WoW Dragonflight Review: First Community Impressions
The heat of Dragonflight news has never ceased since this expansion’s first introduction to its audience. However, due to the aftermath of Shadowlands, the stories of the dragons still have to suffer from mixed reactions. Let’s dive into this review to see the reason behind the contradiction in Metacritic scores and the true-to-life impressions from the WoW community.
METASCORE AND PLAYERS’ REACTIONS
The ninth expansion of WoW stands with a Metascore of 81/100 based on 15 critic reviews. This heavily contradicts the user score, as it sits at 4.5 on a scale from 0 to 10. Yet, this is actually a good sign, as just a few weeks ago, it was no higher than 4.4. Dragonflight has been doing quite well in comparison with Shadowlands too. After all, the latter is still stuck with an aching 2.9.
Despite its low numbers, Dragonflight still receives a lot of positive reactions from not only casual players but also famous WoW content creators. From Nixxiom and StaysafeTV to even Bellular and Asmondgold. It’s worth noting that Bellular and Asmongold are renowned for always voicing their honest opinions on what Blizzard Entertainment doesn’t do right. They are not afraid of offending the giant in the industry but rather prioritize what should be done to create a more enjoyable gaming environment.
While that, Nixxiom and Staysafe TV admitted that they stopped playing WotLK Classic to join the exciting ride in Dragonflight. And we all know what a masterpiece WotLK is.
So why exactly is the user score so low? Keep reading to find out.
WHY PLAYERS DON’T LIKE DRAGONFLIGHT
As stated above, Dragonflight suffers the aftermath of Shadowlands. Hence, many skeptical people have yet to play the game but don’t hesitate to throw it a bad score.
The next prominent problem is Dragonflight’s main attraction: the Dragonriding system. Apparently, this flying system is heavily inspired by Guild Wars. Until now, Blizzard hasn’t addressed the issue, while Guild Wars openly roasted them in their trailer:
The existing bugs in the game are also affecting the user score.
Many complain about hypocrisy towards LGBTQ and racial discrimination. Players stated that despite welcoming the LGBTQ community with many LGBTQ-related questlines, Blizzard still keeps racial segregation as their game’s base. They are dissatisfied because races are tied to a specific faction instead of being able to choose their own fate. However, these complaints are pretty groundless. First, there are lorewise reasons why races can only belong to their specific faction. For example, while the Alliance imprisoned the Blood Elves, the Horde offered them help. After all, would you want to benefit those who scornfully treat you like a worthless prisoner instead of battling for those who gave you a hand when you were in need?
Vice versa, Varian tried to bring Blood Elves into the Alliance and almost succeeded. But in the end, he couldn’t. Because, lorewise, he lost his life due to the Horde’s betrayal. This incident delves an even bigger gap between the two factions. Why would a human want to join the Horde when the Horde robbed them of their beloved king?
Second, this game is called World of Warcraft. The main idea of the game is the battle between two forces: Alliance and Horde. These two factions have been going against each other for a long time. For various reasons, hatred and distrust of the opposing force are ingrained in their veins. Suppose there isn’t a powerful event to impact the in-game world. In that case, there won’t be any sudden change of heart for the folks in the game just because people want to apply real-world standards to a fantasy war.
WHY PLAYERS LOVE DRAGONFLIGHT
There are many reasons why players enjoy their adventure on the Dragon Isles.
No more adventures that are on a massive scale but without memorable moments. Dragonflight has come with a more grounded plot. It also brings back many familiar characters who played important roles in previous expansions, like Kalecgos, Wrathion, and so on.
The latest addition to WoW also does better in terms of exploration. With a more engaging questing experience and in-depth questlines, it successfully captured its audiences’ attention. Dragonflight also comes up with a fascinating way of storytelling. Instead of reading a wall of text about lore, you can now travel on steed’s back while listening to the story of your companions. It can be about who they are, their traditions, beliefs, or the situation in the area where they are visiting. Or, in Veritistraz’s case, you can sit with him, admire the scenery, and experience the tragic story of a time long past.
The gameplay changes are also a plus. Players are pleased with being able to level up faster. Dragonflight’s campaigns are brief and concise, enough to capture players’ interest, but not too long as in Shadowlands, so the gamers don’t feel worn out doing the quests. The return of Talent Trees brings joy to many. They allow more diverse play styles for each individual. Blizzard also includes a Starter Build in case players don’t want to struggle with customizing their talents.
Dracthyr Evoker‘s arrival is a perk as well. Asides from being the first race-class combination, they also house refreshing gameplay. Many customization options are available for Dracthyr as well. After all, they can transform from a draconic warrior into a human visage and vice versa. However, these newcomers face mixed reactions as some players deem them Worgen reskin.
And at last, the Dragonriding system. Despite receiving mixed reviews due to the clash with Guild Wars, it is undeniable that this is still the most favorite feature in Dragonflight. The fan attraction flying system brings countless fun hours flying across the Dragon Isles’ sky. It’s so exciting that many players leave the main quest unattended and spend hours racing through the rings, trying to reach that Gold record. The Dragonriding mounts offer a lot of personal customizations for you to create your unique drakes as well.
It is still too early to say that Dragonflight is a successful expansion. After all, it’s been less than a month since it came out. But with what Season 1 has brought up until now, we have every reason to expect an expansion full of exciting moments and unforgettable adventures.
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