StarCraft II Wings of Liberty Review

Is Blizzard's latest also its greatest?

Summary

StarCraft II continues the epic saga of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. These three distinct and powerful races clash once again in the fast-paced real-time strategy sequel to the legendary original, StarCraft. Legions of veteran, upgraded, and brand-new unit types will do battle across the galaxy, as each faction struggles for survival.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty's solo campaign will continue the epic saga where it left off in StarCraft: Brood War. The storyline chronicles the exploits of marshal-turned-rebel-leader Jim Raynor and features both familiar faces and new heroes. Players will be able to tailor the experience, choosing their own mission path and selecting technology and research upgrades to suit their playing style throughout the 29-mission campaign.
In addition to the solo campaign, dozens of multiplayer maps are available for competitive play through Battle.net. This improved version of the service has been built from the ground up to offer an unparalleled online play experience, with new features such as voice communication, character profiles and achievements, stat-tracking, ladders and leagues, cloud file storage, and more

In StarCraft II, it's still the Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss clashing against each other, and you're still mining minerals with SCVs, Drones, and Probes and pulling Vespene Gas from the ground to fuel production. It's a classic style of real-time strategy play, one old-school RTS gamers should be very familiar with. Compared to the changes Blizzard made between the traditional gameplay of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and the hero-based leveling elements of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, StarCraft II feels like a relatively safe play; a game designed to slide in and discreetly supplant its predecessor instead of ruffle the feathers of longtime StarCraft devotees and risk rejection. While it's not a revolutionary game, it is one of the most fully featured, expertly designed, and impressively refined real-time strategy experiences on the market.

Rating	Description
out of 10
10	Presentation Incredibly high production values throughout, from the cut-scenes to the interface and menus across campaign and multiplayer modes.
9.0	Graphics Looks great on ultra if you've got the power to handle it, and will run on a wide variety of systems.
9.0	Sound The slashes and booms of combat make battle more exciting, and an appropriately epic score backs up the action. Also the Hyperion jukebox is worth listening to.
9.0	Gameplay A great variety of mission types in the campaign, and a meticulously designed and balanced set of units and abilities for multiplayer.
9.5	Lasting Appeal Play against AI foes, replay the campaign, and spent endless hours online in ranking matches. Then if you're bored, check out all the custom content.
9.0	OVERALL Outstanding

Game Details

StarCraft 2

Published by: Blizzard Entertainment
Developed by: Blizzard Entertainment
Genre: Real-Time Strategy
Number of Players: 1-8
Release Date:
US: July 27, 2010
Japan: TBA 2010
Release Date:
Europe: TBA 2010
Release Date:
Australia: July 27, 2010
MSRP: $59.99
MSRP: AUD $99.95
T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
PEGI: RP
OFLC: M
Also Available On: Macintosh, Macintosh
Also known as: StarCraft 2