“World of Warcraft: Forever” is a reimagined version of the classic MMORPG game that was already a hit even before its release on November 4th. The developers admit that current servers are struggling to handle the influx of people wanting to try the beta, and that community interest in the game is higher than in recent years.
A major topic of discussion in the beta was not only nostalgic places like the revamped Durotar, but also the Skyborne, a new race of sky elves that inhabit the floating island of Zepherath. Gameplay-wise, Blizzard has done a great job: the starting areas and missions bring back the same hardcore and non-linear spirit of classic World of Warcraft, it’s easy to die from the extra pool of mobs, and the atmosphere is built on exploration rather than the role of the Chosen One.
However, Skyborn feels conceptually alien. Since they originated on floating islands, effectively isolated from a single continent, this presented the team with a serious challenge: How to add new large-scale elements to the old world without turning the map of Azeroth into a patchwork of isolated add-ons?