Mists of Pandaria Heart of Fear Raid Preview

Written by: Mike Schaffnit (@MikeSchaffnit) | June 20, 2012 3:34 pm

54 Comments

A new fly-through video has surfaced on MMO-Champion for the Heart of Fear.

This is one of three new raids coming to World of Warcraft in the Mists of Pandaria expansion. Heart of Fear will take place at the seat of the Mantid dominion, where you will ultimately fight against the Queen of the Mantid, who is possessed by the Sha of Fear.

Watching the fly-through video will give you an immediate Silithid vibe as tiny fireflies swarm around central shafts of light and structural pillars, which are encrusted with emerald and amber. As you push deeper into the Mantid domain you begin to slowly witness the Sha of Anger’s grasp on the kingdom until you are overwhelmed by the negative energy culminating in the Queen’s final chamber.

Judging by the raid maps and the visual scale, it is safe to say it will most likely have a decent balance of trash that is offset by closely arranged boss encounters. This is a new trend that has been growing since Wrath of the Lich King in order to keep long hallway crawls to a minimum.

It’s a large instance with 6 encounters that could very well rival most of the content we saw in Cataclysm.

Mists of Pandaria Heart of Fear Raid Preview

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http://www.facebook.com/fernando.ribeiro.9085 Fernando Ribeiro

Graphics Suck! Im glad im unsub this game, Blizz has no imagination left. After playing Beta of GW2 and TSW, this type of mmo is long dead, and will die even more. All the same shit again.. level, grind grind grind.. and thats all it is!
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1830096938 Strider Xed
  
  damn dude
  - http://www.facebook.com/fernando.ribeiro.9085 Fernando Ribeiro
    
    It’s true, i played wow from almost day 1, left after about 6 months ago. Fanboys can say what they want about this, but everyone knows its true. Even funcom has better ideas with TSW than blizz. Its always the same thing over and over again. Blizz if just feeding players with the same shit over and over again.
    
    I loved the game, but to pay for a sub to have a second job in farming reputation, farming daylies day after day, and just sitting my ass in SW or Ogrimmar is not worth it. MMO’s are evolving and Blizzard keeps giving us the same thing after every expansion or patch.
    
    - Old questing type
    - Old graphics
    - Same shity combat
    - Pandas?? really? and dont give that crap lore thing about the pandas!!
    - Old dungeons made with new mobs?? really
    
    and at the end we paying every month for the same thing??
    
    Sry for my english mistakes, im not a perfect english speaker or writer.
    - iamthemikeb
      
      damn dude
    - http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Johnson/1353890372 Michael Johnson
      
      You just described every previous WoW expansion
    - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001569774867 James Burke
      
      That;’s basically how all MMO’s work, dude. They are all repetitive. You also can’t just up and revamp a game’s engine without having to rebuild the entire game from the ground up. Which would take a few years at the very least. Changing the combat would fall into the same groove. The questing is archaic, I’ll give you that. However your other points are entirely subjective and have next to no value in valid argument. Seems to me you are just finding things to hate about the game just to hate it, which is just as bad and being a fanboy.
      - http://www.facebook.com/fernando.ribeiro.9085 Fernando Ribeiro
        
        hate? i dont hate ahnything, im a peacufull person with no hate in my heart!
        
        Im just saying what everyone knows.. except you ofc. Anyway, if u want to continue to pay for the same shit over and over.. be my guest.. i can even give u my account details so you can pay fr my sub.. really miss those lovely daylies.. they are so much fun to do.
        
        please!!!!
      - http://www.facebook.com/ptabayoyong Paul Tabayoyong
        
        Its really people like you that just make the world a wonderful place. I mean come on, there are at least 9+ million people that are looking forward to this expansion. Why the negativity? I really can’t fathom where its coming from? Every game news site has so much anti-wow sentiment from people trying to instill their venom where it isn’t needed.
        
        I have been playing since launch, and though there are times where I have gotten bored and tried other MMO’s, I end up back in WoW because it still is the best. The polish, the camaraderie, the lore, the pvp. I am really psyched for Mists, MoP or whatever you want to call it. I don’t need to explain why. Gamebreaker, MMO-C and others are doing a fine job of it already.
        
