Warcraft

I have been following Blizzard's Warcraft series since the 1990's starting with Warcraft II. My brother's and I enjoyed playing the game on our computer because it was one of the first strategy games that we could play and one of the few computer games that we even could play. We only had one computer at the time, so I had to share with my brothers. What made this game unique from others was that it had a background story to it. Common nowadays, but not so much back then. While my brothers played the game or took turns trying to beat a level, I would read the game manual which had an extensive background behind it. Interestingly, this was probably my first exposure to modern fantasy. Before Warcraft, my only experience with fantasy would be King Arthur and Greek myths - particularly the Hercules and Xena television shows at the time. Regardless, since it was Warcraft II, we obviously wanted the original game and were surprised to find out about an expansion to this game which served as a sequel. While the first game didn't really have much lore, it was still interesting to see events play out that I had read about in the Warcraft II manual. And I was just as eager to go through the Dark Portal and defeat the Orcish Horde once and for all!

Like all things, we eventually got bored of Warcraft II and moved on to other games, but it was certainly a game we never forgot. In the first two Warcraft games, while they took place in a fantasy universe, it seemed pretty clear that the Alliance was fighting on the side of God whereas the Orcish Horde were devil worshipers. Warcraft III would be the true start of the Warcraft lore we know today.

I think my younger brother was more excited for Warcraft III than I was because I thought Warcraft II had a pretty descent ending. By this time we had more than one computer. Basically, my dad would get the newest computer and then we would get his old ones, so my brother got Warcraft III. Not only was Warcraft III a much better game visually (to me it's still playable compared to the latter two), it completely expanded the lore. Not God vs the devil anymore, the Alliance was with the Holy Light, and the demons seen in Warcraft II were of the Burning Legion (and not aligned with Satan). It also showed us the other side of the world and introduced us to the idea that the evil Orcs were actually brainwashed by the demons giving us a redemption story. The expansion came out later which laid out the background story for the immensely popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft (WoW).

Again, my brother was more excited for World of Warcraft than me, but there was another problem. This game needed to be played over the internet and at the time only one computer could connect to the internet at a time. My brother and I would constantly fight over who could have control of the internet. Later, we got DSL which was a godsend. Now he could play WoW and I could do homework. Eventually, I would come around and give the game a shot. I started off as an Orc warrior and got hooked to the game like everyone else. I didn't really get into the game until I got my own copy and played as a human paladin which I still play on and off today.

My interest in playing the game mostly depends on what an expansion pack has to offer, but I still enjoy keeping tabs on the game because I love the story. I don't want to get into the story because it is so long. Except for maybe Star Wars, Warcraft has the most expansive mythology of any fictional series I have ever seen. Researching the origins of the various races and learning more about the villains and heroes, I just can't get enough of it. Generally my interest is peeked whenever I go to the World of Warcraft homepage and read about a new feature added into the game.

I can't say World of Warcraft is the best game I have ever played, but it is certainly one of the most addicting although I can get bored of it after awhile. I just can't get into grinding which is doing repetitive tasks for the purpose of improving your character or accomplishing some goal. With that said, I still keep playing it from time to time just to keep up with a story that I've been following for over a decade. If you really love fantasy, I urge you to explore the Warcraft lore. Even after more than a decade, I am very curious to see where it goes.