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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. DANEger
    Mar 13, 2011
    8
    The World of Warcraft has changed for the better it is more streamlined and far more easy to to follow, the game now explicitly tells you the best spots to be at your level. many see this as hand holding and an absolutely massive blow the the game's quality i find that rather absurd making a game less confusing is not making it worse and in some ways not even making it less difficult butThe World of Warcraft has changed for the better it is more streamlined and far more easy to to follow, the game now explicitly tells you the best spots to be at your level. many see this as hand holding and an absolutely massive blow the the game's quality i find that rather absurd making a game less confusing is not making it worse and in some ways not even making it less difficult but rather simply less tedious. Another aspect of the game that i find highly improved is they way gilds have been reworked. Lets face it this is an MMO you are supposed to play it with others complaining that you can not solo parts is like complain about the lack of race race cars in a fighting game. This gives a guild actual benefits and rewards you for advancing your guild making the for a more cohesive game.

    My only complaint is that Outlands and Notherrend are absolutely untouched even a slight touch up to the 2 would have been a nice change of pace.    … Expand
  2. Drillur
    Dec 7, 2010
    10
    Every area has been redone, and if not completely redone, then slightly convenienced. The quest flow is amazing now! Start a Human and go thru Elwynn, Westfall, and Redridge. By the end of the three regions, each with their unique stories (well Elwynn is much the same), you will agree with me. Much better than classic. Everything continues to grow as the years go on
  3. kloborgg
    Dec 9, 2010
    10
    You've gotta love the morons giving it a low mark because "all they did was reskin Azeroth", acting as though that's a trivial matter and unimportant. World of Warcraft Cataclysm revolutionizes the way we think about expansion packs, and manages bring something any fan of the MMO can enjoy.

    World of Warcraft is starting to age. Or, at least it was. The graphics are still beautiful, but    You've gotta love the morons giving it a low mark because "all they did was reskin Azeroth", acting as though that's a trivial matter and unimportant. World of Warcraft Cataclysm revolutionizes the way we think about expansion packs, and manages bring something any fan of the MMO can enjoy.

    World of Warcraft is starting to age. Or, at least it was. The graphics are still beautiful, but the model-count is noticeably low compared to any modern game. The previous expansion managed to upgrade the game, creating new zones, new content, new features, and featuring better gameplay. Burning Crusade introduced the flying mount and improved PvP, whereas Wrath of the Lich King spiced of questing with linear interactive storylines and added the oh so appreciated Looking-For-Dungeon tool. Nevertheless, the core of the game, the 1-60 experience, was left in the dust. The vistas in that region were uninspiring, the quest chains lackluster. Dungeons were long and tedious, and it all felt so, out-dated. People have long been bringing up the subject of a World of Warcraft 2. Obviously, nothing lasts forever, and eventually Blizzard would have to create a sequel. Blizzard managed to solve nearly all of its problems with their most recent release: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.

    Unlike the previous expansions, which were additions and upgrades, Cataclysm is the first real update. It really is WoW 2, but without the problem of a split-player base. Before I go in depth, it's important to define what Cataclysm is. Technically, the $40 you pay only gets you the Goblin/Worgen, 80-85 content and the ability to fly in the Old World. That's only because the majority of work the developers put in is already there for everyone. Adding the Shattering of Azeroth makes this the most hefty expansion in WoW's history, arguably one of the greatest undertaking of any expansion in gaming history. Nearly every single World of Warcraft zone from 1-60 has been completely rehauled. Cutscenes and recurring characters make quest chains enjoyable. Vehicle segments and creative mechanics are mixed in to prevent tedious questing. Graphics have been upgraded, especially view distance and water effects, making for breathtaking vistas. This is the first time since 2004 that I've really felt excited to level. Blizzard took everything they learned from BC/WotLK and used it to optimize the Old World. This content alone deserves great recognition.
    The Goblin/Worgen are two extremely different and extremely interesting races, much more so than the Blood Elves, and especially more so than the Draenei. Goblin as wacky and funny, whereas Worgen present a completely serious storyline. Playing both offers great unique experiences.
    The 80-85 zones may not contain as much content as the previous xpacs, but each one can completely hold its own. Hyjal is a lore-lover's paradise, and Vashj'ir is absolutely incredible. Deepholm is a true warzone, and Uldum, my personal favorite, contains everything that is awesome about Ancient Egypt. I have yet to reach the Twilight Highlands, but I have a hard time seeing them being a disappointment. The quests are not all perfect, and there are quite a few generic ones, but ultimately these are some of the most entertaining zones in the game. While WotLK was undoubtedly a financial success, ultimately many "hardcore" players felt disappointed. Far too much of its content was either too easy or too simple. Vanilla raiding wasn't perfect, but doing a dungeon in Wrath was just boring. The tank would run through one group at a time, AoE-tank them, and move up. In that regard Cataclysm really is seeking out those older players. The dungeons have just as much flair if not more so than the other xpacs, but they possess the feel of a Vanilla/BC dungeon. Pulling different groups of adds requires thinking beforehand, and the group must watch out for patrols. Once again crowd control becomes a near necessity, something I almost forgot about in WotLK. Best of all, I have yet to encounter a tank 'n' spank boss. Each boss has its own unique abilities, many of them being very intuitive. If this is how the 5-mans shape up, I simply cannot wait to start raiding content.
    Other features in Cataclysm are the guild progression system, which I could go into much detail about, and the new professions. I'm running out of room, but both add new layers of complexity to the game and are very welcome.
    Overall, Cataclysm is a huge thing. It is easily the biggest expansion considering the Shattering, and manages to take what was learned from the previous xpacs and add some of the old lost flair from vanilla. There is literally something for everyone. Blizzard clearly shows that they know their market, and the Cataclysm is easily a solid A+, 10/10. Your $40 may only get you the last bit of the Cataclysm, but you can hardly complain about getting so much for free.    … Expand
  4. Dralen
    Dec 17, 2010
    9
    One thing I have learned about 50% of WoW gamers is they are never happy. I look back and see The Burning Crusade reviews and alot of the reviews are negative, so when Blizzard changes their approach to the next expansion you're still not happy. So what do you all tell Blizzard: "The Burning Crusade was way better go back to that", and so they did and you still f****** complain. All I canOne thing I have learned about 50% of WoW gamers is they are never happy. I look back and see The Burning Crusade reviews and alot of the reviews are negative, so when Blizzard changes their approach to the next expansion you're still not happy. So what do you all tell Blizzard: "The Burning Crusade was way better go back to that", and so they did and you still f****** complain. All I can say to you is, if you hate it so much why are you still playing!!!? World of Warcraft is a great game, so either stop complaining or f*** off and play something else.… Expand
  5. solsunforge
    Apr 9, 2011
    8
    I will try to keep this review strictly about the game and not about the people in it or the length of time I personally have been playing as I find that to be nothing more then a epeen issue.