        It’s just people like you Mr Ribeiro that spit your sermons like a broken record. I get itm you hate WoW. Please do those a favor who still enjoy the game and go play somewhere else. We will still be here when you come back.
      - http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
        
        Fernando, are you okay? The amount of hate you are spewing is out of balance with a 7 year old game. You really need to see someone about this, look at the responses to your post. No one is flaming back, just amazed by your hate for data mine content, that was clearly not ready for display.
        
        Dude, we are worried about you.
      - Old Ben
        
        If WoW is “a 7 year old game” then I guess EA’s FIFA 13 is a 20 year old game.
        
        The current version is called “WoW 4″ (soon to be “WoW 5″ and probably shares very little code with the original. If Blizzard chose not to update the graphics, that was their decision, not some sort of physical impossibility.
        
        Anyway, IMO WoW’s problems aren’t even the graphics; I think their artists do miracles with such a crappy engine (although this raid does look quite ugly). The problem is the way 99% of the game world (and 90% of the instances) becomes useless at max level, and how the game turns into an ilevel treadmill.
        
        If Blizzard implemented downleveling (GW2-style) or at least added max-level versions of _all_ instances and raids, WoW would immediately become a lot less boring, because people would have a reason to visit a lot more areas.
      - http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm
        
        Old Ben, why the hell aren’t you designing games like seriously with your knowledge you could prbly make one kick ass game.
      - Old Ben
        
        Because they wouldn’t let me work from my chopper.
      - http://www.facebook.com/oscar.felix.5264 Oscar Felix
        
        Rome wasn’t built in a day, and only GWII has managed to some extent break the cycle of repetitiveness that every MMO is guilty of. There’s not ONE MMO on the market that radically differs from that of WoW.
        
        Fancy new graphics? Nice, that means you have a new engine running your game. Combat? Cause ALL the other MMO’s have a radical new combat system like GWII right? Copy-pasta dungeons? Cause every other MMO has been on the market for more than 5 years right to make the amount of Dungeons they have, given their resources among those years.
        
        Blizzard has kept World of Warcraft alive and strong since it’s inception back in ’04 punking every MMO that’s been claimed the all mighty WoW-Killer (most recently SW:ToR).
        
        Personally don’t care for the product anymore (since Cata) but dear God you kids with all your pent of anti-WoW speeches. We get it you don’t like the game, just sh*t up, quit being such a teenage prima donna.
      - Brosaxon
        
        >There’s not ONE MMO on the market that radically >differs from that of WoW.
        
        EVE would like to have a word with you.
      - Old Ben
        
        Or Trackmania. Hey, he said “MMO”, not MMORPG.
      - http://www.facebook.com/kaj.udanga Kaj Udanga
        
        I strongly agree. Not all MMOs are RPGs.
    - http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm
      
      Grow the hell up an quit whining like a child, Every MMO recently has been following the same format. Graphics > Gameplay and thats why they die & horrible all together. Its Gameplay > Graphics.
    - http://www.facebook.com/people/Tj-Vossos/647768691 Tj Vossos
      
      the secret world looks like my 11 year old siter drew it and it plys like my dog programmed it worst game ever
      - Old Ben
        
        > the secret world looks like
        > my 11 year old siter drew it
        
        If your sitter is 11, how old does that make you?
        
        Nevermind, we can guess from the rest of your post.
- nexxe
  
  Uhh.. there is no levels in TSW, so it’s not a grind. There isn’t a grind in GW2 either. You’re just a burnt out mmo “vet” that needs a new hobby.
  - Old Ben
    
    Of course there are levels in TSW. You can’t equip high-level gear before you raise your skills. It’s the same as Eve. Just because you have multiple skill levels instead of a single number that doesn’t mean “there are no levels”. You still gain experience and that still determines how powerful your character is and what items (s)he can use.
    
    And I think you completely misunderstood the parent post; what he’s saying is that GW2 and TSW are _not_ nearly as grindy as WoW, which means “old style” MMOs (like WoW) are dying.
http://twitter.com/DaveyDiablo Davey Diablo

The art/design in this raid looks so repetitive and lacks imagination
- Old Ben
  
  Yep, was thinking the same thing. I doubt this was made by the people who created Ulduar, Deepholm, etc.. Looks like a generic “gate level” from Oblivion.
  
