Today sees the release of the newest expansion to World of Warcraft, Mists of Pandaria. Mists of Pandaria, announced at last year’s Blizzcon, is the 4th expansion to World of Warcraft, following The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and Cataclysm. The story of this expansion takes place after the events of Deathwing and the Cataclysm, on the new continent of Pandaria. There we finally see the home of the Pandaren race, which first appeared in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Beta testing for the game began on On March 21, 2012, with rave reviews for many of the game’s new features. So just what are some of the new features available in Mists of Pandaria? Well here is a short rundown of what you can expect while playing this new expansion:

The expansion will also feature other new races to fight against, such as the Jinyu, the Hozen, the Virmen, the Mantids, the Mogu, and the Sha. In the new Challenge Mode players will compete to finish dungeons as fast as possible to earn various medals. The new pet battle system will allow WoW fans to basically play Pokemon with their mounts. Finally, the new Pandaren race and Monk class will bring a new flavor to fans who might have grown tired with traditional Alliance and Horde roles.

The story of Pandaria takes place on the new continent, located to the south of the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Shrouded in fog since the world was sundered more than ten thousand years ago, the ancient realm of Pandaria has remained unspoiled by war. Its lush forests and cloud-ringed mountains are home to a complex ecosystem of indigenous races and exotic creatures — including the noble and enigmatic Pandaren. You’ve ended Deathwing’s destructive rampage and saved the dragonflights from extinction. Now you must unlock the mysteries of this lost continent and discover the dark secrets of Pandaria’s past. To do so, players will explore the ancient kingdoms of Pandaria, plunder vast treasures from the depths of the forgotten vaults, and rise to defend this new continent from the shadow of a long buried evil before it becomes too late. Check out the cinematic trailer for the Mists of Pandaria below to be further drawn into this new tale of Warcraft.

 

 

The game is all very obviously Asian themed, with a hint of Shangri-La thrown into the mists (bad pun, I apologise). You can’t help but imagine that the games producers had just finished watching Kung Fu panda and a series of other Chinese and Japanese films when they came up with the new expansion. But truly, it works quite well and has an extraordinarily beautiful look that honestly compliments World of Warcraft, giving fans of the game something more that they will undoubtedly enjoy. This might even be the trick to bring in a large number of kung-fu and anime fans that had previously resisted the addiction of World of Warcraft. So assuming you haven’t already purchased or begun playing the game, you now have several options to start playing this expansion.

Fans who wish to purchase and play Mists of Pandaria can always take the quick approach of a digital download direct from Blizzard. But for those who want more physical copies, there are 2 options available to them. The basic edition is just that, the expansion CD in a little PC gaming box with instructions and the normal paper filler most gamers will never even open up, running for the usual price of $39.99. However, for the Blizzard fan who wants a little more (and we know there are a lot of you out there), a Collector’s Edition is also available. The Collector’s Edition of Mists of Pandaria includes the following:

  • A Behind-the-Scenes DVD and Blu-Ray featuring information about the creation of Pandaria in a two-disc set. This includes over an hour of commentary, insider interviews, and developer roundtables.
  • The Collector’s Edition Soundtrack CD with 20 orchestral pieces from Mists of Pandaria.
  • The Art of Mists of Pandaria Book, which is a 208-page full color hardcover featuring never-before-seen pieces from the expansion, including early concept pieces to final 3D renderings.
  • A Chen Stormstout (the legendary Pandaren brewmaster) Mouse Pad.
  • A World of Warcraft Imperial Quilen Mount
  • A World of Warcraft  Quilen Cub Pet
  • A Diablo III Banner Sigil and Accent featuring the Pandaren symbols
  • Two exclusive StarCraft II Portraits, featuring a Horde style infested orc and Alliance night elf Templar.

It’s a pretty impressive package that any big Blizzard fan would kill to own and use across all their favorite Blizzard games. The Collector’s Edition runs around $79.99 and is sure to be a big seller. So now that the game is out, the only question is: How will you play?