StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Review: Upgrade Complete [Review]

Real-time tactics evolve with StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Blizzard\’s long inside the making sequel to 1 of probably the most beloved, bestselling sci-fi strategy games of all time. Oh, so you\’ve heard of it, then?

Three distinct races, the displaced humans referred to as Terrans, the ancient, mystical alien Protoss, and the insect-like Zerg horde, are (still) embroiled in an intergalactic war. Billions die as the Zerg swarm reawakens from hibernation four years after the events of 1998\’s StarCraft: Brood War. In StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, players will largely experience the Terran side of this story under the command of Jim Raynor, hero of the original StarCraft and now enemy of the imperial Dominion forces. Raynor and his faithful crew of Raiders hop from planet to planet looking for artifacts that might end the Zerg\’s reign of terror and that of its leader, the Queen of Blades.

Of course, that\’s just a small slice of what StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty has to supply. Apart from the lengthy story-driven campaign mode, there\’s a deep multiplayer component, a revamped Battle.net matchmaking and social service, plus a strong game mode editor.

Was it all worth waiting more than a decade to play?

Loved

As Good As Sci-fi Space Opera Gets: StarCraft II\’s single-player campaign story engages and satisfies-however we only peek at a third of this game\’s arc in Wings of Liberty. After waiting far too long to revisit the heroic Terran marshal Jim Raynor, the tragic Ghost-turned-Zerg queen Sarah Kerrigan, and their respective conflicts with the sleazy Emperor Arcturus Mengsk, it was StarCraft II\’s single-player campaign that I anticipated most. It would not disappoint. The story meanders as Blizzard dispenses some missions that serve as tutorials, some as experience-awarding filler, but it surely never loses sight of its looming climax. Raynor\’s crew and shipmates always have something interesting to assert about their situation, some insight that would flesh out their character. Wings of Liberty\’s story blends humor, tragedy, mystery and intrigue into something worth playing through, ending on an exciting note. The expansion StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm cannot come soon enough.

Fine Mission Design: Over the course of Wings of Liberty\’s 29 campaign missions-I personally wound up playing through 26 of them to succeed in its end-rarely does a mission feel rehashed. Some worlds are flooded with lava every short time, some spawn unstoppable armies of zombie-like Zerg at night, some require stealthy gameplay and demand careful unit management. Almost all are memorable and crammed with alluring bonus objectives and challenging, elective achievement-based skill tests. There are not any duds.

Decisions, Decisions: As Wings of Liberty\’s story progresses, the player is faced with some hard choices. With whom should Jim Raynor ally himself? Who to trust in this war wherein billions of lives could be lost? Blizzard was more than effective in making me second guess each pivotal decision. While the interactive portions of StarCraft II\’s story can have been conflicting, choosing which research items and troop upgrades best suit my play style was much easier. While collecting relics and earning cash by taking jobs, Raynor might be given the danger to adapt his troops, buildings, vehicles and ships in compelling new ways. The impact of these decision making moments makes Wings of Liberty playing through more than once (or a minimum of saving your game frequently).

Adventure Lite: I\’d hesitate to label the in-between moments spent on the Battlecruiser Hyperion an adventure game or a job-playing game. It\’s not that deep, But clicking around Raynor\’s spaceship environment was a treat. Speaking with non-player characters and surveying the ship\’s armory, lab and cantina was infinitely better than the other from the original StarCraft. In preference to watching talking heads explain why Planet X needed to be infiltrated, rich characters engaged in conversation, exposing aspects of their personality that made them memorable.

The Campaign Remix: There are creative unit and talent additions within the single-player campaign which could\’t be experienced elsewhere. Familiar units from the original StarCraft that were left on the cutting room floor, like the Terran Medic and Firebat, are alive and well here. The addition of specially powered Mercenary troops that players can hire further lends StarCraft II\’s story-driven side a feeling of observing the director\’s cut of the game. It usually is a little bit unsettling to play through Wings of Liberty\’s campaign and then dive into multiplayer, where your tech tree and tactics will have to be relearned, but the wild variety here’s an enlightening have a look at the probabilities Blizzard was willing to make.

