather than a treadmill of instances and limited battleground. A game which focuses upon random surprise, rather than perfecting scripted predictability. A game which finally shatters the - go to quest hub, kill 10 of these, 10 of those, 10 of the other.

    Cataclysm makes strides here - some of the new quests are fun. But too many repeat the same old formula. Basically, get it, play for your month, and then delete.    … Expand
  13. LongtimeGamer
    Mar 3, 2011
    5
    Ok cool. Its another wow expansion that adds a fairly good amount of content for your money but overall it grows old very quickly. Its the same old wow. GO here, quest, get max level, enjoy the endless gear grind until next expansion. Rinse-Repeat. Save yourself the trouble.. Play wow for a few months maybe like 2-4 then once uve played through a few raids etc quit. Cus its the sameOk cool. Its another wow expansion that adds a fairly good amount of content for your money but overall it grows old very quickly. Its the same old wow. GO here, quest, get max level, enjoy the endless gear grind until next expansion. Rinse-Repeat. Save yourself the trouble.. Play wow for a few months maybe like 2-4 then once uve played through a few raids etc quit. Cus its the same concept over and over...… Expand
  14. Duderoth
    Sep 26, 2011
    6
    WoW: Cataclysm is hard to rate, and really it should be divided into two separate games. One is the new 1-60 content, and the other is the end-game. I would give 1-60 an 8 and the endgame a 4 so they average to 6. Now obviously, if we make comparisons, since all reviews are a form of comparison, the closest thing we can compare Cataclysm to is Wrath of the Lich King, which I thought wasWoW: Cataclysm is hard to rate, and really it should be divided into two separate games. One is the new 1-60 content, and the other is the end-game. I would give 1-60 an 8 and the endgame a 4 so they average to 6. Now obviously, if we make comparisons, since all reviews are a form of comparison, the closest thing we can compare Cataclysm to is Wrath of the Lich King, which I thought was a tremendous expansion and I gave an 8. I know WotLK's content endgame was pretty easy (well, very easy), but that wasn't why I like it. WotLK's endgame dungeons had some very interesting environments, dungeons and lore. Lore. That is what is really missing with Cataclysm. You feel with endgame that you are simply going through the motions. There's nothing really unique or significant with design, architecture, or anything else. The gameplay is almost exactly the same as the previous expansion, with the exception that they put crowd control back in, and has been essentially the same throughout the series, so how do I rate the game on that aspect? It really is the world-building, the quests, and what you're hero accomplishes in his adventures against the Lich King, the Old Gods, and the Burning Legion that makes WoW entertaining, and I feel that Cataclysm ultimately failed to deliver the sense that you're character's actions have any sort of impact with endgame so far. There's just no depth to it. That said, I would spend all my time with Cata leveling from 1 to 60, because the new quest areas for new characters *were* developed with a sense of impact and interest, and some of the quests you just cannot miss (Badlands). So there's my summation. I don't know how helpful it will be if at all.… Expand
  15. Carnifex
    Jan 14, 2011
    5
    Care Bear-clysm.. I thought that this expansion was going to be Blizz finally waking up and realizing that- A : Their game is too easy and- B: PVP and PVE need to be balanced seperately. --- I leveled up to 85 in 4-5 days, (what the hell) I mean I was just doing basic quests. Sure the end-game content is supposed to be where the "true game" starts. Well, the end-game content so far isn'tCare Bear-clysm.. I thought that this expansion was going to be Blizz finally waking up and realizing that- A : Their game is too easy and- B: PVP and PVE need to be balanced seperately. --- I leveled up to 85 in 4-5 days, (what the hell) I mean I was just doing basic quests. Sure the end-game content is supposed to be where the "true game" starts. Well, the end-game content so far isn't anything to right home about unless you like farming plain looking dungeons with super-sized, color swapped, bosses with inflated hit points/damage to give the illusion of difficulty. --- Oh and speaking of color swap, they really phoned in the armor sets this time. Not only do most classes look horrid, when you finally get to upgrade out of that ugly set "gratz color swap" same ugly set. ----- Class balance issues have seemingly always plagued this game, alright any MMO to be fair, but WoW's balancing seems to defy common sense. You get to look forward to that in this expansion too, it just gets worse because they added Mastery rating so now they have another stat to screw up. ---- Sad fact is I'm still playing WoW and probably still will be when the next expansion hits because despite what I think I'm basically just another WoW drone.… Expand
  16. iabster
    Mar 28, 2011
    6
    I've been playing WoW since a week before Burning Crusade came out. I've been a fanboy ever since...loving the content and having plenty to do. I was getting a bit burned by the end of Wrath and debated getting Cataclysm. I did it anyway and was pretty happy with the first two areas I went through...the cut scenes they added were a pretty cool addition. Seeing how the stats on all theI've been playing WoW since a week before Burning Crusade came out. I've been a fanboy ever since...loving the content and having plenty to do. I was getting a bit burned by the end of Wrath and debated getting Cataclysm. I did it anyway and was pretty happy with the first two areas I went through...the cut scenes they added were a pretty cool addition. Seeing how the stats on all the new gear and weapons was very attractive...had my warrior's health up to 80k in no time...and then it hit me...I had just cleared my 3rd full area of quests and headed in to a 4th new area...I gathered up 3 or 4 new quests from the NPCs...and all of a sudden I felt my dinner coming back up, and cold sweat coming...go kill 10 Hateful Beings, and gather 6 Something or other essences, and free 12 Pitiful Souls...Blah! I was done...no more...I just couldn't go on...I'd seen enough of the reused buildings and creatures with new color schemes...I didn't want to do a dungeon 100+ times to get enough points for my new gear...not to mention tanking was not the same (i loved tanking), and rarely were groups patient enough as I learned the fights and geared up. My money, my time...I'm done. Looking forward to the Fall lineup of MMOs...until then, I'll catch up on some cool title for my PS3...peace All. No longer LFG...… Expand