  Maybe the actual fighting will be interesting, but the architecture / art direction is not even on par with most of WoW, let alone with more recent games that have access to better engines.
  
  I wonder if Blizzard has started moving their best artists to Titan.
- http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm
  
  wow you have abosolutely no imagination at all, I thought it looks beautiful already and its not even done yet. Don’t have to be a WoW Player to see how beautiful it looks, typical hater comments as ussually.
  - http://twitter.com/DaveyDiablo Davey Diablo
    
    Luke,
    
    Your reply is foolish, which in turn, makes you look a fool.
    
    You’ve both accused me of being a ‘hater’ and of having ‘no imagination at all’ because I dared to comment negatively on a game you’re obviously fanatic about.
    
    So, please, let me school you on how to reply in future:
    
    Luke Malcolm
    I disagree. I find the graphics really beautiful to look at. Also, (despite the fact that every pillar, every wall, and every floor appears to be near identical) in no way do I feel that the design is at all repetive.
    - http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm
      
      Davey i never meant to reply to you my apologizes, it was to another post. I must of clicked the wrong post. If you would like to remove I would be more than happy too and so that i replied to wrong and just realized.
http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr

Flew through this zone yesterday, looked amazing. There was a storm going on, with low level billowing clouds and slashing rain. The uplighting from the amber structures gave a warm glow to the rotting, infected trees. Would have been interesting to see my druids swift flight form buffeted by the storm.

Hope Blizzard can bring some form of the weather and light effects into the raid. Wouldn’t expect to see storms, but maybe some mist or more of the uplighting effects.

My druid’s flight form was also attacking by some flying mantid.

Overall very excited about the six raid bosses in this raid. Should give hours of fun.
Justin Noftall

Just pure speculation here , but check in the video around 6:51, the octopus creature on the wall, we know of three old gods , C’thun, Yogg-Sarron and N’Zoth … N’zoth is said to be an aquatic creature so couldn’t that be him ? The mantid are now under the influence of the Sha of Fear…think about it , what if the old gods had a hand to play in the sha’s creation?

Yes I know the emperor created them to save Pandaria from the demon’s 10,000 years ago (indirectly) … “ Emperor of the pandaren discovered a way to protect his land from the devastation. His deal with fate shrouded his land within an impenetrable mist for ten thousand years, but the nature of his transaction has left Pandaria haunted ever since…”

Now he discovered a way to protect his land , but there aren’t specifics to where and how how he discovered it ?  Now I know that Garrosh Hellscream is suppose to be the end boss for MoP , but what if we learn about NZoth being behind the creation of the Sha on Pandaria, due to his influence on the Emperor to seal his borders ? Maybe that could be a main focus in one of MoP’s patches? Like I said just pure speculation but it got me thinking lol :’)
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  That could be the old gods spying on the corruption. Same way the old god C’Thun, spyed using the eyes on Cho’gall body.
Sharuko

BC was my favorite time in any MMO, WotLK was ok, I hated Cataclysm and it was horrible. However, to me MoP looks to be as good as BC based on information alone. I might give MoP a try based on what type of PvP content we see.
Karizee

Looks as big as a dungeon – not a raid.
Kagitaar

Empress is crazy, her DAUGHTER (pronouns Schaff) is not, which is why we are doing this raid in the first place.
tommythepower

Only ones who still play chinese pandacraft are 5 mill chinese, 500 k little kids in the US and 18 adults in the EU new to MMOs trying the game out now knowing the game is a joke and a sell out by blizzard to chinese market.So sad how someone actually cares about making videos aout this game because they cant move on to a real game for adults…
- http://www.facebook.com/oscar.felix.5264 Oscar Felix
  
  Sad panda is sad, go QQ elsewhere.
  - http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm
    
    pretty much Oscar, prbly just another kid crying about how pandas are bad.
    - tommythepower
      
      No if i was a kid i would be playing panda…. funny how people always gets to be angry when they are told the truth.I mean if the game was actually good like it was the first years i wouldt say anything.But hey keep playing those pandas and imgagine blizzard actually giing a flying f about any of you in the west…how sad…
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Tj-Vossos/647768691 Tj Vossos
        
        Panada shits on cata and wrath been playing the beta and its a much needed change wow needs
        stop hating on Asian things you racist little man
      - http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm
        
        For Panada !!!
      - Old Ben
        
        > Panada shits on cata. Fatality!
        
