World of Warcraftjust released “Judgment,”the epilogue chapter ofShadowlands, featuring the judgment of Sylvanas Windrunner at the hands of Tyrande Whisperwind. Unfortunately, the beautifully-rendered cutscenes are crashing in game for many players as they go through the story.Warning: SPOILERS for Shadowlands: Eternity’s End follow.
Eternity’s End, Patch 9.2 ofWorld of Warcraft, served as the conclusion to the story of Shadowlands. The later chapters of the story have been gradually released over the last month, with the final epilogue only just now becoming available to players.
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The cutscenes for “Judgment” are split into two parts; one within the Arbiter’s chamber, and the other at the entrance to the Maw. The voiceover of the cutscene contains thedialogue discovered from theWorld of WarcraftPublic Test Realmthe week before its release–Tyrande sentences Sylvanas to recover every soul from the Maw so the Arbiter can judge them anew. However,World of Warcraftpulled out the stops with the animation quality in these cutscenes, with dynamic posing, lip-syncing, and fluid motion; all newcomers with the dated engines of the venerable MMORPG.
Unfortunately, those dated engines are still causing problems forWoW. Many players are experiencing crashes before and during the “Judgment” cutscenes. WhileWorld of Warcrafthas posted the cutscenes on YouTube, being unable to experience them in game has broken the immersion of many fans who were excited to see them live.
It is unfortunate a long-runningMMOby a company as big as Blizzard would experience such widespread bugs, especially in new, highly-anticipated content. While occasional glitches and crashes are unavoidable,World of Warcraftseems to have an above-average amountdue to its age. Hopefully Blizzard can patch the game quickly and prevent these crashes from happening before more players experience them.
The cutscenes themselves, however, are a treat for fans. Though the story ofShadowlandshas been unsatisfactory for many fans, most agree the epilogue is as good as it could have been given the circumstances. Additionally, the fidelity of the cutscenes is a promising trend many hopeWorld of Warcraftcontinues to deliver in the next expansion pack and beyond.
The epilogue also gives many characters the opportunity to speak in side conversations, giving fans time to see some of their favorites comment on the events ofShadowlandsand beyond. Between “Judgment,” cross-faction play and theHeritage Quests coming inShadowlandsPatch 9.2.5, and the impending expansion announcement, manyWorld of Warcraftfans are able to be optimistic for the first time in a while.
World of Warcraftis available now on PC
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