  17. TheJoxter
    Apr 25, 2011
    5
    Excellent rebalance and new content aren't enough to kill the ennui growing in this WoWer's heart. Perhaps someday something will rekindle the lost feeling WoW once inspired but this, today, is not it. Better luck nest time Blizz.
  18. Fredelas
    Jul 18, 2011
    6
    It was interesting to see how this expansion reworked the original regions of Azeroth. However, the new max level content was a bit of a let down, in terms of quantity. I expected more to do, and there just didn't feel like more.
  19. MT56
    Jul 20, 2012
    7
    It's a quality expansion of course, Blizzard doesn't put out crap, despite what haters like to say. But this expansion lost some of what I loved about older versions. I do not like the dumbed down talent trees. I do not like the simplicity of play rotations. It's so obviously laid out that if you play in a creative way then you suffer worse results, no matter what your role is. I don'tIt's a quality expansion of course, Blizzard doesn't put out crap, despite what haters like to say. But this expansion lost some of what I loved about older versions. I do not like the dumbed down talent trees. I do not like the simplicity of play rotations. It's so obviously laid out that if you play in a creative way then you suffer worse results, no matter what your role is. I don't like some of the options that have become common place. A built in quest helper guides you to your next objectives. Of course I use it because it's there, lest I be left behind, but you lose your sense of exploration, isolation, and discovery. You used to be able to search a zone and see something hidden and amazing and wonder how many players took the time to discover what you've discovered. Now you all follow the same linear path through the zone. A similar issue exists with changing the appearance of your gear. Yeah I use it, but I hate it. We should have to display the gear we've earned and live with it. If you want to break out your Soulforge from your bank and wear it that's your choice. I don't like how huge the zones are. They're pretty good looking and the quality of quests is usually decent but you're stuck in the same damn zone for hours and you just want to move on. Another issue is fast flying mounts. It trivializes the epic feeling of time and space that you used to get with Wow. Just fly over it and get where you need to go as fast as possible. Don't take the time to stop and enjoy the scenery or you'll be left behind. Arenas suck too...mostly because I suck at them and I'm mad. Anyway, I'll be back for panda time but I'm now a sceptic. Giving no lower than a 7 because Wow overall is the best game ever created :P P.S.-The old zone makeovers are a GOOD THING!!… Expand
  20. mihmanz
    Dec 11, 2010
    7
    Goblin's missions were pure fun (I even forgot that I was playing WoW), but when I came to Orgrimmar, I lost my interest in playing. I think Cataclysm came too early, but also I do believe Blizzard will make it more valuable later with some big patches
  21. ltx
    Mar 12, 2011
    7
    Fun for a little while. Unless you're into raiding or other long-term grinds, this expansion brings about 2 months worth of content. Overall, least amount of content from any expansion so far. This would be fine if expansion release cycle was shortened to 1 year or even 6 months. Good stuff: heroic dungeons were a lot of fun before everyone geared out and difficulty was reduced. New zones,Fun for a little while. Unless you're into raiding or other long-term grinds, this expansion brings about 2 months worth of content. Overall, least amount of content from any expansion so far. This would be fine if expansion release cycle was shortened to 1 year or even 6 months. Good stuff: heroic dungeons were a lot of fun before everyone geared out and difficulty was reduced. New zones, although few, are pretty and have story-lines.… Expand
  22. Pomornik
    Nov 3, 2011
    6
    Half-assed and overhyped expansion. Many of the features got scrapped, most of the content is just repainted old one, and it has worst end-game out of all of the expansions. WoW needs something new, not more of the same old crap we all saw hundreds of times already.
  23. Itsapaul
    Dec 26, 2010
    7
    For what it adds to the game, this should probably be rated a 10. Getting to max level is easier than ever too, so that's a huge plus. However, seeing as Blizzard made no indication on the difficulty increase to the average user thus nothing can be done without a guild or a decent group on your server, I'm left wondering why they made random heroics in the first place. As always withFor what it adds to the game, this should probably be rated a 10. Getting to max level is easier than ever too, so that's a huge plus. However, seeing as Blizzard made no indication on the difficulty increase to the average user thus nothing can be done without a guild or a decent group on your server, I'm left wondering why they made random heroics in the first place. As always with these kind of games, while the gameplay can be fine, the community ruins any enjoyment I could get from it.

