World of Warcraft : Mists of Pandaria

BlizzCon 2011: Pandaren Monk Hands-On (Preview)

Pandas? I won't deny that I was convinced that it was all a big joke for the tiniest of seconds. After years of brooding Death Knights, ravenous Worgen, and even the debut of the greedy but familiar Goblins as a playable class, Blizzard's introduction of the furry, brew-chugging Pandaren as a real race seemed like too much at odds with their previous releases. But once I heard about the brand-new monk class and its accompanying abilities, I realized that Blizzard might be on to something here. And once I was able to get away from the excitement of the BlizzCon panels, I went to see what the Pandaren and the new Monk class were like for myself. The Pandaren starting zone isn't in Pandaria proper; instead, you follow the adventures of a splinter group who long ago ventured away from their cousins on the back of a gigantic seafaring turtle named Shen-zin Su. Shen-zin Su is obviously an easy-going fellow, though, since he's allowed the Pandaren to erect an entire East Asian society across his carapace, ranging from towering gold and crimson temples, tranquil terraced rice fields, and valleys of stone monuments whose stately ruination indicates that they've been there for years. God forbid the poor guy ever wants to dive or roll over and spice up his life for a change. But it's a lovely place.