All That’s MMO: Ranking the World of Warcraft Expansions, Part I

It’s hard to believe at times, but some of us have been spending our days questing, PvPing and raiding in the World of Warcraft since late 2004. November of this year will mark the 9th anniversary in North America of what has hands down been the most dominant game in the MMORPG genre since launch. World of Warcraft has continued to set the standard to which other titles are held, and what’s more, remains one of a handful of major MMORPGs able to sustain the antiquated subscription based business model. This is not to suggest that World of Warcraft is a perfect game. Far from it. However, it’s undeniable that Blizzard has managed to do something truly unique with their flagship title. In a genre where repetition and grinds are commonplace, Blizzard manages to churn out consistent and thoughtful content that keeps players logging in and contributing, in the form of both regular content updates and a myriad of expansion titles.

With the 5.3 patch looming and Mists of Pandaria leading players towards a seemingly inevitable grudge match with the fiery Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, All That’s MMO is taking the time to rank and discuss the expansions that have made World of Warcraft the industry juggernaut it remains today.

1. Wrath of the Lich King

When the World of Warcraft was first announced what seems like ages ago, veterans of the RTS Warcraft 3 were grinning from ear to ear. Sure, the premise of the game sounded great, explore Azeroth and Kalimdor, fight alongside heroes such as Thrall, Rexxar, even Jaina Proudmoore, but what we were all really thinking is, ‘WE GET TO FIGHT ARTHAS?!’. It would be a long wait, but ultimately Blizzard would allow gamers the chance to step up to the Icecrown Citadel and put the hurt on the Death Knight who had betrayed everyone and everything in his mad quest for vengeance.

All of the World of Warcraft titles have brought with them a measure of technical innovation, but it was Wrath of the Lich King’s dedication to not just a cohesive, but at times an even emotionally charged narrative that made it so successful. The tone of the expansion was made immediately clear with the opening launch trailer. Unlike previous launch trailers, Blizzard wasn’t trying to throw a bunch of crazy looking characters at you. Blizzard let the strength of their legendary antagonist and his murdered father Terenas Menethil do the talking for them.

 

Beyond the narrative, Wrath of the Lich King introduced a number of mechanical niceties such as Looking For Dungeon, a tool which would become a staple going forward, and ultimately damn other titles in the genre that did not possess it. The grind for gear became far less restrictive for those who had not been progressing through all the current content. Farming reputation with the core factions was made far simpler with the advent of tabards. Naxxramas, Ulduar, Icecrown Citadel and even the fight against the marauding Dragon Flights produced some of the most challenging and memorable experiences raiders had seen. Wrath of the Lich King was nothing short of a triumph of gaming, and its incredible success would ultimately contribute to the malaise that would surrounded the next World of Warcraft expansion, Cataclysm.

Be sure to check out part two of our series on the World of Warcraft expansions when it goes live tomorrow!

Written by Guest Contributor: TheHeroofOsaka