Overview of Russian Collectible Editions: World of Warcraft - the Burning Crusade

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It has been a month and a half since the publication of my last collector's review. And this is not just for nothing. Firstly, it was worth taking a little break, as there have been quite a few collector reviews on Gamer, and many of them have started to annoy people. Secondly, I wanted to continue from where I started, I really wanted to tell about the collector's edition of World of Warcraft: the Burning Crusade. But I needed to buy it first. I was planning to do this for a while now, but there was no reason. Now I have a reason, the difficulties are behind, the coveted box lies in front of the monitor, camera in hand, and everything is ready to continue! First, an overview of all four collector's editions of the Warcraft series. Do you know many people who can boast such pieces of collection?..

Now – to the point. The collector's Burning Crusade appeared in stores in October 2007. While the original WoW and the second addon Wrath of the Lich King were not widely available, the Burning Crusade could be found in almost all major retail chains, where it became a headache for many sellers. Where to put this huge, heavy, non-standard, and very expensive box?! This problem was solved in various ways: some placed it on top of the game shelves (from where it often fell), some put it directly on the floor next to the display (where people would trip over it), and most stores hid it in a far away inconspicuous corner, usually at the cash register, where many WoW: BC boxes still lie today...

Interesting things also happened with the price – it was initially set at 4999. I decided to wait for discounts, sales, or just a gradual price reduction. I waited two years, and when I finally got it - the price of the boxes rose to 5999, and that was everywhere. The price fluctuations on Ozone are worthy of a separate post – I think that in those two years the game has been sold there, its price has taken all possible values from 4000 to 5000. At certain favorable times, it even dropped to 3800. Unfortunately, I didn't monitor the phases of the moon, but I think there’s a direct correlation. But I have digressed...

So, I retrieved World of Warcraft: the Burning Crusade for 3000. Just a few hours ago. And I am writing these lines holding a hardcover art book with Illidan on the cover and inhaling the intoxicating smell of freshly printed graphics... An euphoric state for a collector, believe me! Before you start reading this review, I recommend reading the review of the collector's **World of Warcraft**. Or you can even skip reading and just browse the pictures to get an idea about Blizzard collectibles. The muddy-green box of Burning Crusade is quite similar to the dark-brown box of the original, but it still has its differences. My description will differ too. The main mistake of that review is the criminally little attention paid to the contents of the art book and the video disc. Here, I will not repeat that mistake.

The structure is as follows – after the description goes one main picture, followed by a spoiler with details. For example, in the first section after the description, the game cover is shown, and under the spoiler is the back side and a paper with a description. It is done this way because there are a lot of pictures!

So, let's get started!

After removing the cellophane from the back of the box, you can detach the paper with the description. It is necessary to evaluate the edition before making a purchase. After unpacking, it can be removed to get a stylish green chest without unnecessary details. A collector's edition should look expensive after all! But don’t rush to throw this paper away – it can be used to complete a very interesting quest in real life, which I will tell you about at the end of the review.


After opening the box, your eyes naturally start to wander. There is just an enormous amount of content in there! It barely fit in the camera:

First of all, I will talk about the CCG (collectible card game). In the box, you can find two starter sets (or simply two decks), three exclusive cards that are only in this edition, as well as a detailed colored guide in English. This is the least interesting part of the content for me, although the collectible value of these cards is undoubtedly significant.


A mouse pad with a map of Outland. In English. I believe this is a good replacement for the cloth map from the original collector's edition, as hanging multiple maps together isn’t very aesthetically pleasing, while a map on a mouse pad is both useful and stylish.

The guide. The same as in a regular DVD-box, in English, black-and-white. I will also include the paper with a guest key for 10 days (take it if you need it).


Now about the game discs. They are packaged as follows: 3CD inserted into DVD-box on one fixture, the fourth CD in an envelope, and also in a separate envelope lies the DVD-version of the game. Interestingly, the artwork on all four CDs is different.


The soundtrack again received its own jewel case. The front cover opens, revealing a grand introduction to the music.

1\. The Burning Legion (Main Title)

2. Shards of the Exodar

3. The Sin'dorei

4. The Dark Portal (Cinematic Intro)

5. Origins

6. Bloodmyst

7. Wastelands

8. Caverns of Time – The Battle of Mount Hyjal

9. Azuremyst Isle

10. Silvermoon City

11. Netherstorm

12. Caverns of Time – The Escape from Durnholde

13. Outland Suite

14. The Tower of Karazhan

15. Illidan

16. Caverns of Time – Opening of the Dark Portal

17. Hellfire

18. The Gates of Ahn'Qiraj (Exclusive Track)

19. Shadow of the Necropolis (Exclusive Track)

20. Taverns (Exclusive Track)

21. Lament of the Highborne (Exclusive Track)

Now about the bonus video disc. Its length is over two hours. Here is its content:

First, I suggest watching the magnificent intro of the game, which takes up a large part of the disc.

Journey through the menu of the disc

And a few interesting screenshots. This is how the storyboards of the video look. The video plays in all four images, only at different stages of creation (pencil art, untextured models, etc.).

And motion capture of the actress for the opening video (scenes with the dragon)!

Now Art of the Burning Crusade. Hardcover, 208 pages, with Illidan on the cover. The main collectible value for me. Under the spoiler – many photographs. The theme - draenei, blood elves, the Burning Legion, Outland...


And the in-game bonus – Netherwhelp, a non-combat pet. Officially only he is included, but in fact, another pet – Lurky is included in the European collector's edition. This happened due to a mistake by Blizzard. As a result, to obtain both pets, you need to complete a quest in real life! A complete description of it is here. In brief – you need to send one of the CCG cards, the barcode from the back of the cover, and a printout of your account to Blizzard’s office in France! Then you will receive both of these pets on your account:

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With this, I declare the revival of collector reviews accomplished! Next stop – the gift edition of **Truckers 3** on Thursday!

Thank you for your attention!