    Cataclysm is a effort from blizzard to breath a bit of life into a game slowly crushing from its own weight. Since the beggining of world of warcraft the game has taken blizzard by surprise and in    I will try to keep this review strictly about the game and not about the people in it or the length of time I personally have been playing as I find that to be nothing more then a epeen issue.

    Cataclysm is a effort from blizzard to breath a bit of life into a game slowly crushing from its own weight. Since the beggining of world of warcraft the game has taken blizzard by surprise and in my opinion made them greedy as seeing big dollar signs can do to many developers. A lot of mechanics have been simplified such as talent trees and the inner workings of character progression. The added mastery in many character builds is very stale but in others is very useful. You can reforge your gear which is taking half of your secondary stas and changing that to another secondary stat which isnt on the gear. Reforging is incredibly more useful then mastery however. Since Blizzard didnt know how to deal with people who had 45% or more crit chance they nerfed it by a drastic amount. They could of made it that the bosses had extra health to compensate which would in effect give players the exact same effect but they also wouldnt feel like they have been universally nerfed. The phasing system is very cool but it is also very aggravating to go to a ore to mine it and have it disappear bewcause its in a different phase. I believe they should make all resource nodes either show up on every phase or make only obtainable nodes show up for seperate phases. The new zones are a nice change of pace but all in all I feel the time it takes to get from 80-85 is very disappointing in how short it is to get to max level. Heroic dungeons feel heroic again but from what I have experienced raids seem rather easy comparitively to burning crusade or vanilla. I feel that having the end cataclysm boss being just a rehash of a boss already defeated is a huge slight to the playerbase. The precense of a blizzard store that sells non combat pets is okay except thats not all they sell. You can purchase a mount which is essentially just a reskin of a mount you most likely already have it even uses the same skeleton. The amount of daily quests is mind boggling considering blizzard has expressed numerous concerns about there being to much gold in game. All in all I would say it probably is worth it for old veteran players to come back to try it out at least. While there is faults it still is a enjoyabble experience and at the very least will save you money from buying numerous games that may only last a few hours.    … Expand
  6. Zeusknws
    Jan 4, 2013
    8
    Haven't played on the official site yet!!! But a pretty good one!! Amazing ideas used!!! I guess the best online game till date!!! Gotta see the latest addition!!
  7. Hall7718
    Feb 21, 2014
    8
    Cataclysm was a positive expansion for WoW.... but not as much as TBC or WotLK. Cata brought about come game updates that really needed to happen for the future of the game... but didn't provide as much content for end-game as the previous expansions.
  8. Buris
    Dec 9, 2010
    9
    Despite some regrettably annoying bugs, this expansion reigns in a far more cinematic experience than previous MMORPGS have ever before tried. The phasing technology is amazing and allows for a great questing experience. Something of a change of pace, early leveling zones include extremely long chain quests with no alternative. Either you do you the chain quest, or you don't do the zone.Despite some regrettably annoying bugs, this expansion reigns in a far more cinematic experience than previous MMORPGS have ever before tried. The phasing technology is amazing and allows for a great questing experience. Something of a change of pace, early leveling zones include extremely long chain quests with no alternative. Either you do you the chain quest, or you don't do the zone. This can be frustrating, but it pays off in the end with new, wonderful cinematics and unique and engaging questing experiences.… Expand
  9. goettel
    Dec 22, 2010
    8
    As usual, a lot of outrageous scores of 1 drag down the overall score. Somehow, the simple concept that a review should not only be a reflection of your personal preferences eludes these simple folks. But I digress.

    So far, Cata has exceeded my (low) expectations by a large margin. Questing is much more focussed, mostly due to breadcrumb quests laying out a clear path on. Normal 5-man    As usual, a lot of outrageous scores of 1 drag down the overall score. Somehow, the simple concept that a review should not only be a reflection of your personal preferences eludes these simple folks. But I digress.

