StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Review

Game: StarCraft II:Wings of Liberty

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment

Available on: PC/Mac

Release Date: Out Now!

It has been a long time since the original StarCraft was released back in 1998, 12 years is a long time to wait for any sequel. However, Blizzard have been hard at work in those years, producing Warcraft III and that little online game they call World of Warcraft. It is StarCraft’s time to shine once again with “Wings of Liberty”, the first in a three part come back for Blizzards sci-fi real time stratergy game. Do Blizzard manage capture a new audience and still please the old guard? Read on for the full review.

GRAPHICS: It is fair to say that visuals have moved on just a little bit since the original StarCraft, gone are the 2D sprites and in their place are lush 3D models. Technically, the graphics in StarCraft II are more akin to Warcraft III with comparisons made at the lowest graphical setting. If you ramp up the graphics to the top settings though, crystal clear beauty will meet your eyes.

The art style is true to the original StarCraft with all the glory of modern technology to add much needed polish. StarCraft II is a colourful vibrant game, each faction has a distinctive art style which tells true from the largest of buildings to the smallest units.

The big eye candy comes in the form of pre-rendered cut scenes, every scene is spectacular and every frame is apiece of art. Blizzard have done well to create their own in-house cinematic team and it has paid off big time in StarCraft II.

StarCarft II in all its glory

SOUND: A very important component, sound not only gives a sense of atmosphere in StarCraft II’s missions but is very much part of the gameplay and strategy. The music does well to ease players in, starting out calm as players build their base and farm crystals. The music ramps up later though and when it does, it usually means an epic battle is about to kick off.

Each unit has its own unique sound including voice work which add a rather surprising layer of personality to them. Whilst the music and voice work gives a good sense of atmosphere it’s the tone of the smaller sometimes unnoticed sounds which can hold the key to victory, the swoosh of a stealthed unit or the burrowing of a nydus worm in your base unnoticed can do irreparable damage.

The voice acting which is used quite a bit in both pre-rendered and in-game cut scenes is top notch. The slack jaw Terran are somewhat believable with their southern accent whilst the Protoss sound like highly believable advanced alien race.

STORY: The story in StarCraft II is told well from start to finish and when I say start I really do mean start! As soon as players install the game they are met with a voice over accompanied by relevant pictures that tell the story so far, refreshing the memories of veteran players and informing newcomers

The Wings of Liberty is the first part of a three part StarCraft II compendium which for the most part focuses on the Terran side of things. It has been four years since the events of the original StarCraft and there is no sign of the Zerg or major confrontation on any front. Players take the role of Jim Raynor, Marshall of Blackwater and leader of the “rebels” aboard the behemoth class battle cruiser, the Hyperion. It’s on the Hyperion that most of the story telling takes place, between missions Raynor has access to four areas of the battle cruiser which houses a variety of characters from engineers to mercenaries.

Every setting in StarCraft II is interesting and believable, the story is told rather well ensuring players have a reason to take to battle and ultimatley care about the outcome.

SINGLE-PLAYER: The campaign is where most players will get their feet wet and for the most part it does well to introduce the basic concepts of real time stratergy. New units and tactics are eased in to every mission to ensure a smooth path of progression.

Jim Raynor has requests from all over the koprulu sector and must take on various mission types through out the campaign. Raynor is on hand to help any one in need, saving colonists under attack from the Zerg , digging up artefacts for the Mobeus foundation and fighting the Dominion empire.

Each and every mission has a “gimmick” but that’s not a bad thing. It’s very rare to get a standard build base, defend and destroy mission. One mission has you chasing dominion trains, whilst another involves using a laser beam to dig for artefacts and take down larger enemy units. The campaign never gets boring, both in battle and during down time on the Hyperion.

Raynor & Tychus

In between missions StarCraft II becomes a not too complicated point and click adventure allowing players to explore the Hyperion battle cruiser and converse with its passengers or just watch the latest news. There are little tid-bits that open up as the campaign progresses and the Hyperion is a very believable location adding to the overall StarCraft universe.

