WORLD OF WARCRAFT : CATACLYSM

PLATFORMS: PC AND MAC

GENRE: PERSISTENT ONLINE RPG.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Windows XP 32bit (SP3), Windows XP 64bit (SP2), Windows Vista 32bit (SP1), Windows Vista 64bit (SP1) Windows 7:
Dual-core processor, such as the Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 X2
2 GB RAM (2 GB for Vista users)
3D graphics processor with Vertex and Pixel Shader capability with 256 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600 or ATI Radeon 2600 or better
DirectX-compatible sound card or motherboard sound capability
Broadband Internet connection
Multi-button mouse with scroll wheel recommended

A couple months ago some weird stuff started happening in Azeroth. Sinister characters began to infiltrate the main cities, and as time progressed, giant, angry elementals began to wage war on the forces of the Horde and the Alliance. This was all the lead up to the release of the third expansion for Blizzard Entertainment's massively successful MMO: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Blizzard uses this opportunity to take a broader look at their six year old game and figure out what needed to be updated to keep World of Warcraft relevant. They used the emergence of a main lore character, the massive evil dragon Deathwing, from his place of slumber to terrorize the mortals as the catalyst for the changes. Apparently, Blizzard figured a lot needed updating, because almost all of the old game has been completely redone. 

From the very start, the experience for players who pick up World of Warcraft now will be vastly different from the experience players had when the game launched in 2004. Quests, once splintered and sending players aimlessly across the map, are focused and quick to complete. Tales of having to kill fifty boars for three boar hides are done away with, and storylines -- actual storylines! -- populate the game world. It's a newer, friendlier Azeroth, and these changes span the entire original game.
Buying Cataclysm also unlocks the Worgen race for the Alliance and Goblins for the Horde. The Goblins begin on the technocratic isle of Kezan, led by the seemingly malevolent Trade Prince.The Goblin race showcases World of Warcraft's more lighthearted side. The opening quests are all centered around greed and mafia-style beatings, all done very tongue-in-cheek.The Worgen seem frankly a little less powerful. They've got an increased critical chance and a sprint ability on a cooldown, as well as nature and shadow resistances.

Finally there's Archaeology, the new secondary profession. It's really just an extra thing to do to kill time and won't really give you any real benefits. It does a good job of sending you to parts of the world you may not have ordinarily visited, and as you complete ancient relics (which you do by collecting relic shards scattered across the map), you get neat little insights into Azeroth's history.

 If you include the vast changes to the core game, Cataclysm is far and away the most impressive expansion to an MMO ever made, but if you just isolate what Cataclysm itself gets you, it's ultimately less content than Wrath of the Lich King. It's also better content than Wrath, with engaging storylines, inventive quests, and some very striking visuals. Even without the core Azeroth changes, Cataclysm is an excellent expansion in its own right, and worthy of your attention whether you're a veteran of Northrend or a grunt just getting your toes wet for the first time.