Warcraft 3: Reforged was Blizzard’s poorly-executed attempt at a remaster of the iconic RTS prequel to World of Warcraft. One Warcraft fan is remastering the remaster with a new mod with dynamic in-game cinematics, expanded lore, and a smoother, more modernized experience.
Titled Warcraft 3: Re-Reforged, this campaign mod aims to match the interface and style presented during Blizzcon 2018 when the "Culling of Stratholme" demo map was presented to fans. The mod’s creator, InsaneMonster, aims to capture the feeling of excitement players saw in the game’s announcement and deliver on the promises Warcraft 3: Reforged failed to.
InsaneMonster had already finished the short "Exodus of the Horde" prologue Orc campaign, but has just recently published the "Scourge of Lordaeron" Human campaign, which follows Prince Arthas Menethil’s battle against the Undead Scourge and his fall from grace. The mod contains remastered cinematics with dynamic camera angles, reimagined maps and missions, and expanded lore, including tie-ins to World of Warcraft lore to create a more cohesive experience. With new AI scripts, difficulty rebalancing, and language support, InsaneMonster ensured anyone could play Warcraft 3: Re-Reforged, regardless of skill or location.
The official release of Warcraft 3: Reforged was a major disappointment. Compared to the demo previewed in 2018, the 2020 release was a poor imitation of a remaster. What was advertised as a remade experience full of new voice acting, lore tie-ins, and a modern RTS experience was launched as a shallow reskin with no new content beyond updated models. What’s worse, Reforged made playing the original Warcraft 3 almost impossible, and ruined the multiplayer modes and maps with faulty new systems and fine print.
Unsurprisingly, Warcraft 3 fans are eager to see InsaneMonster's work. The storm of refunds Warcraft 3: Reforged gave out was evidence of the original release's failure to deliver on promises, so those who still have the game might be able to rekindle some of that excitement through InsaneMonster’s mods.
Just as many, however, are disappointed a fan had to do Blizzard’s work for it, however. Considering Activision Blizzard was just bought by Microsoft for $68.7 billion, one would think it would have the resources to release a proper remaster and fulfill its promises. That said, some fans are worried Blizzard will come for InsaneMonster’s work with a cease and desist and have it taken down. Given the attention and care InsaneMonster has put into their work so far, one can hope they will be able to finish all of Warcraft 3 and The Frozen Throne so players can experience their vision of Blizzard’s original promised remaster. It might not hurt to download it now, though, just in case.
Warcraft 3: Reforged is available now on PC.
Source: Hive Workshop