Reviewed by Francis Portugal
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Blizzard Entertainment is a hugely successful video game developer and publisher, currently owned by Activision. Michael Morhaime, Frank Pearce, and Allen Adham founded the company in 1991 as Silicon & Synapse. Blizzard is responsible for three major video game series’ which are worshipped by fans, and well-respected within the video game community.
Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty is the long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed Starcraft and expansion pack Starcraft: Brood War. It was both developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment and released on July 27, 2010; twelve long years after the release of its predecessor.
Starcraft II is single player, real-time strategy game for the PC or Mac. It is rated T (Teen) and is suitable for players 13+. The game is based around epic war battles and covert, infiltration scenarios, so the game does contain violence. The cut-scenes contain more graphic violence and also use some crude and strong language.
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URL:http://us.media.blizzard.com/sc2/media/screenshots/battlenet_interface_001-large.jpg
The latest installment of the Starcraft sequel takes place four years after the events of Starcraft: Brood War. The series revolves around three galactic races, each with their own buildings and units; strengths and weaknesses.
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URL: http://us.media.blizzard.com/sc2/media/artwork/artwork_icon_terran-large.jpg
The Terran race is a fictionalized reinterpretation of the Human race. They are dependent on planetary minerals and vespene gas and use their advances in mechanical technology to travel from planet to planet when those resources run out. When they are not worrying about harvesting resources, the Terran race is fighting off the forever multiplying Zerg swarm.
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URL:http://us.media.blizzard.com/sc2/media/screenshots/protoss_observer_003-large.jpg
The Zerg swarm is a race of life-size creepy, crawly insects. They are parasites whose main goal is to mutate and multiply. They have no technology but genetic mutations have allowed their race to create multiple variations of bloodthirsty insectoids who can travel by land and air. The swarm is controlled by a single hive mind and acts much like ants or bees.
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URL: http://us.media.blizzard.com/sc2/media/artwork/artwork_icon_zerg01-large.jpg
Former Terran Ghost Operative, current leader of the Zerg Swarm: The Queen of Blades, Sarah Kerrigan
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URL: http://us.media.blizzard.com/sc2/media/artwork/cin_kerrigan_hydra-large.jpg
The third race is the alien Protoss. They are strong, technologically advanced humanoids who have strong psionic abilities. They are a wise race with a long history. They are spread across the galaxy due to a race-wide civil war between the Khalai and the Dark Templars that originated from their home planet, Aiur. The Khalai are a community of honorable alien tribal warriors. The Dark Templars are powerful Protoss with full control over their psionic abilities. They are outcast from Aiur and considered heretics against the race by the Khalai elders.
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URL: http://us.media.blizzard.com/sc2/media/artwork/artwork_icon_protoss-large.jpg
Revered Dark Templar mystic, Zeratul.
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The Wings of Liberty installment of the Starcraft II series focuses on the Terran race. Players begin the game as Jim Raynor, leader of Raynor’s Raiders; a rebel force who vow to take down the Terran Dominion its Emperor, Arcturus Mengsk.
Jim Raynor leads his rebel Rangers.
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Emperor Mengsk: Leader of the oppressive Terran Dominion
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URL: http://us.media.blizzard.com/sc2/media/artwork/mengsk-fervor-large.jpg
Four years after the events of Starcraft: Brood War, the Terran Dominion Forces have flourished with the mysterious retreat of Kerrigan and the Zerg swarm to the Planet Char and the return of the Protoss as the passive protector of the galaxy.
Raynor and the Raiders attempt to liberate as many from oppressive Dominion but the sudden reemergence of the swarm on the planet Mar Sara, pushes Jim Raynor to the Hyperion Battlecruiser where he must find a way to stop the Dominion, fight the Zerg onslaught, and discover the secrets to a Protoss Xel’Naga artifact that may hold the secret to it all. The order of how Jim Raynor and his band of outlaws do it is completely up to the user.
Terran Battlecruisers vs. Zerg Mutalisks
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URL: Terran Battlecruisers vs. Zerg Mutalisks
The New Media Marine Rating system:
The most accurate review rating system around. The effectiveness of the game depends on how many Energy Drinks you’ll be forced to consume when you pick up the controller and embark on the hours of geekdom that you will soon relish.
Drink Coaster
Receive in a Trade for a 3 year old EA Sports Game
Rentable
Order up some Popeye’s and use a sick day
“What day is it???”
Graphics:
The graphics of Starcraft II: The Wings of Liberty are stellar. I absolutely love that Zerg creep appears to come to life. Unfortunately, the true beauty of the game can only be full seen with a computer capable of running the game’s Ultra settings. If not, it’s still a nostalgic reminder of the old LAN parties and sleepless nights in the local net café.
Zerg creep and buildings come to life, pulsating and spreading across the playable map.
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URL: http://us.media.blizzard.com/sc2/media/screenshots/terran_battlecruiser_002-large.jpg
Comparison of textures when in Ultra (top) and low (bottom)
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Audio:
The sounds of battle combined with an amazing score make the user feel like they are commanding the final battle scene of a Peter Jackson film. Still, nothing more boring to listen to than the sound of an SCV harvesting mineral.
Gameplay:
Different combinations of units and abilities can be unlocked to provide a unique campaign experience every time. Varying mission types keep the game interesting throughout. It is a highly addicting experience that cannot be explained.
Lasting Appeal:
The game features replayable campaigns and custom build battles versus the computer. Then we have the multiplayer mode, the real reason you would install Starcraft II onto your computer. There is a huge community on Battle.net which means an endless supply of 1 on 1, and team based battles. Battle.net have gameplay seasons that test and place all users to ensure most battles are evenly matched.
Battle.net seasons vary in length. Season 1 lasted 1 year. Currently season length is at 2 months long. Users are ranked in various leagues. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster. The top 200 players in each region are given Grandmaster status.
Image courtesy of Blizzard.com
URL: http://us.media.blizzard.com/sc2/media/screenshots/battlenet_interface_006-large.jpg
Overall
As close to a perfect game than one can expect. The only downfall comes from the fact that there is a feeling that Blizzard held back from giving up the goods in favor of saving the full sequel experience for the upcoming Zerg and Protoss based expansion packs.
This is largely the same game as its predecessor, with improvements in graphics and a few new units. For the avid Starcraft user, 12 years of waiting would leave you partially unsatisfied.
The story is amazing, but with the first 3 installments in the Starcraft II series; Blizzard appears to be merely setting the stage for the upcoming Zerg and Protoss expansion packs.
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URL: http://us.media.blizzard.com/sc2/media/artwork/artwork_starcraft-large.jpg
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