Warcraft III Reforged

Pros

• Updated animations and characters
• New user interface
• In-depth gameworld

Cons

• Clunky controls
• Problems with online gameplay
• Cutscenes haven’t been remastered

Warcraft 3: Reforged is a remastered version of the original game with updated graphics, a new interface, and an overhauled matchmaking system for online gameplay.

Just over 18 years ago, Warcraft 3 was released by Blizzard Entertainment, and it quickly became one of the most popular real-time strategy games ever created. With the release of Warcraft 3: Reforged, players can relive those glory days as they enjoy new campaign maps, an updated matchmaking system, and remastered graphics. This is a must-have download for all those who are fans of the Warcraft RTS franchise.

Anyone who has played through the Warcraft series is sure to realize that Warcraft 3 set the tone for many of the games that followed it. In addition to introducing new factions and characters, the overall style of the game would be used for many years to come. The first thing that you are going to notice when you open Reforged is the overhauled user interface. The original game had an eye-catching UI initially, but it soon became outdated and pixelated. Its remastered UI is much more attractive when played on modern monitors, and some minor changes have been made to improve its overall usability.

Within the campaign and online matches, you can once again play as one of four factions, and each civilization has its own pros and cons. Some factions are good at slower slugfests with heavy units while others have the ability to quickly raise funds and collect resources. That being said, all four factions are incredibly well-balanced, and it never feels as if you are being completely overpowered because of the game's mechanics.

The matches themselves have all of the elements that everyone has come to expect in their RTS games. You typically start off with one or two buildings and a handful of relatively weak units. From there, you must begin to collect resources and build new structures to unlock various units and abilities. The minor RPG elements in Warcraft 3 truly set this game apart from all other RTS titles from that period, and you can do quite a bit to outfit and improve each individual character.

This game also only allows you to select 12 units at a time, and that makes micro-managing incredibly important. You must be very careful when you are setting up each of your squads so that they have a good blend of offensive and defensive capabilities. You can also attach specialty units to your squads in order to heal them when they are wounded or give them buffs just before you head into battle.

In Reforged, you are going to get the original Warcraft 3 as well as all of its expansion packs. This remastered version also includes a few new maps and other additional content. The biggest change in this game is the overhaul of the graphics. As soon as you start your first match, you are immediately going to notice huge improvements to the overall look of the game. Everything from the swaying trees to the building animations has been remastered.

Some of the maps in Warcraft 3: Reforged have been altered as well, and that might help in certain matches. Players who spent countless hours playing the original title are going to realize that certain camps and outposts have been moved around. Many different trees, mountain paths, and natural resources have been moved around or completely removed as well. While those changes are excellent in some situations, they can also lead to some balance issues.

Even though the team over at Blizzard has given this Warcraft 3 a much-needed facelift, they didn’t add very much to the game. Some of the animations and characters might have been improved, but that only makes the maps seem even more outdated. The new user interface can be problematic as well because there are no options for moving it around or changing its scale, and that means a large portion of your screen might be covered up at certain points.

Those drawbacks can be startling, but this is still a world-class strategy game with a whole new look and feel. If you would like to jump back into a classic RTS game, then Warcraft 3: Reforged might be a great option for you.

Pros

• Updated animations and characters
• New user interface
• In-depth gameworld

Cons

• Clunky controls
• Problems with online gameplay
• Cutscenes haven’t been remastered