wow Datamined Sylvanas' Choice Cinematic

[Stan 5,240]

An interesting in-game cinematic that takes places sometime after Sire Denathrius' defeat has been datamined, starring Sylvanas, the Jailer, and Anduin. Spoiler alert.

Wowhead has datamined an interesting cinematic called Sylvanas' Choice. We currently do not know when it becomes available in the game, but it shows the aftermath of Castle Nathria. The Jailer talks about Sire Denathrius who has fulfilled his purpose.

Sylvanas is wielding some sort of Shalamourne (Shalamayne with runes on it) and looks like the new Lich Queen. She gives Anduin two choices -- join them or serve. Check out the full cinematic for more details.

[Halock 156]

Anduin is genuinely growing from cute to good character. He's lovely.

To be honest I still don't really understand what I'm supposed to be thinking about Sylvanas. Her facial expressions are nice, though. They'd be evoking real emotion from me if they were still coming from the old, understandable, Sylvanas.

[Brutalis 165]

This is disappointing. Sylvanas hasn't shown any semblance of humanity or morality or internal conflict in like fifteen years, then they lay it on mega-thick here, out of the blue. Why is she suddenly troubled by torturing Anduin into serving her? Last year she just committed literal genocide. She's also condemned every soul in the entire universe to eternal torment in the Maw. She had no issues whatsoever in trying to force Koltira, the Death Knight, into her service or raising countless undead to join the Forsaken using the Val'kyr. So what's the issue here? Why is this a line she suddenly has difficulty crossing?

The redemption arc for Sylvanas is, predictably, being done in a very hamfisted manner.

Edited January 3, 2021 by Brutalis

[Teufel 331]

First Moira, then Garrosh, now Sylvanas...

By this point you may start to wonder if Anduin secretely using telepathy.

[darkgreenwax 412]

17 minutes ago, Brutalis said:

This is disappointing. Sylvanas hasn't shown any semblance of humanity or morality or internal conflict in like fifteen years, then they lay it on mega-thick here, out of the blue. Why is she suddenly troubled by torturing Anduin into serving her? Last year she just committed literal genocide. She's also condemned every soul in the entire universe to eternal torment in the Maw. She had no issues whatsoever in trying to force Koltira, the Death Knight, into her service or raising countless undead to join the Forsaken using the Val'kyr. So what's the issue here? Why is this a line she suddenly has difficulty crossing?

The redemption arc for Sylvanas is, predictably, being done in a very hamfisted manner.

I more or less agree. I think they've done well protecting Anduin, but Sylvanas is just all over the map.

 

Another opinion: I think there's WAY too much Sylvanas in this game now. I feel that World of Warcraft has begun to shift way too far from Orcs vs Humans.

[dioxj 0]

53 minutes ago, TyZone said:

I more or less agree. I think they've done well protecting Anduin, but Sylvanas is just all over the map.

 

Another opinion: I think there's WAY too much Sylvanas in this game now. I feel that World of Warcraft has begun to shift way too far from Orcs vs Humans.

Warcraft hasn't been about Orc vs Humans for 18 years now. Since Warcraft 2 they've been moving vastly away from that simple premise. I don't know how you could just think NOW they're moving too far from that. They'll get rid of Sylvanas as soon as they get rid of Jaina, Thrall, Baine, Tyrande, Anduin etc. Even if they got rid of Sylvanas people would just find another one of the characters to complain about. If the story beats don't go peoples way-they complain. If a character gets too much attention-they complain. If a character gets too little attention-they complain. If Blizzard wiped the slate clean, ended all story chains and brought in new characters people would still complain.

People will always complain or critique when they think they know better, which is almost always.

[darkgreenwax 412]

4 minutes ago, dioxj said:

Warcraft hasn't been about Orc vs Humans for 18 years now. Since Warcraft 2 they've been moving vastly away from that simple premise. I don't know how you could just think NOW they're moving too far from that.