    So far, Cata has exceeded my (low) expectations by a large margin. Questing is much more focussed, mostly due to breadcrumb quests laying out a clear path on. Normal 5-man instances have been quite challenging, partially due to the overhaul of class mechanics, and partially because of mob and boss abilities. They've also been great fun, epic fail PUGs notwithstanding.

    The goblin starting quests are a blast, and offer an experience way beyond any older low level content.

    The new zones wring out every last drop of graphical delight offered by the ageing engine. After stepping back into WoW from other (non-MMO) games, it struck me as incredible simple looking. However, after only a couple of days play, I've come to appreciate the immense amounts of work which has evidently gone into the new content: textures, layout, general feel, etc. Just look at Deepholm, then tell me how bad this game looks. Technically, other MMO's are ahead in the engine department, but none of them offers the quality of artwork available here.

    As or claims of the games being too easy: I'll put that down to kids sticking to faceroll DPS classes/builds. Try tanking/healing, then come back and tell us how easy it has become.

    Furthermore: the balance of green vs. blue vs. purple gear seems a lot better, more like vanilla WoW - when epic actually meant epic.

    I can't speak for endgame content yet, but from what I've seen and read so far I'm not worried as to the quality. Same goes for PvP. So my score is based on leveling and normal 5-man instances, and should be read accordingly.    … Expand
  10. LightnaCore
    Dec 9, 2010
    10
    This expansion is exactly what Blizz needed to do. I could not even bring myself to level a new character in WoW because of the boring old world content and/or quests that are so out of the way that they aren't worth the time because there are a bunch of juicy quests all together. Cataclysm, unfortunately, still has quests that are out of the way but at the speed I was leveling, it didn'tThis expansion is exactly what Blizz needed to do. I could not even bring myself to level a new character in WoW because of the boring old world content and/or quests that are so out of the way that they aren't worth the time because there are a bunch of juicy quests all together. Cataclysm, unfortunately, still has quests that are out of the way but at the speed I was leveling, it didn't become a reasonable drive to go up to that part of the map and do the quest. From Gilneas to Ashenvale the questlines are full of immersion and with Blizzard's new and improved phasing, its like what you're doing as the character is affecting the world. An MMO that I play that finally gives the illusion of time flowing through the game. To this extent, I give Blizz two thumbs up.

    I haven't played through all the new zones but I must say that the time Blizzard put into this particular expansion is beautiful. Although stay away from Uldum unless you really have a good graphics card or you have turned down the graphics because Uldum will thrash and slash your framerate.    … Expand
  11. Tubie
    Jan 2, 2011
    8
    This expansion does so much to bring life into this game, it's incredible they only charge you $40 for it. There's is a lot of content here for everyone. The casuals, the alt-maniacs, the hardcore and the not so hardcore. As far as end game goes, I feel Blizzard hit a nice balance with dungeon difficulty, not being as easy as Wotlk but not as punishing as the harder TBC heroics. Good tooThis expansion does so much to bring life into this game, it's incredible they only charge you $40 for it. There's is a lot of content here for everyone. The casuals, the alt-maniacs, the hardcore and the not so hardcore. As far as end game goes, I feel Blizzard hit a nice balance with dungeon difficulty, not being as easy as Wotlk but not as punishing as the harder TBC heroics. Good too see so much work is and quality is still coming out of Blizzard.… Expand
  12. Ilovegames
    Dec 20, 2010
    9
    Every area in this game has redone, and it started with a new battle or something. The new characters the worgens and the gobilins started up with a huge story, and its so fun to play for the starting. However, there is one thing obiously changed are the quests, I think the quests are a bit too easy, because of that, the gameplay seems short from 80-85Lv. I can't tell if the game is fun toEvery area in this game has redone, and it started with a new battle or something. The new characters the worgens and the gobilins started up with a huge story, and its so fun to play for the starting. However, there is one thing obiously changed are the quests, I think the quests are a bit too easy, because of that, the gameplay seems short from 80-85Lv. I can't tell if the game is fun to play because every guy plays WoW would have different opinions about the game, like the TaiWan guys worshiped the game as their life.... But anyway, I recommend Blizzard to (incharge) the quests.… Expand
  13. Confusatron
    Dec 15, 2010
    9
    Before I even start let's get something out of the way. Yes, i'm a WoW fanboy. But I like how some people, such as Keridor, imply that if I love WoW then I'm blind because it's bad.If I like this game, or any game for that matter, it's because that game was good enough to merit my appreciation. I think people throwing around the 1 scores are no different than people throwing around theBefore I even start let's get something out of the way. Yes, i'm a WoW fanboy. But I like how some people, such as Keridor, imply that if I love WoW then I'm blind because it's bad.If I like this game, or any game for that matter, it's because that game was good enough to merit my appreciation. I think people throwing around the 1 scores are no different than people throwing around the 10s. It's just different extremes. I give this expansion a nine because I believe it deserves it. The one complaint I hear most is about levelling being easy. Yes, it is easier now. If you like hardcore grindfests than WoW wasn't your game to begin with. But WoW has always been about the atmosphere, and as the game evolved this became an even stronger point. Levelling now is about the experience. And yes, there is a lot to do. The new archeology profession is perfect for lore freaks like me who love to explore the world and delve into its secrets. The new zones are fantastic and you'll be fighting epic battles before you reach level 10. That's not a bad thing. The NPCs and factions inhabiting the world have more of a presence. Blizzard have added life into a game that was already brimming with it. Furthermore, like it or not, the max level is 85, not 60. So while getting to 60 is significantly quicker, this is only part of the way.

