Wrath sound files point to world event
by Zach Yonzon 
Aug 23rd 2008 at 2:00PM
The three short spiels, which have been compiled into one sound file, have the Lich King mocking the inhabitants of Orgrimmar and Stormwind. Although Arthas doesn't seem very creative with taunts, calling the Horde 'pups' and 'brash upstarts' and the Alliance 'fools' and 'naive children'. The voice is also sort of generic bad guy, almost sounding like Illidan when he was screaming, "you are not prepared!". Perhaps Blizzard used the same voice actor. The last monologue has Arthas being repelled... again.
It seems like he suffers a lot of defeats early on (he loses in a staredown with Tirion Fordring, too) making him much, much less threatening as the expansion's ultimate bad guy. Blizzard promised that players would feel his presence early on in the game, but having the ultimate villain lose makes him seem weak. He beckons players to Northrend, sort of like a bully taunting school nerds to come to a dark alley where all his bully friends are. I hope Blizzard changes this a bit before it goes live, particularly the voice of Arthas, which should be more like that from the cutscene in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Download the sound file over at WotLK Wiki.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Lore, Wrath of the Lich King
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Eternalpayn Aug 23rd 2008 2:08PM
LOL, you put the spoiler on the title, on the front page. You might wanna consider changing the title to "WRATH SPOILER" and keeping the article the same. If I remember that poll, there are a lot of people who don't want to know anything about Wrath at this site.
Melenor Aug 23rd 2008 3:41PM
Because most of us can't imagine that there would ever be a world event in Northrend? Preposterous.
Also, I'm sure it's the same voice actor, since Blizzard only has I think 3 (4 if I'm being generous).
ScorchHellfire Aug 25th 2008 10:25PM
as sad as i am to say this it is the lich king...
go to wotlkwiki.info and watch the video of the ending of the death knight quest chain and when the lich king comes in he sounds like this... especially when he says "APOCALYPSE"...
im guessing theyre basically making it so its ner'zhul talking seperately from arthas because they obviously have arthas sounding the same (as evidenced in the in game trailer) and so they obviously have changed ner'zhul's voice...
so while arthas probably wouldnt refer to himself in the third person, ner'zhul (being a generally pissed off orc) i guess would...
i wish blizz would return it to the old deep whispery voice and have them talk at the same time like before... oh well...
Iucid Aug 23rd 2008 2:09PM
I fail to see anything pointing to this being Arthas. Sounds like something of a rash (and stupid) conclusion to jump to.
mefistofeles Aug 23rd 2008 3:00PM
This definitely does not seem to be Arthas/The Lich King speaking, notice how he says "For the Lich King's gaze is fixed upon you", last I checked that's not first person.
And didn't we have heralds come for previous events? C'thun didn't exactly walk up to Stormwind and say "hi".
Heilig Aug 23rd 2008 3:57PM
"last I checked that's not first person."
Yeah, because crazy evil villains NEVER refer to themselves in the third person. He also clearly says MY minions, which is first person. So which is it?
No way to know anything until it happens. Anything else is pure speculation.
Jp Aug 23rd 2008 4:24PM
Yes, because it can't be Kel'Thuzad(or someone else really high up) calling some of his minions "MY minions", can it?
JrSlacker Aug 24th 2008 2:44AM
This could possibly be the voice of Ner'Zhul, and not Arthas.
Don't forget, as soon as Arthas put the Lich Kings armor on, they became one, more so I'm thinking the Lich King(Ner'Zhul) took over Arthas's body.
Suzaku Aug 24th 2008 7:33PM
That's not really the way Ner'zhul sounds, and it's a bit odd that Arthas' voice isn't included with it. It's maybe a placeholder, but more likely, it's a different character.
Since the event is going to be a new Shadows of the Necropolis event (they already added the new quests for Silvermoon and the Exodar with slightly altered quest text), it's probably a character from Naxx or perhaps Darion Mograine. It sounds more like a lich, the way Kel'thuzad sounds, than the way the Lich King sounds.
Raze Aug 23rd 2008 2:10PM
They have all that money and yet they can't afford to hire someone to write dialogue that sounds better than a child's Saturday morning cartoon's villian?
Brian Aug 23rd 2008 2:29PM
And what exactly would be your 6 second loop of dialogue to spam cities be? It's there as background noise while other stuff happens not as a full item in its own right. They aren't going to freeze the game and have a blank screen while you listen to the voice of the Lich King.
Raze Aug 23rd 2008 2:39PM
@Brian
So because it's in the background it's okay for it to sound cheesy and uninspired? I thought video games had progessed to the point that presentation as a whole was just as important as gameplay.
Than again, these are the same genius writers responsible for such classic lines as "Take my blood and choke on it!", and "All the better to PWN you with!", so I suppose no one should expect much from Blizzard in the way of a remotely serious attempt at dramatic dialgoue, any more.
Brian Aug 23rd 2008 2:43PM
Ok so it's cheese, but it's Blizzard we are talking about. Anyway my point was more: What can you (or anyone) write that takes 6-10 seconds to say that sounds intelligent, threatening, powerful and epic?
Lux Aug 23rd 2008 3:36PM
Come now Raze Bliz has made many good speeches in the game so far. For example the speech for Gorefeind is quite spooky every time you hear it.
"I was the first, you know. For me, the wheel of death has spun many times. So much time has passed. I have a lot of catching up to do..."
Though the only problem will be if you enjoy sitting in org or sw for any amount of time, anything on a loop can be down right annoying.
Vladius Aug 23rd 2008 2:15PM
This is weaksauce.......
Pucelle Aug 23rd 2008 2:11PM
He sounds idiotic - he could be a child's action figure. Hope they change that before release.
digid Aug 23rd 2008 2:25PM
ner'zhul?
Crimson Aug 23rd 2008 2:16PM
rofl. There is no way this is Arthas. That voice is terrible.
I will lose all my respect for blizzard if this goes live..
Nibarg Aug 23rd 2008 2:16PM
There is no way that's Arthas. Aside from the fact that they still have Arthas' old voice actor, as late as Blizzcon 2007 in fact, there's the fact (fact fact fact) that the guy in the sound bites refers to the Lich King in the *third person.* C'mon, people, let's have some listening comprehension.
Brian Aug 23rd 2008 2:29PM
What like the bit where he says "my minions"?