Old Units, New Tactics: Some StarCraft standbys appear virtually unchanged within the sequel, like the gruff Terran Marine and the Zerg Hydralisk, essential to any army. But small changes to these units and greater alterations for brand spanking new or evolved ones open up exciting new tactical opportunities. Chokepoint strategies are rendered less useful by the Terran Reaper and Protoss Colossus, which essentially ignore terrain. The Zerg Infestor, which is able to possess enemy units, and the method of moving Zerg units that remain cloaked underground wildly changes how old units should be employed. Tried and true tactics, like Zerg rushes and micro-managed Terrans Siege Tanks, can still work, but players might be required to think differently about how they\’re employed. StarCraft II won’t go far enough in shaking up the formula, but its less obvious changes will have substantial impact.

3v3, No Waiting: Moving into a multiplayer game of StarCraft II is smooth, streamlined and speedy. It\’s also fair, attributable to matchmaking rankings that have led to closely contested matches more often than blowouts. StarCraft II\’s interface for finding, creating and joining a versus game is straightforward for people that just are looking to hop into a skirmish, but in addition customizable enough that playing on the map of your choosing with the Battle.net friends of your choosing is a snap. Browsing custom games and player-created maps is simple, making it simple to get in, get out, a deliver your opponent a \” GG.\”

Play It Again, Jim: a much more helpful tool for making improvements to one\’s StarCraft II\’s game than its tutorials and player guide are post-match stats and replays. After a win or defeat, players can save replays of matches to study another player\’s build order or know how they built their tech tree. It is a great tactical equalizer and may be explored by new players thoroughly.

The Lure of Achievements: I really like achievements as a learning tool-the game regularly encourages you to play it on harder difficulties-and StarCraft II\’s virtual rewards do a professional job of constructing playing smarter more rewarding. The campaign and challenges become more appealing to revisit due to numerous achievements across game types and dozens of unlockable avatars and decals.

Hated

The 12 Year Half-Step: For all of its polish, its technical accomplishments and its masterfully told sci-fi story, there\’s an inescapable feeling of StarCraft II being stuck in time. While still thrilling, the gameplay side of StarCraft II feels less innovative than it does derivative. That\’s more of a made from the original StarCraft\’s ingenuity, which was dazzling for its remarkable balance between three distinct races and its massive, species spanning story. Wings of Liberty may be a harsh reminder that almost all of StarCraft II\’s story is yet to be informed, an excellent more painfully long wait to work out this chapter unfold.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty comes with its share of nits, including its lack of true local area network play, its demands for an online connection to play-though campaign and solo missions will probably be played offline-and its comparatively tame progression when it comes to real-time strategy gameplay. Anything else of what Wings of Liberty brings to the table far outweighs those pesky complaints. It\’s full of an excellent story, nearly limitless gameplay opportunities and a finely balanced, competitive playing field.

The greatest thrills, after the impact of Wings of Liberty\’s powerful story has sunk in, remain online. Other players are crafting unique maps and experiences with StarCraft II\’s Galaxy Map Editor, pumping out mods that turn the method game into a shooter, a platformer, a kart racer and more. Other players are simply anticipating a competitive or cooperative challenge, able to surprise you with new attacks and counterattacks, frustrating and impressing you with their ingenuity.

StarCraft II continues to be a game of micromanagement, build speed and base management, fiddling with and against forces you\’re mostly knowledgeable about in a theater of war that certainly feels less fresh than it did in 1998. But Blizzard has polished that classic real-time strategy gameplay to an excellent shine, offering a single and multiplayer experience which is unmatched. The long wait was worth it, if only to kick off another long wait to look how StarCraft II ultimately ends.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty was developed by Blizzard and published by Activision Blizzard for the PC and Mac on July 27. Retails for $59.99 USD. a duplicate of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played single-player campaign to completion on Normal difficulty, played half of the game\’s Challenges and played dozens of multiplayer matches inside the multiplayer beta and final versions of the game.

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