World of Warcraft: The War Within review – "One of the strongest WoW expansions in recent memory"

2024-09-03

GamesRadar+ VerdictThe War Within continues World of Warcraft’s comeback trajectory with a war worth fighting for Horde and Alliance alike. While this expansion isn’t groundbreaking, it does do a great job of setting the stage for the Worldsoul Saga.Pros+Khaz Alghar is fascinating and beautiful+Fresh, exciting storytelling+Litany of astute, common sense updatesCons-No signature new gameplay features

GamesRadar+ Verdict

The War Within continues World of Warcraft’s comeback trajectory with a war worth fighting for Horde and Alliance alike. While this expansion isn’t groundbreaking, it does do a great job of setting the stage for the Worldsoul Saga.

Pros+Khaz Alghar is fascinating and beautiful+Fresh, exciting storytelling+Litany of astute, common sense updates

Khaz Alghar is fascinating and beautiful

Fresh, exciting storytelling

Litany of astute, common sense updates

Cons-No signature new gameplay features

No signature new gameplay features

Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.

But fret not, Marvel skeptics; you needn’t worry about Phases, cameos, or post-credit sequences here. Instead, jump into The War Within on its own terms, and you’ll be treated to a worthy expansion in and of itself, one that offers much-needed polish and contemporization to the World of Warcraft play experience, and suggests this oft-beleaguered MMO is on the way back to its operatic best. Blizzard, it seems, has finally started listening –reallylistening – to its fans, and the result follows 2022’s equally excellent Dragonflight as one of the strongest WoW expansions in recent memory.

Breaking new ground

(Image credit: Blizzard)

World of Warcraft: The War Within screenshot

Fast FactsRelease date: August 26, 2024Platform(s): PCDeveloper: In-housePublisher: Blizzard

Fast Facts

Release date: August 26, 2024Platform(s): PCDeveloper: In-housePublisher: Blizzard

For those out of the loop with recent developments in Azeroth, a potted history from the last decade of expansions includes players traveling across time, dimensions, and the very spectral curtain between life and death itself. It’s a trippy tapestry of events illustrating just how creative Blizzard has had to become in introducing new locations to this now 20-year-old adventure. There’s only so many times a once-hidden continent can surreptitiously emerge onto Azeroth’s shores, after all.

Things are no different for its latest expansion, either, and this time around, the studio has had to really look within… quite literally, in fact, towards the subterranean civilization that lies beneath Azeroth’s terra firma, which is now threatening to engulf it entirely.

As far as grand narratives in the World of Warcraft canon go, The War Within is up there with some of its best, brought to life with a generous helping of gorgeously rendered in-game cutscenes, and centered around a compelling new villain who threatens the fate of Azeroth itself. That villain, Xal’atath, may have world domination in her sights (hardly a novel characteristic for a Warcraft antagonist), but the more nuanced motivations behind those designs, alongside the seductive charisma which actress Claudia Christian brings to the role, cements Xal’atath as one of the more memorable nemeses for the Azeroth history books.

The War Within’s story also paints more interesting character developments on the side of the home team, too. Anduin, the once noble and mighty leader of the Alliance, is a shell of his former self, still grappling from the traumatic events he suffered during the events of Shadowlands, yet the secrets of Khaz Algar offer some intriguing, redemptive glimpses into his future. Thrall, meanwhile, continues to mellow with age, his sagely presence a far cry from the warring chieftain of old, yet a welcome battle companion for some of The War Within’s best questlines. These ongoing character arcs, alongside those of other new and familiar faces you interact with throughout the expansion’s campaign and meaty side quests, grounds The War Within’s world-ending stakes in more human storytelling, and is something I hope that Blizzard leans into further as the Worldsoul Saga progresses.

(Image credit: Blizzard)

The World of Warcraft: The War Within delves companion

Delves are also the perfect Dungeon alternatives for solo players looking to farm XP on a tight schedule, but when do you find yourself with enough time for something meatier, the Dungeons I’ve played thus far have consistently offered that familiar cocktail of high-stakes addictive teamplay anchored in a steady drip feed of interesting loot, with pacing that felt just about right to satisfyingly cap off an evening session. And while the expansion’s first raid isn’t out till September 10, the exemplary blend of cinematic storytelling and eye-popping level design that Blizzard has already flaunted across its new Delves and Dungeons thus far suggests we could be in for a real belter.

Strength from Within

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

World of Warcraft: The War Within alpha screenshots

Beyond these new content offerings, Blizzard has also implemented a number of evergreen, systemic changes to World of Warcraft via The War Within, available to all players regardless of whether they own this particular expansion or not. Dynamic Flight, Dragonflight’s stellar evolution of WoW’s flying mechanics, has now been expanded under the new banner of Skyriding to include hundreds of new and pre-existing mounts, streamlined via a single unifying skill tree. You can explore the entirety of Khaz Alghar from the sky, too, and while this does make it somewhat easy to ignore great swathes of new terrain from above, the moment-to-moment joys of WoW’s revamped approach to aerial movement is yet to lose its novelty.

Blizzard’s reworks to progression are less of an instant win. Hero Talents are essentially just another set of talent trees to stack on top of your existing ones, and while the simplicity is appreciated compared to some of Blizzard’s more convoluted endgame progression systems of expansions past, this is essentially just more of the same here, with mostly passive modifiers to existing abilities, complementing nuanced buildcraft rather than revolutionizing that approach with anything majorly ambitious or inspired. For years, Blizzard has struggled to land on a truly captivating or sustainable endgame progression structure, and while the attempt here is entirely innocuous at best, it ultimately does nothing to solve that ongoing struggle.

Warbands, at least, are a much more positive shift in the right direction, smartly adapting to the playstyles of the WoW faithful who regularly mix and match between multiple alternate characters in the same realm. You can now transfer currencies, gear, and other non-soulbound items between these alts, while other systems which were previously character locked, such as Reputation, Flight Paths, and Achievements, are automatically spread across your entire account.

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

World of Warcraft: The War Within alpha screenshots

“Wisely rides Dragonflight’s headwinds for a strong, confident kick off to the Worldsoul Saga”

The War Within may not quite reach the same heights in innovation as Dragonflight, but instead wisely rides its headwinds for a strong, confident kick off to the Worldsoul Saga. Some may see this expansion as Blizzard playing it safe, with much of its story and gameplay content operating in familiar territory rather than breaking new ground, but the list of shrewd, sensible iterations itdoesmake further aligns the WoW experience with the needs and wants of its players, lifting its relevance back to the fore at this important junction in the game’s lifespan.

Better yet, all of these improvements are delivered within a gorgeous new playspace that brings genuine wonder to the underground and points towards some interesting canonical shake-ups for World of Warcraft moving forward. Deep breath, folks; you’re probably not going to be coming back up to Azeroth’s surface for air for quite some time after this.

Disclaimer

CATEGORIESPC GamingPlatforms

Most Popular

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Anbernic RG28XX review: “a tiny budget handheld that fits in my weird tiny jeans pocket”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Razer Kraken V4 review: “an iconic headset, all grown up”

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

Meta Quest 3S review: “Maybe the best entry-level VR device ever created”

Glorious Series 2 Pro review: “comfortable and nimble, but not quite punching with the flagships”

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

Bouiles Elite Series review: “The longer I sat in it, the more comfortable I became”

Azeron Cyborg II review: “One of the best gaming peripherals I’ve ever used”

Atari 7800+ review: “a retro console remake for the ‘80s kids”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

Squid Game season 2

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Breaking new ground

Strength from Within

Contents