World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King Outstanding Award by GameZone

There’s no denying that Blizzard’s MMORPG title, World of Warcaft is the most successful MMO in the history of the genre, as well as one of the most successful titles ever. Pulling record numbers for a subscription-based online game, World of Warcraft is a title that transcends its genre to become something that gamers and non-gamers alike can get together and enjoy. Early last year, Blizzard launched the first expansion for their beloved MMO, The Burning Crusade. The Burning Crusade not only added in two new classes and allowed for Horde players to play as a paladin class (as the Blood Elf race), but also added in some great new areas to explore, including some fantastic new high-level areas in the new Outland area.

The latest expansion for the game, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King doesn’t add any new races, but adds plenty of fantastic new elements that no WoW player should be without. From the new Death Knight class that can be accessed by players with character level 55 and higher, to the great new story elements involving the return of the fallen king Arthas, and an awesome new continent to explore, the frozen land of Northrend. While you will need to be at level 55 or above to really begin to take advantage of the major updates that the expansion brings to the table, its added content makes it more than a worthy purchase for any WoW gamer.

Gameplay: 9.0
While it could use some balancing, the new Death Knight hero class is awesome and offers up some great abilities and a unique quest arc. Northrend is also a blast and chock full of excellent new quests for those looking to hit the new level 80 cap.

Graphics: 8.5
While not the most technologically impressive MMORPG out there, World of Warcraft is unmatched when it comes to art direction. The new areas in Northrend boast some impressive new details and lighting effects, and are a sight to behold.

Sound: 8.0
Basically unchanged since the original game launched, but still sounds pretty good.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.5
While it may not stir up the pot too much from the original game, Wrath of the Lich King offers some fantastic new story elements and tons of excellent additions.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Shortly after the expansion’s launch, queue times to get onto servers has been pretty high, proof that the game’s community is still going strong after four years.

Overall: 9.5
While the majority of the content is geared towards higher-level players, there is still a lot of fantastic content for any WoW gamer. If you’re a fan, then there’s no reason that you should not have this expansion.