World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Vs Classic

The rerelease of World of Warcraft: Classic has provided fans with the option to venture into a nostalgic gaming experience. Especially for those who played the game when it first came out in 2004. The series has had several major expansions since, the latest being World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. 

Now WoW fans have two ways to play the game; after all, the subscription includes access to both versions. The only problem is that playing them in parallel may be time-consuming. Therefore, in the case of Shadowlands Vs Classic, it's better to just pick one to focus on. However, it may be challenging to determine which version best suits you; especially with little to no prior experience with the Classic version. Hopefully, by looking at some of the differences between the two titles, you can determine which one you prefer. That said, let's dive in.

What Notable Differences Are There Between Shadowlands and Classic?

Any titles that come from the same franchise ought to have more similarities than differences. Such is the case with WoW Shadowlands and Classic; well, at least when it comes to the fundamentals of the games. In both versions, you create an avatar to roam the open WoW world, completing quests and taking down monsters. You also interact with other players through PvP combat, with the game's main emphasis being character advancement. Let's now look at the most notable differences that may determine which side you want to stand:

Speed 

As we mentioned above, character advancement is the main focus of WoW games. It takes longer for one to level up when playing Classic WoW, whereas Shadowlands WoW lets players progress much faster in comparison. Although this may sound like a major setback, it doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. The slow-paced progress gives you time to familiarize with the game as opposed to when everything is happening too quickly to grasp every moment of the adventure. 

Classic WoW requires you to complete almost every available quest to be in a good position to purchase anything. And because it takes longer to level up, the game feels way more rewarding because of the initial struggle. Classic Wow is more suitable for players who enjoy earning their wins the hard way. In Shadowlands WoW, you can reach higher levels within a short time, making this version best suitable for players who like quick progress.

Talents and Classes 

As you may have understood by now, everything about Classic WoW takes time, including the growth of talents and class balance. While you can use a talent tree for growth, in Classic WoW, this can be highly inconvenient. Therefore the game offers another alternative which is to reset your talent and invest in another. You can do this at the quest trainer where you pay for the talent points' total reset. However, this gets expensive the more you do it. Having such a limited talent system hinders the diversity of your character in this version.

On the other hand, Shadowlands WoW lets you specialize on separate talent trees and for a convenient period as well. This way, you can play as either class, from the healer to tank and damage dealer. You also get to reset for free, so it's up to you to devise the most balanced classes. Here, you can use any character to perform any talents you have trained them on. Whereas in Classic WoW, only specific characters can gain certain talents; not every talent can be possessed by every character. For instance, priests are only designated to be healers. Giving you an imbalanced class system that you could easily avoid in Shadowlands WoW.

Players and Bases

It's easier to find other groups of players to play dungeons with in Shadowlands WoW. All you have to do is click on the group finder key, which will effortlessly find available players who can join your game. However, it's a different case when it comes to locating other players in Classic WoW. It is hard to find a group to play with if your player's base is low. This version of WoW does not feature a group finder making things even harder. Therefore, you often have to manually search for players to engage with. 

Unless you are a high-level player, you will not be coming across other groups easily. Still, the dungeons on Shadowlands WoW are more challenging. This is because of the ovarian raid bosses who require a lot of effort to beat. However, the game compensates by making the leveling base much easier. You will find the opposite situation in Classic WoW. Therefore, you should choose which type of challenge you would like to face in terms of group plays and base levels. 

Content Renewal and Graphics

Once you complete playing Classic WoW, you can forget about any endgame content. There is practically nothing to do after completing, therefore, you find yourself doing the same activities again and again; which gets old after a couple of times. Shadowlands WoW, on the other hand, offers you plenty of activities to go around even after completion. You face more quests with new arenas and dungeons that come with enhanced difficulty. 

This makes playing more fun and hard to get bored with. In terms of graphics, Shadowlands WoW is undoubtedly superior since you can even play it in 4k resolution. However, the high resolution required to play this version may limit you; in that you may require a sophisticated PC to be able to enjoy the game. Whereas you can use just a regular PC to Classic WoW and still have a great experience. 

Verdit: What Now?

It all comes down to the features you want to retain and those you are willing to let go. After reviewing the difficulty levels, classes and talent building, you may be able to pick between Classic WoW or Shadowlands WoW, depending on what you value. If you enjoy continuous game content and flexible talent growth, then Shadowlands WoW is your best bet. In contrast, you may enjoy Classic World of Warcraft if you like challenging gameplay and robust boss fights.

Which WoW game do you prefer to play between World of Warcraft: Shadowlands and Classic? Share your pick with us in the comments below or over on our socials here!