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> Results: Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
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Morecraft III
 Blizzard has a reputation that is the envy of most game studios. Combining simple gameplay with stunning cinematics, it doesn't matter that they rarely innovate or push the graphics envelope, it only matters that each Blizzard game is as compelling and refined as the last. In their long-awaited expansion pack, Blizzard adds a lot to the Warcraft III experience. New mission types, spells, monsters, and a few new campaigns. The main campaign picks up where Warcraft III left off, showcasing the terrible risk the Night Elves took when they released Illidan to help defeat the Demon horde. Illidan has allied with an undersea race and is after an artifact that will let him rule the world. It's up to the Night Elves to stop him and the drawn out struggle takes them to the ruined lands where Warcraft III began. The remaining Elves there have become Blood Elves and the Undead Legion is still ravaging the land. The second campaign has the Blood Elves and Humans allied to defeat the Death Knight Arathas and the third is told from the point of view of the Death Knight.  The campaigns are interesting because Blizzard is experimenting with new mission types for real-time strategy games. You have the usual build missions, but added are Diablo-like dungeon crawls and even a variant on Capture the Flag. This makes the game feel refreshing to even dedicated RTS players and those who have already replayed Warcraft III over and over again. Multiplayer is refined as well. The expansion patches you up for Battlenet and those who haven't played for a while will find the rules a little different. New to the pack are the Night Elf Faerie Dragon (perfect against spell-casters) and the Mountain Giant (a huge bruiser who can uproot a tree for extra damage and taunt the enemy into attacking him exclusively). The Humans get the Spell-Breaker (who specializes in knocking out enemy spellcasters and any magic cast on units) and the Dragonhawk whose breath weapon can disable enemy defenses. The Orcs get the Batrider, a cool aerial siege weapon and the Tauren Shaman who can remove magic from enemy units while in a protected ethereal state. The Undead get the Obelisk, which works like the Nigh Elf Moon Wells (it heals and replenishes mana) but, in a pinch, can transform into a Devourer, which is a nasty, nasty, monster. Each side also gets a powerful new hero with all new spells.  Other additions address fan complaints: You can queue up building commands and research easily and the minimap shows Creeps (neutral monsters) and gives you an idea of their relative strengths. Now Battlenet better supports clan battles as well. Warcraft III's cartoonish graphics were colorful, vibrant, and beautifully consistent, and the Frozen Throne doesn't add much to this, aside from new characters and environments. The audio is top notch, but not much is new here. The cutscenes and storyline are pure Blizzard. Nothing you haven't seen before but rendered and paced so well they feel refreshing. They keep you going until the end, and then the superb play balance and multiplayer keep you playing online. With enough new content to justify it as a full game, Blizzard does it again, The Frozen Throne is a must play for fans.Ages: 14+ ESRB: T-Teen Developer: Blizzard Producer: Vivendi Universal 
Warcraft III is violent (it is an RTS) and the storyline is invariably dark and intense. But the cartoon-like graphics make it feel friendly and the storytelling is simple yet sophisticated enough to make it good for younger gamers. The strategy is simple (you only have a handful of units in your army, as well as a hero or two) but deep (you have to level your hero, effectively use spells, and keep your army alive) and it'll make your kids think. Teaching them to plan ahead and use what they have effectively to win. It requires Warcraft III to play, but that's worth buying as well.
Kid Factor by Andrew Bub
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