Hello GB Community, first time, long time etc. I was privalged to attend my first ever Blizzcon this year. The entire experience was surreal for a 40 something who can remember calling his friend on the phone to make sure we dialed into the internet at the same time for some Starcraft or Diablo MP. The good ole days.
I've played World of Warcraft off and on since it's launch with one extremely addicting stint in the early 2010s. When they announced WoW Forever, I was immedaitely all in but I was blown away by the announcement of a new Warcraft 3 expansion. I wanted to prep for WoW Forever by doing someting new, understanding the lore. Which lead me to revisit a game from my High School days, Warcraft 3.
I have to go back to Halo Wars since the last time I played an RTS, so going into this I was curious if the gameplay would hold up and I am here to say it unequivocally does.
Ahead of its time. (Cliche but true)
Warcraft 3 was able to blend RTS gameplay with RPG mechanics in Hero Units who would level up as the campaign evolved. Each of these units had their own unique abilities that could turn the tide of a battle while being a focal point of the lore that helped shape what we know as World of Warcraft today.
I can only speak on the single player campaign as I have not attempted (nor will I) online multiplayer. The four playable races felt different enough that playing through each of the four campaigns felt fresh thanks to a mixture of base building mechanics, and the mission variety which offered more than the typical "build base destroy enemy base" that the genre is known for. We had dungeons that felt more like playing an old CRPG than an RTS, there was rescue missions, survive for x amount of time that felt more like a tower defense game.
The rpg style system of the Hero units would go on to form a genre onto itself (MOBA for those curious) and its truly a testament to the quality and care Blizzard once put into their games, that in 2026 Warcraft 3 still holds up from a gameplay perspective.
I played through the reforged version which sadly had its share of bugs through my time with the campaign but they did not do enough to impact my overall enjoyment of the game. As for the visuals I found myself playing with the classic visuals vs the reforged visuals. They aged fine and have a certain charm to them that I appreciate.
The world building remains top notch, and I plan on checking out The Frozen Throne ahead of the new expansion before WoW Forever. Its easy to see why so many players latched onto major characters and places in Azeroth during their time with WoW. Having this fresh perspective heading into the WoW Forever launch I am ready to do something I rarely do in an MMORPG, read the quests.