1. Rover

   9

   The monk is fun. The graphics are beautiful. The talent system is no longer a Pavlovian illusion of choice. The community is strong and varied. The newbie zones aren't ghost lands anymore and the pvp has returned to the world. The leveling experience has been streamlined - although in some ways it is now like a solo rocket to max level instead of a journey - which is why I knocked it off 1 point. To those that feel the game is the 'same ol' same ol' - I agree it is still wow. They didn't change how the game is played. But, in my opinion, I didn't want a 'new' game, in the same way that I don't want them to change how baseball is played from season to season. It has expanded the current game, hence the term 'expansion'. They don't change the rules of baseball just because there is a new season do they?… Expand

   • Helpful? 8 of 14 users said Yes.
2. Tal_Kalon

   8

   I have to say, its pretty good. I thought I was done with WoW, as I was burnt out and also pretty upset with Blizzard. This almost makes up for how bad Diablo 3 turned out. Cata lost me, as I felt like it shouldn't have even been an expansion but rather a free "refresh." I rolled my eyes like millions of others when they announced Pandaria, but you know what? I rolled my eyes when Kung Fu panda came out, and I wound up liking the stupid movie. I went ahead and gave MoP a chance, and found myself having more fun with WoW than I had in a long while.
   
   The new talent system is weird, and certainly boring for someone just starting to level, but I get what they were trying to do.
   
   The graphics options are much improved. The new areas are interesting. We get a new race and new class.
   
   I think people need to realize that there's only so much you can do with a game this old. And I don't mean the graphics. After playing the same MMO for 6 years, how can you not be tired of it? How can you not be tired of the genre itself? Maybe its time to move on. I get some players are angry that the game is easier or more casual, and that they feel betrayed, but I for one am happy the game is less of a grind. I just want to have fun. I don't want to sacrifice large chunks of my life to any single game. And to all the hate on the FMV, well, I want this one was the best they've done yet. I've never thought they were amazing or worth watching twice, but this one was technically very impressive and amusing. I've seen people comment that they were offended that this strange new race would be attacked without cause. Well lighten up, it was amusing, and it makes a pretty accurate statement on human (or orc) nature.
   
   So no, its not perfect, or revolutionary, and I ought to vote it higher to compensate for extremists ( a zero? Really? Did you buy one of the display boxes by mistake?) but I think its a solid 8, and a pleasant surprise.… Expand

   • Helpful? 12 of 22 users said Yes.
3. Polarthief

   5

   I'd like to start off by saying that I've been playing since near launch with one break in late Vanilla. This is also coming from someone who generally disliked Cataclysm.
   
   Mists of Pandaria (or "MoP" as I will be referring to it as such from now on) is very manipulative. Once you make it to max level, you are given a plethora of new options, but very few actually give you anything. With the exception of a single Scenario (the Arena one), the other Scenarios give you little to no rewards for your character (if you get really lucky, a crappy item). Dungeons (or rather Heroics) will get you gear and (very useless) Justice Points which will get you gear that's... under the Dungeon quality... Okay... You'll also get Valor Points... but you can't spend them until you do two+ weeks of daily quests with multiple factions.
   
   Basically, your progression goes like this: Every day, you're intended to do all of the daily hubs (That is, about 5 of them, each taking anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes each) for 45 days (or 45 times). This is so you can spend your hard-earned Valor Points on higher gear as well as get some other rewards. In addition, you're intended to do Heroic Dungeons to gear alongside your time with dailies. When you're finally done with all of that (such as myself), you're just intended to raid and... not do much else. Similar to Cataclysm, but Cataclysm at least just went: Dungeons (or crafted) and JP Gear to Raiding, whereas MoP is: Dungeons, Crafted, JP, and Dailies (all alongside each other) to LFR to Raiding.
   
   To any retro gamer out there reading this, Cataclysm is to Castlevania as MoP is to Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest (except that Cataclysm was also terrible, unlike Castlevania, but in the gear progression sense, this analogy holds true).
   
   In addition, Blizzard claims you have "choices" and "options". I've experienced both sides as I now have two level 90s, one of which (my main), I did all the dailies and did everything possible, and my alt, who is not doing the dailies. While both sides are terribly slow, the dailies character was much faster, but 10x more boring.
   
   Aside from all of that, the ONLY reason I'm giving my review a 5 instead of a 1 or even a 0 is because of the raiding content and challenge dungeons. I won't lie, I've disliked and even hated raiding since Tier 9 (that is, Trial of the Crusader, the patch after Ulduar), but Tier 14 is actually quite superb for a very awful expansion. Even moreso, Challenge Dungeons are a fun rush that only offers vanity and aesthetically beautiful gear for overcoming difficult challenges with a group of friends/guildies/whatever.
   
   While I still think MoP is doing very poor in its current state, it is by no means the worst expansion, as Cataclysm easily deserves that award (less choices, less stuff to do, awful raiding, awful EVERYTHING). I have hopes for the future, but they're very slim because if the fun raiding content stops, this will instantly turn into a 1 and a subscription cancellation, permanently.… Expand

   • Helpful? 10 of 10 users said Yes.
4. gurv75

   0

   At first I found it good because it was way better then Cata.
   However it's completely destroyed at high levels by the awful daily quest grinds that are a grief fest, a bore fest and an annoying mechanics fest. Blizzard is also cheap on the rewards, with dirty moves like no flying while dead.
   I find myself getting angry each evening while doing these crap daily quests.
   Nothing good to expect from Blizzard any more after Cataclysm, Diablo 3 and now this.… Expand

   • Helpful? 13 of 13 users said Yes.

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