Warcraft III: Reforged Critic Reviews

Excellence demands excellence and Blizzard could have honored its great heritage in a better way. It remains one of the cornerstones of the strategy market, as well as an exceptional experience for any self-respecting video game lover.

Warcraft III: Reforged isn't the game that was promised, but is still a valuable reconstruction of one of the most influential titles in the history of video games. This release is, sadly, riddled with bugs as well as marred by the terrible decisions of Blizzard, particularly that of the false advertising that persists now even after launch. However, despite this, there's little doubting that Warcraft III: Reforged has a compelling story that, even eighteen years on, remains one of the most engaging in the genre. The gameplay holds strong to this day and with the tweaks and upgrades, this is an undeniable diamond in the rough.

Warcraft 3 is such a powerful experience that simply outshines the many flaws of the Reforged operation. Some people wanted a complete remake, others called for #nochanges, and in the end we got the simplest remaster. But it still remains the remastered version of a masterpiece.

Yes, the original Warcraft 3 is still a great game, but it is also clear that Blizzard has missed the mark with this remaster. The singleplayer campaign and gameplay mechanics have aged astoundingly well and the visual update is mostly successful. Newcomers will most likely have a great time experiencing the story and its four distinct races, which are still a lot of fun to play. But where are the vastly improved cutscenes that Blizzard has promised? This is simply not the game that has been advertised. Multiplayer comes with its own problems, from missing features (like a ladder or custom campaigns) to small, but irritating technical issues. Most of it can be fixed, for sure, but it appears rather baffling to me that this is a game from the same studio that brought us masterpieces like Starcraft 2.

Reforged is an uninspiring remaster, but Warcraft 3 itself is still a great game nearly two decades later.

Had Reforged been an optional and free graphical update, undersold and understated and a gift to fans, I doubt there would be any backlash. Instead, Blizzard suggested a revolutionary re-imagining of one of gaming’s most popular titles and failed spectacularly to deliver it. Warcraft III: Reforged does not diminish the core experience that made the game great, but its relatively modest improvements are coupled with some missing features and technical issues that make it a disappointment.

Warcraft III Reforged is at least equal to itself and it is already something. Yes, its graphics engine fails to display a fluidity worthy of the finesse of its redesign. But the game mechanics, the storyboarding of the campaigns and augmented narration convince the player even more that he is facing one of the big names in the history of video games. If you are not a player who is looking to be sharp to enter esports, you will also have a great time online. Don't give in to blind bashing. Form your own opinion.

A successful update of a great game’s presentation, but which removes a number of features that may leave old fans hurting.

To put it bluntly, if you haven't played the classic yet, Warcraft III: Reforged is definitely worth your time, otherwise, wait for a deep discount. The remaster feels rushed with too many things missing or not up to par with what I had expected in terms of improvements. In this state, the best way to describe Warcraft III: Reforged is “serviceable.” Taken as a whole, just like the original, the remaster offers a great gameplay experience for newcomers, but there's not much here that would justify a purchase if you've already played the classic.

Warcraft III is still one of the best RTS ever made, yet this Reforged edition is just a lazy remaster. That’s because many features are missing and the game is plagued by a significant number of technical issues.

The remaster stays far below its possibilities and makes multiplayer worse than in the original. The single-player campaign is still great.

In the end it’s worth noting that when viewing a remake or remaster what needs to be taken into consideration is the source material, how it looks, feels, and plays. That is, in addition to the work carried out to recreate moments, update visuals, and change any of the presentation. To do otherwise would be silly, a terrible game with a wonderful remaster doesn’t warrant a high score. In the case of Warcraft III, the inverse to that is also true. So, what we end up with is something in-between. A classic reborn, in a package that doesn’t warrant all that much in the way of celebration.

The old Blizzard, in fact, wouldn't have shipped the game so quickly at all. There are more sinister changes lurking below the surface, like the inexcusable choice to ruin the original Warcraft III launcher and bring it into the modern era: a cardinal sin.

The highest praise I can give to Reforged is that it’s still Warcraft III. The stellar single-player campaign and strategic multiplayer action are all well preserved here. The updated graphics are a welcome addition, which replaces the original game’s out-of-date visuals with an expressive new look and feel. Unfortunately, the launch version of the game feels far from finished, with bugs and key missing features preventing the current build from being the definitive edition of Warcraft III. It will likely get there eventually, but it’s odd for a remaster to feel like it’s starting from scratch, not presenting an endpoint.

The question therefore arises: why should a Warcraft 3 player buy Reforged?

The initial plans for Warcraft 3: Reforged would have brought the community an ambitious new game, steeped in the classic gameplay and story of TFT & RoC. However, little by little the team started scaling back, starting with the story. Unfortunately, the finished product ended up being not much of an upgrade over the classic version of the game.

An inexplicably careless remaster, where none of the changes are unequivocally for the better and the experience is brought down further by numerous bugs and missing features.

Blizzard has truly shot itself in the foot with this one, as they have no doubt upset the core fan base of this amazing title. This remake should have risen from the ashes and helped Blizzard recover its reputation. In reality, it's likely purged the veterans from their fanbase and will be relying on the game's much-loved campaigns and multiplayer mode to bring in newcomers.

That the best parts of Warcraft 3: Reforged are ripped straight out of 2002 and the worst are the modern changes, however, does not speak highly of the total package that Blizzard has placed on offer in 2020.

Reforged will never be the celebration of one of gaming’s most beloved IPs that it should have been, which is all rather depressing. As is the fact that despite the fun that I’ve had playing Warcraft 3: Reforged and for how it has reminded me what an incredibly influential and brilliant game it is, there’s no way I could recommend anyone outside of the absolute hardcore Warcraft fanbase to purchase it.