Or – hooray, Sailan is now level 80! I dinged early this evening – I went to bed last night with 13% to go, and today just seemed to draaaag.

I can’t say I’ve experienced more than a fraction of what WotLK has to offer – I dinged 80 in mid-Zul’Drak, leaving me with Sholazar Basin, Storm Peaks and Icecrown all untouched (but for an exploration jaunt and an instance run) – but so far I’m incredibly impressed. Wrath has really raised the bar for MMOs, I feel; not only is there loads of content, but it’s far more immersive and interactive than TBC or classic WoW. An old friend of mine – Mrigashirsha of Shift-T – has been talking with his usual insight and perceptiveness about what’s new and awesome in Wrath, and I tend to agree with him.

I think that, for me, the two factors that have set Wrath apart are:

phasing, which finally allows you to actually have a lasting impact on the world you see around you, and

variety in questlines; no longer are you just killing X of Y, then Y of Z for someone – the variety of tasks you’re given to complete, and the more numerous ways you can interact with the world, make every questline feel more immersive.

That, and the fact that the world is just gorgeous. (My next post will be another WotLK Wallpapers post.)

There are some negatives to Wrath, of course, but I don’t particularly want to focus on downsides at this early date – not when I’m having so much fun.