I disagree, as even in 2004/2005's launch of World of Warcraft, the main hub for the Horde was Orgrimmar: an orc city, while the main Alliance hub was Stormwind: a human city; both had orc and human main characters at the helm of them respectively. Even well into Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria did you have Orc leadership and Human leadership at the forefront of factions. They most definitely have fleshed out the branches on the tree of races, without a doubt. But I disagree with the assertion that it hasn't been about orc vs humans for 18 years. Thrall, Garrosh, Varian, Andiun, these were big time characters developed and focused on through WoW's life, in some cases well into the 2010s.

 

10 minutes ago, dioxj said:

If a character gets too much attention-they complain. If a character gets too little attention-they complain. If Blizzard wiped the slate clean, ended all story chains and brought in new characters people would still complain.

People will always complain or critique when they think they know better, which is almost always.

 

Yes, this is respectfully valid. Your point can easily be applied to my original post too in that regard. My feelings are simply that such a heavy emphasis on Sylvanas as a driving factor of everything for so many years now is a little too far off the beaten path of Warcraft's roots. That is all 🙂

[Xzygy 0]

This reads like a fanfiction.  The writing team should be ashamed of themselves.  Again.

Edited January 3, 2021 by Xzygy

[breck 29]

It does not matter of she helps anduin or not. The people she killed and the suffering she caused still happened. The ends do not justify the means. By any means necessary is a creed that is evil to its core and is a driving force of sylvanas. It does not matter if you win in the end if you lose yourself and all that is good on the way to that victory.

[Valhalen 1,484]

 

13 hours ago, TyZone said:

Another opinion: I think there's WAY too much Sylvanas in this game now. I feel that World of Warcraft has begun to shift way too far from Orcs vs Humans.

WoW started to deviate from the "Orcs VS Humans" stuff since Cataclysm to be honest, which is fine, in my opinion. The whole Alliance VS Horde is a bit old (and odd) now since both always end up fighting together in the end to beat the Big Bad Guy of the expansion.

It is ok to keep them at odds with each other from a gameplay perspective, but from a story perspective, not so much now.

But yes, they've been focusing a bit too much on Sylvanas since Legion. And if this was all for Blizzard to pull another one of those "redemption arcs", then it is not gonna paid off. Like Brutalis pointed out, there are no signs of any glimpse of humanity on Sylvanas since she was turned into a Banshee. It feels so out of nowhere.

You know a good redemption arc? Zuko from Avatar the Last Airbender. They handled his arc beautifully well.

Edited January 3, 2021 by Valhalen

[Arcling 898]

14 hours ago, TyZone said:

Another opinion: I think there's WAY too much Sylvanas in this game now. I feel that World of Warcraft has begun to shift way too far from Orcs vs Humans.

Even Warcraft 2 was moving away from Orcs vs Humans, W3 even more so. You could say it was the other way around with WoW, they sort of went back to it, but it wasn't as prominent until Cata. Partially due to game mechanics, instead of four different factions, they had to accommodate existing races to fit into two. If anything, both factions have been too much human and orc centric (and elf to significant degree), with others only getting some spotlight when theme demanded it, often nothing. It's good they are moving away from it, although they are making a very different lore for it.

[Migol 433]

 

Sylvannas two years ago: goes along with the Jailor whispering in Vol'jin's ear that she should be warchief (meaning it's pretty likely she had a hand in whatever method allowed random demon #26683 to kill Vol'jin that easily).

Sylvannas a year and 1week ago (Before the Storm Book): we get to see her inner monologue often which reveals her to be a cold, cruel and extremely paranoid individual.    

Sylvannas a year ago: Burns civilians and children alive with a world tree because a dying Night Elf pitied her.    Admitted to Saurfang that she was dueling him just for the chance to make him suffer.   Made all kinds of similar sketchy to downright evil moves.    While enjoying every minute of it before yeeting off like Team Rocket after losing her temper.

Sylvannas a few weeks ago: Makes a point to have maw soldiers bring the people she hates most to Torghast so she can torture them (Note, they didn't know about Anduin's power at this point, it was purely venom on her part).

Sylvannas in the near future: "oh Wait I still have a conscience, probably."