One specific game that the fans were hoping for was a remaster of sorts for one of the greatest RTS games of all time, Warcraft III. Not only did we get our wish during the Opening Ceremony, Blizzard went above and beyond that. Revealed as Warcraft III Reforged, with reworked visuals and graphics, as well support for 4k, the game is the epitome of how an old school classic should be reworked. We were lucky to get our hands on the demo at BlizzCon 2018 and let that wave of nostalgia wash over us once again.
The demo consisted of just one campaign mission. Titled The Culling, it details the beginning of the end for Prince Arthas Menethis, who after discovering that the people of Stratholme have already ingested some wheat grain that will turn them into the undead, decides to purge the city of them. Disgusted by this, Uther the Lighbringer and Jaina Proudmoore leave Arthas’ service on the spot. At this point we have control of the game, and the controls, mechanics, and overlay of the map are a sight to behold. Despite not having played an RTS game in quite some time, everything came back the moment we started moving our mice and keyboard, setting up the soldiers with Arthas to begin decimating the city.
The objective is to literally take out civilians in the city, all while the Dreadlord Mal’Ganis is flying around turning the infected into servants of the Scourge, the undead army in Azeroth. During this, we had to keep an eye on our encampment, which was being attacked every now and then by the undead. Keeping an eye on our resources, while using our abilities to ensure fights, The Culling was finished rather quickly, but again it’s just a taste of things to come.
Once the deed is done, Arthas is never the same again, and begins his path towards darkness and the eventual finding of Frostmourne and him becoming the Lich King. Regardless of the length, we came out of this beaming with happiness, as one of our favorite games growing up is finally getting the royal remaster treatment it deserves.
Warcraft III Reforged launches in 2019 for PC. Fans can pre order the Spoils of War edition here. You can check out the reveal trailer here: