GamesMMOWorld of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft: The War WithinWorld of Warcraft: The War Within gets a new 2D cinematic, reminds us that Xal’atath is an ancient knife piloting a corpse puppet for kicksWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesMMOWorld of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft: The War WithinWorld of Warcraft: The War Within gets a new 2D cinematic, reminds us that Xal’atath is an ancient knife piloting a corpse puppet for kicksWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The War Within | Threads of Destiny | World of Warcraft - YouTubeWatch On
The War Within | Threads of Destiny | World of Warcraft - YouTube
The War Within | Threads of Destiny | World of Warcraft - YouTube
World of Warcraft: The War Within’s story is shaping up to be, against all odds, actually kinda neat. While Dragonflight had its ups and downs, it marked a lean away from the ‘big guy in armour saying pitiful mortal at you before teleporting away’ storytelling of Shadowlands and into, well, characters that actuallytalk to each other like people.
That, combined with WoW taking a leaf out of FF14’s book and making its dungeons andraids soloableanda part of its main story, means there’s the opportunity for Blizzard to do some really neat stuff despite its messy legacy. My curiosity has tilted into optimism.
Further spinning up my ‘hey this might be decent, actually’ engine is Threads of Destiny, the 2D cinematic seen above. It’sgorgeous,owing to Blizzard’s impossibly big budget for this kind of thing—but it also gives us a look into the central antagonists of the expansion’s first leg, the Nerubian Empire.
A quick history lesson: The Nerubians are one of three kingdoms of bug-people that broke off from under Kith’ix’s rule after the Empire of Zul gave them the business. Notably, they’re not that jazzed about continuing to follow the old gods as their ancestors had in the days of the Black Empire.
We saw half of them in Wrath of the Lich King (well, the aftermath of half of them—Azjol-Nerub tried to go up against the Scourge, and it didn’t go well). The society we’ll be brawling with, Azj-Kahet, locked itself off from its sister kingdom and the world until very recently.
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The way she crawls out of the void-goop, flashes cheshire smiles, and whispers sweet nothings at the matricidal princess Ansurek—well, it’s suitably unsettling. I especially like how Ansurek says “her name isXal’atath” here. It’s a small touch, but it shows us that part of why Xal’atath is keeping the meat puppet facade going is, well, because it’s easier to endear yourself to people when you talk like them. Ansurek thinks Xal’atath is her best friend, and she so, so is not.
Bare minimum, Xal’atath has some sorely-needed theatricalcharismathat WoW’s been lacking in its villains for a little bit. This game’s at its best when it’s not taking itself too seriously, when its Arthases and Illidans can chew the scenery to death all they like. Xal’atath represents a good return to that form. I’m just hoping that the in-game stuff can keep these vibes intact when The War Withinreleases later this month.
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Dragonflight got WoW back on its feet, now we get to see if Blizzard can make the Worldsoul Saga runWoW’s finally upgrading its dreaded swirlies so players can actually tell where it’s safe to stand
Dragonflight got WoW back on its feet, now we get to see if Blizzard can make the Worldsoul Saga run
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WoW’s finally upgrading its dreaded swirlies so players can actually tell where it’s safe to stand
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LatestWorld of Warcraft’s competitive dungeon mode is strugglingSee more latest►
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World of Warcraft’s competitive dungeon mode is struggling
World of Warcraft’s competitive dungeon mode is struggling
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