    PS - They said they wouldn't nerf heroics, but they're going to have to before everyone quits from not being able to get any done with random bad players.    … Expand
  24. thatgerman
    Nov 11, 2011
    5
    WoW gets worse with each expansion it releases (except Burning Crusade). The only reason i liked Wrath of the lich king was because i was a holy paladin and was the most powerful healer class in dungeons. Cataclysm is the decline of WoW, and Mists of Panturdia will be the final nail in the coffin. Seriously Blizz? a pvp based expansion, with pandas. Just do the people that still play theWoW gets worse with each expansion it releases (except Burning Crusade). The only reason i liked Wrath of the lich king was because i was a holy paladin and was the most powerful healer class in dungeons. Cataclysm is the decline of WoW, and Mists of Panturdia will be the final nail in the coffin. Seriously Blizz? a pvp based expansion, with pandas. Just do the people that still play the game a favor and get rid of subscriptions.… Expand
  25. Tkwz
    Jun 13, 2011
    5
    Opinion of this game (and particularly about this expansion) will greatly depend on the type of player one is. Cataclysm (and WoW in general) is a perfect MMORPG for those new players that have limited and scattered free time (aka Casuals). For them it offers well polished, rich and fairly entertaining content that lasts for quite a while, the graphics engine is fairly outdated, but stillOpinion of this game (and particularly about this expansion) will greatly depend on the type of player one is. Cataclysm (and WoW in general) is a perfect MMORPG for those new players that have limited and scattered free time (aka Casuals). For them it offers well polished, rich and fairly entertaining content that lasts for quite a while, the graphics engine is fairly outdated, but still the game looks positively alive, much more so than ANY mmorpg out there. The only problem is a complete lack of higher difficulty option, the classes have many skills but very straightforward, the quests and even dungeons are easy, not challenging even for completely new rpg players. Some will like it that way, many wonâ… Expand
  26. vincesz
    Jan 16, 2011
    7
    For a bit of background about me, I played WoW extensively when it first came out (cleared Naxx) then played a bit when TBC came out (mostly arena) and quit at level 78 with WotLK.

