The highly anticipated Warcraft III: Reforged combines classic RTS games Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion The Frozen Throne. Blizzard has made balance changes, rebuilt the graphics from the ground up, and promised an updated UI as well as quality-of-life improvements. The trailers at Blizzcon in 2018 looked amazing, and this should have been the herald of a reforging of not just Warcraft III, but also Blizzard’s shattered reputation.
Unfortunately, playing Warcraft III: Reforged is like eating your favorite meal while someone knocks the fork out of your hand at periodic intervals. It’s enjoyable, but only because you love that meal enough to deal with the annoyances.
Warcraft III 18 Years On
Warcraft III was originally released way back in 2002. It’s a high fantasy real-time strategy game that allows you to play a role in Warcraft lore. Newcomers to the game are in for a treat and it’s this which will likely be the game's saving grace. It offers a huge 40+ hours of campaigns, and that experience is still amazing. You can still play multiplayer with online matchmaking, design your own maps, and face off against friends. There’s also an offline mode for playing the campaign.
The core gameplay still holds up well. The units are still varied, missions still require strategy and play in different ways, narratives are still engaging, and it’s still a hugely enjoyable experience. You’ll play as different races and really get to feel a part of all the Warcraft lore, for better and worse. This enjoyment is due to the fact that the game’s soul remains intact. Warcraft III was and is an incredible game, and if you’ve never played before then you absolutely should. The problems lie in aspects of the reforging itself, namely in the expectations versus the final delivery and the culling of features.
Upgrades And Promises
The good news is that the graphical updates to the heroes, units, buildings, and environment are fantastic. I enjoyed the slightly more vibrant feel, which helps the darker levels feel a little less dingy. It also removes the blockiness and gives everything much more definition. I had no issues with dropped frames or glitches in the main game. It played well on my reasonable spec machine and I didn’t encounter lag or stuttering. The main issue with the remake is that it doesn’t live up to the expectations that Blizzard themselves set.
The first thing you’ll notice is the “new UI” looks remarkably like the old one and absolutely nothing like the one we were shown at Blizzcon. All they’ve done is remove the unnecessary edges and made it a touch smaller. It still functions in exactly the same way and has all the same features, including the 12 unit group limitation I hate so much.
This seems like a ridiculous oversight when one of the main issues in the original game was its overly massive and not especially user-friendly UI. Yes, it’s functional, but these days, there are so many better ways to do it that it seems like madness not to utilize them, especially when you’ve already shown fans what they could have had.
The reforged cinematics are identical to the originals, but using the new portraits and graphics. However, it should be noted that the stand-alone cinematics, usually related to the start of a campaign, are accessible to watch from the main menu and both versions of the game appear to use the same ones, which have been upgraded.
The result is a bizarrely jarring experience if you are playing Classic, as you see this beautifully upgraded Thrall before moving swiftly back to our favorite square-faced old school version.
The Missing Pieces
If you are new to the game, then there are some things that you may not notice that veteran players are up in arms about. The main one is that when the Reforged game was launched, it combined the Classic version into the same interface, changed using a toggle switch in the options menu, and included a few changes, not all of which are welcome.
The Classic version is accessible to those who have registered a code with Blizzard for the original game. Those players will now have access to the three Exodus of the Horde demo missions that were previously only available through custom campaign, minus the voice acting. While this is great, it comes at a price.
Those custom campaigns are where the biggest issue are, or rather aren't, as they are now gone. Along with clans, leaderboards, and a smattering of similar features. Not only are they missing for Reforged players, but also for Classic players, who are now left with a worse version of the game than they had last week.
While you can still create custom maps, fans are also unhappy about this as Blizzard is forcing all those who do to sign over all their claims to copyright, presumably to avoid another Dota 2 incident.
Nostalgia With A Price
This is one of the most difficult verdicts I’ve had to make while reviewing. The game itself is amazing. It's still enjoyable to play, the graphical improvements increase the immersion, and I’ve absolutely loved going back to Azeroth. While I am annoyed they didn't revamp the UI, and I'm not 100% on board with the balance changes, my main issue is with what isn't there. How can I highly rate a remastering which has not only removed features we had in the original, but also managed to make the original game worse?
While I don’t often use those features personally - mainly sticking to campaign and multiplayer with friends - it just doesn’t sit well with me that this game's release makes the people who are still playing the original lose out. A remastering should enhance your experience, not chop pieces out of it.
Blizzard has truly shot itself in the foot with this one, as they have no doubt upset the core fan base of this amazing title. This remake should have risen from the ashes and helped Blizzard recover its reputation. In reality, it's likely purged the veterans from their fanbase and will be relying on the game's much-loved campaigns and multiplayer mode to bring in newcomers.
A Switch copy of Warcraft III: Reforged was purchased by TheGamer for this review.Warcraft III: Reforged is available now for PC and Mac.
Warcraft III: Reforged
Warcraft 3: Reforged brings the classic RTS game to modern systems, fully imagined and remastered. You play as one of four factions across extensive campaigns, with new options, enhanced graphics, and online play.