Warcraft is a PC game that has existed for nearly 28 years, and just like a person, the game has grown and changed much over the years since its initial inception as Warcraft: Orcs and Humans in 1994. The game has even grown some spin-offs that many would say have surpassed the original, such as World of Warcraft. Today we will take a look at the evolution of Warcraft over the decades since the game was first released, a game many would call one of the best PC games of all time.

Where It All Began

Warcraft had its humble beginnings as Warcraft: Orcs and Humans in 1994, designed as a high fantasy game and taking inspiration from D&D and Tolkien's works. The game was played much like other RTS (Real Time Strategy) games. RTS is a genre in which the player controls military forces from a top-down view, as a sort of war game. This type of game predates Warcraft, however Warcraft redefined some elements of the genre that many would take inspiration from later such as controlling a smaller group of forces and having main characters that populate the world at large.

Warcraft's Evolution Over Time

One year after the initial release of Warcraft, in 1995, Blizzard released Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness for the MS DOS, with multiple ports for the Playstation, and the Sega Saturn coming later in 1999, along with the expansion titled Warcraft 2: Beyond The Dark Portal. The gameplay of Warcraft 2 stays true to the original, and rests comfortably in the genre of real time strategy, with the core gameplay revolving around the acquiring of resources to upgrade your settlements and eventually defeat an enemy settlement. The game sold over two million copies by the year 2001 and won numerous awards.

Changes Made To Warcraft 3

Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos was released in 2002 and was the first Warcraft game to be rendered in three dimensions, but keeps its RTS roots. The game's narrative focuses on the Burning Legion, an army of undead bent on corrupting the world tree. The game also introduces two new playable factions to the world, the night elves and the undead. Warcraft 3 was re-released in 2020 along with all its expansions.

The Future Of Warcraft

World of Warcraft is a game that has become a household name in recent years. A game so widely known that it has nearly totally eclipsed its parent games. WoW is a drastically different game from the previous entries in the Warcraft franchise, playing as an MMORPG rather than an RTS. WoW released in 2004, and takes place three years after the events of Warcraft 3, focusing on the war between two rival factions, the alliance and the horde. WoW has had many expansions over the years, which still keep the game running strong, with the most recent being World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, which released on November 28th 2022. With the massive success of World of Warcraft, it is very evident that the Warcraft series remains strong.