World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Reviews

Yet another enthusiastic batch of reviews for Blizzard’s World of Warcraft: Cataclysm have reached the web, just in time for any last minute gift buying anyone finds themselves needing to do.

NowGamer gives it an 8.6/10:

We could easily spend another thousand hours just in the new content and still worry that we haven’t seen everything. In which case, we can only be honest with you all and say that in two weeks of solid play, this is what we think. We’re not personally inclined to stick around for high-level purple-hunting, because, to be honest, it’s just not going to be worth it when yet another new level cap comes along. We do, however, heartily recommend it to old-timers and newcomers alike, especially if you have an inactive level 80 or two knocking about in your collection.

AtomicGamer gives it a perfect 10/10:

Cataclysm is a love letter to fans of World of Warcraft, as it celebrates everything that made the original game so successful while carefully updating the old game to the new standard of play that Blizzard has set. With that new design philosophy finally “coming home”, the far-off lands of Northrend and Outland seem like a distant memory – well, at least, until you realize that you still have to visit them to level from 60 to 80 or so. Despite that, this expansion is chock full of new content for both new and old players, lowbies and power-gamers, and it’s really one of the best experiences you can have in an MMORPG – assuming you’ve got the time to play as well as a good group of friends to enjoy it with.

Mac|Life gives it a 4.5/5:

Blizzard has undergone an extremely ambitious effort with the Cataclysm expansion, razing the familiar to the ground and building something that proves both new and inviting. And while certain balance issues are being ironed out via patches, there’s something good to be had here for new players, veterans, hardcore and casual gamers alike.

Guardian doesn’t score it:

Flaws in this iteration will, no doubt, become clearer over time, but for the moment, Cataclysm is new, and it is improved a very successful stab at the tough task Blizzard had set itself. Get ready to roll.

Common Sense Media gives it a 4/5:

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm infuses a bit of new life into World of Warcraft. The new races have strong backstories, and the game has done a good job of making some elements (like explaining spells and what they do) to newer players. The face of the world has changed, offering a new dynamic that could challenge players. The game is not hard to pick up and play, but it can be a bit hard to put down and walk away from. The community is solid and the story arcs are well done. Cataclysm offers new challenges and does what a solid expansion should do — build on the existing world, challenge established players but also give new entertainment and challenges to newcomers.

And Macworld gives it a perfect 5/5:

Cataclysm has put a fresh face on World of Warcraft, bringing not only new content and storylines, but a more refined sense of humor, new races, and changes that make the game simply more fun to play. The added high-level content is challenging, and is likely to add more hours of gameplay, especially after reaching the level cap, than either of the two expansions that came before. While long-distance travel has become a nuisance, and questing can still drag you into a grind, Blizzard has really outdone itself with the quality and quantity of this upgrade.