It is no secret thatWorld of Warcraft: Shadowlandswas a bit of a rough patch for the 18-year-old MMO. Players became increasingly burnt out by the in-game systems, the overarching narrative was very lackluster compared to previous expansions, the content was just not engaging, and Blizzard continued to make controversial decisions that pushed players away in droves. While Dragonflight has been an improvement,World of Warcraft’sreputation has been heavily affected by the previous expansion. However, not everything withinShadowlandswas as bad as some players claim.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlandsgets a lot of flak for itshandling ofWorld of Warcraft’s Jailer, its treatment of many iconic lore characters, and the fact it made the game feel like a chore. These are all fair criticisms of the expansion, but it did a few things right, too. Most of its zones were exciting to explore, its smaller stories were very engaging, and it also seemed to end on a bit of a high note. While these reasons are hardly enough to make this expansion the best one around, it is good to remember it for its wins as well as its losses.
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World of Warcraft: Shadowlands’ Zones Were Exciting
One of the best parts ofWorld of Warcraft: Shadowlandswas probably the Shadowlands themselves. The four zones that formed the backbone of the narrative were visually pleasing and exciting to explore. Each zone represented a possible afterlife, and they were all immensely unique from one another. What made them even better wastheShadowlandsCovenantsthat called them home and the intriguing characters that resided within them.
The first zone of Bastion was filled with light, light-infused creatures, and angelic beings guiding them through the afterlife. Players would then head off to the war-torn lands of Maldraxxus to fight off against the undead Scourge and unite the people against evil. They would then arrive inShadowlands' beautifully serene forests of Ardenweald, and their journey would end in the gothic castles of Revendreth. Each of these zones had a very specific aesthetic that helped make them stand out, and the stories within were not half bad either.
These four zones were great additions toWorld of Warcraftbut are sadly overshadowed by some of the worst zones in recent years. The city of Oribos was just a boring circle, the Maw was a bland lifeless locale with annoying mechanics, and Korthia was just the Maw under a different name. Players spend a lot of their max level time in these boring zones while the exciting zones were reserved for leveling or world quests. Blizzard did introduceZereth Mortis inWorld of Warcraft’s 9.2 patch, but many players were already too burnt out to care about it.
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World of Warcraft: Shadowlands’ Smaller Stories Were Engaging
Whilethe overarching narrative withWorld of Warcraft’s Jailermay have been a bit lackluster, Shadowlands' smaller stories were kind of interesting. Each zone had its own story for players to follow, and each Covenant had its own campaign to embark on. These stories were all vastly different from one another and helped give players the feeling that these afterlives were actually unique. They were all bound by the Jailer’s plot, though they proved far more engaging in the end.
Players had to assist the people of Bastion as they struggled with their purpose, help unite Maldraxxus once again, protect the dying forest of Ardenweald, and help rebel againstShadowlands' powerful Sire Denathrius of Revendreth. The Covenant campaigns further delved into the purposes of each zone as the player helped restore them to their former glory. These stories and their characters had a lot of heart but were sadly overshadowed by the rest of the expansion’s content.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Started and Ended on a High Note
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands’narrative may have ended with a whimper, but the first and last couple of months of content were not that bad. At first, players were enjoying the various Covenant stories and the zones that Blizzard had crafted. The first raid was also a lot of fun with the villainous Sire Denathrius being one ofthe bestWorld of Warcraftantagonistsin recent years. Some players were getting burnt out on the Maw, while the rest of it seemed pretty enjoyable.
World of Warcraft9.0 was exciting, but then it continued to drag on for way too long. Players had to wait around seven months for the first major content update, and that update was simply more of the same. The new zone was just another variation of the Maw, the story was lacking something, and the Jailer was too aloof for anyone to really care. That update ended up lasting even longer than the previous one, and by the timeWorld of Warcraft: Shadowlands9.2rolled around no one really seemed to care anymore.
It may have taken a long time forWorld of Warcraft9.2 to release, but it ended up being a lot of fun. It may not havefixed every single problem withShadowlands' expansion features, but it went a long way in ending the expansion on a good note. The new zone of Zereth Mortis was fun to spend time in, the characters were interesting, the story was decent, the new content was engaging, and the Jailer was finally dead. The Jailer’s story may have not been very satisfying, but the surrounding content was actually pretty good.
Shadowlands was definitely a weak point forWorld of Warcraft, and it may already be going down in history as one of the worst expansions to date. It was lacking thatWarcraftcharm and many players did not care enough to push themselves through it. Even with all its mistakes, it still had some stuff to offer in the end. While its bad reputation will likely hauntWorld of Warcraftfor years to come, its good parts will hopefully also be acknowledged someday.
World of Warcraftis available now on PC.
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