    If you've never played this game and you feel like giving it a go I definitely urge you to, and don't listen to people who are either too excited or too bitter to give an honest opinion. Declarations such as Blizzard only wanting money are childish. This is a company that for years has proved time and again that they care not only about providing a service but about the products they stamp their name on.

    Get the game or don't, the fact is this is the best MMO out there today for people who wants to have fun. If you feel like trying out MMOs this is definately the place to start.    … Expand
  14. Plagiarmaster
    Dec 11, 2010
    10
    For people rating this game low, I think you need to read the review from GAMEPRO posted on here that is from a hardcore WOW freak who's been playing for 6 years. I find it hard to believe any of you could experience all of the new content in less than a few days. Also note, as big as this game is there's obviously going to be some kinks that need to be worked out and play balanced,For people rating this game low, I think you need to read the review from GAMEPRO posted on here that is from a hardcore WOW freak who's been playing for 6 years. I find it hard to believe any of you could experience all of the new content in less than a few days. Also note, as big as this game is there's obviously going to be some kinks that need to be worked out and play balanced, which I'm sure will happen in the coming months as players give their input (both new and old players). They fix/polish each expansion for 2 years or so. How can someone complain after their review fully admits there is a LOT of content (Keridor - "t's a simple matter of fact: Cataclysm has reworked ALL of old Azeroth, adding new quests, new dungeons, reworking old dungeons, and creating such "cinematic" experiences, that one would be a fool not to buy this game!"), then comes back to say it's defeatable in 1/2 month. How could you possibly know in 3 days? LOL. Everything's been redone, new quests, dungeons etc but you say there's less content. Which is it? Myself I don't think I'd be able to write an true review for months (discounting the fact that the game will undoubtedly change quite a bit in the next year+). The gamepro guy wrote two reviews (one for newbs, the other for hardcore players). Right now I'd say the game is a 8.5 or so but I'm rating it a 10 to make up for silly reviews that freely admit there's a lot of new content etc then rate the game as if it's a complete mess. I'm wondering if they work for a competing product or something (neosyth) :) Let's face it, Blizzard has certainly been killing off the competition for 6 years or so. I haven't played every MMO but I can't name another one that I'm afraid might suck the life out of me if I'm not careful. This game (as all Blizzard games I've played) makes me lose sleep. A lot of sleep. :)
    http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/217535/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm
    The whiners should read the above review and maybe re-evaluate after a few weeks. There's no way this game rates less than 6 even if you don't like some of the new changes etc. That's just ridiculous. If $40 upset you that much, perhaps you shouldn't be buying games. You can start over as new characters and go through the game as a whole new experience. Isn't playing the new characters part of new expansions experience? If you're totally blowing off half the new content you really did waste your money I guess and perhaps, missed 1/2 the point of the new release. Good luck finding a better MMO.    … Expand
  15. woodjj
    Dec 14, 2010
    10
    Overall much better than vanilla wow and the previous expansions, for the most part, but they made the game way too easy. My suggestion would to make the game more story driven so player's can feel more involved, and to make the game more challenging, to not just breeze through levels just to get to the end game. They changed many things for the better, and some things for the worse.Overall much better than vanilla wow and the previous expansions, for the most part, but they made the game way too easy. My suggestion would to make the game more story driven so player's can feel more involved, and to make the game more challenging, to not just breeze through levels just to get to the end game. They changed many things for the better, and some things for the worse. Overall though, I would still give this expansion a 10, and very much worth getting if WOW is you're thing.… Expand
  16. data113
    Dec 18, 2010
    8
    World of Warcraft has gone so far but this new addon makes it go right over the top with the new races like the werewolf race and the goblen race. The new land the put in makes every thing you know about World of Warcraft changed, but it can make it harder to get around some of the times but not alway. Overall this new addon makes old players and new players come to World of Warcraft. IWorld of Warcraft has gone so far but this new addon makes it go right over the top with the new races like the werewolf race and the goblen race. The new land the put in makes every thing you know about World of Warcraft changed, but it can make it harder to get around some of the times but not alway. Overall this new addon makes old players and new players come to World of Warcraft. I hope you found this helpful.… Expand
  17. Seba
    Dec 22, 2010
    10
    Ill split this up into 2 parts. I want to first discuss how the good the game is if you just continue on your level 80 and get to 85. I would say its a pretty good experience. Hell, i think its the best they ever did in an expansion! However, even though making a new character and leveling it up in the new redone area's of the world is fun... it's the same thing through 60-85. So you'reIll split this up into 2 parts. I want to first discuss how the good the game is if you just continue on your level 80 and get to 85. I would say its a pretty good experience. Hell, i think its the best they ever did in an expansion! However, even though making a new character and leveling it up in the new redone area's of the world is fun... it's the same thing through 60-85. So you're really only getting the oldest zones redone. No Northrend, no outland. If you're a WoW fan like me, i would defiantly pick this game up, even though 60-85 is the same process.… Expand
  18. Zeph
    Jan 13, 2011
    8
    I would call the GOAL of this expansion more of a fix-it-up rather than adding new content (although it DOES add quite a few areas), but regardless, it will only appeal to those who enjoy World of Warcraft, or are on the fence. If you do not fit into these categories, then save your money and don't bother. You know, why even bother reviewing, its just going to be a tug of war betweenI would call the GOAL of this expansion more of a fix-it-up rather than adding new content (although it DOES add quite a few areas), but regardless, it will only appeal to those who enjoy World of Warcraft, or are on the fence. If you do not fit into these categories, then save your money and don't bother. You know, why even bother reviewing, its just going to be a tug of war between haters and fanboys anyways.… Expand
  19. dnfstorm
    Jan 5, 2011
    10
    The best expansion for what can only honestly be described as the best MMO game of the last 10 years, huge player base for all the family, worth a try and retry if you've played before, i'm off to play again now.
  20. Jimbob2k666
    Jan 7, 2011
    8
    ......FIRST OFF: Metacritic - Please allow paragraphs, Walls of Text is no fun :D ..............................The last time I tried to get back into World of Warcraft was in 2007 when WotLK expansion was released. I had played the game from inception up to The Burning Crusade, and that was where my love for the game died. TBC was just plain boring, and I didn't see much new......FIRST OFF: Metacritic - Please allow paragraphs, Walls of Text is no fun :D ..............................The last time I tried to get back into World of Warcraft was in 2007 when WotLK expansion was released. I had played the game from inception up to The Burning Crusade, and that was where my love for the game died. TBC was just plain boring, and I didn't see much new imagination being used in how the new regions were created. The reduction to 25 man was also a hard hitter having been an officer in a very successful guild (all server 1sts from MC up to half of Serpentshrine). Suddenly having to pick out people to dump who didn't make the grade was not a task we enjoyed. Tied in with various patches that made all the boss encounters really easy after we had spent many MANY hours wiping, working out new tactics and getting dungeons on farm, I got really peeved at Blizzard for devaluing the efforts of those who wanted hardcore PvE.......................................... I then rejoied the game (and my old guild - as a member) and despite making it to level 78, I just really didn't like what I was seeing. My guildies levelled far quicker than I did as I vowed (to my wife) that this game would no longer take up too much of my life..................................... The guild had been raiding for a couple of weeks and had the first to major instances almost on farm, which to me just seemed too fast. Reports were telling me way too many encounters were just "tank 'n' Spank" and really didn't require much thought to beat. This is when I gave up............................................

