Blizzard Announces Next World of Warcraft Expansion with Epic Cinematic!

Even though I try to completely avoid multiplayer games (for so many reasons that would require their own separate post) I have many fond memories of the years that I spent playing World of Warcraft.  WoW seeped into my blood and I was as close to addicted as I've ever been to anything in my life.  I quit a few expansions ago because I decided it was time to move on and that I didn't have the energy to dedicate to the semi-serious WoW lifestyle.  Sadly, I still pay attention to what's going on in WoW and there was a hot new announcement yesterday.  This has been reported on literally every major gaming news source on the magical interwebs...but here you go, just in case:

Just watching this made me feel some serious WoW yearnings for so many reasons.  Sylvanas was always one of my favorite characters from the original Warcraft games.  She has the perfect backstory--someone who fought bravely for her people, the high elves, and who attempted to stand up to Arthas to keep him from capturing the Sunwell.  Arthas decides that rather than killing her that he will turn her into a banshee--an undead wraith-like creature who cannot die and is forced to serve Arthas in his quest to exterminate her people and conquer the world.  All the while she plotted and planned and found the perfect opportunity to literally stab Arthas in the back and break free from his domination.  From there she was able to gather her own army from among the ranks of the other undead outcasts left in the wake of Arthas' path of destruction.  The Forsaken became the Undead in WoW and Sylvanas is their de facto leader.

I love Sylvanas as a character because she embodies vengeance and has this tragic existence.  She remembers her past life as one of the now extinct high elves but is cursed by being one of the undead.  She can never go back to her own people and that rage boils inside of her.  But there's also a sadness about her--hence the "Lament of the Highborne."

It has been exciting to see this new cinematic and see a favorite character fleshed out.  I have no intent of going back to WoW, but damn it if this cinematic isn't absolutely amazing!