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Since the beginning of the game players have wondered what was behind that huge wall in Silverpine Forest; what was the fate of the denizens of Gilneas? Now with the announcement of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm we finally know, and I was able to spend some time with the followers of Genn Greymane at BlizzCon.
Never Cry Werewolf
Your roots as a worgen actually start during the leveling experience. At level 1, you're a normal human citizen of Gilneas. However, at some point during your adventure to level 6 you become stricken by the worgen curse and fight to find a cure to retain at least some vestige of humanity. While you're questing through this experience there are constant earthquakes shaking the earth beneath you; caused by the cataclysm which has sundered most of Azeroth.
Where my time as a worgen began was level 6. You come into the demo as a worgen who is chained up and being prepared for execution. The populace has largely become mindless, murderous worgen and those who have managed a cure are testing it on them.You are the next test subject, and if the cure doesn't take, then you can kiss Azeroth goodbye. However, the doctor doesn't feel you have what it takes to overcome the feral rage of the worgen, so he's ready to be done with you. Luckily, Genn Greymane arrives and convinces him to give you another chance. The doctor injects you with the cure and it works; turning you into a human -- at least temporarily.
Your racials are quite interesting as a worgen. Two Forms, for example, will allow you to switch between your human and worgen forms when not in combat. It also provides with one of the coolest race-specific animations in the game; the transformation from human to worgen. Dark Flight is a quasi-sprint ability usable while in or out of combat, allowing you to escape from or close in on a ground target more easily. Flayer is your run-of-the-mill profession-focused racial with a twist; it not only improves your skinning skill and reduces its casting time, but also allows you to skin without the need of a [Skinning Knife]. While not amazing, it's a nice evolution of the profession-based racials. Finally, there are Abberation and Viciousness, which are fairly self-explanatory.
We've Gotta Get Out of This Place
Your first two quests are to fight off forsaken attackers, and also blow up abominations by tossing gun powder barrels on their heads. These quests are your fairly basic World of Warcraft quests everyone has come to know from Wrath of the Lich King. Next up you're given three quests; one is to kill more forsaken who are pushing into the farms of the area, another to locate 3 children and get them into a wine cellar, and another to use forsaken catapults to launch yourself onto nearby ships where you're tasked with killing the captains.
After your next quest -- which is to kill the leader of the forsaken assault by calling in a pack of gilneas mastiffs -- you first experience the new terrain phasing feature. As you turn in the quest a massive earthquake strikes the region and you leave the wine cellar to discover that a large mass of land has broken free and fallen into the ocean. What was once an area you were completing quests on is now completely flooded by the sea. Your first quest in this new phase begins here: you must swim into the water and rescue drowning watchmen.
From here everyone knows the situation is dire, and thus you're given the task of making sure as many people evacuate as possible. Your three quests are to visit an orchard, the fishery, and a cottage and ensure they're told to evacuate. Throughout this each NPC gives you quests before they're willing to leave. At the orchard you must round up horses so that the townsfolk are able to escape easily. At the fishery, you're asked to help collect tools to use on a boat that will be the escape route for a set of brothers whose love is the sea and nothing else. At the cottage you must rescue Grandma Wahl's cat, gather her journal, and retrieve a proper, clean dress for hear to wear.
Final Thoughts
Overall the experience is one that is a step beyond anything Blizzard has done for new races, though it certainly didn't have an epic feeling like Acherus and the Death Knight starting experience, as they promised it would in the preview panel. Then again, it's hard to top interacting with characters like the Lich King, the Mograines and Tirion Fordring. Visually Gilneas and its dreary themes are very fitting and a nice change of pace from the bright, lively colors of many starting areas. As a race, the worgen are looking to shape up nicely; solid racials and model design, a great backstory that many have been hoping to dive into since the game released, and a decent mix of class choices.
I suspect the portion of the beginner experience that wasn't available will truly make this feel epic, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. Stay tuned for additional coverage of BlizzCon over the next few days.
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