Warcraft III The Frozen Throne Screenshots   The Final Say! Gameplay 9.6 Graphics 9.0 Sound 9.4 Value 9.5 Warcraft III The Frozen Throne -  reviewed by Andrew B Review Date: 14 July 2002 Review Score: 9.5/10  Distributor: Vivendi Universal Interactive

Warcraft III - The Frozen Throne is the latest instalment of the highly popular Warcraft series and continues the story from the previous game. Banding together, the world of Azeroth had finally banished the Burning Legion from their scorched land but peace is still a dream as something stirs beneath the northern glaciers. Imprisoned inside a glacier, the evil Lich King Ner'zhul now stirs and seeks to return to the lands of Azeroth. Unable to escape his icy prison, Ner'zhul now seduces lost souls with the promise of power and glory in exchange for his freedom. Once again players must enter the world of Warcraft and save the millions of denizens of Azeroth from this ancient evil. As with previous Warcraft games, the storyline behind The Frozen Throne emerges the player into this fantasy world of order versus chaos that is not only gripping, but will have players on the edge of their seats. Warcraft III not only promised but also delivered to be one of the best games of 2002 and now fans of the original can enjoy this highly anticipated expansion pack. The installation of The Frozen Throne was a breeze and was automatically installed when the CD was inserted into the drive. I should reiterate again but this game is an expansion pack and the original Warcraft III game is needed to play the sequel. The game contains a variety of different gameplay modes that include single player (campaign and custom) and multiplayer (Battle.net and LAN) games. For the purpose of this review, I will be reviewing the campaign mode that is the most in-depth section of this game. The campaign mode starts with the Night Elves campaign that has you hunting down the traitor Illidan who has escaped his prison after 10,000 years with the assistance of some nefarious followers. Hell bent on revenge, Illidan forms an alliance with a race of dark sea warriors called the Naga and vows to scorch the lands of Azeroth one last time. As you progress through the Night Elves campaign, your characters must embark on various role-playing missions throughout the campaign such as recovering ancient items, cleansing the land of Orc ghosts or rescuing your fellow Night Elves. As you progress through the missions, you soon encounter new units and locations that help keep the storytelling fresh and unique. Once you have completed the Night Elves campaign, you can then proceed to Human Alliance campaign. Since our last meeting with the humans, they were strong and powerful but now they are just a remnant of the power they were. From the Humans come the Undead Scourge that consist of the undead and the insidious necromancers who not only have a stake in the world of Azeroth but control the darkest magic of all four races. The beauty of The Frozen Throne is that no one mission is the similar and every mission is quite different and unique.

One mission may involve you creating an unstoppable army, whereas another mission may have you navigating a small group of soldiers through a mysterious ancient city.  

The storyline of The Frozen Throne is furthered by in-game cinemas between missions that give the player a sense of purpose and hopefully an incentive. You may have noticed that I have not mentioned the race of Orcs that were prevalent in the previous Wacraft games. Although the Orcs are not included in the main campaigns, a bonus campaign is available that lets gamers play the powerful and noble race of Orcs. As with other Blizzard games such as "Diablo" and "Warcraft", the trademark Blizzard cliffhanger is sure to surprise quite a few gamers.

There are also a number of new units and heroes in the game that include the Night Elves gigantic Mountain Giant that can rain punishment down on its victims if they threaten the natural environment. The Faerie Dragon, also another Night Elves unit are magical dragons that can damage enemy units if they use magic. The Dragonhawk Riders are new Human units that can not only attack ground units but also air units with some considerable amount of damage. There are basically two new units available for each race and a plethora of heroes that is guaranteed to please all gamers. Once again, the naval battles return to Warcraft and gamers can now control huge sea armies that can be used as either transports or deadly battle ships. There are also various shops available throughout the game that lets players buy mercenary troops to help fortify their numbers without the need to build units.

Graphically, Warcraft III The Frozen Throne is on par with its predecessor but the gaming environment looks more complex and detailed. The 3D engine of the game uses polygons to create the gaming world which include backgrounds and characters. This allows players to flawlessly zoom into the action and see their characters get dirty as they battle their way through the campaigns. The graphics of The Frozen Throne are extremely sharp, colourful and well animated that have this cartoonish look to them. Apart from the amazing in-game graphics that include spell effects, weather effects and various battle effects, the game also includes some of the most beautiful CGI rendered cut-scenes that are available on the PC. This CGI cut-scenes are available at the beginning of each campaign and at the end of each campaign.

The musical score of The Frozen Throne has a magnificent orchestral theme to it that sounds like it has been directly taken from Hollywood movies such as the Lord of the Rings. The sound effects all sound brilliant and every unit, spell and battle sound has its own unique sound to help draw gamers into the world of Warcraft. Last but not least is the great voice overs that have been included in the game that sound professional and perfectly suit each character.

The developers have also done a brilliant job at ensuring that this game will be played again and again by players. A new mission editor has been included in The Frozen Throne that lets players create their own missions and multiplayer maps that can be used via the internet or LAN. If that still isn't enough, then players have the chance to challenge other players across the world via Blizzard's Battlet.net server or they can do it within the comfort of their very own LAN party. In conclusion Warcraft III The Frozen Throne is an amazing expansion pack that is as good as the original and if you have never played Warcraft III before then it is high time to start!

Highly Recommended! 

- Andrew B

 

Warcraft III - The Frozen Throne Features

- 4 single-player campaigns, including a bonus RPG-style mini-campaign designed to   demonstrate the power of the world editor - 4 new race-specific Heroes, each with a complementary set of powerful spells and   abilities - 2 new units per race, adding depth to the strategies and tactics that players can employ - 3 new tilesets, featuring new lands to explore and numerous new creeps and critters - Player-built shops, equipped with items uniquely designed for each race - 5 neutral Heroes that players can recruit to strengthen their armies, such as the Dark   Ranger and the Pandaren Brewmaster, each with unique spells and abilities - New neutral buildings that provide players with additional units, new magical items, and a   new mode of transportation - Expanded multiplayer options over Battle.net®, including clan and tournament support - Numerous new multiplayer maps - An enhanced world editor that allows players to create and connect their own custom   campaigns, complete with cut-scenes and voiceovers

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