World of Warcraft Editor's Review

Normally games come with warnings if they are too violent, have too much adult content, or are just plain rotten. World of Warcraft is arguably the first game that needs a warning that it's just too compelling.

WoW, as it's better known, is the ultimate in MMORPGs, which stands for massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The "massive" isn't exaggeration: around 12 million people play the game around the world. Playing it can best be described as like watching or reading Lord of the Rings, but genuinely being part of the action.

In a sentence, the game involves creating a character, choosing one of two sides to play upon (Alliance or Horde), then taking part in quests, the name the game gives to missions/levels. But putting it like that is a major understatement: there are nearly 10,000 quests to play, though amazingly one player in Singapore is reported to have beaten them all along with every measured achievement in the game.

Players must also collect experience points, (virtual) cash and other items, as well as building up skills and abilities that relate to their chosen character. It's also possible to join guilds: groups of characters/players that team up together to take on more complicated quests.

And that's just the gameplay laid down by the game developers. There's also a "player vs player" mode that lets characters interact freely, which most commonly involves combat challenges either individually in teams.

Playing alongside other gamers is both the best and worst thing about WoW. It makes for a much more social gaming experience, with players discussing tactics and working together to solve problems, with many players communicating via a microphone or headset to speed up play. The bad news is that some players can be hostile, particularly to new players, though text messages among players are subject to strict filering rules

It would probably be wrong to describe the graphics of a game featuring orcs, trolls and gnomes as realistic, but they are certainly artistic. The scenery is the real highlight, particularly given the first-person view that's available to players, and it certainly does a great job of matching people's imagination of what a fantasy gaming world should look like. It's also very noticable that the different regions of the WoW world have distinct feels, which adds to the epic nature of your character's quests and story. The only real disappointment is that some of the characters themselves are a little blocky and there's not as much variety in appearance as you might expect.

It really is the gameplay that makes WoW and it does a great job of getting you hooked without leaving you confused or overwhelmed when you start. That's by design rather than accident thanks to the "free to try, monthly subscription to play more advanced levels" model, but the vast majority of players will find WoW addictive in the best possible sense of the word.

Pro's: Virtually limitless gameplay; constant action and interest.

Con's: Can be almost addictive and take up a lot of time

Conclusions: MMORPGs aren't for everyone, but everyone should give WoW a try. Just be warned that you might wind up playing it far more than you planned.