The Hyperion is also the place where upgrades can be purchased. The armory contains upgrades for already acquired units and buildings, with engineer Swann on hand to fill you in on anything else you might need to know. The Laboratory is another upgrade location which takes advantage of Zerg/Protoss research, in this department players will have to make tough choices between differing upgradable tech.

Once the campaign is over most players will be looking to hit the online leagues but will do well to check out the challenge mode first. The challenge mode does well to introduce players to some of StarCraft II’s tactical concepts, with a variety of challenges which measure success with bronze, silver and gold awards. Have no idea what a Terran block is? The challenge mode will not only show you how to effectively block but will test your skill to build a base and fend off waves of attacks.

StarCraft II’s single player alone is worth the entry fee and it only gets better when multiplayer is introduced.

MULTIPLAYER: Very much the corner stone of the game, multiplayer is what made the original game a huge success. Players have the option of participating in 50 practice matches which slow the pace with multiple blocks on every map to ensure an early rush is difficult, if not impossible. Once the practice is over it’s down to the placements matches to decide a players skill and ultimately place them in a relevant league. Blizzard have done a good job with the placement matches and leagues ensuring matches take place between similarly skilled players whilst giving long term incentive with promotion and demotion at stake.

Multiplayer gameplay tends to be very competitive and knowledge is power. It is no use building a bunch of ground attack units when your opponent is launching an attack from the air. Every unit has some sort of counter and players will do well to identify threats early and seek a solution. The help section does well to aid players in identifying every multiplayer unit in the game with a brief description that highlights enemies the unit will do well against and vice-versa.

At the core of each match-up is base building and the economy that comes with it. However, StarCraft II is more about macro rather than micro. The micro management of units is key in certain situations though, with the best players being prolific in their ability to manoeuvre units for the best effect. The macro or managing of base and economy will win a lot of matches, at least in the lower leagues. The multiplayer in StarCraft II is all about the build order and going for a distinct strategy whilst covering your ass in case you opponent launches an attack.

Battle.Net neural interface

All three races/factions are well balanced, all matches that I have experienced so far since release and throughout the beta have been relatively competitive with no “I win” strategies guaranteeing victory. There have been various updates throughout the beta tweaking certain elements, adding a few more hit points to some units and decreasing the damage of others. Blizzard are closely monitoring player feedback to ensure the game remains balanced and are on hand to make changes if needed.

Whilst the three factions are well balanced they are unique in both look and play style. The futuristic Protoss mix it up with both melee and ranged units. They also use rechargeable shield technology and are the most advanced of the three races.

The Terran (originating from earth) take the role of the “humans” and are less advanced compared to the Protoss. Terran are completely ranged based and have the unique ability to take to the sky ad relocate.

The Zerg (an insectoid race) do not use technology, instead they mutae to create buildings and a myriad of units. They also tend to focus more on the melee side of things compared to other factions whilst retaining some of the benefits of ranged attacks.

Blizzard not only released the game but they released an in depth map editor too. Just one week after release and there are already quite a few custom maps out there which change the game completely. Maps can be searched in-game via battle.net and will download in just a few seconds.

Multiplayer will certainly be the draw for some players and ensure longevity past the single player for others.

LONGEVITY: The single player campaign lasts between 10-20 hours depending on difficulty and that’s just one playthrough. Multiple playthroughs will be needed to attain all campaign achievements and that is before you hit the challenge mode, player vs A.I. skirmish, online leagues or online custom games. There is certainly a lot to get through in StarCraft II if you choose to go deeper down the rabbit whole.

There is certainly enough on show here to last players for weeks, months, years or whenever the Heart of the Swarm expansion is released.

VERDICT: StarCraft II is by no means a perfect game. The dialogue trees touted at BlizzCon were disappointingly left out and Battle.net doesn’t let you play incognito but these are minor issues that can be overlooked because everything else is just so wonderfully crafted.

The gameplay is superb, the story telling is top notch and the cinematics are worthy of the big screen. Never before have I played an RTS that engages players in so many ways, from the decisions made aboard the Hyperion to orders dished out during the heat of battle. StarCraft II is not only the best RTS I have ever played but it is one of the best games I have ever played period!