Challenging mechanics, magnificent environments, epic loot, and the unmistakably enjoyable absence of a garrison mission table. The following ten dungeons demonstrate the very best of what cooperative content in World of Warcraft has to offer.
World of Warcraft's Grimrail Depot.
From taking control of a clunky and cumbersome dragon in the occulus, to role-playing through an Ogre Stronghold in Dire Maul, World of Warcraft players are no strangers to gimmicky dungeons. But sometimes these deviations from the standard fare surprise and excite – just like Grim Rail Depot. Set aboard a speeding train, Grimrail Depot exhibited perhaps the most unique set piece of any dungeon in Warcraft history. The cramped opening half and annoying trash keep it from placing higher on the list, but even the saltiest curmudgeon couldn’t help but crack a smile the first time they saw the iron sides of the train fall off their hinges, revealing a stunning landscape rolling by.
World of Warcraft's Zul'Farrak.
Zul’Farrak is a long instance by today’s standards, but compared to similar vanilla dungeons, its length was justified by the dungeon’s smooth pacing, optional boss encounters, and the ability to ride a mount. It's received a few minor updates since launch, but unlike other dungeons of the era, Zul’Farrak has held up without any sweeping overhauls. And let’s not forget about the awesome loot, like big bad pauldrons, the bad mojo mask, and an item that players went to entirely too much trouble to unlock, called Carrot on a Stick, which increased mounted movement speed by a mind boggling three percent.
World of Warcraft's Culling of Stratholme.
The Wrath of the Lich King expansion delivered some of WoW’s best raids and dungeons, along with excellent story beats to boot. The Caverns of Time: Culling of Stratholme let players relive the infamous Warcraft 3 mission in which a pre-Lich King Arthas Menethil demonstrated a willingness to win the war against the scourge at any cost, even if it involved massacring a town of innocent, yet possibly infected civilians. But that sublime plot is then hijacked by the not-so-excellent invasion of time traveling dragons who are attempting to stop the atrocity from taking place. Weird, right? The Culling of Stratholme also featured a pseudo-challenge mode in which an epic flying mount was guaranteed to drop if the dungeon was completed fast enough.
World of Warcraft's Icecrown Citadel Dungeons.
As it turns out, dungeons are just better with Arthas in them. Wrath of the Lich King’s final content patch added the excellent Icecrown Citadel raid, along with three superb dungeons which are noteworthy for two reasons: a weird James Brown Easter egg, and being chased through a collapsing cavern by the Lich King himself. The Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, and Halls of Reflection, when played sequentially, create the best dungeon experience in the entire expansion. But in spite of its narrative excellence, the final chapter’s lengthy exposition and monotonous wave-based fights doomed its replayability. We get it, Arthas. You’re evil and stuff.
World of Warcraft's Deadmines.
Change is good right? The Cataclysm expansion brought much-needed updates to some classic zones and dungeons, and absolutely butchered others. Landing somewhere in between column A and column B is the Deadmines. Discounting the dungeon in the literal middle of the Horde capital, the Deadmines was the first low level dungeon Alliance players could enter. And what a dungeon it was. Getting to the entrance was half the battle, but once there, players were treated to a simplistic, but satisfying onslaught of pirate-themed encounters with the Defias Brotherhood, culminating in an epic battle with captain VanCleef.
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