World Of Warcraft Wrath Of The Lich King Collectors Edition
The more time I spend in the World of Warcraft, and the more
I learn my way around Azeroth, learning not only its landscape but also its
cultures, values, and possibilities, the more I realize evolution is the keyword
throughout this virtual universe.
Everything about me, my surroundings, my companions and combatants evolves as I grow more familiar with my
environment and more proficient with my talents. When I take a more critical look at the whole
World of Warcraft franchise, I
recognize evolution is one of its hallmarks.
Everything about the worlds, games, and their makers continues growing
bigger and better.
Naturally, then, different editions of the game had to
emerge and evolve until they developed a deluxe Collector’s Edition. In the Collector’s Edition, of course, the
game remains the same, but the goodies get better.
Along with your software, you get a 208-page book—The Art of World of Warcraft:Wrath of the
Lich King—the perfect coffee table accent for the hard-core warrior or
mage. Many of the images that didn’t
quite find their place in the game but are too good to bury in the archives
appear in the book. And a lot of the
exquisite features in the art jump off the book’s pages more vividly and
vibrantly than they ever could appear on your computer monitor no matter how
pixels you get.
You also receive a behind-the-scenes DVD, which gets you
into the studios and even more into the minds of the geniuses at Blizzard
Entertainment. In an hour of interviews,
developers share their perspectives and insights on the game’s features, what
it took to create them, and what sophisticated players can do with them. The DVD also includes the director’s
commentary on the cinematic trailer.
Like most artists, the director isn’t always the best source of critical
information about his powerful production, but it does provide a useful descant
to the sounds and images in the three-minute clip.
Of course, there’s more: The Collector’s Edition includes a
soundtrack CD, so that you can recreate the World of Warcraft pretty much
wherever you go. I personally think this
is a great advancement in soundtracks for rush-hour traffic, because some of
the more animated and grandiose themes inspire me to pilot my 4-Runner more
skillfully, gracefully, and strategically than I normally would. Taking the best, most powerful music directly
from the game, the soundtrack CD really gives the music the attention it deserves. And the music helps me recreate the game’s
moods and motivations. The soundtrack CD
really powers-up my domestic search-and-destroy missions: when I do battle with
a teen-ager’s gnarly bedroom, the music helps me conquer the nasty landscape.
And just to make sure nobody feels deprived, the Collector’s
Edition also brings you a mouse pad emblazoned with a handy map of Northrend
and two starter decks of Lich King trading cards.
Yes, the Collector’s Edition is a little expensive, but you
and your World of Warcraft collection cannot evolve without these valuable
editions. And, in time, the set will
live-up to its title as a collector’s item.
Oh, yeah, and don’t forget you also get a little pet—a real life one,
not a virtual one—along with all this other great stuff.
