World of Warcraft was released in 2004 and has had the MMORPG genre in a stranglehold for the entirety of the decade since its release. To keep WOW in line with the competition, Blizzard have prudently supplemented their incredibly popular title with a series of five expansion packs. Though the masses of players willing to pay the monthly subscription fees to play WOW have dwindled in recent years, there can be no denying that Blizzards sprawling fantasy adventure must be among some of the most financially successful games of all time and it matches this economic potency with its quality as an RPG. People now seem to have tired of WOW and are looking forward to the next-big-thing in the MMORPG universe (many believed it to be Elder Scrolls Online) but when the original title dropped 10 years ago it was certainly something special. The beautifully varied world occupied by the many races of the Warcraft universe was compelling and allowed you to lose yourself for hours at a time while delving into the games many quests. Compared to previous MMORPG titles, World of Warcraft implemented many gaming elements to minimise pause time, allowing previously-frustrated gamers to spend more time in control of their painstakingly crafted hero.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
