modeps
09-07-2010, 11:01 AM
Title: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
Platform: PC
Platform Reviewed: PC
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment (http://blizzard.com/)
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment (http://blizzard.com)
MSRP: $59.99
Writer: James 'modeps' Hunter
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty SP Review
Easy Tychus, this isn't science fiction.
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is effectively two completely separate games in one package. First, you've got that thing that all South Koreans have been clammoring the past twelve years for: the updated competitive multiplayer. Then you've got the campaign. The following review will focus on this single player element, and should provide some clarity and interest to those who just ignore the game thinking that there's nothing here for them. Guess what? There's certainly something here for you.
Jimmy Raynor's lady friend was completely screwed over in the original StarCraft. She was a totally kick-ass Ghost soldier and second in command to Arcturus Mengsk, but he decided he wanted complete power and sacrificed her to the Zerg. Instead of killing her though, the Zerg decided to make her one of them and thus was born The Queen of Blades. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty takes place four years after the events of the first game, and if you didn't play that one or played it twelve years ago and completely forgot EVERYTHING about the story (like myself), not to worry! Just make sure you pay attention to the game's installer. It gives you a good synopsis about all the important Terran events from the previous game, ensuring you know what's up with the motivations of some key characters.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/SC2_1.jpg
The campaign itself throws you into the shoes of one James Raynor, focusing on the human (Terran) struggle in the overarching war. Jimmy is now an outlaw and the victim of a political smear campaign by the now-Emperor, Arcturus Mengsk. Despite all the naysaying, Raynor's reputation on the battlefield has granted him the luxury of having plenty of loyalists, including old time friend and convict, Tychus Findley.
One thing that Blizzard RTS titles have never been great about is conveying their story through anything more than talking heads during gameplay and CGI cutscenes but this time around, those issues have been mostly resolved. Sure you've still got the in-mission chatter from key characters on the battlefield, but in-between the action you'll spend most of your time on an interactive battleship. Before and after each mission, you'll generally get an in-engine cutscene either explaining your next action, or wrapping up what just took place. Despite these being rendered within the game itself, if your machine can handle the "ultra" settings, the character detail is really sweet.
The battleship is basically your hub section of the game with multiple locations to visit and characters to talk to. You'll be able to use credits earned from missions for different improvements to your units and structures from the very dwarf-like Engineer Rory Swann, or to hire different mercenary troupes. Mercenaries are like your regular units, but more bad ass and without any build time. Additionally, you'll gain research points on both Zerg and Protoss races by completing optional objectives within missions. For every five points you have on each race, you'll get to choose one of two upgrades. Picking one locks out it's alternative, so you'll want to think hard about what you feel is more your style. While none of these specific upgrades are super necessary, each can provide a handy ability or convenience that'll make you want to ensure you fill out each tech path. My personal favorites were the ability to call in supply depots from orbit (bypassing their build phase) and the auto-collecting Vespene factories, but being able to permanently mind-control attacking Ultralisks was also really rad.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/SC2_2.jpg
The greatest strength in the campaign is how Blizzard has managed to not just make it feel like a bunch of AI multiplayer skirmishes. So many other real time strategy games do this almost as a primer to the multiplayer coming off feeling completely hollow with a story that is ancillarilly unimportant. Each mission here has their own special objectives and goals that tie into the story and you'll rarely be in the position of "Duh, build big base and kill other guy." Let me say that again, each mission has their own special objectives. You'll get to assist a prison break, train robbery, weapons heist, and even a media blitz throughout the 25 mission campaign playthrough. The impressive variety in the missions here almost makes me think that Blizzard may have blew their wad already on that aspect of the trilogy. It's really that awesome.
Once you bust through the campaign, you also get a set of single player challenges that are geared to get you more skilled in some of the nuances of unit and base management. You'll learn what units are best against what and most importantly, how to start using hotkeys. These are certainly geared for higher level play and are tactics essential for multiplayer, but like the rest of the game, they're full of those Blizzard achievements if you're into the whole meta-game thing. Cap off that stuff with your AI skirmish modes, as well as a host of new single player focused mods that are being posted to Battle.NET and this is one hell of a package to take into the fortress of solitude.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/SC2_3.jpg
Blizzard has managed to do something that most other RTS developers have failed to do and that's make the single player actually feel like a single player campaign. The writing isn't the best in the business, but the story is completely gripping, full of "holy shit" moments, and comes to a satisfying conclusion making you itch for the Zerg-centric StarCraft II: Heart of the Storm. Even if the multiplayer isn't your thing and you don't feel like maximizing your build orders against some human computers, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is certainly worth your investment.
Score: 5 out of 5
http://evavhost.com/public/5.gif
The Good Tons of awesome moments within a gripping, albeit summer blockbuster style storyline. Scales well on plenty of hardware and remains looking great all the way. Thor.
The Bad At some point, the game does end. Some of the dialog is kind of painful.
The Ugly Oversexualized Medics saying "Where does it hurt?"
