Warcraft III - First Impression

Warcraft III marks Blizzard's return to its venerable Warcraft real-time strategy series. But Warcraft III won't just be a real-time strategy game - it will include many role-playing elements, such as character interaction, more character development, and a more prominent story. Warcraft III will feature six playable sides, including the orcs, the humans, the undead, and the demons, and will use detailed 3D graphics. Each of the game's six factions will differ greatly from each other; for instance, although each race must gather resources to build its armies, each does so in a different way. Humans must seek gold and wood, while the undead will use magic powers and the bodies of their fallen enemies to develop their forces.

Warcraft III will tell the story of what happened after the battles of Azeroth. The orcs have freed themselves from the evil grip of a demonic army called the Burning Legion and have returned to their noble, if primitive, shamanistic roots. The humans, on the other hand, have suffered grave losses, and they are in the process of regrouping with their elven and dwarven allies. Both the orcs and humans find they must do battle against the demonic forces of the Burning Legion and the Scourge, an organized group of powerful undead creatures that plague the land.

In the game, you'll be able to play as one of the six factions and engage in real-time strategic combat in a variety of single-player scenarios and campaigns, as well as head-to-head multiplayer. Warcraft III is scheduled for release at the end of the year. For now, you can peruse our E3 coverage and consult our massive Warcraft III Compendium.