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Warcraft III at E3 2001

The Specs

Play one of four races in this latest version of the seminal fantasy real time strategy game, now created in full 3D with rolling landscapes and deformable terrain. The humans rely on technological upgrades and their units includes elves and dwarves. The orcs are joined by trolls and wyverns. The undead can raise corpses after a battle to gather more units. The night elves are a tree-based race whose buildings can root and uproot to move around the map. Day/night cycles give different races periodic advantages. Each side has unique classes for their heroes, who can learn special skills and abilities as they go up levels and are carried over from mission to mission. Heros also acquire magical items. With no naval combat and gold as the only resource (although something called "mana stone" limits the number of heroes you can summon), Warcraft III is being streamlined so there's less emphasis on building bases and more emphasis on managing units.

The Speculation

Tom's Comments: Blizzard isn't exactly known for innovation and this is no exception. While listening to the Warcraft III demo, a seasoned RTS connoiseur can't help but think, 'Yeah, they did that in Warlords: Battlecry', 'Yeah, they did that in Kohan', or 'Yeah, they did that in Earth 2150'. Mostly, he'll think, 'Yeah, they did that in Warlords: Battlecry'. But Blizzard is living proof that innovation is overrated. Warcraft III looks great, the team has some clever ideas for their four unique races, and I have every confidence that they'll deliver a fine RTS that will break sales charts if not paradigms.

Mark's Comments: The Blizzard hallmarks are all there, from good voice acting to attention to detail like water rippling as characters step into it. The 3D engine's aged a bit and now looks a lot like other 3D engines. The big deal with Warcraft III is the addition of new playable races, the undead and the night elves, to complement the humans and orcs, and the emphasis on combat over building. I'm skeptical. I played it at E3 (for all of 10 minutes, so take this with a grain of salt) and the combat just didn't do it for me. Everything takes longer to die now to give the player time to cast spells or use special abilities, but these spells and abilities just didn't liven up the combat, which seemed tedious. RTS games are all about building bases, managing resources, and creating armies with the right mix of units. I don't want to have to tag along and micromanage my battles. I want to lasso a bunch of Zerg and throw them at the enemy and watch them spit acid and eat babies and do their Zerg thing while I chuckle with my arms crossed. I was disappointed by what I saw of this game at E3.

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May 22, 2001