Platform: PC
Platform Reviewed: PC
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment (http://blizzard.com/)
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment (http://blizzard.com)
MSRP: $59.99
Writer: James 'modeps' Hunter
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty SP Review
Easy Tychus, this isn't science fiction.
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is effectively two completely separate games in one package. First, you've got that thing that all South Koreans have been clammoring the past twelve years for: the updated competitive multiplayer. Then you've got the campaign. The following review will focus on this single player element, and should provide some clarity and interest to those who just ignore the game thinking that there's nothing here for them. Guess what? There's certainly something here for you.
Jimmy Raynor's lady friend was completely screwed over in the original StarCraft. She was a totally kick-ass Ghost soldier and second in command to Arcturus Mengsk, but he decided he wanted complete power and sacrificed her to the Zerg. Instead of killing her though, the Zerg decided to make her one of them and thus was born The Queen of Blades. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty takes place four years after the events of the first game, and if you didn't play that one or played it twelve years ago and completely forgot EVERYTHING about the story (like myself), not to worry! Just make sure you pay attention to the game's installer. It gives you a good synopsis about all the important Terran events from the previous game, ensuring you know what's up with the motivations of some key characters.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/SC2_1.jpg
The campaign itself throws you into the shoes of one James Raynor, focusing on the human (Terran) struggle in the overarching war. Jimmy is now an outlaw and the victim of a political smear campaign by the now-Emperor, Arcturus Mengsk. Despite all the naysaying, Raynor's reputation on the battlefield has granted him the luxury of having plenty of loyalists, including old time friend and convict, Tychus Findley.
One thing that Blizzard RTS titles have never been great about is conveying their story through anything more than talking heads during gameplay and CGI cutscenes but this time around, those issues have been mostly resolved. Sure you've still got the in-mission chatter from key characters on the battlefield, but in-between the action you'll spend most of your time on an interactive battleship. Before and after each mission, you'll generally get an in-engine cutscene either explaining your next action, or wrapping up what just took place. Despite these being rendered within the game itself, if your machine can handle the "ultra" settings, the character detail is really sweet.
The battleship is basically your hub section of the game with multiple locations to visit and characters to talk to. You'll be able to use credits earned from missions for different improvements to your units and structures from the very dwarf-like Engineer Rory Swann, or to hire different mercenary troupes. Mercenaries are like your regular units, but more bad ass and without any build time. Additionally, you'll gain research points on both Zerg and Protoss races by completing optional objectives within missions. For every five points you have on each race, you'll get to choose one of two upgrades. Picking one locks out it's alternative, so you'll want to think hard about what you feel is more your style. While none of these specific upgrades are super necessary, each can provide a handy ability or convenience that'll make you want to ensure you fill out each tech path. My personal favorites were the ability to call in supply depots from orbit (bypassing their build phase) and the auto-collecting Vespene factories, but being able to permanently mind-control attacking Ultralisks was also really rad.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/SC2_2.jpg
The greatest strength in the campaign is how Blizzard has managed to not just make it feel like a bunch of AI multiplayer skirmishes. So many other real time strategy games do this almost as a primer to the multiplayer coming off feeling completely hollow with a story that is ancillarilly unimportant. Each mission here has their own special objectives and goals that tie into the story and you'll rarely be in the position of "Duh, build big base and kill other guy." Let me say that again, each mission has their own special objectives. You'll get to assist a prison break, train robbery, weapons heist, and even a media blitz throughout the 25 mission campaign playthrough. The impressive variety in the missions here almost makes me think that Blizzard may have blew their wad already on that aspect of the trilogy. It's really that awesome.
Once you bust through the campaign, you also get a set of single player challenges that are geared to get you more skilled in some of the nuances of unit and base management. You'll learn what units are best against what and most importantly, how to start using hotkeys. These are certainly geared for higher level play and are tactics essential for multiplayer, but like the rest of the game, they're full of those Blizzard achievements if you're into the whole meta-game thing. Cap off that stuff with your AI skirmish modes, as well as a host of new single player focused mods that are being posted to Battle.NET and this is one hell of a package to take into the fortress of solitude.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/SC2_3.jpg
Blizzard has managed to do something that most other RTS developers have failed to do and that's make the single player actually feel like a single player campaign. The writing isn't the best in the business, but the story is completely gripping, full of "holy shit" moments, and comes to a satisfying conclusion making you itch for the Zerg-centric StarCraft II: Heart of the Storm. Even if the multiplayer isn't your thing and you don't feel like maximizing your build orders against some human computers, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is certainly worth your investment.
Score: 5 out of 5
http://evavhost.com/public/5.gif
The Good Tons of awesome moments within a gripping, albeit summer blockbuster style storyline. Scales well on plenty of hardware and remains looking great all the way. Thor.
The Bad At some point, the game does end. Some of the dialog is kind of painful.
The Ugly Oversexualized Medics saying "Where does it hurt?"