While I haven't quested through every zone in Battle for Azeroth, I've taken at the least a brief look at each of them. While I'd be surprised if they didn't add a new zone or two at some point in the expansion (the only expansion that didn't add a new zone or zone-like feature - I'm talking specifically the Molten Front - after the release was Wrath, and even then you did technically have Hrothgar's Landing north of Icecrown) the six zones we're getting at launch are going to be the backbone of the expansion, and where we're going to be spending most of our time.
While on the Alpha you can actually get the quests to go to the other faction's continent earlier, I believe the plan is still to have players level up on their faction's respective continent and then get max-level content on both.
So what do these places look like?
Continent: Kul Tiras:
Overall, the continent of Kul Tiras is probably the more cohesive of the two, with a more consistent sense of atmosphere and place, though this also means that there's less variation in environments. Obviously, the continent can't all be naval-themed (it's not 100% coastline,) and so there are areas with dense forests or wide-open grasslands.
Drustvar:
The first zone that was open for testing, Drustvar is the most densely forested part of Kul Tiras, with a few farms and several villages scattered throughout. Drustvar is certainly the spookiest zone on Kul Tiras, with its main threat of hag-like witches who employ wicker-man like constructs. If you want that low-level D&D feel of being a wandering adventurer going from town to town, fighting monsters, this definitely has that feel. It's not all forests, though, and you'll encounter snowy mountains and ancient ruins as well that tie into the story.
Tiragarde Sound:
This zone is the most nautical-themed of the three, with ports and harbors and the pirate-city of Freehold, which has both its outdoor version and the instance, dungeon version. Here you'll be working to uncover a conspiracy against the Proudmoores. Tiragarde Sound also contains Kul Tiras' capital of Boralus, which is a large port with a massive sea-wall and the home of the Proudmoores. I'll confess that I haven't gotten through the quests here, but given that there are areas of Boralus that hold hostile pirates and gangs, I suspect you'll quest through the city and use it more than just a typical sanctuary hub.
Stromsong Valley:
The largest of Kul Tiras' zones, there is a major quest chain that leads to a dungeon (and I suspect has great importance to the expansion's story,) but beyond that there are several scattered farms in this idyllic grassland where you'll deal with Quilboars, Pirates, Naga, and the Horde, who are all giving the locals varying degrees of trouble.
Continent: Zandalar
Zandalar is where Horde characters will level up, and has more of a tropical feel compared to Kul Tiras' North Atlantic aesthetic. Each of its zones has a highly distinct feel, with bright colors and just a whole mess of dinosaurs.
Nazmir:
Nazmir is a cursed swampland, but also home to several Loa. As you quest through it, you'll encounter depraved Blood Trolls, some of whom seem to be practicing necromancy (in fact, you'll encounter what I believe is the first non-Scourge-associated Lich we've seen in-game.) Nazmir is dark and dangerous and more otherworldly than anything else I've seen in BFA.
Zuldazar:
Zuldazar is the capital city of Zandalar, and while parts of it have the kind of safe urban vibe you'd expect from a capital, the rest of it stretches out into a true questing zone, with different districts and complexes that are beset by villainous threats. There's clearly some intrigue going on here (one quest-giver is a future dungeon boss,) but it's also really just cool to see a Troll city that is not a ruin, and you even get to see the way the other tribes interact with the Zandalari. Unlike Boralus, which is just one part of Tiragarde Sound, Zuldazar has less defined urban borders, such that your journeys into the outlying jungle don't necessarily make it feel as if you left the city behind, as you can find other building complexes out there.
Vol'dun:
This is the zone I've seen the least of, so take it with a grain of salt. This is a desert landscape with dark rock canyons and sandy expanses. Again, I haven't seen the whole zone, but it seems that the main plot involves protecting the local Vulpera fox-people against the Snake-people. I'm curious to see how, and if, this ties into the larger BFA plot, but at least so far, the zone feels less like the kind of endless expanses you'd find in Uldum or Tanaris and more broken up by canyons and cliffs, which is actually probably a better way to do a desert zone.
No comments:
Post a Comment