Warcraft III: Reforged is a remaster attempt for the classic real-time strategy games Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos and Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne expansion. This newer game version offers various single-player campaigns where you can work your way through 60 missions and updated matchmaking features using Battle.net’s online service. As with every remaster, this game app promises better graphics and gaming experience. However, Blizzard did not live up to its promise leaving fans of the popular franchise disappointed.

Classic campaigns, compelling strategy

If you have played the previous Warcraft III versions, then you’d probably be excited about this re-imagining of the beloved RTS game. This version will feature nine campaigns that will focus on different parts of Azeroth. At its core, each story has varied plots, but the general idea involves the origin of the scourge and the arrival of the Burning Legion.

The campaigns are genuinely engaging that features powerful twists, awesome characters, and excellent world-building. More, these stories are direct prequels to the plot of World of Warcraft, allowing you to further immerse yourself in its lore.

Aside from an excellent storyline, Warcraft III: Reforged also boasts an in-depth strategy. There are four playable characters in the game, namely the humans, orcs, night elves, and the undead. Each character has its respective campaigns. While there is a primary objective that you need to do, the game is teeming with side quests that add to your progression.

With these progressions, the game can implement RPG elements, such as hero skill trees and equipment systems. More, in the game, all the progress you’ve made with your hero stays consistent within your campaign. With this, exploring, doing side quests, and even farming is not a waste of time.

In addition to the single-player campaigns, Warcraft III: Reforged also supports multiplayer content. Whether that be competitive matchmaking, custom games with friends, or playing through user modes, you can enjoy the game with other players. Generally, these contents allow up to 12 players, but there are mods you can use to bring the number higher.

Don’t let the opening fool you

Warcraft III: Reforged opens with the dour visual of two, war-torn races struggling for powers. As these two races struggle, sudden reverberations occur. Azeroth quakes and green-lit meteorites shatter the sky and crash into the fields. From these burning stones, rises the familiar backdrop of Warcraft III: Reforged.

However, as much as cinematically awesome the opening is, it is merely a fresh coat of paint plastered onto the same game from 2002. Even then, it is barely fresh. Most cutscenes are not remastered. The in-game visuals are also poor, and some quality-of-life additions are missing.

To say the least, Warcraft III: Reforged is visually disappointing, with its grass texture being the primary offender. It’s too bright and looks inorganic, reminding you of cheap felt plastered haphazardly into the scenery. In fact, this patch up is so terrible that the classic graphics look better. Some of the best shots in the game are the ones completely devoid of grass. And even then, things don’t look great.

In the highest graphic settings, the texture quality of the game is mixed, and the scenes look insufficiently detailed. Many models have obnoxious pixelation, making it look like the game is in even lower resolution.

In terms of performance, Warcraft III: Reforged runs well more than half the time. However, while the game lets you go all the way up to 300 frames per second, it can be increasingly choppy sometimes. The only way to fix it is to restart the game. There are also other issues to be wary about, including the in-game artifact freeze up. There are also cases in the campaign where some areas aren’t loading up properly. Load times are also a huge problem as the game takes ages to open.

Warcraft III: Slightly reforged

Warcraft III: Reforged may have good intentions, but its execution is a major flop. It misses so many key elements that would have set it apart from the original. Its in-game performance fluctuates, and there are quite a few graphical and audio bugs throughout. Sure, it is still the best way to experience the campaigns. But that’s because the original is nearly 20 years old. All in all, Blizzard failed to modernize and outdated and ugly game in the most vital way, leaving it only slightly reforged.