A lot like Warcraft III
344701
This is an obvious Warcraft III clone. It has a few pieces of frosting to grant it unique elements, but it's nothing you've never seen before. That doesn't necessarily make it bad, however. If you're looking for a D&D based RTS, then this is a winner. If you're just looking for a generic RTS, then there are better options out there.
1005432
I just finished Eye of Winters Fury - the third (and apaprently last) book in the series.
it was an excellent experience. I'd like to review it in sections:

Story & writing
The story here is a good one, not as good as Heart of Fire - which felt deeply personal, but better than Legion of Shadow. While Arran's motivation sometimes feels weak, he's an interesting and well-fleshed-out protagonist. Michael has tried something new in giving the lead character a stronger personality than either the prophet or the Nevarin from the previous books. In particular the sacrifices Arran must make to fulfill his mission resonate very well. The visceral nature of the writing style is very enjoyable, especially during action sequences where I enjoy the way Michael's writing turns into impressions and images, rather than a dry description of the action.

Gameplay
The division of the book into two acts works well, but the maps by this point are almost just decoration. The second act has a completely linear structure, and the first act is somewhat linear also. The town of Ryker's island is well-fleshed out, and a great place to hang out in.
The lack of careers was something that bothered me (or at least, it felt like a lack). Even though there was only one fewer career per class than HoF, they somehow felt worse - less compelling.
The new racing mechanic was good fun, and added a nice minigame-like aspect to the book.
The introduction of death moves is quite fun, and there are a lot of multi-enemy battles in the book, so plenty of opportunity to use them. Unfortunately, multi-enemy battles are still something of an exercise in book-keeping. Tracking everyone's health, plus which abilities you have used can be rough. Also, the lack of team battles in this book is frankly a relief. Team Battles in Heart of Fire very quickly became a bit of torture, because there was so much to keep track of - 20+ abilities between the two heroes for example.

Balance
The balance of this book was very different to that of the previous two. For a start - there's a huge amount of gold, but not a lot to spend it on. Even after pimping out my seld, I had around 1000 GP by the end and little use for it. Unlike LoS or HoF, there were hardly any compelling purchases in the first act, and the second act's shop is only available if you choose one way in a key decision in that act.
The item balance in this book is very different from either of the two previous books. In LoS, there were some clearly unbalanced choices and items. In HoF the items were more balanced, but there was a clear progression, and a sense of optimal choices being available. In EoWF, the tradeoffs are much more significant. Each class has two or three categories of item that have no clear optimal choices available (e.g. head for rogues, the only decent 2 Speed hat gives armour bonuses). The use of runes in this book has progressed from book two. Some of the runes are surprising and fun.
EoWF is a considerably lower-powered book compared to the previous two. In practice you can expect to reach about 14 speed and maybe 23 brawn (my rogue). This is in comparison to my mage from HoF who reached 15 speed and !36! magic, and my rogue from LoS who reached 17 speed and 30 brawn.
While speed is still king, it's not quite as completely dominant as in the previous two books. Also, as a result of the item balance, ability combos become more interesting. A good example I managed to cook up was Warg Strike (or reaver career ability) + critical strike + mangle to deal 24 damage.

Overall impression:
Not as good as Heart of Fire, but a great deal of fun. A solid entry in the series, which shows the author switching things up a bit, and keeping the gameplay fresh.
2314052
I've loved the Warcraft universe for years and this book was solid.  It was certainly a worthy addition to the universe
4626299
This game reminds me of Hunter: The Reckoning-Wayward for its isometric view and gameplay. My only gripe is a lack of characters though I'll forgive this because of the developers stayed true to the source material. Hard to come by but worth the search.
934241
The first installment of StarCraft II was fun, but this surpassed it in every way. First time I have seen RPG and RTS blended successfully, and it worked extremely well in the context.
4412873
This expansion was better than I thought it would be. I remember thinking "Kung fu Pandas? Seriously?", however, the scenery was stupendous. Level progression through the multitude of Quests seems slow at first, then speeds up in the middle, then slows just before 90. This has been changed a little since I first purchased this, but I thought I would give you my impression of the first 4 months of playing it. MoP Instances leave a lot to be desired, but could have been worse.
1140078
This game implements many smart and effective mmo ideas in a way that is not overly processor intensive.  The adaptation of the Warhammer universe is very well done and characters are highly customizable, allowing for lots of repeat play.

This game really shines in the Player versus Player (RvR) department, with interesting battle grounds and really fun siege weapons that ensure even lower level players can prove effective and helpful to the team.  The RvR system is designed in such a way that it prevents twinking and keeps that aspect of gameplay rewarding by providing ample gold and xp for player kills.

Ultimately, this is a well designed game.  It's only real flaws are long load times between zones and graphics that could be better.
4651784
Wow what a game from Blizzard, not as amazing in terms of story than D2, but the gameplay is fresh with all the new additions such as the treasure goblin and randomized stat mobs and the addition of more levels to gain. The only thing lacking here was the story line and pvp so far, but the great graphics, gameplay additions, player auction house, randomized stats on mobs and more make up for anything this game is lacking.
2366404
Well, My first RTS I ever played was Warcraft 1. I loved it, and Diablo, and Warcraft 2, and Starcraft. Blizzard was on a roll. Then came Warcraft 3. That game ruled, and still rules. But it is filled with alot of cruel people ready to jump the gun and insult you when they feel like it. Then came Diablo 2. Now I loved that game also, until I played online and was suffocated with lying, cheating, theives. Tons of childish cruel people just looking to gain fake items in the game and hurt other people's feelings.

Now on to WoW. I played the beta, and I also currently have a active account. I played a 20 Druid in beta and I currently have a 27 Tauren Warrior in game(but i've tried 4 or 5 different classes). I must say, it is a fun game, but the people, and stolen content completely ruin the game for me.

The game is filled with immature children who need to be babysat by a game. They all just want to get an "super buff uber 1337" characters and show off to their friends. More than half the servers are PVP, showing that blizzard was prepared for childish jerks who want to steal and insult. They draw penises on the mini-map and create clans such as "Buttmunchers United" and "Lharger Shaft". Its a stupid colorful game filled with abusive PKing 13 year olds and while the gameplay is quicker and more attractive than other MMO's, the players and lack of graphics make this game crap to me. I am cancelling my account and looking elsewhere for a good, mature MMORPG.

Everything is stolen from other similar RPG's also. Everquest was first to create mounts, EQ2 was first to create in game pets, the skill system was stolen from another game, and the raid function was also stolen. In an interview they admitted they had alot of help from the leading guilds in Everquest 1 and Anarchy to create this game. It shows, they stole everything and everyone gives them credit like they are gods.

Overall this game was fun and quirky at first, but sucked after the initial superleveling went away. People are jerks, your stuff gets stolen, the graphics will blow in a year. I suggest you play it for awhile(because it is fun at first) but don't put to much time into it or you will be dissapointed.

Sincerely,

A huge blizzard and MMORPG fan.
252551
This "Game of the Year" edition of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (DoW) contains new battle maps, online features and an observer mode to enhance what was already a terrific RTS computer game. Each of the four races in the game look and behave as one would expect from Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 (aka 40K) universe. The Eldar are graceful and cultured in their speech and appearance (think High Elves in space), performing marvelous acrobatic moves in combat. Orks are brutal, awkward and ramshackle in their appearance and gait, Chaos Marines and their demonic minions are dark, cruel and monstrous while regular Space Marines (enhanced humans) are very industrial and all business. The animations in combat are so good you'll want to play some skirmishes on easy difficulty so that you can take your time looking close up at the individual fighting using the fully moveable 3D camera. There are even special "sync-kill" animations when certain creatures destroy each other. For example, when the Space Marine Commander kills a gigantic Bloodthirster (huge winged demon), the animation sequence is one of the most spectacular in the game!

The skirmish option offers both single and multiplayer modes with many different battle maps from which to choose. This offers near limitless permutations, providing tons of re-playability. The campaign is a wee bit linear and not overly challenging, but is loads of fun, has an entertaining story and can be completed by all players regardless of skill level. Difficulty level settings can be used in both campaign and skirmish play to make the game more or less challenging as desired.

The voice acting and music are quite good in DoW and enhance play enormously. The game is highly evocative of the dark, gothic feel of the 40K miniatures game produced by Games Workshop (GW).

Resource gathering is used as is expected in an RTS game, but it is very simple and does not occupy an enormous amount of game time. The emphasis of DoW is all on the action and combat! Resources are gathered by capturing strategic points and critical locations on the battle map. Capture more territory and more resources will be available to you to complete your research and build your army.

Note that the expansion pack for this game, Winter Assault, will provide players with even more maps and options, as well as a new army, The Imperial Guard. There are also numerous mods available on the Internet providing even more armies from the 40K universe.
1687766
I saw this game and I had to have it. It was so fun to play especially if you know the areas in World of Warcraft. I highly recommend this game if you like Monopoly and World of Warcraft. It made an excellent combination!
535320
I outgrow and get tired of games easily but Warcraft III Frozen Throne is the one game i still play since its original release. I can't tell you enough how fun this game is. I pretty much have all the good current games on current systems (PS3, 360, Wii) but i always come back to WC3. It's THAT good!
1721357
It disappoints, yet doesn't surprise me, that so many people are leaving bad reviews simply because they're upset over some queues that they should have expected in the first place (perhaps not to the extent that we had them, but that is neither here nor there).

World of Warcraft has been a staple in many gamer's MMO careers, including my own. It's a fantastic game with many hours of enjoyable gameplay. The history is vast and while they went in an interesting direction with the lore in this particular expansion, I've found that it quite fits with the way the writers have been doing things as of late, trying to keep everyone on their toes.

Aside from that, I personally feel that this has been the best expansion since Wrath of the Lich King. I was never a huge fan of Burning Crusade or Cataclysm and while I liked Mists of Pandaria, it was lacking in some areas for me. This so far has been a fantastic re-welcoming for myself and thousands around the world.

If you've felt burnt out on World of Warcraft in the last several years, I think this is a nice breath of fresh air. The content actually feels as though skill is required to complete it, rather than just face-rolling through everything. The addition of personal Garrisons (essentially a your own outpost) is a nice side dish to the game, but overall I think the content has been interesting. The other great change has been the update to the character models. They look absolutely fantastic and they're such a joy to look at compared to the old blocky models. I'm excited to see what they do with the Blood Elves, since those appear to have been pushed past release date. To those who like the legacy models, they've retained these as well, and you can toggle between the new and old models which is another great feature.

The only thing I truly wish that they would do, despite the fact that we have addons, would be to redesign their UI and bring it up-to-date. Their UI is incredibly lacking and while they do add quality of life fixes in every expansion, and many updates, it's simply not enough for anyone to use it (and I'm truly tired of Elv & TukUI's look). I want something that fits the game, but is customizable to a point. Their current UI is just seriously lacking and I get tired of playing the AddOn game sometimes.

Either way, it's a fantastic game in my opinion and definitely worth taking a look at and revisiting. There is a reason World of Warcraft is the top MMORPG in the world, they just have a solid game.
2536821
I love playing World of Warcraft (WoW), and I'm a grandmother!  There is so much to do besides just questing.  I enjoy my professions in the game, and fishing and cooking what I fish up, as well as chatting "in game" with other players.  This expansion is "Mists of Pandaria" and the new panda characters are just tooo toooooo cute.  There is a new class as well... Monk, with some great moves.  And of course, the WoW universe has expanded to create a new land to explore and new quests to play.

I bought the COLLECTORS EDITION because it comes with the sound track for "Mist".  All the music in WoW is exceptional and done by an orchestra.  Some of it actually gives me goose bumps.
3723983
I have both Star Wars Galaxies and World of Warcraft, and despite what detractors that started with the weird "role playing" version of the game, Star Wars Galaxies delivers a rich and varied game world. I love the part that allows me to just hop in a Tie Fighter and do space combat missions. All that ground grinding for my dark Jedi can sometimes get boring! So it's like you get two games for one price, can alternate between them, and very rarely get bored with it all. WoW on the other hand, it's just a very simplistic kill stuff game where you struggle through predefined Zones trying to find quests. SWG makes it easy with waypoints and guiding arrows to get you to your destinations. GPS for a gameworld if you will and I love it since I'm always getting lost in a game world. The developers are also going to be introducing some exciting new expansions soon. A new space combat expansion that allows capital ship combat, and even allows guilds (or very in-game rich individuals) to have their very own capital ship, board-able space stations, capital ship combat, and possibly the ability to command an entire capital ship armada! Guild combat just got a whole lot more interesting :D Another expansion introduces better droids, both combat and utility droids. If they give the ability for players to manufacture or buy HK-47 series assassin droids, that you could have wise-cracking conversations with, I'd love this game forever. As it is I'm already hopelessly addicted.
1745251
You'd think people would have learned by now this is not the 1990s unfortunately and game companies no longer design for gamers they design them to turn a profit so yes only 1/3 of the campaign has been released but there is still a complete multiplayer package.  Blizzard is only attempting to do what the guys with those endless Halflife adaptations tried to do a more in depth storyline which means a shorter time between release dates, although if Blizzard manages to cut down the wait time they would be the first.  After all why give people what they want immediately if you can keep them on the hook.

Also depending on how one feels about the other factions the fact that you could have whichever side you want could be a good thing.  The humans were always my favorite the Protoss were pompous jerks who deserved what they got and the Zerg just gave me the creeps.  In my case not having to spend 10 missions as a walking Cockroach is something of a relief.

All of the narsayers at least need to find a way to play the game first before they find a reason to trash it.

People gripping about the single player campaign  would be justified if the storyline wasn't so well done.  Although I am probably just biased here the developers were watching a lot of Firefly when they worked on this thing. The single player side of things is very fun the gameplay is still there the only annoying factor that I can find so far is that every mission has some form of timed element (usually centered around collecting resources) that is part of the old gameplay I miss building up a strong defensive line and building up your forces for one massive strike.

The complaints I have are more of a customer service variety.  For as much as I liked the gameplay Sure Blizzard dropped the ball more then once in the way they handled the issues.

1.  Do you really need to know that I am playing this game every single time I log in?  What if I forget my password?  Oh right, now that I have registered my product online I can download it for free anytime I want.  Darn decent of you Big Brother allowing me to download a game I have already purchased.

2.  One has to be online all the time with this.  Fantastic what if your internet connection goes out?  Depending on where you live this could be a big issue.

3.  Gameplay-I mean yes I like it but even though they gave the game some good voice acting and a shinny new coat of paint it still plays like a cross between Warcraft 3 and one of the Warhammer 40k games.

Overall-Yes all of the issues that everyone is frantic about are a problem but there is a lot of good stuff here as well.  I heard all the negative press and almost returned the game unopened I'm glad I didn't/
1911963
The story plot was engaging.  It's good to delve into the diablo lore.  The fourth act was really quick.
In DB2 you allocated stats and picked skills which would require you to have multiple characters to be different types of a class.  (example a really strong bone necromancer couldn't also be a really strong summoner).  That made replaying a bit more enticing and lead to a different experience when you were waiting for a new skill that would make all your hard work with not so good skills pay off with the stacking added to the skill you were holding out for. Granted.. it is nice in D3 to be able to switch around skill combinations at will - but it's definitely not the same feel as Diablo 2.

No single player offline mode :(  - was sad when network was down (but since we had to wait so long for d3 to come out.. what was another 4 hours?)

The animations are really, really good.
Overall it was well worth the purchase.