Every so often a game comes out that takes a genre to the next level. World of Warcraft is one such game. World of Warcraft is an online adventure game based on the tales of the past Warcraft titles. Those of you that have played the previous game will notice similarities in the world as you explore it, to the Warcraft series especially Warcraft III and the expansion packs. First things first in your new world. You are in a new world so you need to be a new person. You can create a new character from any of the 8 races available to you. 4 from the alliance and 4 from the horde (its a basic good versus evil thing for those of you that haven't played any Warcraft before).

Once inside the game you can begin your new life. You will be required to explore, take up quests and battle in Azeroth (the fictional world in Warcraft). The beauty of playing these online games is the interaction. When searching, exploring, questing or fighting you can include people you meet on the way, real people on other computers. You can form alliances and help each other battle off enemies and creatures and help each other search the massive world setting.

I don't really want to get into what you actually do in the game because World of Warcraft is such a fantastic game to play, learn and explore there is no better way of doing it then trying it out for yourself. I will say though this game is incredibly quick to load and access, you can logged in and playing in a matter of seconds. Also there is very little loading while you actually play the game. The only time you will really ever notice it is when you change continents or progress to another level of challenges.

Can a game this exciting and plain brilliant have any downsides? Well unfortunately yes. Like most other online adventure games there will be a monthly fee. We believe this to be £8.99 a month. This will be for server upkeep and bandwidth costs to the host. This is a shame as I know it will put some of you off, however its a shame because if you love the whole RPG game style then World of Warcraft is certainly a must buy.

If your out and about on World of Warcraft you might find me, a Night elf Warrior by the name of Suntail or a Warlock by the name of Hystiria. Be sure to say hello I might even find time to help you out with something.

(Click to Enlarge Screen shots)

Features

• Adventure together with thousands of other players simultaneously.

• Explore an expansive world with miles of forests, deserts, snow-blown mountains, and other exotic lands.

• Join the Horde or the Alliance as one of 8 playable races.

• Select from 9 classes, including holy Paladins, shape-shifting Druids, powerful Warriors and Mages, demon-summoning Warlocks, and more.

• Encounter many familiar and new Warcraft characters and monsters.

• Learn the continuing story of Azeroth by completing a wide variety of challenging quests.

• Journey through an epic world filled with dungeons of different styles and depths.

• Explore 6 huge capital cities, which serve as major hubs for the races inhabiting them.

• Practice various trade skills to help locate reagents, make and enhance custom items, acquire wealth through trade with other players, and more.

• Purchase tickets for travel along a number of air routes flown by creatures such as Gryphons and Wyverns. For global transportation, travel by Boat or Goblin Zeppelin.

• Once a certain level has been achieved, players can choose to purchase permanent personal mounts, such as Dire Wolves and Horses.

• Establish a guild, purchase a custom guild tabard, and promote or demote recruits to different ranks within the guild.

• Locate and engage other players with easy-to-use features and tools, including chat channels, friends lists, and animated and audible character expressions.

• Customize the game's interface via XML.

• Enjoy hundreds of hours of game play with new quests, items, and adventures every month.

System requirements

• Windows98/ME/2000/XP

• 800 MHz or higher CPU

• 256 MB RAM

• 32 MB 3D graphics card with hardware transform and lighting, such as Geforce 2 or better

• 4 GB or more of available hard drive space

• DirectX® 9.0c or above

• A 56k or higher modem with an Internet connection (this is an internet only game)

Games Zone - Action/Adventure - Driving/Racing - Sports - Strategy/Simulation