Ulduar
The biggest selling point to Ulduar to me was the first fight.
A colossal army of Giants, tanks and more are waiting for you. You are given battalion of Siege Engines, Demolishers and high-speed motorcycles to mow down a fortified installation just like the Old Warcraft. Truly epic. Giant spider tanks, Colossal Iron Giants, a literal army pouring out of their bunkers, Towers that empowers the boss who comes smashing through the gates to meet you, and the biggest geek out thought of all is that ALL this isn't meant to keep you out... it’s meant to keep the prisoner in.
After that every boss in the raid is merely another security measure to show you how dangerous Yogg really is. A criminal mind so deadly that the Titans were prepared to take out the planet just so Yogg and his kind could not escape. It also was a lead in for the next major threat in Cataclysm showing Blizzard was already thinking ahead. Inside the mind of Yogg Saron we even get a few Easter Eggs clues about the future like Deathwing's Dragon soul and the next Lich King.
The only thing I can compare Ulduar to is Tai Lung's prison scene from Kung Fu Panda. They had the prison buried in a mountain, surrounded by Giant Crossbows, Armed Rhinos as the prison guards, and even had him pinned down at every pressure point and chained, and he still broke free and kicked everyone's asses. "Finally a worthy opponent."
Throne of Thunder
The Throne of thunder is a new story as well. The Trolls at the gate are there to keep you out. No Siege vehicles required. The Breaker and Horridon actually involve using their own powers "comically against them. Forcing Horridon to break his own gates, using the water to amplify your damage against the Breaker are some good examples.
The Forgotten Depths and the Halls of Flesh shaping were mostly to show off this new Flesh shaping technology. It can turn any lame monster into a super mutant. These bosses actually set Lei Shen up to be more of a mad scientist than an anything else. Nearly every boss in raid has been augmented with the stolen Life Force of a watcher like Lei Shen himself. Knowing even Lei Shen's failures are this terrifying makes you question facing his triumphs.
It almost resembles The Isle of Doctor Moreau if the mad Doctor did actually meet God under a microscope, beat him up and stole his powers... Basically Lei Shen has beaten a God at his own game and was cruel enough how to make golems dance and make stupid lizard men from his blood. Basically the only thing that ties the story together is the irony of the Titan’s perfect creations creating freaks of nature.
Verdict: In Ulduar you face the brain of a continent sized tentacled convict in a maximum security prison who brainwashed his guards into working for him. In The Throne of Thunder you face a God Tyrant back from the dead and the secret of what makes him a God. Ulduar still wins because there was more at stake (re-origination, your sanity) should the raid fail making Ulduar a more compelling raid.
The biggest selling point to Ulduar to me was the first fight.
A colossal army of Giants, tanks and more are waiting for you. You are given battalion of Siege Engines, Demolishers and high-speed motorcycles to mow down a fortified installation just like the Old Warcraft. Truly epic. Giant spider tanks, Colossal Iron Giants, a literal army pouring out of their bunkers, Towers that empowers the boss who comes smashing through the gates to meet you, and the biggest geek out thought of all is that ALL this isn't meant to keep you out... it’s meant to keep the prisoner in.
After that every boss in the raid is merely another security measure to show you how dangerous Yogg really is. A criminal mind so deadly that the Titans were prepared to take out the planet just so Yogg and his kind could not escape. It also was a lead in for the next major threat in Cataclysm showing Blizzard was already thinking ahead. Inside the mind of Yogg Saron we even get a few Easter Eggs clues about the future like Deathwing's Dragon soul and the next Lich King.
The only thing I can compare Ulduar to is Tai Lung's prison scene from Kung Fu Panda. They had the prison buried in a mountain, surrounded by Giant Crossbows, Armed Rhinos as the prison guards, and even had him pinned down at every pressure point and chained, and he still broke free and kicked everyone's asses. "Finally a worthy opponent."
Throne of Thunder
The Throne of thunder is a new story as well. The Trolls at the gate are there to keep you out. No Siege vehicles required. The Breaker and Horridon actually involve using their own powers "comically against them. Forcing Horridon to break his own gates, using the water to amplify your damage against the Breaker are some good examples.
The Forgotten Depths and the Halls of Flesh shaping were mostly to show off this new Flesh shaping technology. It can turn any lame monster into a super mutant. These bosses actually set Lei Shen up to be more of a mad scientist than an anything else. Nearly every boss in raid has been augmented with the stolen Life Force of a watcher like Lei Shen himself. Knowing even Lei Shen's failures are this terrifying makes you question facing his triumphs.
It almost resembles The Isle of Doctor Moreau if the mad Doctor did actually meet God under a microscope, beat him up and stole his powers... Basically Lei Shen has beaten a God at his own game and was cruel enough how to make golems dance and make stupid lizard men from his blood. Basically the only thing that ties the story together is the irony of the Titan’s perfect creations creating freaks of nature.
Verdict: In Ulduar you face the brain of a continent sized tentacled convict in a maximum security prison who brainwashed his guards into working for him. In The Throne of Thunder you face a God Tyrant back from the dead and the secret of what makes him a God. Ulduar still wins because there was more at stake (re-origination, your sanity) should the raid fail making Ulduar a more compelling raid.