The latest cinematic from World of Warcraft causes a lot of criticism. The end of the jailer is pretty good though – thinks story demon Cortyn from MeinMMO.
Once again a cinematic divides the players of World of Warcraft. The video that plays after defeating the jailer causes displeasure among many. “That’s it?” and “What a laughable end” are often read. But I think the cinematic does exactly what it’s supposed to – and is even better than what we’ve gotten in the past.
Spoiler alert: If you haven’t seen the cinematic yet and would rather experience it live, you shouldn’t read any further. You have been warned.
The end of the jailer is quickly explained. After the battle, he is drained of his powers by the power of the other Eternals, the leaders of the Pacts. His plan has failed and the Eternals judge him while slowly but surely his power drains from his body and he is reduced back to an inanimate automa. With his last breath he says that a divided cosmos cannot stand against what is coming.
So what has the players been so disappointed? Why are some fans – again – so dissatisfied?
I think a good comparison of this cinematic is with that of patch 8.3. Back then we defeated N’Zoth and simply eliminated him with a “superlaser”. That was a pretty modest cinematic. There were virtually no spoken words, just the firing of the laser.
This was highly unsatisfactory. I found the ending unworthy of an Old God and had hoped for so much more from Ny’alotha and N’Zoth that I still think to this day: He’s not really dead, that was just a mind trick.
It is different with the jailer. It’s been reduced back to a lifeless automaton and almost certainly wiped out. He received his just “condemnation” from his brothers and sisters, was stripped of his powers, and his essence was wiped out.
It amazes me that many now perceive this ending as “unworthy” or “bad”. Because in the weeks and months before, you could hear the wish again and again: The jailer should go. It’s boring, it’s annoying, it’s just too powerful and you don’t associate anything with it.
Now that’s exactly what’s happening in the cinematic – he dies. He’s defeated and just dies without one more big, heroic-evil last act. He dies and basically the state is restored as it was before Shadowlands – of course with a few small adjustments, because there is a new soul judge soon.
And yes, I don’t think the cinematic is perfect either. Especially this added “a divided universe is not ready for what is to come” made me roll my eyes. In Warcraft, somehow, there’s always a bigger fish, an even bigger threat that dwarfs anything that has gone before.
Honestly? Yes, that annoys me too. Mainly because I can not understand the implications of this statement. If the jailer wanted to reforge the whole cosmos, then that meant the void and the void lords that went with it. Something that is “over” again would have to be so much more Esports Extrasntic that I can’t imagine it.
But that’s just a detail. There are many ways Blizzard can solve this without it turning into an absurd story.
I’m also pretty sure that the next expansion will bring Azeroth back into focus. After all, there was already a sensible-sounding leak to the dragon islands. I hope that the storytelling will become a little smaller and more tangible again and that the great cosmic forces will only play a role again in the addon afterwards.
Maybe an addon about “healing” Azeroth again and fixing lots of small issues so that the planet and its people are ready for the big fight after – whatever that will be.
Against this background, I think the departure of the jailer is good. Because its unspectacular ending leaves open how it will continue and draws a clear line under its story.
Also, let’s not forget that the Shadowlands campaEsports Extrasis still going a bit further. A few story chapters are still missing, including the encounter between Tyrande and Sylvanas.
Of course, we won’t really know more about the future until April 19th – because then the developers want to announce and present the next expansion. Then everyone should know at least roughly whether they give World of Warcraft and its history another chance – or rather take a break for a few years.
