TOP 5 - Things I Love About Classic

Hey dudes, Silvite Soltis here again with another top 5 list. It's been a while since I've done one of these, huh?

August 27th is racing towards us and I can certainly say that my hype hasn't slowed a bit! I'm as eager as ever to head out into Azeroth on a sunny summer day instead of, you know, spending time with my family while it's nice out. After all, it's been over 12 years since I've fully enjoyed true Classic content, and I'm getting a bit antsy.

Anyway, because I can't contain my excitement, and since I haven't done a top 5 in a couple of months at this point, I thought it'd be fun to list out the top 5 things that I love about Classic. Of course, there are tons of things about the game that are enjoyable, and these are just my picks, but I'd love to know what you all think too. Let me know by posting a comment below!

But, without further ado, let's get right into it - starting with number 5:

#5 - The Music

As my friends and family know, I'm a man who's always had a deep affinity for music. Actually, my whole family does! So when I first stepped into Azeroth all those years ago, it didn't take long for me to find enjoyment. Speakers at full-blast in my friend's bedroom, jamming out to the Elwynn Forest soundtrack realy got me hooked to be honest.

Over the years, WoW has added many amazing songs - like the iconic Grizzly Hills and Storm Peaks tracks in WotLK for example - but none have ever captivated me like the originals. Hell, I even made a Top 5 list about this already, so you can probably tell how much I love this music. With my plans to go Horde this summer, I can't wait to jam out to the Barrens theme while reading Chuck Norris jokes and searching for Mankrik's wife, or Taz'Dingo to my heart's content on top of the Orgrimmar bank to the sound of the drum beats.

#4 - The Community

When people who really enjoyed the game back in 2004-2010 talk about modern WoW, the community aspect of the game often gets brought up as one of the reasons the game used to be so much better than it is now. And I can't disagree. Back in vanilla, I enjoyed every aspect of the game because of the adventures I had with others. Just look at my Memories of Vanilla series - most of the episodes involve dungeons or group content, or at very least a friendly encounter with another player.

Every time you went out into the world, you encountered other players. If you needed an enchant, you had to find an enchanter. If you wanted to run Zul'Farrak to overcome the dreaded 45-50 questing drought, you needed to find a group. And if you wanted to raid, you needed a guild to run with.

In WoW Classic, the community is the single most important aspect of the game simply because you HAVE to interact. It's not optional like it is in the more recent expansions to the game. And, to be honest, that's the way I believe an MMO should be. This ties into my next point...

#3 - The Immersion

So, it might be a bit repetitive to say this after describing the music and the community, but I feel that it still holds in its own right. WoW Classic is SUPER immersive. Like..."I can't stop right now, I'm in the middle of a dungeon fighting this draconoid. Be there in 45 minutes!" immersive.

From the music, to the questing, to the dungeons and raids, WoW Classic is a game that is really hard to get out of. Even now, over 12 years after the launch of TBC and 3 years post-Nostalrius, I'm still writing blogs and making videos about the game because of the impact it had on me. Every session is an adventure.

Whether you're questing through a zone, trying to grind out enough honor for a high level PVP rank, or just working on your professions, you can find yourself lost in the game. And this is actually a bit of a double-edged sword to be fair. It can be really easy to get into and hard to get out of, which is one of my biggest worries about official WoW Classic. But, so long as I have my wife to snap me back into reality, I think I'll be able to manage my time alright...just after this...one...quest......

Joking aside, the immersion factor is definitely one of the biggest reasons I love WoW Classic. Nothing has ever really gotten me into the flow like this version of the game. And I'm super-excited for that again!

#2 - The Dungeons

Taking points from the other three aspects already mentioned, as well as tying into the number 1 of this list, I put the dungeons at number 2. The dungeons of this game are all incredibly designed, mostly well-paced, and all rewarding in their own way. Though some are clearly favored over others by many in the community, there's no doubt in my mind that every dungeon is someone's favorite - which is a good thing.

As mentioned in my Top 5 dungeons list, I adored dungeons with lots of bosses and interesting mechanics like Scholomance and Zul'Farrak, but no matter what the dungeon was, I always had fun because of the experience. Gathering a group of like-minded adventurers, storming into an instance portal, and mowing down droves of enemies in an effort to get powerful items or to complete quests is an iconic part of the classic experience (and even up through most of WotLK, to be honest).

Combine that with the aesthetics in each dungeon and the different mini-goals you'd have to complete in each - such as obtaining keys or killing certain bosses to open other sections of the dungeon - and you've got a solid aspect to an already brilliant game!

#1 - The Sense of Progression

Ahh the feeling of FINALLY hitting level 40 and getting your mount. Or of getting a full set of blues! Or finishing your Onyxia attunement and stepping foot into the dragon's lair for the first time! There's nothing like the sense of progression that WoW Classic provides. Your growth as a player, and the steady improvement of your character are a constant throughout the lifetime of WoW Classic.

By progressing your character - leveling up, getting geared, completing more difficult dungeons and raids, and climbing the PVP ranks (should you choose to go that route) - you become even more attached to your character, your community, and the world of Azeroth as a whole. You are driven to higher heights, and find yourself completely immersed.

So, though the dungeons, community, and immersion are definitely big aspects that I love about Classic, the sense of progression is what I believe really drives the game. With 9 different classes to choose from and so many progression paths you can take, you really can always find something to do.

And I, for one, can't wait to sink my teeth into as much as I can...soon!

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I hope you enjoyed this Top 5 list. It was a lot of fun trying to rank the different aspects of WoW Classic that I love. Of course, there are tons of other things to love about the game - the different classes, zones, battlegrounds, tier sets, and more - but really when it comes down to it, these are the aspects that I think really make the game the most enjoyable for me.

But anyway, that's it for today. If you did enjoy this list, make sure to follow my blog by adding yourself to my email list below. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter, and check out my top 5 videos, and other content, over on YouTube. Also, let me know what aspects of WoW Classic you enjoy or are looking forward to the most by adding a comment down below. I look forward to hearing what you have to say, but for now...

Take it easy!