Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

Review from Anna - Sunday, 15 August 2010 @ 8:30am

Starcraft represents many things to many people, for some it was there first introduction to strategy games, especially one with such an involving storyline, not common during the 90s. For others, Starcraft represents countless nights dialing up over the 56k modem, hoping no one was going to pick up the phone. It was a staple of the LAN gaming community and we've waited for a long time to see a follow-up. Blizzard took their time but they delivered.

Starcraft got a lot of things right and from the sequel, you can tell how the timeless gameplay mechanics have lasted because in so many ways, this is an updated version of the Starcraft we remember. The SCVs, marines, buildings and vehicles all reminiscent of the first game that introduced them. Those that played the first will be instantly comfortable in the second, nothing really pops up and surprises you and puts you on the back foot. The game eases you back into it, and soon enough, you're as addicted to powering through mission after mission like you'd never played Starcraft before.

Ok everybody... pylon! I mean... pile on... because... forget it

Those who haven't played Starcraft will not be alienated. The game provides tutorials if you need it, even if you don't see the tutorial button, the first few missions provide the option of checking through the tutorial lists anyway. The steady progression through the game for introducing new buildings and units not only eases veterans back into the game but also helps anyone new to the franchise or even the genre from suffering a high learning curve. Characters aren't given so much of an introduction, within the game, they are provided with a short background, not going into the depth someone recently acquainted with the first game would have – but the entire plot of the previous game and the expansion, Brood War, is perfectly summed up in a pamphlet included with the game. It's just one more thing that makes the game more accessible to new players as well as old.

I recently got a new computer, and Starcraft II was the first game I was able to test performance on. While it's not the most taxing of games, the quality Blizzard has worked on perfecting has put this game at an outstanding level. At each level, I was impressed by the quality Blizzard had put into this game. The mission levels don't have that static feel some strategy games have where the only thing that moves is at your direction. The effort gone into the menu areas between missions seem like less of a menu, and more a part of the game that you're actively playing even when you're just upgrading tech, and catching up on peripheral characters. The game design constantly evokes the Texan feel that I never seemed to pick up on that well in the first game (stupid, or just a little dense, you decide). It's those little touches here and there like the photo of Kerrigan that seemingly haunts you through the game, reminding you of events past. The dream sequence that again, brings you back to the events of the first game is beautifully executed, and looks amazing. Even the in-game sequences look great on my admittedly only just above average machine. It just shows how well balanced Blizzard is able to make a game, and make it so that it's accessible to not just the most up to date technophiles willing to fork out close to a thousand bucks for a graphics card.

I think he's watching Days of our Lives. He looks the type.

What really impressed me as so much more of an improvement was the score for the game, the voice work and the sound effects for every click. The ambience is suited to every mission, there's not annoying 'there's going to be a bad guy coming' score that warns you before you are supposed to get some sort of surprise attack. Voice acting is perfectly suited to each of the characters. You can tell that they did the sound right because you hardly notice it, but when you concentrate, you start to pick out the threads that make you so much more invested in the game.
Especially, in that same dream sequence showing Kerrigan in the past, I don't want to spoil it for anyone but watching that sequence really brought my heart to my throat. It wasn't from just the pretty graphics, or just the pretty sounds, it's the whole package that Blizzard brings to the table. It's no wonder Pixar referred to them as their equivalent in the gaming world.

Urban Strategy

Throughout the game, there are times where decisions have to be made, meaning there's plenty of opportunity for replay later on to see what might have happened if another choice was made. Often it is between possible supporters and you are influenced by your crew. Do you help the refugees or do the complete opposite and actively hinder their escape from the Zerg? Your crew all have their own opinions, ranging from the upstanding concerned citizen to the uncaring thug. How you direct Jim Raynor, our hero is as much on the sway of these characters as your own knowledge of Jim's background.

The missions are well designed, not always of the build-the-base-destroy-the-enemy variety. Instead, the missions vary in difficulty and method as well as length. The only fault I could find with that is when you are suffering the 'just one more' syndrome, you have no idea how long the next mission could potentially take. Some can take as little as ten to fifteen minutes, others up to an hour depending on difficulty. Casual difficulty is as easy as they come. There was little to no challenge where as easy, normal and difficult offer a bit more to seasoned gamers, whether strategy nuts or not. Anyone playing on casual has little reason to have to replay a mission, even the supposedly more complicated and tricksy ones.

It's like an RTS set in the pit of hell

If fans were expecting some radical innovations and somehow a completely different game, that hasn't happened. There are tweaks to the game but essentially it is exactly the same game as it's predecessor. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Countless times have seen many sequels fall by the wayside by trying to do something different and then fail completely. Or attempt to go beyond what the material can support. Not Starcraft. For one thing, Blizzard know limits. They set them and work within them, rehoning and sharpening instead of stretching it out, pulling holes into perfectly good material. That's one thing I cannot fault Blizzard for. So what if it's the same game with updated graphics? It does an amazing job of being the same level of quality we have come to expect of Blizzard over the years. Not many companies can say with the same confidence that they can bring A grade quality to the table with every game. Blizzard hasn't been afraid to let a project drop - but god am I glad they stuck it out with this.

I wasn't much of a Blizzard fan - I'd played my share of their library but nothing struck me, even the original Starcraft didn't grab me so much. But now... well, I might just have to go back to the original and *really* pay attention. Starcraft II gives a better understanding of exactly what makes it such a good game, that the basics, the groundwork of the game is, dare I say it, flawless. It amazes me that such a development team is able to put together something like this, with nary a bug to be seen. Especially these days when most games ship with flaws and a 300mb patch on installation. I cannot praise Blizzard enough - even if the game isn't your cup of team, it is a piece of craftsmanship that lots of other gaming companies just can't compete with.

You got your story and character development in my RTS

Although I'm not a big multi-player fan, I fired it up and had a few rounds. I can't say it turned me at all. Sure, I won a few, but it lacked the storyline I enjoyed of the single player campaign. I can see how the plan for Blizzard can work, but for me, a few games were enough and I went back to the campaign. Others may get into it more, I see very little to recommend Battle.Net when they only allow one account per game (I understand the reasons, I just hate that my partner managed to register the game first while I was away, so if I want to play as myself, I need to buy another copy) and have no options for LAN - one of the most appealing aspects for heading back to the original.

This game gave me the perfect balance of my love of strategy, a good story and a dash of the RPG elements. The humour and gravity all mixed up in a perfect concoction that keeps you playing to the early hours of the morning. It's what I expected of Blizzard – something of high quality, without bugs (at least, none that I could find which is rare in this day and age, unfortunately), engaging and of course, addictive.

Firebat. Red. Likes fire.

Pros

Original mechanics, fantastically updated graphics, addictive, entertaining and a perfect follow up to the original.

Cons

It is rather similar to the original, so if you were expecting something different - the game may disappoint. Addictive to the point of insomnia. Sharing a copy means only one person gets to actually use the game, anyone else is relegated to "guest". No LAN.