    So, on to Cataclysm. This time around I am on a PvP server in a new guild which a friend of mine helps to run. They were fairly established with another guild but some squabbles seemed to have seen him and a few others splinter off to reform a new guild. The guild has about 15 players who are very regular, and I thought what the heck, I'll give WoW another try.................................. So, I rolled a fresh character, a Goblin mage, which is a class I have never played as before. I really don't want to go into extreme detail, but the efforts Blizzard have made in the revamped level 1-60 zones are something majestical. They have really put a lot of thought into a lot of quests that have been reworked, and quests now have a much better flow as now, many quest lines don't require you to keep running back and forth to the quest giver, and will give you a "clicky" to complete and move onto the next part of the quests.......................................Experience gain is now very fast, and it does somewhat derail a little as you start going way ahead of quest levels, to the point that I managed to reach level 60 (as horde) by just doing half a dozen zones in Kalimdor, and just Stranglethorn Vale in the Eastern kingdoms. Whilst this is ok for those looking to rush everything, for me, a player who likes to take a bit more time, levelling up all my primary and secondary professions at the same time, became a bit annoying................................

    The biggest stumbling block as regards to the flow of the game, is that levelling 1-60 was at a good pace, but then you enter Hellfire Penninsula (I was at level 62) and it suddenly feels like hitting a brick wall. Everything slows down to a snails pace. The continuous quest utility used in Azeroth hasn't been brought forward to TBC or WotLK, so running back and forth is required. Luckily, the guild had hit the level required to give us a 5% bonus to experience, so it speeded it up a little. This buffed up to 10% bonus by the time I finished TBC and hit level 70. I only did Hellfire, Zangarmarsh, and Nagrand to reach level 70, so at least I didn't have to suffer too much in what for me was a nightmare expansion. I managed to get to level 80 by only doing a few zones in WotLK which is fine......................................

