In our first blog about Cataclysm we provided an overview of WoW and took a look at some of the new features we can expect from the expansion. In this entry we’ll be taking a closer look at the new races that will be made available to play in Cataclysm, the Worgen and the Goblins. We’ll look at what these new races bring to their respective factions (Alliance and Horde) and the how Blizzards are introducing these races to us in their starting area storylines.

>>Warning – this article contains spoilers about the Worgen and Goblin starting zones. For anyone just wanting the basics, please do not click on the Spoiler tags.<<

The starting zone for the Worgen and the story it tells is a very dark one. We start out as a loyal member of Gilneas called to arms to protect the city against a wave of invading Worgen, attacking from nearby Silverpine Forrest. As the story unfolds over the first few levels we help out with the cities defences while taking down as many enemies as we can.

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we end up being bitten and become infected ourselves and as the screen goes blank, we fear the worst. All is not lost however as a friendly alchemist we assisted earlier in the game gives us a potion, which while not a cure, allows us to retain our senses while in Worgen form.

Then, just as it looks like we’ve been able to turn the tide on the attacking hordes of wild Worgen the city is rocked by an attack by the Forsaken. Lead by Lady Sylvanas Windrunner the Horde have decided to attack the kingdom by sea. Before we know it, we are fighting a war on two fronts and are dispatched to the front lines to help counter the Forsaken attack. In the midst of this chaos Deathwing decides to burst forth from the elemental plane with the result being destruction of most of the coast of Gilneas, along with a good chunk of the Horde forces.

From this point on the storyline takes on a frantic pace as we race to save the survivors of the Cataclysm, fight off the Forsaken who are tight on our heels, and try to make it to higher ground as the land around us keeps slipping into the ocean.

We eventually make our way back to the city, which has been overrun by Forsaken. The ‘Battle for Gilneas’ is a quest similar to the ‘Battle for Undercity’, in that mechanics make it very difficult for us to die, while allowing the character to take on large numbers of enemy NPCs. It also allows us to face off against Lady Sylvanas herself; however events don’t quite go our way and at the darkest point of the story, when all seems lost, an old ally appears to aid us; The Night Elves.

With the help of the Night Elves we are able to turn the tide of battle against the Forsaken and the storyline ends with a daring raid on an Orc battle zeppelin heading in to deliver a killer blow to the remaining Gilneas forces… but do we succeed?

When we first start our new Goblin character they fit into the stereotype exactly, however we are about to set into motion a chain of events that will forever alter the Goblins of Kezan.

We begin as an aspiring Goblin, looking to turn a profit, have a good time, and perhaps blow something up. One of the best aspects of the initial levels is that we are given a hotrod to ride around Kezan with. The design of Kezan fits the use of this vehicle perfectly, unfortunately they city doesn’t stay in one piece for long…

During a game of footbomb, don’t ask it’s a Goblin thing; it seems that we’ve inadvertently kicked a super-powered bomb into the active volcano, Mount Kajaro, on the island of Kezan. Whether it is in fact this action that sets in motion the destruction of the island or the rise of Deathwing is unclear, however we prefer to blame Deathwing.

Luckily the Trade Prince of Kezan is more than happy to provide passage off the island, as long as we can pay our way. Thus starts a short series of quests that see us running down local pirates to steal their booty, sneaking in the Trade Prince’s mansion to steal rare artefacts and breaking into the Bank of Kezan to, retrieve our savings (the bank having closed early due to the imminent destruction of the island). All the while the volcano is raining down lava bombs and causing earthquakes.

We manage to retrieve all the required items to gain passage on the Trade Prince’s ship, and just when it seems we’ve escaped Kezan our saviour turns on us and throws us in the hold of the ship as a slave. Well, he is a Goblin after all.

A short while later we awake on a raft off the coast of an unfamiliar island. It appears that the Trade Prince wandered into the middle of naval battle between the Alliance and the Horde and his ship was destroyed. After making our way to shore we begin to explore the island we find a dead Orc with a journal. Returning the journal to the nearby Orc encampment and providing them with assistance soon gets us in the good graces of this stranded Horde expedition where we find the Alliance has stolen some precious cargo and set out to retrieve it for the Horde.

After stealing a plane, we are Goblins after all, to get us to the Alliance ships it turns out that the precious cargo that the Horde lost is none other than Thrall himself. After helping Thrall escape from the Alliance we begin to set up a settlement on the island using a ‘town-in-a-box’ that we managed to salvage from the wreckage of the Trade Prince’s ship and almost immediately we come under attack from Naga, local tribesman and Zombies.

While trying to fend off all these attacks we, inadvertently, kill the local fire god residing in the island’s volcano and set off another volcanic eruption.

It’s now another race against time to help the Horde fight off the advancing Alliance troops, rescue our friends who’ve been taken prisoner by the Trade Prince and then, with the help of Thrall, attempt to overthrow the Trade Prince once and for all.