Warcraft 3: Reforged criticised over downgrades

Warcraft 3: Reforged criticised over downgrades

Warcraft 3: Reforged criticised over downgrades

Blizzard has made a classic game development blunder. They downgraded Warcraft 3: Reforged, the 4K remaster of the company’s classic RTS. The company showcased Reforged with modernised cinematics and updated story elements back in 2018, but since then, Blizzard has cut these planned changes.

This cutback has left a lot of customers aggravated, as Blizzard’s confirmation of these downgrades in late 2019 were not as well publicised as Blizzard’s original upgrade plans. This left some customers playing the game with the expectation of upgrades that didn’t exist in the released game.

Warcraft III: Reforged is a title that’s a lot less ambitious than what Blizzard first promised. Like Starcraft: Remastered, Warcraft III: Reforged now offers gamers graphical upgrades and little else.   

While Warcraft III: Reforged’s graphical upgrades remain impressive, it is easy to see why consumers are annoyed at Blizzard. Below is a video from the YouTuber GyLala, who has compared one of Warcraft III: Reforged’s Blizzard 2018 cutscenes to the same cutscene from the game’s retail release. 

Warcraft III originally released in 2002, making the game almost 18 years old. Initially, Blizzard promised something more than a standard game remaster, but at the end of the day, all we have is a few visual upgrades.

Sadly, Blizzard’s story changes, which were due to make some of the game’s maps more like their World of Warcraft appearance, and cinematic cutscenes were cut, a move which makes Blizzard’s £24.99 standard price for Warcraft III: Reforged seem too high for many fans. Perhaps Blizzard’s lessened ambitions should also have come with decreased pricing. 

You can join the discussion on Warcraft 3: Reforged’s downgrades and fan criticisms on the OC3D Forums.Â