Warcraft 3: Reforged is getting absolutely destroyed by fans whose hopes for the game exceeded what Blizzard actually delivered. In recent years Blizzard has been catering to nostalgia, releasing a remastered version of Starcraft and even bringing back World of Warcraft Classic, a move which generated so much buzz players could barely accomplish anything because of server overload. Unfortunately, the company's latest remaster, this time of the 2003 real-time strategy PC classic Warcraft 3, didn't receive quite as warm a reception from fans.
Warcraft 3 defined real-time strategy games at the time of its original release. It was packed with features and gave players the ability to exercise near-unlimited creativity through its custom maps and campaigns. Players loved its gameplay, graphics, multiplayer, and everything else about it. One developer, Valve, loved Warcraft 3 so much that it created a mod for the game. That mod became so popular that it eventually spawned a sequel in the form of Dota 2. Simply put, prior to launch, it seemed like there was no way Blizzard could mess this up. However, fans don't appear to be happy with Warcraft 3's latest version.
Players have voiced concerns about so many varied issues with Warcraft 3: Reforged that identifying specific problems becomes a chore. Players have spoken out about issues with graphics, so many bugs that some Bethesda games seem stable by comparison, frequent crashes and freezes, as well as a complete absence of promised game features. Many game features that were in the original Warcraft 3, like custom campaigns, have also disappeared, along with the original client. Players also pointed out Blizzard promised campaign tweaks to bring the story in line with World of Warcraft. This didn't happen, nor were Warcraft 3 cutscenes improved. The reception has been so dismal that the remastered version of the game has received a disappointing 1.9 (at the time of writing) from fans on Metacritic. By comparison, the original received a 9.1 on the same website.
In addition, Blizzard sneaked in some changes to Warcraft 3 related to custom maps. The updated terms of use make it clear Blizzard owns everything related to custom maps, which can now no longer contain any copyrighted material or be reproduced anywhere else. This kills popular classic custom maps like Pimp My Mario and Anime Fight - and most notably, Defense of the Ancients. It also means Blizzard can capitalize on the creations of its fans if it wants to.
Many players are accusing Blizzard of pulling a bait-and-switch with Warcraft 3: Reforged. This seems like a fair assessment. The game was released with seemingly more bugs than Fallout 76, missing content and features, a forcibly merged client that locks players out of things the old client had but the new one does not, and numerous other issues. Longtime fans of the series, especially those who wanted to relive the glory days of Warcraft 3, have a lot to be angry about. This was exactly the disaster Blizzard needed to avoid, and according to most Warcraft 3: Reforged players, they appear to have failed spectacularly.
Source: Metacritic
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