Warcraft: Orcs & Humans

"The war needed better crafting"

Warcraft is a RTS game developed by Blizzard. Warcraft is the start of one of my favorite series, but unfortunately it isn't great like Warcraft 2 and 3, it isn't even very good, it is just good. The problem is that, although it has almost all the things that make up a good Warcraft game it has a very BIG problem, only one but that's enough to destroy the game. Read on to find out what that is…

Story: 6/10
Presentation: 6.4/10

This is the first game of the series and tells us how the Orcs came to Azeroth and more specifically the region where Humans live. For a game of its time the plot of Warcraft unfolds in quite a good way and although there ain't any talking within the actual game the small cutscenes, (only text with a nice background), show us a good story with its fair share of plot twists and mystery. The only problem is that the developers throw the biggest, (and best), part of the storyline in the manual instead of the game.

Gameplay: 4/10
Replay Value: 2/10

By mistake many people think that this is the first RTS game. That's not true but that's not the problem here, the problem is the fact that it wasn't the one that made it popular! Warcraft 2 did it and with a loud BAM and after a while Stracraft showed the world what RTS was all about… The first Warcraft didn't manage to become a true classic, unaffected by the flow of time. Why? Lets see, what do we have here. We have 2 opposing factions, the defensive, healing humans and the offensive, siege and sorcery monsters called Orc. These 2 factions are very balanced, something very good in a game like this. They have a nice variety of units ranging from simple builders\gatherers and melee fighters to ranged shooters, heavy cavalry units, siege weaponry, magicians and their summoned creatures like water elementals and daemons! Like all good games Warcraft is nice and simple. Gather lumber and gold, create buildings that train units and build houses to be able to train more units. One small innovation is the fact that in order to build something it has to be adjacent to a road, a feature that I liked and that is absent from Warcraft 2 and 3. Also another thing that W2 & 3 don't have is the ability to build walls, once again another good feature.

The levels are very good with you having to hold key locations in order to survive like capturing a certain mine or holding the enemy from passing a bridge. Most levels are the typical, gaher-build-train-fight but there are some levels where you must venture into a cave or a dungeon with a pre-deployed number of units in order to find someone. While gamer that started with Age Of Empires, Warcraft 2 or 3 and Starcaft may find the game boring the game was good and really revolutionary back then it just can't compete with the games that came out some years later. There are 2 problems, one small, one very, very big… the minor problem is the AI, both enemy and yours. Your enemy is very predictable and can be lured into doing what you want, doesn't expand too much, (if at all), and just sends wave after wave of enemies to attack you. Your AI is bad too, for example you have a group of 3 footmen and 1 archer somewhere. Your archer is suddenly attacked from a distant fighter, but no one is trying to help him, well ok maybe because of the distance, but even when really close only one or two footmen will run to defend the archer, only the ones that are reeeeeeally close! And now onto the big problemo. The controls… man, isn't this annoying, when a game is just fine and is ruined by its bad controls! Why do I say that? Well Warcraft is the typical RTS, since you control your units with the mouse. But look what happens in the game, you have a unit selected and you have to move him, what do you do? Wrong, you DON'T click in the game, you select the corresponding button for “Move” and then you do that! Wanna do that again, repeat the process!!! Wanna attack? The same deal, choose “Attack” and click on an enemy. Wanna select all four troops, forget selection rectangles, you have to select each unit one by one. Believe me this think totally destroys the game, if this wasn't like this it will be a very good game worth playing with your friends again and again.

Graphics: 7.2/10
Design: 7.8/10

The graphics of Warcraft are very good considering the time it came out. The look of Warcraft has remained the same for the first three games of the franchise and that is a good thing. Starting with this game, the overall design is very good, a blend of good fantasy art with a more cartoonish look, meaning that everything is very lively colored. All units have very good design, especially the Orcs and a nice variety too. Finally very good level design with nice open fields and forests, evil looking marshes, misty caves and dungeons all looking good and with decent amounts of various small details.

Sound: 6.4/10
Music: 4.5/10

If it was a game from another company I would raise the music score a bit, but this is Blizzard and although Blizzard never actually created masterpieces it had good music. Here the music ranges from generic to boring. The sound effects though are very good, so good that hearing an Orc in here and in Warcraft 3 is quite similar.

Positives:
-2 very balanced factions with many different units
-Very good graphics and sound effects
-Nice plot

Negatives:
-Very bad controls that destroy the game
-A bit bad AI at times

Also Play:
Age Of Mythology (PC)
Starcraft (PC)
Starcraft 2 (PC)
Warcraft 2 & 3 (PC)

Overall: 5.5/10

Warcraft is a game that could have been better only if the developers have thought about the controls a bit. Now, now don't be sad! Wipe those tears young war chief and buy a copy of Warcraft 2 to feel better!!!

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 08/04/09

Game Release: Warcraft: Orcs & Humans (US, 1994)