WoWcraft: Why I love game cinematics
Aug 26th, 2008 by Ashok
I’m not a great gamer myself. For one thing, I lack the competitive urge, don’t really get a kick out of smashing, killing, beating, shooting, etc. Usually when I play a game, I’m more interested in the aesthetics, the background. I’ve actually wasted hours wandering around in an environment, completely ignoring the ‘missions’ given to me. My favourite game is one in which you can explore the world ad infinitum, with nothing specific to do. A ‘guest’ fantasy rather than a ‘quest’ fantasy!
But I love watching game cinematics. My son Ayush, who is a very good gamer and once thought of taking it up professionally–he still has great ideas for games, including one which we dreamed up together called ‘Sword of Dharma’–introduced me to the fabulous cinematics of Warcraft a few years ago. And I have to say, they’re mind-blowing. If they made a full-length feature film this good, I’d watch it.
The forthcoming Lich King expansion to WoW comes out in November. But the cinematics are already online. Here’s one. Amazing graphics. Heavy LoTR hangover as usual. But who said that’s a bad thing? In any case, Warcraft wouldn’t exist without LoTR and that brand of Euromyth, so at least they take it to new heights in terms of graphics and cinematics. Like in the case of this preview. Enjoy!
