World of Warcraft: Dragonflight Review (Microsoft Windows&MacOS)

Blizzard Entertainment found its niche and ran with it. Now, no other gaming company can match up to the massively multiplayer online role-playing game franchise, World of Warcraft. With each installment significantly getting better than the predecessor, WoW captures the true essence of MMORG. As an enthusiast of the genre, I'm beyond elated for a new release and a fresh insight into the Warcraft universe two years after Shadowlands. 

By no surprise, World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is another appetizing quest that involves battling mythical creatures in the fictional land of Azeroth and the Dragon Isles. But this ninth installment is interestingly different. The developers took a Game-of-Thrones turn and included a feature that lets players raise and ride the dragons- we can finally live the Targaryen fantasy. That aside, the game has a wide set of features that will excite players, not to forget the downsides. So if you're thinking of reaching deep into your pockets and buying this game, here's a World of Warcraft: Dragonflight review that will give you the nitty-gritty you need to decide. 

A Legendary Comeback

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is an insight into the previous reign of Neltharion (Deathwing), a dragon aspect who was corrupted by the Old God's whispers. In his reclusive attempt to gain control of Azeroth, Neltharion builds an army of dragon warriors-a hybrid of dragons and mortal cases- the Dracthr. However, his greed-infused mind sparks fear that the dracthyr will overpower him. He then subjects them to confinement in the Forbidden Reach, an island he fashioned for the dragon warriors to train.

The game's inception details the fall and iconic rise of the dragon-like warriors. Taking place 10,000 years later, the Dracthyr awaken from their 20,000-year confinement after the resurgence of the Dragon Isles. The Dracthyr return to a state of decentralization and soon learn that Neltharion's desire to control Azeroth led to his demise. Now, the dragon warriors do not have a chief-in-command. However, not for long. An invasion by the Primarilists who wish to defeat the Dragon Aspects leads to the dracthyr teaming up with the Horde and Alliance. The Warriors now have to fight their once-sworn enemy while navigating the betrayal of the creator.

The Dragon Aspects (green, blue, black, and red dragons) also return to the Dragon Isles after a mysterious energy awakens the Titans, who activate the beam. 

New Zones to Explore

The game's main arena is the Dragoon Isles, which contains five zones. To get to the zones, each player gets to start at Ogrimar in Stormwind and head up to the first zone, the Walking Shores, on a boat. Players will also access the expansion's main city hub, Valdrakken.

The first zone in the expansion is the infamous Deathwing home, the Walking Shores. Players explore this zone while unraveling its story, accompanied by Queen Alexstrasza of the red flight and Wrathion of the black. The zone is desolate and abandoned following the fall of Deathwing, however. It is up to Queena and the Lifebinder to restore and preserve the zone. Like the rise of the Dragon Aspects, the zone's antagonist, Djaradin, is also awake and wields the power of magma. The half-giants power causes massive havoc on the land with volcanic eruptions.

The second zone is the Ohn'ahran Plains, named after the wild god of the wind, Ohn'ahra. The zone is home to centaurs, whom Ohn'ahra guided to the land. The green Dragonflight attempted to establish dominance over the land, but a fight between the two mythological creatures led to a peace treaty. As a result, the centaurs were able to advance their culture and didn't seem as primitive as centaurs witnessed in previous titles. The zone is an exciting insight into the centaurs' developed culture while also defending the centaurs against the proto-dragons.

The third zone, the Azure Span, is the biggest zone in the game and borrows a few elements from Grizzly Hills in Wrath of the Lich King. Endowed with coastal fogs and redwoods, the vertical zone features various elevation layers. The forests are located at the bottom. Climbing up reveals the tundra of frozen waterfalls and ice rivers. Scaling further up will reveal the white snow that drapes over the lands for an icy finish. Here, players will interact with the Tuskarr race and help the blue Dragonflight and Kalecgos explore Sindragosa's archives. 

The fourth zone, the Thaldraszus, is a feast for the eyes. Its terrain is mountainous and contains specks of magic since it is home to the bronze flight. This magic soon weaves itself into various gameplay options and quests. Moreover, the Thaldraszus is the seat of power for all Dragonflights, which explains the pristine nature of its buildings.  

Finally, the fifth zone, the forbidden reach, is the Dracthyr's training ground and Deathwing's former home. The zone is only accessible to players starting off as the riders of the dragon hybrids, Dracthyr Evokers. 

Soar the Skies

A singular aspect that is becoming a favorite for many is gliding into the skies, seemingly giving the game its title, “Dragonflight.” Players can mount dragons or soar through the skies as the two-winged mythological beast. The aerial perspective of the Dargon of Isles is unmatched and gives a beautiful view of the vertical layers of all zones. 

Although flying is not a new technique to the franchise, Blizzard is taking it a notch higher in this game. With a stronger physics orientation, mounting a dragon will have a similar effect to How to Train Your Dragon's cinematic experience. Moreover, the drakes are customizable and level up progressively. Some zones will be inaccessible until the drake is strong enough to scale the heights. 

The customizable options include changing the drake's color, armor, tails, and horns. The customization options are, however, limited to achievements, secrets, and future PvE content. Potentially, we can also expect dragon racing in PvP. 

Gameplay

Dragonflight introduces two new intriguing playable races, the Dracthyr and the Evoker. The Dracthry, natives of the Forbidden Reach, are a cross between mortals and dragons. The humanoids possess transformative abilities that allow them to switch from human form to scaly dragon form. Moreover, they maintain a neutral affiliation where they can join the Horde or the Alliance. 

On the other hand, the Evoker is a powerful mail-armor-wearing race with two specializations; devastation and preservation. Devastation combines the magical energies of the red and blue flights for massive damage, while preservation harmonizes the green and bronze Dragonflight for healing. 

Spell casting is native to the franchise and imminently present in Dragonflight. The Dracthyrs can summon spells that contain three levels of empowerment. Holding down the respective casting keys will unleash more powerful spells. 

The game will also feature raids, starting with the Primal Incarnate raid, and exploring new dungeons. Blizzard has raised Dragonflights' level cap to 70, the first increase of its kind since Shadowlands. Moreover, players can now place requests for items instead of crafting them. 

Additionally, players can also rate their crafts, a feature that is also present in Final Fantasy XIV. High-quality items have better stats and more profound effects. Also, crafting specializations make a return as an expanded feature. Players can make special crafts such as potions for alchemy or weapons for blacksmiths. Such crafts can ultimately lead to leveling up of players. Blizzard plans to expand on this by adding more quests and exploration related to crafting specializations.

As if that wasn't enough, professionals are also getting a revamp with new crafting table specs. This allows players to interact with traders in exchange for crafts. This revamp will also feature new gears that improve players' skills, such as gathering herbs or mining. 

The Verdict

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is a beautiful expansion into the Warcraft universe, featuring more dragons. The various improvements, such as revamped professions and an improved user interface, add to a classic MMORPG's holistic game experience. The addition of crafting orders, where players can place requests for crafts they find too challenging to make, gives players more time to marvel at the well-detailed zones.

Moreover, although the game retains its 18-year-old formula, there's more to do in this expansion than in its predecessors. From dragon riding to exploring new factions, the open-world experience is immersive and breathtaking. The game raises the bar for other MMORPGs on so many levels, despite its lack of voiced dialogue, which fails to provide insight into the exciting moments.