World of Warcraft: Dragonflight has flown into action
After months of anticipation, World of Warcraft: Dragonflight has nearly flown into action. The ninth expansion pack for the ever-popular MMORPG that keeps players coming back for more, it introduces a new setting, an increased level cap, a new playable race, and enough content to make you fall in love with Azeroth all over again.
World of Warcraft has been around for 18 years now and we wouldn't blame you if you'd taken a few breaks during that time. If you're one of those lapsed players, you may wonder if Dragonflight is for you. Alternatively, if you're an avid player who has spent more hours playing the game than you'd like to imagine, you might also wonder what changes are about to unfold.
Whatever your stage of World of Warcraft love (and we're including people new to the game), we're here to help. Read on while we take you through everything you could want to know about World of Warcraft: Dragonflight so you know exactly what's coming up.
I'm in a rush - give me the basics
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight continues the trend of previous expansion packs by building upon what's already there and bringing wonderfully new ways to play, whatever your level of experience. New and veteran players alike will love the changes here and how much the expansion changes up the game.
First and foremost, there's Dragonriding, allowing you to raise a dragon and then fly it through a new momentum-based flight system. The landscape you’ll soar above, the Dragon Isles, is separated into five zones including a new Neutral city. There's also a new playable race known as the Dracthyr, a race that can switch between humanoid visage and turn into a dragon, something that has never been seen in World of Warcraft before. The race has only one class choice, the Evoker, but either Alliance or Horde can be one.
Advert
There's also an increased level cap meaning players can reach level 70, and a revamp to the professions system so you can implement work orders. For newcomers or returning players, Dragonflight offers access to a revamped and more customisable user interface, along with other bonuses like being able to play as a Mage, Rogue, or Priest across all classes whatever you do. The Talent System changes with Dragonflight, too, undergoing its greatest transformation yet with Class and Specialisation talents now in their own groups. Talent points are gained every time you grow a character’s level, and can be invested in these two areas, each new branch of the trees leading to further talents to unlock. Talents can also be unlearned, so if you’ve a build you’re unhappy with it’s possible to remix things and go again - and in Dragonflight such changes can be made anywhere, at no cost.
What do these changes mean for me?
This is your chance to discover new zones. The Dragon Isles comprises four main zones: the Waking Shores, Ohn'ahran Plains, the Azure Span, and Thaldraszus. Alongside that, there's the neutral city of Valdrakken which serves as a hub for Alliance and Horde players. There's also the Dracthyr starting area - The Forbidden Reach. That's a fair amount of places to explore, further expanding your options for travel.
We're particularly impressed by the Ohn'ahran Plains, which offer luscious grasslands to explore. Alongside that, the Azure Span includes an appealing mixture of coastal villages to investigate, extensive forest tundra, and ice and snow. Ultimately, you'll find your new favourite place to level up within or wander for adventures anew with the expansion pack.
There's also the prospect of playing as one of the Dracthyr - a magnificent draconic race that can assume a human visage. There are some restrictions in place though. To play as a Dracthyr, you can only choose one class - the Evoker. The Evoker is a draconic caster using its dragon powers to unleash powerful attacks from a distance and heal others. Because of its impressive capabilities, it's a Hero Class, which starts out at level 58, like Death Knights and Demon Hunters before. That means there's no early-level grind which may or may not relieve you depending on your playstyle.
Because it's an advanced Hero Class, after creating your first Dracthyr character any subsequent ones will necessitate your character being at level 50 or above. So while you can dive right into the Dracthyr, this isn't a class to start out with if you're new or have never reached loftier heights in the past.
Providing you match the requirements, you'll love how powerful the Evoker is. There's a choice of either being a ranged DPS specialist or focusing on being a healer. Both are the kind of specialisms that will make you highly regarded when raiding or tackling some dungeons.
Unusually for World of Warcraft, there's also a new mechanic known as Empowered Spells. The idea is that spells are affected by how long you inhale through a new input method via your keyboard. It takes a little getting used to, but it means you feel more part of the action than simply tapping buttons.
Besides the new class, race, and set of zones, there's also an increased cap to level 70 giving you more room to expand. Talking of expanding, ever considered spreading your virtual wings? A new Dragonriding feature means you gain far more control over flight than you can with a regular flying mount. It's now possible to dive for the ground before gaining momentum and rise back up in a way that feels much more satisfying than regular flying.
Should I dive in?
If you're an avid World of Warcraft fan, you absolutely need to play Dragonflight. If you've already levelled up a series of characters and are desperate for something new, playing as a Dracthyr Evoker is truly something special. It looks incredibly cool and offers some genuinely different takes on the usual way of playing the game. If you've been playing for a while, you won't have to worry about levelling up sufficiently to unlock Hero Classes either.
If you're more of a casual player or entirely new to World of Warcraft, we still think you're going to love Dragonflight. It may feel less essential right this second but over time you'll end up unlocking Hero Classes - and that includes the Evoker class. You may as well be ready for it rather than needing to make another purchase further down the line to be up to date. That way, the full wealth of what World of Warcraft offers will be available to you. While many players may focus on the grind, the game is always there for you to chip away at, making it just as strong for casual players as avid fans.
The beauty of World of Warcraft is that once you're drawn in, it's tremendous value for money. With its new lands and new characters to both assume control of and interact with as your existing favourites, you'll be levelling up in no time - whether you’re playing as your Dracthyr Evoker or eyeing up having a couple of other characters on the go. As your play hours mount up and you get deeper and deeper into everything the Dragon Isles offers, don't say we didn't warn you.
Available to pre-purchase now.