Warcraft: Frozen Throne: Map Packs Part 1

Navneet Prakash, Apr 12, 2008 1159 hrs IST

From Diablo characters to LOTR notables, WFZ map packs are really varied

EXPERT REVIEW

So here's our second offering in the Map Pack series: last time we'd listed out some popular Counter-Strike maps. This time around we look at a few really good Warcraft: Frozen Throne maps. (DOTA is to Warcraft what Counter-Strike is to Half-Life: a mod as popular as the game. There are about 2.37 gazillion websites that deal with that one, so I won't be the next one to do it.) The maps that follow are custom maps created by players as well as groups (including Blizzard).

3 Corridors

This was my favorite Warcraft custom map before I got hooked on to DOTA, although they are very similar: the same concept, with two sides battling each other, but this game is slower than DOTA. The gold flow is lower, so you have to make an extra effort to earn gold -- and unlike in DOTA, you don't get it on a regular basis, and you have to kill creeps so you can get to it.

The previous versions were pretty unbalanced, but the new one is balanced-out and has no bugs. The hero-and-creep model are new, so overall this is a pretty good map that can be enjoyed over a LAN.

LOTR Castle Defense

Many maps based on LOTR can be found in the Warcraft community, but LOTR Castle Defense is the best option from the lot. The map features four gates and a range of heroes including Aragorn, Legolas, Gandalf, and Gimli. Every two minutes, creeps invade the castle, and it's your job to protect it. Killing creeps will give you gold, which in return can be used to buy more army units from barracks (as well as various upgrades). There is lot to do, and many upgrades for a nice team game -- something all W3 gamers enjoy. Download it here.