Genre: Real Time Strategy
Systems: PC and Mac
Release Date: July 27, 2010
Publisher/Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment in known for:
- WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos
- World of WarCraft
- Diablo II
Do you happen to have a game that defines all that is gaming for you? A game that, when you think of it, makes you feel incredibly nostalgic and giddy? Well, for me that game is the original Starcraft. I can't tell you how many countless hours I spent building up my defenses, training huge armies, then unleashing them on my unfortunate foes. Then tack on the all nighters I pulled with my cousin destroying, and being destroyed by, the competition on battle.net. And this turns into one of my favorite games of all time. So naturally I was super stoked to play Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty.
Gameplay: 10/10
The score says it all. Simply amazing! Improves upon the first one in great ways. The new upgrade system is very addicting. The research you do from collecting Zerg and Protoss technology is also very addicting and adds a new challenge to every map. The fact that you're able to play missions in the order you choose is something that all RTS developers should take note of. You also get to play as Zeratul and take control of the Protoss. Ability to interact with your crew between missions adds a ton of realism to the game.
Story: 10/10
I was very impressed with the storyline. You play as Jim Raynor, an outlaw of the Confederacy. Arcturus Mengsk, a man that once fought alongside Raynor, became corrupt with power and used the media to make Raynor look like a criminal. You have a personal vendetta with Mengsk for leaving one of his Lieutenants, Sarah Kerrigan, on a planet that was overrun with Zerg. The Zerg turned Kerrigan into the Queen of Blades, a powerful Zerg leader. The story focuses a lot on Jim Raynor and how he deals with Mengsk and Kerrigan. You meet a lot of friends that help you along the way and a lot of enemies trying to stop you. They even give you some freedom to choose certain paths that alter the story somewhat depending on what route you take. I should also let you know that Wings of Liberty is a Terran only campaign. The Zerg and Protoss campaigns are going to be released as expansion packs. You can however, play as all three races online.
Graphics: 10/10
Jaw dropping in every way! I was playing on High settings and it looked incredible, there's an option of even greater detail on Ultra settings. Facial animations, textures, explosions, cutscenes, they all look amazing. This is definitely an area where Blizzard has always been ahead of the curve.
Sound: 10/10
My ears were loving life listening to this games sound effects and especially the music. I've grown very fond of the music in the original Starcraft and Starcraft II doesn't disappoint. All sound effects are top notch and the voice acting is among the best in gaming.
Replay Value: High
Has an option to go back and play any mission on any difficulty. There are achievements to strive for in each mission. And the online community, battle.net, is huge. Tons of online re-playability. Tons of custom maps to play around on. Tons, Tons, Tons!
All in all I highly recommend buying this game. You won't be disappointed, especially if you're an RTS fan. Bring on the nostalgic memories I'm sure to have in the future about this game!
If you like this game you might also enjoy:
- Starcraft
- Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
- Company of Heroes
- Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMuPVu749BE
Photo Credit: Gamespot.com
