WoW is in an everlasting state of evolution since the day it came out, be it mechanically or visually. Blizzard’s cosmetic revamps brought some extra sparkles to the visuals, and it certainly doesn’t look like the days of old. Many abilities have also evolved and had their animations, visuals, and even sounds changed. But have all the changes been for the better?
Beg-Cat-31111111 shared a Youtube video by Doffen, who compared the evolution of all basic class abilities through Vanilla, Cataclysm, and Modern versions of WoW for the nine original classes.
The first thing that stood out to us, besides the abilities, is how the characters themselves have changed and improved, along with the environment. Blizzard are doing some fel magic behind the scenes. In the case of the Paladin here, it’s visible how much the animation has evolved in the Modern version, with a completely different stance and even a book added to it.
DarkImpacT213 probably perfectly summarizes what many in the community think of Blizzard’s tinkering and hammering under the hood. With the help of both gnome and goblin embassies in Irvine, no doubt.
On the other hand, maybe you prefer the old visuals, especially if you’ve been there since the beginning, and soaked in all that old school charm and passion. Plenty of players out there are in the same boat.
And Coocoocachoo1988 has a good observation on why players might feel the old animations and visuals are more iconic.
It can’t be denied that Blizzard has added many bells and whistles to WoW through the years, good and bad. Wherever your opinion leans, hop on the Reddit discussion or Doffen’s Youtube channel, and share your thoughts.
