Since we’re going back in time to visit Outland soon, I thought it would be good to think back on what it was like to go there in the modern version. So here’s my take on some of the good and the bad.
The Dark Portal
Granted I didn’t actually go through the portal until a few months before Wrath launched, but it was still a pretty cool feeling the very first time. When you’re talking about the exciting things in Outland, going through the door for the first time has to be among the list. Even the Mannoroth fight kind of had me going “am I going to aggro that thing?!?!”
The Shaman And The Wolf
For this, you genuinely needed to play Horde. There is a short quest chain in Terokkar Forest where the text tells the true story and the connection. Malukaz explains a great deal over the three quests and it’s unfortunate the Alliance don’t get something similar. I’m glad I got the chance to stumble across this one.
Zangarmarsh
For whatever reason, I always found the zone relatively quick to go through, even if I don’t do poop quests. But more importantly than that, the zone is gorgeous. It’s like nothing I’ve seen, except for Avatar…but I think that movie ripped off half of Outland anyway.
Shadowmoon Valley
“What happens in Shadowmoon Valley, stays in Shadowmoon Valley.” Actually, what happens in SMV is a lot of fun. You have the Netherdrake Mount acquisition, and most important of all: Black Temple. Let’s face it, the moment Illidan showed up in the trailer, people were clamoring for the chance to have that fight. Sneaking in through the side lead to one of the better raid dungeons in the game (even if it’s a bit confusing to navigate some days).
Hellfire Penninsula
I’m tempted to find the person who programmed this zone and have then taken out and flogged. As a plate wearing class, I did fine. Anything else and I spent way too much time fighting boars, because no matter where you went they seemed to have an aggro circle that was half the damn zone. Even the quests themselves didn’t really do much for me.
Nagrand
This makes almost everyone’s list of best zones in the game. Not just Outland, the game. I swear it got the Avatar treatment as well, but that’s not necessarily the point here. The waterfalls in the sky, the land itself, it’s just beautiful. Some really good questing (I like working for the Ethereals, myself), and a few chains that really bring the lore together. Of course, there’s the Nesingwary quests as well that you’ll either love or want to punch someone in the end.
Hellfire Ramparts
“Ramps” was a great introduction dungeon for Outland. It was a straight forward process that had a 1-2 option for the last two bosses. The way it was laid out, you had to be careful not to aggro another group nearby. So proper pulls were in order, along with keeping an eye on well placed patrols. To this day it’s a dungeon I enjoy, even though most times you run it now it’s “GO! GO! GO!.”
Shattrath City
There really wasn’t anything overwhelming about the city itself (aside from the Aldor plummet, which we’ve probably all done once). Perhaps the He-Man reference was pretty amusing. But it was the fact it was a neutral city is why I remember it fondly. It was the first time Horde and Alliance pass one another in a city without one or the other dying. Sure, we’ve had one every expansion since (save for Cataclysm…but it had a few neutral locations)…but it’s the original I’ll always remember.
What about yourself? I’m sure there are some annoying things I forgot to include, and some wonderful things as well. My list is items that jump out at me the most without going back and exploring again….which now that I’m back, I just might do.
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