    At the time of writing this, I have reached level 81, and I am only in the first zone. Things appear to be a lot better so far, and it is a pleasure to see that old grounds will be revisited, and old bosses make an appearance here and there. I have watched some video reviews of the new expansion, and some of the new implementations and mechanics really look like I am going to have a good time. But the most important thing for me, is that Blizzard have re-introduced a level of difficulty to boss fights, and from what I've watched and read, means that not that much "tank 'n' spank" has made it into the expansion..............................
    [p]
    Whilst I haven't witnessed a whole lot so far, I still feel I can give a review so far, and I score Cataclysm (so far) as follows......................Graphics: 6/10, Audio: 8/10, Presentation: 10/10, Gameplay: 8/10, OVERALL: 8.......
    If you are a lapsed player like me, it is definately worth at least giving it a go.    … Expand
  21. Realjno
    Jan 7, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Keridor Dec 11, 20101 I commend Blizzard on having truly shown me the lengths they'll go to to make money. It's a simple matter of fact: Cataclysm has reworked ALL of old Azeroth, adding new quests, new dungeons, reworking old dungeons, and creating such "cinematic" experiences, that one would be a fool not to buy this game! Unfortunately, all this loses its luster when you realize something: this game has become so putrescently easy, that all this content is meaningless. Your out the Dark Portal and into Burning Crusade in a few short days. The leveling in this game has been turned into a joke. The quests are easy, and rather than feel enjoyable, it feels like you rush through this game to get to the end-game content. I see people giving this game 10's because they level so fast, but what's the point of reworking the first sixty levels if all you're going to do is fly by them? Is that supposed to be impressive? That in a week you can be having fun in Burning Crusade? Hardly. Next is the graphical quality. Now, it's a bit of a taboo subject when it comes to WoW, because the game's so old, it's more "vintage" than it is "horrible" looking. Unfortunately, I fail to see the validity in that arguement. If a game looks bad, it looks bad. Blizzard reworked the water, and it looks fantastic. And that's about it. Everything else in this game is a congealed texture-filled mass of color that falls short from "impressive". The new character models look sometimes laughable (the Goblins especially), and the Worgen "mount" form was so rigid looking, that it feels like a shame they made them run like wolves, and not like, you know, wolf-MEN. As in, anthropomorphous, bipedal wolves. You play a worgen so you can walk on two legs, otherwise you could use Beast Vision and see through your pet's eyes if you wanted to play just a plain old wolf. The other thing that nobody seems to mention is that, the lore has been so destroyed, it's appalling. Tauren use the sunlight? Well then how are they Paladins? Unless the sun and the Holy Light are the same entity? But then, why can't Orcs and Trolls be Paladins? I mean after all, if their Shamanistic ways cause them to revere the elements, including the sun, then they, too, should be imbued with the Holy ways of the Paladin. Right? Well, of course not, because that's too much work for Blizzard. And Night Elf Mages? Oh, you mean the original race of magic-casting elves that branched off into Night Elves and High Elves? Because here's a nifty lore tidbit for you: there can't be Night Elf mages. They lost their ties to the arcane schools of frost and fire. They use nature now. But hey, if it gets Blizzard these resplendant reviews from the bleeting sheep that gave this game a ten simply because it gives them content that hardly lasts half a month, then by all means, rate this game a perfect ten. For those with some foresight, however, I implore you to look beyond this game for one simple reason: You know what happens in World of Warcraft. Say all you will about the new quests, but in the end you're just reading a block of text, hopping into some played-out vehicle quest, or using some flashy spells that make you incredibly powerful to complete the quests. It's the same stuff you've seen, except now it takes even LESS time to reach level 85. So why even redesign the first 60 levels if you outlevel it super fast anyways? Because it makes Blizzard money, and in the end, this isn't "WoW 2" as someone so ignorantly stated, this is "WoW: Less Content, Faster Leveling." I mean, ask yourself. They redesigned the quests and the areas, but is the content still the same? Is there AS MUCH to do? No. But the quests are flashier, so it gives you the ILLUSION that you're doing more. Besides, you level so fast, there's no need to go outside of the basic chain of areas to level, i.e. Elwynn, to Westfall, to Redridge, to Duskwood, etc. But no matter what I say, the fact of the matter remains: love is blind. If you couldn't stop playing Vanilla, or Burning Crusade, or Wrath of the Lich King, then nothing I say will matter. But if you've been on the fence about this game, then I implore you to disregard it. Read these positive reviews, and you'll see they all say the same thing: flashy "new" content makes for a great game! Just wait until the progression drought kicks in, and you wait for the new set of raids, just like Vanilla, Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King. Then you can make all the alts you want. See how long THAT lasts. Just remember: all that glisters is not gold. If there were ever a way to physically show that, all you'd need do is show someone Cataclysm's box. And let's not be ignorant, like Plagiarmaster, and mistake my first sentence for an authentic compliment. It's sarcastic. A joke. Much like this game.â… Expand
  22. zermetac
    Jan 30, 2011
    10
    I played wow since feb '05. I wasn't surprised to find the end game content to be a few dungeons and a raid dungeon. What I was surprised to find was how difficult it was to get anywhere in heroic dungeons or the main raid dungeon. Blizzard's raiding focus has shifted from tank and healers doing all the work to DPS working out when to CC and/or interrupt. This can lead to a lot ofI played wow since feb '05. I wasn't surprised to find the end game content to be a few dungeons and a raid dungeon. What I was surprised to find was how difficult it was to get anywhere in heroic dungeons or the main raid dungeon. Blizzard's raiding focus has shifted from tank and healers doing all the work to DPS working out when to CC and/or interrupt. This can lead to a lot of frustration especially considering that a lot of people were used to WotLK mode of playing when all people had to do was round mob groups up and aoe them down. It's obvious to me that blizzard's extended focus on the old zones was to encourage players who were fed up with the difficulty of running dungeons to roll a new toon. Questing is cooler though with more added cinematics, making the questlines more than just a series of "to do" lists. I was surprised at how quickly I got from 80 to 85 on my pally. It only took 3 days. With that said, there isn't much to do when you get to the top, other than to do another dungeon so you can get a little more geared up. Tradeskilling is easier. PVP is still the boring objectives, just on different maps. Playing Tol Barad for the 20th time can be a little old and considering that you need to play every TB you can get into just so you can get some much needed gears it can feel redundant. All in all, it feels like Blizzard's quality in making games hasn't disappeared at all.… Expand
