The scene that many believe to be the best World of Warcraft cinematic of all-time has been given new life thanks to some talented fans, who have recreated it with significantly improved graphics while preserving the emotional weight of its story. World of Warcraft has been around since 2004 but many remember it for its second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, which told the story of the slow downfall of a once-noble paladin named Arthas.
Wrath of the Lich King was divisive when it came out, tasked with surpassing what was already an extremely popular expansion in The Burning Crusade, another addition that dug deep into Warcraft 3 lore and brought back a fan-favorite character in Illidan. While many enjoyed Wrath of the Lich King and the mostly-frozen wasteland that it took place in, others believed the game began to get “too easy” or started to cater towards players who weren’t as invested in the product as they should be. While WoW Classic only recently launched to much success, the seeds of that game were planted in Northrend’s frozen soil. Still, that expansion produced some of World of Warcraft’s best story-telling moments, none better than the death of Arthas, the Lich King, completing the dramatic fall of the once righteous prince.
It’s a scene that is still popular among fans today, over a decade later, and now World of Warcraft’s best cinematic has been given new life on YouTube thanks to World of Warcraft 3D animator Pivotal, technical artist MasterVertex, talent manager Kayes, and simulation expert Dedrich. In a video (thanks, Kotaku) shared to YouTube, the team demonstrates an incredible amount of talent and reverence for the source material, painfully recreating nearly every motion and scene to perfection while giving the dated content a much-needed overhaul. Take a look at the finished product here:
The Fall of the Lich King is one of the most momentous occasions in Warcraft lore, and perhaps more than any moment before it, showed that World of Warcraft wasn’t just going to preserve and prolong the situations that Warcraft 3 had detailed - it was going to finish them and begin new narratives, too. The Fall of the Lich King World of Warcraft cinematic also holds a special place in the hearts of many who played through the expansion as part of a raiding guild, too, as it was something that could only be viewed after finally felling the Lich King in a climatic and - at the time - immensely difficult encounter.
With World of Warcraft still going and WoW Classic progressing smoothly, there’s no reason to think this is the last time players will get together and resurrect their favorite moments with more modern graphics. Hopefully fans show some love for the true villain of World of Warcraft’s first campaign soon - Edwin Van Cleef, the charismatic, powerful, and handsome leader of the Defias Brotherhood.
Next: Why World of Warcraft is Weirdly Lowering The Level Cap
World of Warcraft is available on PC and Mac.
Source: YouTube (via Kotaku)