    I came back to Cataclysm after seeing beta footage on Youtube and having it pique my interest. I had lost my account at that point, so I needed to start from scratch. The game blew me away almost from the    For a bit of background about me, I played WoW extensively when it first came out (cleared Naxx) then played a bit when TBC came out (mostly arena) and quit at level 78 with WotLK.

    I came back to Cataclysm after seeing beta footage on Youtube and having it pique my interest. I had lost my account at that point, so I needed to start from scratch.

    The game blew me away almost from the get-go. I was absolutely stunned with how much I enjoyed it, especially remembering the agony of leveling before. Almost every zone has a story, some small tale that you affect, brilliantly using the phasing mechanic to make you feel like your actions impact the zone.

    The entire game felt fresh and new, many small things were added to make learning things easier. No more training defense and weapon skills, notifications when you can learn new moves from the trainer, improved interfaces, spell alerts etc. etc.

    I had a perpetual blast from 1-60, but alas that's when the magic abruptly ends. Being a casual gamer, I played maybe a 2-3 hours a week, and levels 50-60 (which pre-cataclysm used to take ages to complete) now take about 1/2 hour per level un-rested.

    At level 60 this joyride comes to a screeching halt, and outlands and beyond. All of a sudden after having fun, rewarding, half hour level ups it takes about 2-3 hours PER LEVEL. The quests in the outlands starting zones give LESS exp than old world level 55 quests. The quests are also much further spaced out (meaning more travel time) and overall not as fun (kill 10 of x and 20 of y). I am currently level 69, and went to Northrend. That place hasn't changed much either, and I will not be continuing my "adventures" much longer.

    If I was to give out a recommendation for this game, I'd say that you should just buy the original WoW and play through leveling to 60. The expansion content is only necessary if you want to play goblins/worgen/blood elves/draenei or want to continue beyond level 60.    … Expand
  27. bizzyx33
    Jan 20, 2011
    7
    The game is really fun but wait I hate the most are the queues for dungeons. 30-50 minute queues is ridiculous. The dungeons are also much longer than they use to. I remember finishing dungeons within 30 minutes during WOTLK. Now they are taking 1 hour + per dungeon.

    PvP is also pretty unbalance. Frost mages who can win by just running around spamming ice lance 80% of the fight is dumb.    The game is really fun but wait I hate the most are the queues for dungeons. 30-50 minute queues is ridiculous. The dungeons are also much longer than they use to. I remember finishing dungeons within 30 minutes during WOTLK. Now they are taking 1 hour + per dungeon.

    PvP is also pretty unbalance. Frost mages who can win by just running around spamming ice lance 80% of the fight is dumb. I also purchased my World of Warcraft Cataclysm at www.wtsmystuff.com for $37.99. Great deals for many games. That is where I do all my pc game purchases.    … Expand
  28. bsides
    Nov 27, 2011
    5
    When the players asked to make Azeroth fun again I don't think they meant Cataclysm. It was a good excuse to remake the world and everybody got so hyped about it that this came out - an unfinished game. I like to call it unfinished because I never saw such a low job from Blizzard. It looks like they missed the ball here, not knowing where to focus and what to deliver. They say theyWhen the players asked to make Azeroth fun again I don't think they meant Cataclysm. It was a good excuse to remake the world and everybody got so hyped about it that this came out - an unfinished game. I like to call it unfinished because I never saw such a low job from Blizzard. It looks like they missed the ball here, not knowing where to focus and what to deliver. They say they "listened to users" but as it turn down, they didn't listen to beta players at all. We all said it, the content was too low. To be able to flight since day 1 was pretty stupid. There aren't enough dungeons. There aren't enough raids. The content is miserable. You guys take too much time to make it "perfect" and throw that at us? That's going to leave a mark, for sure.