        (say in a Mortal Kombat voice)
      - http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm
        
        its kinda funny how all the adults are enjoying pandas and only ones complaining are the kids are hating on them claiming there for kids.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Willi-Enderle/1668850948 Willi Enderle

don´t hassel the HoF
http://www.facebook.com/fernando.ribeiro.9085 Fernando Ribeiro

omg, i really love to see all those comments about what i said. Really gtz to u all. Have fun in wow and enjoy if u really like it. After all thats the purpose of a game to have fun. And thats why i left, not havinf fun anymore.

And again i dont hate Wow i just dont like it anymore, and since i remenber i still live in a free country where i can say what i think, if that ofends u all… really sry for it.

All the best to all
http://twitter.com/borded nathan law

I need to get back to MoP beta, i got to 86 and stopped, really not enjoying the wow level grind any more.
- Old Ben
  
  Huh? You’re not enjoying it so you need to get back to it?
  - http://twitter.com/borded nathan law
    
    i’m not enjoying the level grinds, i still like the raids and stuff and this looks cool so i need to try and get to 90 before this is put in.
    - Old Ben
      
      Ah, so it’s a case of “please hit me with the stick because I want the carrot”.
      - http://twitter.com/borded nathan law
        
        its called i sit through ultimately 2-3 days of grind to get enjoyable content for months. it’s like having a job sort of, you do stuff you don’t necessarily enjoy but are rewarded with something you can enjoy.
      - Old Ben
        
        > it’s like having a job sort of, you do stuff you don’t
        > necessarily enjoy but are rewarded with something
        > you can enjoy.
        
        Yes, kind of. One you don’t like much. A lot of games seem to be like that, these days.
        
        Personally, I’d rather spend that time doing an actual job and getting a reward (money) that I can use to buy games that don’t feel like a job in the first place, and are fun right from the start.
      - http://twitter.com/borded nathan law
        
        I don’t care what you would rather spend your time doing, and i honestly have no idea why you care what i spend my own time doing,
      - Old Ben
        
        Where did I suggest I cared about what you did? I just asked you what you meant because it sounded contradictory (“I’m not enjoying WoW, I must go back to it”),
        
        And if you don’t care about what I do, why did you bother to post a reply…? Just to let me know that you are not interested? That’s very polite of you, but I wasn’t really expecting you to be particularly interested; I was just describing my personal view of the matter.
        
        Do you feel the need, whenever someone posts an opinion, to reply with “I don’t care about your opinion” ? Sounds like a busy life.
      - http://twitter.com/borded nathan law
        
        having a conversation with you is not the same as caring about how you spend your time, you having a conversation with me about how i spend my spare time kind of does suggest you care. you are not the only person to have read my comment but you are the only one to question how i spend my free time.
      - Old Ben
        
        > having a conversation
        > with you is not the
        > same as caring about
        > how you spend your
        > time
        
        Again (as posted above): I never expected you to care about how I spend my time.
        
        And I couldn’t care less about how you spend yours.
        
        I only asked you to clarify because your first post seemed contradictory (“I’m not enjoying WoW, I must go back to it”).
        
        You clarified and I commented that _my_ attitude towards games was different.
        
        I’m not sure why you have a problem with that, or why you’re getting so defensive about “what you do with your time”. It’s your time, you can do whatever you want with it, no one suggested that you can’t.
      - http://twitter.com/borded nathan law
        
        you were openly attacking how i choose to spend my time, sorry if i choose to defend my position, a normal person would not STILL be responding they would have accepted that i do not agree with them and left yet you still argue, and try to make it sound like im the one attacking your opinions.
Old Ben

> Mike S dixit:
>
> It’s a large instance with 6 encounters that could very
> well rival most of the content we saw in Cataclysm.

I’m not sure if comparing something to Throne of the Four Winds, Dragon Soul, etc., counts as a positive or negative critique.

Mists of Pandaria Heart of Fear Raid Preview

Patch 5.3 Release Date Confirmed

Patch 5.3: Purely Pandaria Profession Leveling!

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