Review: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

3.3 million copies of Cataclysm were sold within 24 hours - beating the previous record set by Wrath of the Lich King.

Last week Blizzard released Cataclysm, the latest expansion to its six-year-old MMO World of Warcraft and sold 3.3 million copies in its first 24 hours.

Cataclysm brings with it a new level cap, 10 new zones, two new races, a new attitude towards beginners, a new profession, flying in Azeroth, 13 dungeons and raids, and a whole lot more.

I've been playing World of Warcraft on and off now for six years. Last time I quit I'm pretty sure I vowed to never waste another hour in it again. But now I'm playing it nightly, and not because I have to write a review for you readers, but because Blizzard has gone back and fixed that which was broken -and made the game fun again.

The primary issue I had with the game was the content. Since the release of the original game six years ago the content hasn't really changed.

It was dull, lacked flavour, and was 'that thing you did to get to 60'. But in Cataclysm that's all changed. Blizzard has gone back to basics and made the game for beginners again. The entire world is different. Goblins have joined the Horde, the citizens of Gilneas have been invaded by the Forsaken, infected by Worgen and joined the Alliance, the war between the Alliance and the Horde has dramatically changed the world, oh, and an evil Dragon called Deathwing decided to redecorate the world and kill all mortal races.

With changes to the landscape there are changes to questing. Getting from level 1 to level 60 is no longer a chore. Questing is fast, rewarding and most importantly fun.

Sure, the quests are the same "Collect 10 Ears", "Kill 20 Shaman", "Interact with that orb over there" but Blizzard has pulled out all the stops with the writing and now you feel like a part of the story. Be it fleeing the volcano at Kezan or fighting the Alliance with the Krom'gar in Stonetalon Mountains.

My one gripe, is that from level 60 to 80 the new quests stop and you're back in the old content from The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King.

But at 80 you can return to Cataclysm and partake in quests which my guild mates have described as cinematic and epic. Unfortunately, I don't have a level 80 character to dip my toes into the high-end content of Cataclysm. Give me a month and I might get there.

In addition to a brand new Azeroth, there's a brand new attitude towards beginners, adding in helpful elements that get even the biggest technophobe started.

There are new beginner tool-tips that help new gamers get to grips with new spells, a tutorial system to teach the basics, and a new quest log and map to show players (with a few irritating exceptions) where to go, who to see.

I'm sure they'll be a huge help to new players, casual gamers and hardcore raiders alike.

The two new classes (Goblins and Worgen) are a great addition to the game.

The starting zones have the same style as the Death Knight starting zone from WotLK and were incredibly fun to play. Doubly so for the Goblin zone that has this level of absurdity that comes from being a goblin. Even if you don't plan on playing a Goblin or Worgen to the end, I would thoroughly recommend playing through their starting zones.

Overall, Cataclysm brings many welcome changes to the game, many of which I've probably forgotten in this review and nearly enough for it to be a completely new game. If you once played WoW or know somebody who does, I'd recommend re-subscribing or picking up a copy and having a crack.