Review: Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty - Starcraft for Dummies ...
Eric Shapiro - New York Press 7-24-2010
ve sent shivers of anticipation racing up and down your spine. Even if you don’t know the difference between a zergling and an ultralisk, you’ve at least heard of the game. If, on the other hand, you’re a complete StarCraft neophyte, fear not; offered on this very web page is a glimpse into the world of the nerdom.
Lets start with current events. Midnight tonight will see the release of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the sequel to Blizzard Entertainment’s critically acclaimed and massively successful RTS (real time strategy) gameStarCraft. Walk by any place that’s selling it, and you’ll see fans waiting on line.
Blizzard Entertainment is most well known for this little thing called World of Warcraft, in addition to several other entries in their Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo franchises. Blizzard’s titles are notable for their long-term appeal; more than a decade after the release of the original StarCraft, gamers across the world still play it on Battle.net, Blizzard’s online service. In Korea, StarCraft is a national sport with a professional league and multiple TV channels devoted entirely to the game. It has set records for “Largest Income in Professional Gaming” (one Korean player has raked in $222,845 in 2010 so far) and “Largest Audience for a Game Competition” (120,000 fans showed up for a game). In short, it’s something of a phenomenon.
The real time (as opposed to turn-based) strategy genre, of which Warcraft I-III and StarCraft (NOT World of Warcraft, which is an online role-playing game) are distinguished members, places players in control of armies that they must build up and coordinate in order to outmaneuver opponents. Although quite diverse, some recurring features of the RTS genre include resource gathering, unit creation/management and devising complex strategies that take advantage of opponents’ vulnerabilities.
StarCraft revolutionized the RTS genre by making each of its three playable races, Terran, Zerg and Protoss, completely distinct. The Terrans are essentially humans, shipped off from Earth on prison vessels as an experiment in interstellar colonization. They rely on cybernetics and technology to wage war. The Zerg are an insectoid race, subservient to a universal hive mind bent on assimilating all life into the swarm. The Protoss are an ancient race equipped with a combination of psionic powers and advanced technology.
StarCraft’s single-player campaign mode offers a rare example of effective, memorable storytelling in videogames, with well-developed characters and a rich backstory that draws on the best of science fiction. It is the multiplayer, however, that accounts for the game’s enormous popularity. Like chess, StarCraft is simple to learn (although it may seem overwhelming at first) and difficult to master. True mastery requires the ability to multitask, work effectively with teammates, strategize, adjust to contingencies, and function under pressure. It is for this reason that the game has been used for training in the U.S. Air Force. It’s also one of the many reasons you should give it a try, even if you don’t consider yourself a gamer or a geek.
The original StarCraft is only around $20 (cheaper on ebay), or you can easily download it online (we, of course, don't endorse that). The graphics are a bit dated, but the gameplay itself is timeless.
Check out the latest and final cinematic trailer for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty here and click here for actual gameplay.
ve sent shivers of anticipation racing up and down your spine. Even if you don’t know the difference between a zergling and an ultralisk, you’ve at least heard of the game. If, on the other hand, you’re a complete StarCraft neophyte, fear not; offered on this very web page is a glimpse into the world of the nerdom.
Lets start with current events. Midnight tonight will see the release of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the sequel to Blizzard Entertainment’s critically acclaimed and massively successful RTS (real time strategy) gameStarCraft. Walk by any place that’s selling it, and you’ll see fans waiting on line.
Blizzard Entertainment is most well known for this little thing called World of Warcraft, in addition to several other entries in their Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo franchises. Blizzard’s titles are notable for their long-term appeal; more than a decade after the release of the original StarCraft, gamers across the world still play it on Battle.net, Blizzard’s online service. In Korea, StarCraft is a national sport with a professional league and multiple TV channels devoted entirely to the game. It has set records for “Largest Income in Professional Gaming” (one Korean player has raked in $222,845 in 2010 so far) and “Largest Audience for a Game Competition” (120,000 fans showed up for a game). In short, it’s something of a phenomenon.
The real time (as opposed to turn-based) strategy genre, of which Warcraft I-III and StarCraft (NOT World of Warcraft, which is an online role-playing game) are distinguished members, places players in control of armies that they must build up and coordinate in order to outmaneuver opponents. Although quite diverse, some recurring features of the RTS genre include resource gathering, unit creation/management and devising complex strategies that take advantage of opponents’ vulnerabilities.
StarCraft revolutionized the RTS genre by making each of its three playable races, Terran, Zerg and Protoss, completely distinct. The Terrans are essentially humans, shipped off from Earth on prison vessels as an experiment in interstellar colonization. They rely on cybernetics and technology to wage war. The Zerg are an insectoid race, subservient to a universal hive mind bent on assimilating all life into the swarm. The Protoss are an ancient race equipped with a combination of psionic powers and advanced technology.
StarCraft’s single-player campaign mode offers a rare example of effective, memorable storytelling in videogames, with well-developed characters and a rich backstory that draws on the best of science fiction. It is the multiplayer, however, that accounts for the game’s enormous popularity. Like chess, StarCraft is simple to learn (although it may seem overwhelming at first) and difficult to master. True mastery requires the ability to multitask, work effectively with teammates, strategize, adjust to contingencies, and function under pressure. It is for this reason that the game has been used for training in the U.S. Air Force. It’s also one of the many reasons you should give it a try, even if you don’t consider yourself a gamer or a geek.
The original StarCraft is only around $20 (cheaper on ebay), or you can easily download it online (we, of course, don't endorse that). The graphics are a bit dated, but the gameplay itself is timeless.
Check out the latest and final cinematic trailer for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty here and click here for actual gameplay.