Warcraft III: Reforged is a real-time strategy game developed by Blizzard Entertainment in collaboration with Lemon Sky Studios, and released on January 29, 2020. The project was intended as a remake of the classic version, but in reality, we ended up with simply a remaster.
The release of one of the most anticipated games of 2020 turned into a scandal. Even the most devoted WoW fans unleashed a wave of criticism at the developers, driving Warcraft III: Reforged's rating on Metacritic down to nearly zero within the first few hours. The promised changes and innovations turned out to be not so grand.
The story and dialogues remained the same as in Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne, as plans to change the plot provoked a negative reaction from the gaming community, who called for "not touching what already works well";
The reworking of all in-game cinematics was reduced to merely redoing the introductory cinematic and the final battle between Arthas and Illidan;
Only three maps were remade: the Stratholme massacre, the Battle for Mount Hyjal, and the capture of Dalaran.
About the Graphics
At BlizzCon, we were promised an updated widescreen menu, but in the end, it remained unchanged. The graphics were indeed polished up somewhat—improved and detailed in places—but in 2020, they still look dated. It's not entirely clear which audience this was intended for: the old guard or new players. The sound design was well done—audio quality was improved, and new music was added. However, the Russian voice acting evokes an unconscious resistance and leaves you with only one thought: "it used to be better."
The game may appeal to new players who are just planning to get acquainted with the world of Warcraft. But experienced gamers who have been playing it for years won't find much to do in Warcraft III: Reforged. The gameplay remained untouched, while ranked matches, tournament mode, and in-game clans have all disappeared. Moreover, all user-created custom maps now belong to Blizzard, as stated in the terms of agreement.
In the end, what we got was definitely a remaster. And if it weren't for the overly inflated expectations, perhaps Warcraft III: Reforged's rating would have been higher, the fans' anger would have been less, and the enjoyment and nostalgia for the beloved game would have been greater.
The review of Warcraft 3: Reforged is coming to an end, but before you go play, you should take a look at the minimum and recommended system requirements of Warcraft 3: Reforged.
