We went back and replayed the Warcraft III campaigns to bask in the nostalgic vibes and draw some of the epic scenes. We also ranked each campaign, in chronological order.

What's so awesome about these campaigns is how the conflict between orc and human is presented as ultimately trivial in the wake of a much darker and more imposing threat. This message resonates deeply, for obvious reasons. The lack of cooperation and mutual understanding is as present in real life as it is in the game.

In Warcraft III, only the truly great leaders and level heads are able to rally disagreeing clans together for the common good.

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The first Human campaign is a great example of how unmoderated anger ultimately leads to self-consumption. I sympathized with a character not because I liked him but because his circumstances were extremely bleak.

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Storming the countryside with ghouls and necromancers is fun, but our main character being neither badass nor intelligent is a bit of a letdown. We essentially role-play as an errand boy for bureaucratic villains more boring than daytime TV.

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Orc proves to be the most energetic and resonant race in Warcraft III. They are dripping with emotion and seem truly alive next to the more serious undead and night elf—and are generally more relatable than human.

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The final mission, "Twilight of the Gods", is filled with fun moments and meaningful strategical choices. As each outpost falls, it really feels like you're battling for your life and might not win.

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Despite its flaws, the second night elf campaign is a refreshing change of scenery and a clear start of a new game. "The Tomb of Sargeras", especially, stands the test of time.

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The best mission in the entire game is "The Search for Illidan". It's possible that it's the true genesis of DotA: an obvious inspiration for battle-arena style maps where unit combat is automated and players duke it out with their heroes.

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Arthas' return to Northrend is poetic, and he's actually funny now. "King Arthas" might be the most interesting and frustrating mission of all time.

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A lot of the charm of Warcraft III comes from its combat-RPG feel. But it did make me realize that questing is just armed robbery and serial murder rolled into one.

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🎉 🎉 CHARACTER SUPERLATIVES 🎉 🎉