    Now I scored a 5 because it IS indeed fun to see the changes in Azeroth, to see what changed in the quests, to check out the 2 new races and see the new dungeons and raids. The problem is that you can do that in just a month. Yup, that's about it.    … Expand
  29. Koumori
    Dec 20, 2011
    5
    Cataclysm brings an end to the Ice reign of the Lich King expansion and replaces it with fire and chaos. Lands that most players have seen for years are replaced with lava and cracks in the earth; new areas have cropped up to explore, and there's two new races to play. However, whilst that looks like a lot of content on paper, Blizzard didn't exactly deliver in terms of long-term play. FunCataclysm brings an end to the Ice reign of the Lich King expansion and replaces it with fire and chaos. Lands that most players have seen for years are replaced with lava and cracks in the earth; new areas have cropped up to explore, and there's two new races to play. However, whilst that looks like a lot of content on paper, Blizzard didn't exactly deliver in terms of long-term play. Fun for those who enjoy alt-levelling as they've seemed to pump most of their time revamping their admittedly tired 1-60 levelling areas, but what they sacrificed for that is quality of capped level play. The quests for the new areas are tedious at best, the raids uninspired. The patches are nothing impressive either, with Blizzard hellbent on delivering the least amount of content they can get away with. Although still the King of MMO's with an impressive legacy of the last seven years, Cataclysm is not a landmark step and was a disappointment.… Expand
  30. Tridus
    May 20, 2011
    6
    I played Cataclysm until recently. It's pretty fun at first, but the magic is gone. The storyline at this point makes absolutely no sense and has come down in 4.1 to "for some random reason former good guy Trolls are now evil, so go kill them in these recycled dungeons." Content is pathetically slow in coming since release, and weak when it finally did arrive. There's a great sense of "whoI played Cataclysm until recently. It's pretty fun at first, but the magic is gone. The storyline at this point makes absolutely no sense and has come down in 4.1 to "for some random reason former good guy Trolls are now evil, so go kill them in these recycled dungeons." Content is pathetically slow in coming since release, and weak when it finally did arrive. There's a great sense of "who cares?" in most of what's going on. To top it off, Blizzard is now largely focused on tacking on extra charges more then they are improving the game. It's been a good run, but this is a game that's lost its way.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PC Game of 2010
16
#16 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
47
#47 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 53 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 53
  3. Negative: 0 out of 53
  1. Worth Playing
    Apr 24, 2011
    95
    World of Warcraft: Cataclysm brings the excitement of a new expansion to much of the game and provides some exciting and engaging high-level content. If your account has lapsed, Cataclysm makes it worth the renewal cost. The expansion content raises the bar and re-establishes Blizzard as the reigning king of traditional MMORPGs.
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  2. PC Games (Russia)
    Mar 21, 2011
    90
    More of an evolution in terms of gaming experience, but it's the best World of Warcraft expansion so far. If you have never tried WoW or are thinking about returning in Azeroth – now is the time. [Feb 2011, p.66]
  3. GameOver.gr
    Mar 4, 2011
    90
    Blizzard has undergone an extremely ambitious effort with the Cataclysm expansion, razing the familiar to the ground and building something that proves both new and inviting. And while certain balance issues are being fixed via patches, thereʼs something good here for new players, veterans, hardcore and casual gamers alike.
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