World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

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Cataclysm is the third expansion pack to World of Warcraft. This expansion revamped and changed much of the original world content, as well as provided new areas, dungeons, and playable races.



Overview

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is Blizzard's third expansion for World of Warcraft. Most of the new content for Cataclysm takes place in a revampedAzeroth where familiar zones across the original continents of the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor have been altered forever and updated with new content. Players are able to travel through 7 new zones in total. Cataclysm introduced many new features, including the increase of the game's level cap to 85 as well as hundreds of new items, quests, creatures and abilities. Additionally, there are two new races, the Worgen of the Alliance and the Goblins of the Horde. The main antagonist of this expansion is Deathwing the Destroyer, who has made his return into Azeroth from Deepholm, causing a new Sundering.

• Level cap raised to 85.
• New Alliance race: Worgen, with Gilneas as starting zone.
• New Horde race: Goblins, with Kezan/Lost Islaes as starting zones.
• New Secondary Profession: Archaeology.
• Classic world revamp of every zone with updated quests, art and items.
• New Race/Class combos, such as dwarf shaman, tauren paladins and undead hunters.
• Azeroth is flyable. (minus zones added with The Burning Crusade in Azeroth, such as Eversong Woods)

Story

While the attention of the Horde and Alliance remained fixed uponNorthrend, an ancient evil has been lying dormant within Deepholm, the domain of earth in the Elemental Plane. Hidden away in a secluded sanctuary, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has waited, recovering from the wounds of his last battle against Azeroth, nursing his hatred for the inferior creatures that infest the surface realm and biding his time until he can reforge the world in molten fire. Soon, Deathwing the Destroyer will return to Azeroth, and his eruption from Deepholm will sunder the world, leaving a festering wound across the continents. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation.

The face of Azeroth is altered forever as the destruction left in Deathwing's wake reshapes the land and reveals secrets long sealed away.

New Races

Cataclysm features two new races for players to create new characters with.

The Worgen (Alliance)

The first new playable race, the Worgen

The Worgen are a race of feral wolf-beasts whose very name inspires fear. Theories regarding their history abound, yet the Worgens' origins remain steeped in mystery. The worgen's first appearance in the Eastern Kingdoms has been traced back to the Third War, when the Archmage Arugal utilized the wolf-beasts as a weapon against the Scourge. Arugal's weapons soon turned against him and the curse of the Worgen rapidly spread among the human population, transforming ordinary men and women into ravenous, feral creatures.

There are those among the Gilneans, however, who cling to hope. Many believe that a treatment for the Worgen curse may exist, although others have nearly given up, fearful that if the Greymane Wall should fall, their humanity will be lost forever. Venturing forth from Gilneas and seeking help from the Alliance, they have decided to join them, to combat the new threats of the Cataclysm.

Worgen are able to play as either; Warrior, Rogue, Druid, Hunter, Mage,Warlock, Priest or Death Knight. Outside of combat, Worgen can appear in either their human form or their Worgen form.

The Goblins (Horde)

The second new race of the Cataclysm, Goblin.

Originally slaves of jungle trolls on the Isle of Kezan, the goblin race was forced to mine kaja'mite ore out of the volcanic bowels of Mount Kajaro. The trolls used this potent mineral for their voodoo rituals, but it had an unexpected effect on the slaves who were in contact with it: kaja'mite generated a startling new cunning and intelligence in the goblins.

The goblins' natural greed soon lifted them to prominence as masters of mercantilism. Great fortunes were amassed and the Isle of Kezan became a hub for fleets of goblin trading ships. By the end of the Third War, goblins were providing weaponry, vehicles, and devious services to both the Horde and the Alliance, but recently, the goblins of Kezan have found a new enemy in the Alliance and have driven some trade princes from their comfortable neutrality. Reforging old pacts with their one-time allies, the goblins have been welcomed back into the Horde.

Goblin are able to play as either; Warrior, Rogue, Shaman, Hunter, Mage,Warlock, Priest or Death Knight.