*When you have to play russian roulette in the cave and the beat the black guy in the back of the head with the pipe. was quite brutal and was just like, wow.*
I recognised that in other games, too!
When I was on my brother-in-laws account on World of Warcraft when Cata was live, I tried out some of the questlines and man. They are awesome!
And man! It's way more immersive than in BC or WotLK. I actually remember one part of the quests where you rescue a few orcs and you see one just sitting there with a blindfold. He gives you the quest telling you that he was kicked blind after protesting against the beating against one of his fellow prisoners. I'm not even "biased" towards Horde or Alliance but I immediately thought "
rick," proceeded to the top of the tower, and sliced the blinders eyes out.
No really, that's the quest.
Also in Stonetalon Mountains - spoilers if you play WoW, I don't wanna ruin it.
Leading up from Azhara where you find Azharite and it is used to make a big-bada-bomb, you travel to Stonetalon, aiding where you are needed (with an epic Bioshock reference too). In the end of the questline you find one of the Holy-Cow's only son has been killed and in his anger (with his wife and you) you absolutely Pow the general. Later that village that housed the guy you helped is razed and burnt to the ground and his wife, dead. The quest objective simply states "Learn what it is to be Horde", the bomb (on a nicely done Hot-air Balloon) travels to a large tree, home to innocents of Cow-people and Elves alike. Boom.
Dead. You helped that happen, but it gets even better (emotionally) when the leader of leaders in your faction breaks the party, declares the generals dishonor (however indirectly) and proceeds to drop him off the cliff you saw the devestation.
He was gonna kill you, too. But the cow-person (they're named Tauren in the game, btw) had essentially begged for the leaders mercy, to spare your life. The leader, stunned at his kindness (considering the fact that his son died, village razed and wife murdered) had given some humble words to him and also directs you to the next zone.
That's what it is to be Horde. That - and amazing music in the backround.
Props to Blizzard's Music Team, get it right every time in Cataclysm
- H