The Gaming Lizard

Ok, so I said that I'll be doing up the Paladin preview this week but due to the fast changing nature of the class itself, instead I present to you the preview of Vashj'ir, a Level 78-81 UNDERWATER zone . That's right, the entire levelling zone takes place underneath the ocean.

But fear not! The moment you arrive, you are tasked with collecting some seashells in order for your saviour to buff you up with an underwater walking buff. Sure, you can still swim(fly) in the zone but walking is so much faster.

Vashj'ir itself is extremely huge, comprising of three sub zones with each zone taking up one map respectively. That is how big it is. The area is very colorful with generous splotches of techni-color green courtesy of the Kelp Forest. If you're bored of all the vibrant colored kelp, the next two zones tone down the colors saturation.

The infamous Whale Sharks (yes, there are more than one) are the Fel Reavers of Vashj'ir....only bigger and less sneakier. They are slow lumbering beasts so you can quickly escape if you see one approaching.

Quest-wise, Vashj'ir once more display Blizzard's dedication to making questing more engaging and driven by lore. Primarily, you begin by dealing with the Naga to minions of the Old Gods. Suffice to say, we'll be seeing one in this expansion. While several vehicle-base quests are used, they served to advance the quests brilliantly especially the Naga Battle-Maiden storyline.

While land mounts sorta work in Vashj'ir, you'll obtain a cool seahorse mount before leaving the first sub zone. Surprisingly, this mount is faster on land than in water although that can be attributed to the sealegs buff. I expected that to change shortly before Cataclysm launches.




The climax of the zone (there are supposedly climaxes for each zones in Cata) involves Neptulon the Tidebringer and the Naga.



Vashj'ir is a refreshing take on the type of zones we can expect in Cataclysm. While Hyjal deals with Ragnaros, Vashj'ir puts you up against the Naga and Neptulon and offers a new perspective on questing (3D enviroment). I believe it will be a more popular zone to level in as compared to Hyjal.

Hope you enjoyed the Vashj'ir preview and look forward to next week's Betaman; You'll never know what to expect! (Probably Throne of Tides if I can find a competant group)