  23. InfamousOffence
    Mar 28, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. World of Warcraft Expansion: ‘Cataclysm’ Views on the PvE & PvP system
    World of Warcraft has changed alot during the time I’ve played. I wasn’t sure how Cataclysm would go down, but it has surprised me. The game-play has improved overall; however the PvP experience and PvE experience has changed alot. An Example of how PvP changed; PvE raid gear can be acquired by doing ‘Raid Finders’ premade groups. Gear is dropped from bosses, however there is an unbalanced PvP system because of this because now Patch 3.3.5 raid gear is much more overpowered than the PvP gear. This makes no sense... PvP gear should be doing its job, owning ‘noobs’ in BG’s with PvE gear. However this is not the case, you will get 1shotted by certain classes which have been tweaked to increase their performance and whom acquire these over-powered raid gear. On the other hand, the Raiding experience in Cataclysm has improved which is what kept me playing, raid bosses, world bosses encounters are becoming harder which means it’s not just charge and attack, the group has to form strategies and implement them into their game-play. The new raids have also been tweaked and bosses are seemingly dropping better loot and at a more often rate. Overall I believe the new expansion ‘Cataclysm’ has impacted WoW in a big way. The PvP system has corrupted due to the unbalanced gear but however the raiding experience is becoming alot more fun, and makes players think twice about tactics and strategies to overcome an encounter. Hopefully in the next expansion, the PvP system will get balanced and the gear will be sorted. What I mean by sorted is that PvP gear is better than the majority of the PvE gear because that’s what it is for and nerf downgrade the PvP gear so that its only got an advantage while PvE raiding. The best thing about this expansion is that the scenery has changed and everyone wants a new change right? Stormwind looks brilliant. The fiery cores and corrupt walls have really made the city look as if it was attacked by ‘Death-wing’ the world boss. So I believe because of this expansion they are trying to persuade players to do more PvE rather than PvP. The PvE Loot system is still the same, and is very good (Need before Greed). Very well done Blizz, however please consider balancing the PvP system in the next expansion!
    Click here to see the trailer for the expansion CLICK HERE
    #World of Warcraft-‘Cataclysm’
    - Infamous Offence    … Expand
  24. rev0lutions
    Dec 18, 2010
    9
    The best expansion to the WoW series, a return to "vanilla WoW" everything has been reworked, instances are actually challenging once again and you get a real feel of it being a world rather than just dalaran and dungeon lines. The new zones and quests are simply amazing and the new dungeons require actualy skill such as CC. People have to realise that rather than concentrating on newThe best expansion to the WoW series, a return to "vanilla WoW" everything has been reworked, instances are actually challenging once again and you get a real feel of it being a world rather than just dalaran and dungeon lines. The new zones and quests are simply amazing and the new dungeons require actualy skill such as CC. People have to realise that rather than concentrating on new broken content that blizzard have gone back and reworked older content fixing everything that any true mmo fan would consider broken. The only negative I could really think of is making taurens into paladins. Thats just plain crazy. Giving the game a 9… Expand
  25. Lambo442
    Dec 11, 2010
    10
    huge amount of content added, significantly improved graphics plus questing is now more fun, quests are more imaginative. Worgens are the epitome of cool. Blizz have some exceeded my expectations again. For the Alliance!
  26. 5hizengarde
    Dec 21, 2010
    10
    Long story short, haters gonna hate. But in actuality, what blizzard has done with this expansion is update the oldest portion of content, both in game play and in graphics, to the new standard in MMO. The new quest flow, which many pen as "0MG 2 3asy!" moves quickly because it is well designed and efficient. There is a grand amount of content to explore, with more than 3000 new quests inLong story short, haters gonna hate. But in actuality, what blizzard has done with this expansion is update the oldest portion of content, both in game play and in graphics, to the new standard in MMO. The new quest flow, which many pen as "0MG 2 3asy!" moves quickly because it is well designed and efficient. There is a grand amount of content to explore, with more than 3000 new quests in the old world alone and 6 new zones in the 80-85 level bracket. The battleground system has been redesigned, new dungeons with an exploration and gear dependent lockout system, and 2 imaginative and fun new races to choose from are just a few of the fantastic new features. The lore of the game has changed massively, and players will love the way Thrall ties into the shamanic order of the earthen ring. And while leveling moves fast, content itself does not. There are vast questlines spanning over many zones, and old questions that were once unanswered, such as "What truly IS in Uldum? Remember? That place we heard about in 2005 when we ran Ulduman?" are finally answered, much to the delight of veteran warcraft players. New players are not forsaken, however, as the initial game experience has been streamlined, granting players key abilities earlier and leaving the training wheels on longer. The game is more accessible to new players in the starting areas, with more clearly defined quest objectives and abilities. All in all, the game experience has been improved from the bottom up. Great measures have been taken to make sure the experience is just as fun at level 10 as it is at level 85. Now, to all the negative reviewers out there, you have points. If this was a competitive First person shooter or a real time strategy game with for-money tournament leagues, then yes, this game is 0mG ez ez ez. But for the gamer who is looking for a meaningful gaming experience, complete with class diversity, many different quest lines and game lores to explore, as well as vastly different races and classes to experiment with, this is truly the perfect game.… Expand
  27. Rugosh
    Dec 27, 2010
    10
    I would like to start off by saying that I am a hardcore WoW player, but am by no means going to be biased with this review. First off, the expansion "redoes" all the old zones - Seems ok, and it indeed does put a lot of new quests and exploration in the game. As the expantion hit, i leveled my 80 priest to 85, and did some end-game content. There was a variety of it, and I indeed wasI would like to start off by saying that I am a hardcore WoW player, but am by no means going to be biased with this review. First off, the expansion "redoes" all the old zones - Seems ok, and it indeed does put a lot of new quests and exploration in the game. As the expantion hit, i leveled my 80 priest to 85, and did some end-game content. There was a variety of it, and I indeed was happy with the new implements for boss tactics and such. The new PvP was indulging and the new battlegrounds, arenas, and the new rated battleground system all deserve a positive rating.

