WoW Classic Review in 2021: Is It Still Worth Playing?

World of Warcraft is a very old game. Since it’s release in 2004, it’s been over fifteen years of expansions, updates, and content. Before even the first expansion to the original game, though, vanilla WoW is where it all began. It was a cultural phenomenon, and drew in millions of players from all over the world; even the popular TV series South Park made a special epic episode about it!

I was one of those players who got to experience WoW in its original form, before even the first expansion. The Warcraft 3 franchise was already very popular, and the game was so hyped before hand that launch day was chaotic!

Now, the actual release of classic is behind us, and many of the die hard fans of the original game have already played, or are still playing to this day. I want to cover this topic from as many angles as possible - maybe you are one of those rabid fans who miss the vanilla game and know what it’s all about - maybe you have heard about the game but never got to experience it in its original form - the question here is: “Is World of Warcraft classic worth jumping into right now in 2021?”

WoW Classic Gold for Sale

1. "It’s not worth the grind"

There’s no hiding the fact that the game can get ‘grindy’. Grinding means doing a repetitive task in order to ‘farm’ for experience points, items/resources, reputation points, or (most importantly) gold. One could argue that the whole game is a grind, and that MMORPGs in general make you grind for hours to level up just so that you can grind again at the max level. This is the gameplay model of WoW, and because the game requires so much effort and time, people attach a lot of emotional importance to their characters. You can say this is a good or a bad thing, but I would encourage those skeptical about ‘grinding’ to take a step back and consider whether they are trying too hard to min-max aspects of the game, instead of playing for fun - which brings us to the next point.

2. Min-maxing

The main difference between modern WoW Classic and original vanilla WoW is that people know a LOT more about exactly how the game works. For example, we used to have to look through websites and use digital maps to find quest items or monsters. Dungeon strategies were passed between guilds and there was contention about which class spec was the best for certain situations. Nowadays, the game has been around for so long that all the numbers have been crunched, and all the secrets have been revealed. What does that mean? Peoples’ mindsets are all about getting the maximum DPS output, or the minimum time spent to kill a raid boss. 

Sure, improvement is great to see, and bettering you character or guild is one of the goals, but your priority should be having fun! Too many times I’ve seen people who choose a class or a spec that they despise just because their guild wanted that extra buff, or they think they need to level up in a certain way with a certain build because it will be faster. Why does everything need to be as efficient as possible? Get creative with your gameplay, try out roleplay or other fun social events - some of the best times in WoW classic should be hanging out in guild chat or having a conversation in /s while out questing. Play the game, don’t let the game play you!

3. Inconvenience or charm?

Compared to the modern game, classic is dangerous. Stumble too far out of your leveling zone and you will come across deadly monsters way outside of your level range. In some of the mid-level zones, huge world bosses roam and attack on sight. Not to mention, on PvP servers the hair stands on the back of your neck when you see enemy players coming your direction. In my opinion, this is what makes the game so great. It doesn’t hold your hand. A mix of terror and hilarious fun makes lasting memories, and that’s exactly what classic gives you. One last thing I will mention about classic draws from the first point in this article - the inconvenience of the grind.

Most people who remember playing back in vanilla don’t have the time for the level grind, let alone the gold grind! Most people will tell you that the leveling process is the best part of the game - but everyone will tell you that farming for gold gets old QUICK. With gold, you can buy better gear to make leveling a whole lot more fun. You can get better prepared for raids and dungeon content. You can have a lot of fun with cosmetic items and consumables in world PvP situations; and don’t forget your epic mount cost! I would seriously consider checking out PVPBANK.com to buy WoW Classic TBC Gold, where only a few hours at your real life job can buy your freedom from the daily grind that so many of us despise!

All in all - if you are wondering about this game in its current state but don’t know whether to pull the trigger - GET IN HERE. Maybe I'm biased - well, of course I'm biased - but this is a rare opportunity to experience the game as it once was. Don’t miss out.