|
At some point every semester in my classes, the Korean obsession with StarCraft comes up, to which I always respond that the day StarCraft II is announced is the day that Korea shuts down. Well… when was the last time you heard something about the North Korean Nuclear Program on the news. I’m sure a few would argue that it’s still around and kicking, but being overlooked because of other world issues, but me… well, I think I’ve played the real reason.
The cool thing about Starcraft has always been how Blizzard managed to take a wholly unremarkable game and turn it into one of the most engrossing and fun strategy games on the market. While other games in the genre have tried to take more complicated routes, StarCraft has managed to take a set of simple units and bases and create an incredible amount of depth. It’s no wonder then that Blizzard has stuck to its gameplay guns with StarCraft II.
The thing that struck me about StarCraft II was how comfortable the game felt. All through college I was a Starcraft nut (to the point where my roommate and I duct taped about 10-feet of cables to our dorm room ceiling), but I really haven’t played the game since. After some break-in time, I found myself ordering around smaller forces with relative ease and had a lot of fun doing it.
As far as background is concerned, Starcraft II continues the war between the Terrans, Protoss and Zerg and picks up right after StarCraft: Brood War. Very little has been released about the story other than a few familiar faces, like Jim Raynor and the Queen of Blades herself, Kerrigan, will show up. Regardless of the drama surrounding the three factions, it is clear that all three have been hard at work developing new weapons of war. I couldn’t begin to name some of the newer units, but players can look forward to all sorts of new toys, such as jump-jet equipped troops for the Terrans and giant War of the Worlds-style walkers for the Protoss. Not to be left out, the Zerg gain a Queen unit, whose abilities will grow alongside your base. Of course, as is usually the case with all things Blizzard, things can and probably will change… so don’t marry any of this information (in fact, it’s probably not even legal in most states).
Another “typically Blizzard” trait are the visuals, which are just as eye-catching as the game is fun. Although the view and most of the interface look just like the original, everything is now done in 3D and carries that unique Blizzard feel. I loved it personally, but was surprised by the number of negative comments I heard from some on-lookers. Then again, given the Diablo III “It’s Too Bright” non-troversy, I shouldn’t have been. While there may have been a few detractors, the large swarms of eager fans inundating Blizzard’s booth indicate that Blizzard is doing something right and has a hit on its hands whenever the game is released. |