    The bad side? I made a new character (no, not a deathknight), and went through all the old content, 1-80. It started feeling even more rushed than in Wrath, and there were quite a few game (or quest) breaking bugs that didn't allow me to progress further. Since I am a completionist, it felt awkward to be leveling just in 1/4 zones meant for your level, and skipping the other three (heirlooms, guild perk, and too many quests).

    One more point: The game engine is way out of date for an MMO. Since this is supposed to be the top-notch MMORPG, I would advise blizzard to completely (not just water-effect) overhaul the graphical engine the next expantion. 7 out of 10.    … Expand
  28. WitheredDreams
    Dec 17, 2010
    9
    Most of the people who are giving this game negative reviews are doing so for completely stupid reasons. I mean, do these people really expect Blizzard to create an expansion that completely changes the gameplay style and experience? People want new CONTENT, not an entirely new game style. Then comes the complaining of how fast you can get to the max level. I don't think these peopleMost of the people who are giving this game negative reviews are doing so for completely stupid reasons. I mean, do these people really expect Blizzard to create an expansion that completely changes the gameplay style and experience? People want new CONTENT, not an entirely new game style. Then comes the complaining of how fast you can get to the max level. I don't think these people understand that this game is designed mostly for end-game play. It's utterly obvious, and these people can't seem to grasp that point. People don't want to spend months getting to the max level, and it would be unnecessary if you had to. Sorry, Keridor, the idea of questing for six months doesn't seem very appealing to me. As for the game itself, people are saying a very few amount of content was added, when it's exactly the opposite. Five amazing new zones and re-skinned and added features to almost all of the other zones in the game. The difficulty has been raised for heroics and raids, and the new instances look and feel great. The classes in PvP are still unbalanced, some classes will still feel useless in PvP, and some classes are ridiculous, but other then that, my experience has been FAR greater than WotLK or Burning Crusade.… Expand
  29. DenebKaitos
    Dec 10, 2010
    10
    The reviewers that write that this is just the old Azeroth re-skinned. Think again. People should actually play the game instead of hating on something. What Blizzard has done is simply amazing. They have reworked almost every zone, including the quests. In every zone there is something amusing, fantastic, or funny to experience, and this is just the stuff they have offered for free. TheThe reviewers that write that this is just the old Azeroth re-skinned. Think again. People should actually play the game instead of hating on something. What Blizzard has done is simply amazing. They have reworked almost every zone, including the quests. In every zone there is something amusing, fantastic, or funny to experience, and this is just the stuff they have offered for free. The new dungeons are amazing to look at and offer exciting encounters that go above and beyond the normal expectations. The level experience is finally in line with the community expectations of the game. The game has always been about the end-game content (supported by the firm foundation of lore) There will always be people who irrationally complain about this game. It just means more room for the rest of us to enjoy a fantastic and wonderful experience.… Expand
  30. Vasot
    Feb 14, 2011
    10
    World of Warcraft is more than just a game, it is a malicious waste of time, where one has to work so much to keep up with the rest of the players that it becomes something like a virtual job, frustrating and tedious, it is more repetitive than the spinning of a wheel, and has no substance whatsoever. If only players realised how much time they spend waiting to fly from one spot toWorld of Warcraft is more than just a game, it is a malicious waste of time, where one has to work so much to keep up with the rest of the players that it becomes something like a virtual job, frustrating and tedious, it is more repetitive than the spinning of a wheel, and has no substance whatsoever. If only players realised how much time they spend waiting to fly from one spot to another, waiting for a boat or a zeppelin, riding for miles to get to the desired spot, waiting for the raid to build up, do long, plenty and very tedious dailies to earn virtual money they would see that most of the game time is spent doing effectively NOTHING.

    And then there's the anger, stress, disappointment which are all inevitable in both raids and arena, and so little satisfaction to gain which is not in the game-play itself but in the number of emblems or badges one strives to collect, or the loot, the arena points and team rating respectively.
    Cataclysm is yet another useless add-on, which urges players to level up some more, get in new boring instances and basically just start the whole repetitive labour all over again, all to one end only - to obtain better gear as quickly as possible, before other players do, and be among the first in their guild to be congratulated with "GZ" when earning a worthless achievement.
    World of Warcraft appears under "similar games" regardless of one looking into an RPG game, action, strategy, or any other. It's advertised EVERYWHERE and in a most annoying manner. But what can we do against the almighty power of money - the sum Gamespot collects from Blizzard.    … Expand
prev
Page:

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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »