Mark-x

First name: |NeVer B@cK Down| Number: 1 Other information?: Thanks For Great GiveAway

StarCraft is a military science fiction media franchise, created by Chris Metzen and James Phinney and owned by Blizzard Entertainment. The series, set in the beginning of the 26th century, centers on a galactic struggle for dominance among four species—the adaptable and mobile Terrans, the ever-evolving insectoid Zerg, the powerfully enigmatic Protoss, and the "god-like" Xel'Naga creator race—in a distant part of the Milky Way galaxy known as the Koprulu Sector. The series debuted with the video game StarCraft in 1998. It has grown to include a number of other games as well as eight novelizations, two Amazing Stories articles, a board game, and other licensed merchandise such as collectible statues and toys. Blizzard Entertainment began planning StarCraft in 1995, with a development team led by Metzen and Phinney. The game debuted at E3 1996, and used a modified Warcraft II game engine. StarCraft also marked the creation of Blizzard Entertainment's film department; the game introduced high quality cinematics integral to the storyline of the series. Most of the original development team for StarCraft returned to work on the game's expansion pack, Brood War; the game's development began shortly after StarCraft was released. In 2001, StarCraft: Ghost began development under Nihilistic Software. Unlike the previous real-time strategy games in the series, Ghost was to be a stealth-action game. After three years of development, work on the game was postponed in 2004. Development of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty began in 2003; the game was announced in May 2007 and was released in July 2010. The StarCraft II franchise continued with the StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm expansion, which was released in March 2013. The third StarCraft II installment, StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, released in November 2015.

Plenty of video games let you play as robots, but they’re mostly murder robots. If you’re looking for something a little more helpful, give Robot Vacuum Simulator from Stolidus Simulations might be right up your alley. The Norwegian developers have really put some thought into how it feels to be a Roomba, limited in your mobility and unable to contend with even the smallest staircase as you steadily glide around a home sucking up dust and dirt. A soothing modern jazz soundtrack caps off the whole experience.

Many RPGs focus on tales of lone, wandering adventurers, but few if any pull it off it with such artistry as The Witcher 3. That artistry is most apparent in the setting itself, which is so packed with breathtaking sunsets and wind-tossed groves of trees that, months later, I still find myself opting to go to destinations on foot rather than taking the fast travel points. But the true strength of The Witcher 3 is that it po[CENSORED]tes these memorable landscapes with NPCs doling out humble but memorable quests (by the dozen) that help create one of the most human RPG experiences on the market. In decaying wayside towns, the witcher Geralt might find impoverished elves struggling in the face of local racism; elsewhere, he might help a self-styled baron reunite with his long-estranged daughter. These quests deftly navigate moral issues without being heavy-handed or offering obvious solutions Through it all, much as in The Witcher 2, Geralt usually plays the role of just another character on this troubled world's stage. In the process, this tale of monster slaying and inter-dimensional raiders becomes strangely and poignantly relatable.

The Magnavox was the very first videogame console ever released, predating even the Atari Pong. A hybrid of both analog and digital circuitry, the Odyssey is the absolute starting point for all subsequent gaming platforms. Although lacking color video output or sound, the Magnavox still managed to sell over 300,000 units. The Odyssey used a cartridge system, although the games more closely resembled computer chips than actual games. The controllers were essentially boxes with horizontal and vertical axis knobs on both sides with very dense wires between them and the base console. The Odyssey also launched the very first home light gun ever produced, called the Shooting Gallery. The games for the Odyssey consisted of straightforward, single-function titles like Baseball, Basketball, Ski, and more. Due to the simplicity of the console, there weren’t any third-party games designed for it. But the precedent established by the Odyssey paved the way for subsequent systems -- a legacy that has secured the console a place in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Life is Strange was one of the biggest surprises of the last few years—a Telltale style episodic game that stood alone, and a clever gimmick backed up by tremendous heart. It’s the story of a nervous girl who discovers she has the power to rewind time, right on the edge of a disaster about to hit her town. Yet the drama really comes from her relationships, from the genuinely difficult choices to make, and the clunkily-written but still efficient coming of age story at its heart.

Adventure game designers face a difficult task. The genre is by its very nature linear and serves primarily to tell stories, but without puzzles, there's no game. Combining these two elements is the challenge. The story must be intricate and engaging enough to make the inclusion of puzzles seem plausible, and the puzzles must be clever enough to not jump out as an artificial roadblock for the story. It's the rare game that meets one of these goals, let alone both. But Grim Fandango, the latest from Tim Schafer of Full Throttle and Day of the Tentacle fame, achieves this delicate combination and more. In addition to being a very good adventure game, it features great writing and beautiful art direction. Grim Fandango is based upon Mexican folklore, set in the land of the dead. You play Manny Calavera, employee of the Department of Death and travel agent to newly dead souls who are just setting out on the treacherous four-year journey to the ninth underworld. Employees of the DOD, as it is called, are souls who must work off debts from their previous lives in order to earn their own passage to the final resting place. To pay off the debts, agents must accrue a certain number of premium souls, those of the virtuous who have earned more pleasant means of passage, the ultimate of which is the Number Nine, a bullet-train that makes the journey in a more desirable four days. But Manny is down on his luck. His clients never qualify for the premium packages. And even when he meets one that does, the saintly Mercedes Colomar, he can't seem to find a suitably saintly mode of transportation, reluctantly setting her off on foot into the dangerous world beyond. But Colomar's case will lead Manny to the discovery that all is not as it seems in the DOD, and he will set out on his own journey to set things right. The game follows four years of Manny's afterlife as he travels through a variety of fantastic locales, searching for Mercedes and the real source of corruption. You will lead Manny through the city of El Marrow, the port town Rubacava, a mining colony at the edge of the world, and the gates of the ninth underworld itself. Each location is distinct, with its own atmosphere and interesting characters. The visual design is consistently great, drawing upon various Latin American sources, such as angular Aztec stonework and the stylized Day of the Dead skeletons, and using them to create modern buildings and vehicles such as cruise ships and casinos. The sound is equally impressive, with great voice acting, distinct sound effects, and a diverse and subtle score by Peter McConnell which ranges from mariachi to jazz. But the writing is where Grim Fandango earns the most praise. Parodying film noir cliches has become a cliche unto itself, and Grim Fandango thankfully avoids the obvious. This isn't just a faux Sam Spade mystery. Instead, the game draws upon darker and more complex sources, with Chinatown, Casablanca, and even David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross lurking in its shadows. And there are very few jokes in the game, but it is funny. It derives its humor from its situations and characters (such as Manny's oversized sidekick, Glottis) without making fun of itself, helping to create a believable world. The puzzles help to maintain this believability. While traditional in nature, they are worked into the storyline well. And they are varied, both in style and difficulty. For the most part, you'll have a series of known objectives to complete before moving on to the next locale. These objectives are complex, though, and often the solutions will have multiple parts. You'll undoubtedly be stumped more than once, but the solutions are logical and subtle clues are plentiful. Grim Fandango is not a typical LucasArts adventure. It's the first from the company to dispense with traditional 2D animation and move to the more cinematic 3D style made po[CENSORED]r with Infogrames' Alone in the Dark games, and also utilized in Origin Systems' underrated Bioforge. It uses a keyboard-driven interface instead of the traditional point-and-click, and Manny signals significant objects by turning his head and looking as he passes by. Grim Fandango overcomes the major problems with this style, so only rarely will you be frustrated by disorienting camera-angle switching or feel lost because of an obscure exit. It would be remiss to avoid mention of Grim Fandango's minor technical faults (such as the strange behavior exhibited by almost every elevator in the game). But these are unfortunate drawbacks to an otherwise great game. The one real problem with Grim Fandango is that the end comes too soon. This isn't because it's too short (it should take most a good two- to three-dozen hours), but because the designers have created a rich world that you won't want to leave, filled with memorable characters that are hard to say goodbye to. Don't be surprised if you're sad when it's over.

Let's start with the influential FPS games that didn't quite secure a place on the list. If you side-step the genre's wireframe origins – expanded in our 43-year history of first-person-shooters – let's start with the granddaddy: the original, 1993 Doom. While not the first FPS, developer id's shooter is a masterclass in intelligent, cleverly-paced level design, alongside deceptively strategic gunplay - while also establishing id as the premier gun 'feel' craftsmen in the industry. In terms of its mainstream appeal and cultural crossover, the next most influential shooter was probably Goldeneye, which proved that FPS could truly work on a console, delivering the most cinematic action game of its era. Rare's shooter hosts one of the most legendary multiplayer modes in history. Oddjob is still banned, though. The split-screen multiplayer template evolved with Goldeneye's unofficial, next-gen follow-up, TimeSplitters 2. Headed up by key members of Rare’s Goldeneye team, TS2 is a history-spanning, thematic pick 'n’ mix campaign skewering movies - and even Goldeneye itself - with endless, brilliantly observed pastiche. Add another terrific multiplayer offering plus the staggering depth and imagination of its Arcade challenge leagues, and you have a game way, way ahead of its time. A less obvious choice, but a game that expertly stole – and re-assembled – the genre's greatest mechanics, is PS3's Resistance 3. With echoes of Half-Life 2, Chronicles of Riddick and Halo, this overlooked sequel is like a greatest hits package of FPS gaming's 40-year-history. A brilliantly structured campaign journey, fueled by inventive, satisfying weapon design, and serious fun. David Houghton

Visual elements unique to the special-edition Mini include a new British Racing Green paint colour, contrasting black roof and wing mirrors, specially designed bonnet stripes and two-tone 17in lightweight alloy wheels. A commemorative badge features on the bonnet, indicator housings and as an LED projection from the bottom of the driver’s door. UK examples will receive a set of front-mounted, rally-style spotlights. The interior continues the anniversary theme, with seats upholstered in model-specific dark leather with contrast stitching and the 60 Years emblem displayed on the steering wheel and front seats. The Mini 60 Years Edition retains the 2.0-litre petrol engine and seven-speed automatic gearbox from the Cooper S to accelerate from 0-62mph in 6.7sec and on to a top speed of 145mph. OUR VERDICT Mini 3-door Hatch Mini Cooper S Now in its third generation, we find out if the bigger, cleverer and more mature Mini can still entertain like it predecessors did Find an Autocar car review Driven this week Mercedes-Benz S-Class S500L 2018 long-term review - hero front 15 JANUARY 2019 FIRST DRIVE Mercedes-Benz S-Class S500L 2018 long-term review Is the German limousine still a byword for luxury? We're about to find... Hyundai i30 Fastback N 2019 first drive review - hero front 15 JANUARY 2019 FIRST DRIVE Hyundai i30 Fastback N 2019 review Hyundai’s hot hatch follow-up act is a swoopy saloon that also happens to be... Nissan Leaf 2nd generation (2018) long-term review hero front 14 JANUARY 2019 FIRST DRIVE Nissan Leaf long-term review The first Leaf was an EV pioneer. Can the new one make as big an impact? We... Standard equipment includes an 8.8in touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity and wireless smartphone charging. A rear-view camera and parking sensors are carried over from the Comfort package for the standard Cooper S. The 500 Mini 60 Years Editions headed for UK dealerships will be available from March 2019, priced at £29,990 – £8850 more than the standard model.

Sonam Kapoor was recently spotted in three different looks for an event and while she missed the mark in one, for the other two looks she proved that she can pull off an outfit like none other.

Explosions and gunfire have been heard at an upscale hotel and office complex in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, this afternoon. Witnesses and police at the complex - which includes a large hotel known as DusitD2, banks and offices - are calling it a terror attack. Several vehicles are burning while people are being rushed and carried from the scene. There are reports of explosions and gunfire sending workers fleeing for their lives.

Contra

Like an adaptation of the tabletop game crossed with the XCOM design template, BattleTech is a deep and complex turn-based game with an impressive campaign system. You control a group of mercenaries, trying to keep the books balanced and upgrading your suite of mechwarriors and battlemechs in the game's strategy layer. In battle, you target specific parts of enemy mechs, taking into account armor, angle, speed and the surrounding environment, then make difficult choices when the fight isn't going your way. It can initially be overwhelming and it's undeniably a dense game, but if that's what you want from your strategy games or you love this universe, it's a great pick.

Thief Simulator allows you to live out the fantasy of being an impulsive money-hungry criminal as you prey upon the humble neighbourhood of Greenview Street, scoring any loot you can for a cash exchange at your local pawn shop. As your efficiency as a thief improves you'll gain access to more sophisticated gadgets such as night vision goggles and hacking laptops, and there are usually multiple options available to pull off a burglary, so it's up to players whether they want to brave it and attempt to lockpick the front door or sneak around the back to try and find an open window. Stealth is crucial as there's no option to silence tenants or bribe the police if you get caught. Instead, you need to mindful of every action, ensuring that you aren't seen by passers-by during suspicious activity like crouching in the bushes or carrying a crowbar. If you do see red and blue lights swirling in your direction you can choose to hide under a bed or in an outside dumpster, although if you're feeling up for taking a risk you could make a break for your car and try and dash away. Luckily the price for apprehension isn't a steep one, as you will just return back to the last checkpoint and any loot you gathered during your failed stint will be lost. After a successful heist, you are graded on your performance and receive additional XP depending on how competent you were as a thief. If you broke a window, alerted the cops, or made off with nothing but a toaster and a saucepan then its unlikely you will receive much of a bonus. By earning XP and levelling up you earn skill points which can be invested in the skill tree to unlock new abilities such as being able to climb fences and rig security cameras in mailboxes. There's an impressive list of skills that can be learned, but we found our choice largely dictated by the story as we need certain skills to progress. We found ourselves at a crossroads at one point as we really wanted to upgrade our carry capacity but also didn't want to have to grind and delay our progress. At your home base, there's a PC where you can purchase tips before robberies, fulfil requests for other shady criminals, and purchase new items such as lockpicks, flashlights, and climbing gloves. On the Rent-a-Thug tab you can take on side missions that usually see you stealing a specific item or destroying someone's prized possessions for a cash reward. These missions can feel a little repetitive but they are a means of levelling up if you haven't performed too well during the main story missions. On Blackbay you can purchase some useful hints about properties such as tenant routines, security tips, and hints about valuable loot locations. This can make things significantly easier as you won't need to spy in the bushes or check every door, but tips come at a cost. One thing we noticed quite quickly is that the AI lacked intelligence. Another thing, our deeds appeared to have no impact on the neighbourhood that we robbed every night. For example, we targeted 110, 111, and 112 Greenview Street in three consecutive nights and nobody grew suspicious and the pawn shop owner didn't even bat an eye as we shovelled phones, oversized printers, and decorative items at him each day. It would have been great if there were more consequences for being lazy as a thief, like some tenants hiding their valuables out of fear of being robbed or installing new security systems after being hit for the first time. We have to mention the driving controls as they feel especially clunky and it never truly felt like we had control of our vehicle when moving at high speeds. We found ourselves having to constantly splash out on repairs as we slammed into trees and fences, and since missions failed automatically if you hit a pedestrian, we had to drive painfully slowly, perhaps heightening suspicions even more as we departed from the scene of a heist. Also on the control side of things, its worth highlighting that there is currently no controller support which of course may be a pain for more casual players. Thief Simulator may not have snagged away our attention as much as we initially hoped, but it's still an entertaining enough distraction filled with plenty of tension and player choice. We enjoyed the rush of sneaking around knowing that we had mere minutes to swipe the goods and escape undetected, and its vast toolbox of unlockable gadgets gave us plenty to play with. Core aspects though such as the AI and driving controls feel like they could have done with a bit more work and we were disappointed by how the skill tree felt largely dictated by story missions. It's worth scoping out the joint if you're looking for a stealth title that doesn't take itself too seriously, but it's not likely to win over new fans to the genre.

Hard West takes place in a heavily fictionalized version of the American Old West following standards of the Western genre but with the addition of supernatural elements, taking inspirations from XCOM: Enemy Unknown.Themes typical of the Western genre, such as bank robberies, lynching and the gold rush are commonplace in the game's world but also metaphysical beings such as Death and the Devil directly influence the lives of the local po[CENSORED]tion. Creatures such as demons, ghosts and undead gunslingers are present in the game's vision of the old west. The game is divided into two strictly separate modes, turn-based tactical encounters and a strategic exploration map where the player can travel a map and visit locations. Location visits on the strategic map are presented via simple text panels accompanied by static illustrations and allow the player to perform actions by picking entries from a list. This way players can interact with characters, perform a variety of custom actions, hire new characters into the player character's posse or initiate trade or combat. Hard West's tactical gameplay largely follows the standards set by XCOM: Enemy Unknown. During combat every character starts each turn with two action points which can be spent on either a move or shot each, although most weapons instantly end a character's turn upon being fired. The game also uses a cover system based on two cover types which lower the chance to get hit and damage received. Low barriers constitute "half cover" and barriers taller than a character constitute "full cover", the latter providing more protection. A major difference from most other turn-based tactical games is the absence of randomness in Hard West's core gameplay. Rather than relying on random number generation to determine hits, characters are given a luck attribute. Luck is reduced by the hit chance of a shot and a character is hit if a shot depletes his luck. Luck is replenished upon getting hit. At point-blank range every shot automatically hits. Over the course of the game characters can be improved and given special abilities, some of which are active and can be used instead of moving or firing while others are passive. Instead of relying on experience points and skill trees Hard West uses a custom system based on poker cards. After every tactical encounter or performing pre-defined actions on the strategic map the player is rewarded with unique poker cards which can be assigned to characters, each of them providing a different bonus. Arranging cards in poker hands yields additional bonuses. A controversial aspect of Hard West's gameplay is the reaction shot which replaces the overwatch mechanic of XCOM.[2][3] Approaching an enemy up to point-blank range makes him automatically fire at the approaching player character if he could already see the player character before executing the move. Player characters are not protected from enemies

Ps4 Pro : Price : $400 The PlayStation 4 Pro is the best version of the most po[CENSORED]r game platform available today. With 4K, HDR 10 compatibility, and the PlayStation 4’s exclusive game library, it is currently the best plug-and-play gaming platform. A very large majority of both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One libraries are available on both platforms. Though both platforms have po[CENSORED]r exclusive franchises, the PlayStation 4 (Pro or standard) sees more exclusive games each year. The PS4 also has access to a small number of less well-known indie games and niche titles, such as Japanese role-playing games, that the Xbox One does not. That’s the main reason for our pick. The PS4 has the best games, and the PS4 Pro makes them look as stunning as possible. The Xbox One X is technically even more powerful — but it lacks must-have exclusives. There’s just not as much to play. Picking PlayStation 4 also opens the door for you to pick up PlayStation VR, which, as we’ve noted, is the most affordable premium VR headset available. Microsoft, meanwhile, has confirmed that VR support is not coming to the Xbox One X. While it can be difficult to take advantage of the PlayStation 4 Pro’s advanced features, namely HDR support, the improvements it provides to even unoptimized games make it the most technically impressive way to play the largest number of games on a console. Most major games offer some form of support for the system, whether it be improved framerate, 4K resolution, HDR support, or all three. X BOX ONE X : Cost: $500 Sony led the charge on the mid-generation console update with the PS4 Pro but, by taking its time, Microsoft gave us the better hardware in the Xbox One X. It offers the same 4K Blu-ray and HDR video playback as the One S, while also bringing that visual enhancement to games. Microsoft wasn’t exaggerating when they told us that the Xbox One X is the most powerful home gaming console ever sold. It won’t be getting VR, however — which may disappoint those hoping it could be an inexpensive entry point to high-quality VR experiences. The PS4 may still have a stronger gaming library than the Xbox One, but the Pro’s improvements are only noticeable in games that have been specifically enhanced for it. The Xbox One X has proven far better at using its extra horsepower to improve the visuals of all games on the platform, enhanced or not. Microsoft is also doubling down on investing in first-party studios, such as Rare, which recently released Sea of Thieves, and the company recently acquired big-name studios like Ninja Theory and Playground Games, as well. For those of us who haven’t made the jump to 4K, both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One S are great consoles with large game libraries. You will be able to play the vast majority of new and upcoming games, including a few exclusive franchises like Halo, Gears of War, and Forza. Plus, if you are (or were) an Xbox 360 owner, a very large number of last-gen console’s games are now compatible with the Xbox One, which could expand your game library and keep at least some of your old games in rotation. Nintendo Switch : Cost : $300 + Nintendo sidestepped the current console arms race by changing not how you use your console, but where. The Switch is a hybrid device that plugs into a television like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but also works as a handheld. While it doesn’t quite have the oomph to play the latest 4K, 60 fps releases for Xbox One or PS4, the Switch can play Doom (2016) at a smooth 30 fps anywhere you want to, and that’s more than good enough for a lot of gamers. In addition to contemporary titles like the Wolfenstein II port, the Switch has also proved itself as a fantastic venue for reviving modern classics, such as Skyrim, L.A. Noire, and Dark Souls Remastered. More than just a clearance house for lightly-aged AAA titles, the Switch also offers an ever-growing catalog of fantastic first-party games like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as well as excellent indies such as Stardew Valley, Celeste, and Dead Cells. Add in some forward-looking experiments with Nintendo Labo, and the Switch is looking like an incredibly well-rounded platform with something unique to offer everyone. It’s also a great companion console for people who already own a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X. It can do things they can’t and offers many appealing titles that will never appear on them.

When Rodrigo, the Freehold flight master, offers me a modest sum of gold to get revenge on the local pirates that have been bullying him, I can't refuse. Who doesn't love beating on bullies? Rodrigo asks me to fly around on one of his giant parrots dropping bombs on the brigands. It seems a little extreme at first, but then I realize Rodrigo wasn't being literal. At the push of a button, a giant green turd erupts from the parrot's nether region and splats on a unsuspecting pirate. From far above, I hear him shout "Agh, my eye!" Welcome to World of Warcraft, a place where I'm shitting on people's heads one minute and an hour later slaughtering civilians who have become incurably infested by Lovecraftian brain slugs. Don't get me wrong though, I love that WoW flashes between serious and goofy. Battle for Azeroth embraces that tonal duality with conviction. The end result is a landscape full of moments that are sometimes bleak, sometimes hilarious, and always fun. During the finale of Legion, the previous expansion, the dark titan Sargeras stabbed his continent-sized sword into the planet, wounding it so deeply that its crystallized blood began bleeding to the surface. Without a common enemy to unite them, the Horde and Alliance are at each other's throats and Azeroth's blood, called Azerite, turns out to be the perfect weapon. After an explosive pre-expansion event that spanned two cataclysmic battles, the opposing factions set sail to find new allies to help them break the stalemate.For the Alliance, that means trying to repair their damaged relationship with the human maritime superpower of Kul Tiras. The Horde, likewise, venture to the lost continent of Zandalar to treat with the ancient but powerful Zandalari troll empire. Giving each faction an entirely separate continent to level on massively increases the scope of Battle for Azeroth and it's an impressive achievement. Now that I've taken the time to level both a Horde and Alliance character to the new level cap of 120, Battle for Azeroth almost feels like two expansions rolled into one The islands of Kul Tiras and Zanadalar are some of the most exquisitely designed in Warcraft's history and the highpoint of Battle for Azeroth so far. After Legion's Broken Isles, which felt like a disjointed greatest hits of Warcraft lore, I adore how consistent yet diverse each of the new islands is. Take Kul Tiras, for example. This maritime island is cut up into three zones that all feel like organic extensions of each other while still being individually identifiable and memorable. The bleak tundras of Tiragarde Sound house the capital city of Boralus, torn by political infighting. Drustvar, to the west, is a mountain range surrounded by spooky forests where villages are slowly succumbing to the nefarious magics of a witch coven. To the north, though, is Stormsong Valley, the verdant breadbasket of Kul Tiras where Cthulhu-esque sea priests practice their ancient rites in the shadow of a giant kraken carved out of a mountain face. By contrast, the Horde leveling continent of Zanadalar couldn't be more different in aesthetics. It's a lush jungle full of towering spirit dinosaurs, golden aztec cities, and swamp-dwelling blood trolls trying to free their blood god from an ancient underground prison. Though the zones are so different, each is wonderful in its own way. In particular, I love the swamps of Nazmir in Zandalar, where there's no shortage of haunting vistas like the corpse of a massive tortoise being gruesomely hollowed out by blood trolls or a terrifyingly large blood red moon that hangs just above a creepy temple for the dead. Nazmir is dark and sinister and I can't get enough of it. World of Warcraft's strength has always been in building fantastical landscapes like Kul Tiras and Zandalar, but the characters that po[CENSORED]te these worlds are just as well realized. In the absence of an immediate world-ending threat, Battle for Azeroth compensates by putting the internal struggles of its non-player heroes in the spotlight. It's a gamble that works. Both sides have great characters, but I love the story of Jaina Proudmoore, who returns to center stage as a strong but emotionally wounded person haunted by her past decisions. Alliance players will embark on a long quest to reunite Jaina with her estranged mother and the conclusion is surprisingly poignant. Though the zones are new, how I explore them hasn't changed. Leveling a character is still that familiar routine of heading to a new area and picking up a series of quests that lead to even more quests. Rinse and repeat for ten levels. But by further building upon Legion and Warlords of Draenor's excellent quest design, Battle for Azeroth is far from a grind. While the actual objective of quests might be mundane in the grand scheme of things (like dropping bird turds on unsuspecting heads), there's a great deal of variety in each quest, and better voice acted dialogue and cutscenes keeps the whole experience trucking along at a pleasant rhythm. One minute I'll be infiltrating blood troll camps to poison their domesticated bats and the next I'm riding on the back of a massive toad, using my tongue to snatch up enemies and gobble them up. There's not a real challenge to any of these activities but the diversity and wackiness of their objectives keeps me playing. Each zone's quests slowly weave together into overarching story that can be surprisingly dramatic—especially when taking the time to read every bit of dialogue offered It's good that Battle for Azeroth's quests are fun to complete on their own because, so far, the material rewards for leveling up new characters have been one of Battle for Azeroth's biggest weaknesses. While the design of the new armor and weapons looks great, the way they effect my character's abilities is underwhelming. Unlike previous expansions, Battle for Azeroth doesn't add any new abilities or talents to classes as they level up to 120. It makes earning that coveted next level feel pointless. Character progression is instead tied to the Heart of Azeroth, a fabled necklace that players are given early on in the expansion. This necklace absorbs Azerite, healing the planet's wounds while also leveling up and becoming more powerful in the process. Reaching certain levels in the necklace unlocks the latent powers of new Azerite Armor, special pieces of gear that can be earned through a variety of tasks but the most powerful of which is saved for dungeons and raids. Each piece of Azerite Armor has three concentric rings that contain a choice of various ability-enhancing traits. To unlock each ring, my Heart of Azeroth has to first reach a certain level and then I can choose which trait I want to permanently unlock. It's a cool idea that is clearly inspired by Legion's Artifact Weapons, which also required farming a resource to unlock traits that changed how certain abilities worked. The difference here is that, comparably, Azerite Armor is boring. During my race to level 120, every piece I encountered would typically offer between one of two choices and neither was exciting. Higher-end Azerite Armor from dungeons and raids offers more traits with more powerful effects, but while leveling my tank I was usually choosing between a temporary shield or a bit of extra damage—neither of which really improves how well I fight. The good news is that unlike Legion's abysmal Legendary items, a painful system driven by RNG that Blizzard spent years trying to fix, Azerite Armor is structurally sound. It's not as needlessly complex and makes switching class specializations less of a chore because I'm not having to grind for multiple weapons. If Azerite Armor just had more exciting traits it'd Because Artifact Weapons and all their powerful abilities were retired at the end of Legion, my Demon Hunter actually feels weaker in Battle for Azeroth and Azerite Armor does a piss poor job of filling that weapon-shaped hole. And gods help you if you're playing an enhancement shaman or one of the class specializations that didn't receive a much-needed redesign before Battle for Azeroth launched. So many of Legion's powerful systems are now stripped away, leaving certain class specializations gutted and no amount of Azerite Armor is going to help. It's a problem that will hopefully be fixed in a later update, but some of World of Warcraft's classes are in rough shape right now Fortunately, Battle for Azeroth doesn't need a juicy carrot on a stick to keep me playing because all of the endgame activities are fun even without good rewards. Though the real meat of endgame like Mythic+ dungeons, raids, and the new Warfronts aren't available until September, Battle for Azeroth is already promising one of the most varied endgames that Warcraft has ever had. There's just so much to do. When I first hit level 120, I still had hours worth of leftover quests and new endgame-specific ones that tied off some dangling plot threads. But the area I had to adventure in effectively doubled because the other faction's continent becomes available to explore, fight, and quest in. Legion's World Quest system makes a return, offering a daily rotation of time-sensitive quests scattered across all six zones with lucrative rewards and even more faction reputation. There are 10 new dungeons to conquer, too, each one a gauntlet of memorable boss fights. In Freehold, for example, my party was entered into a fighting pit where we had to overcome several challenges including catching a greased up pig and defeating a giant ogre named Sharkpuncher who—you guessed it—wields two sharks as weapons. Crafting professions also received a much-needed update that makes them easier to get into without needless grinding. Now players can start crafting gear and items that are immediately useful, which is the impetus I needed to finally invest time into Warcraft's more relaxing pursuits. It's a shame then that, at least with professions that primarily make armor and weapons, the crafted options just aren't that useful compared to the loot I find in dungeons and, when it eventually releases, the new raid