StarCraft redefined a genre at a time when many people didn’t even know it was in trouble. It took the tried-and-true WarCraft formula and flipped it on its head, delivering three distinct races, each with their own unique gameplay mechanics and story-based motivations. It revolutionised competitive RTS gameplay and created an entire new league of professional competition, and it spawned celebrities who would not in their wildest dreams have hoped to be able to have fan clubs and sponsorship deals for their sweet micro skills.

It’s been eleven years since then, which is a hell of a long time to spend on a sequel. Blizzard have been dreaming big - so big in fact that they’ve decided to split StarCraft II’s single-player storyline into three parts, a decision which enraged many fans and led to accusations of money-grubbing. Wings of Liberty is only the first in this trilogy, and so the question on everyone’s lips is: is it worth it?

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For what it is worth, even opening the box itself was an experience, covered as it is in panoramic artwork and unfolding to show a spread of the glory (and horror, as they’re keen to emphasise) of StarCraft II’s intergalactic warfare. And even all these years later, Blizzard are still packing their boxes with special branded notepads - it really brought a bit of a tear to my eye, it did. Soon enough though, I’d managed to compose myself and the (rather lengthy) installing and patching process was underway. Anybody who wasn’t familiar with the storyline from the original StarCraft should crank up the volume at this point, because a generically sci-fi-voiced woman will helpfully narrate the whole thing for you during the install process.

The game begins with the cinematic we all saw and pooped ourselves over three years ago - only this time it’s got voice-overs. We now know of course that this cinematic introduces the character of Tychus Findlay, a marine convict who kicks off the single-player storyline of StarCraft II when he sets out to find Jim Raynor and convince him to help him steal a whole pile of alien artifacts. Jim is actually quite busy getting plastered in a bar on a backwater planet, but he doesn’t need too much convincing to get involved. Unfortunately, it turns out that these alien artifacts are important enough that the Zerg and the Protoss want to get a hold of them, and so our campaign begins.

Once you’re out of Joey-Ray’s crap-shackle bar you’ll find yourself scooting around space in your own capital ship, the Hyperion. In between missions you can stroll around points of interest on the ship, conversing with the staff there and checking out various bits and pieces that you’ve acquired. It’s delightful to watch the ship change as you progress through the storyline, even down to the small details like the strange Zerg organism your pet awkward-science-wunderkind is growing down in the lab. The ship also has a number of easter eggs to find and enjoy - try checking out the arcade machine in the cantina for example, it’s a real blast from the past.



The single-player missions themselves go out of their way to serve you up a happy helping of variety. In the space of a few hours I’d gone from straight up fighting, to a mining operation on a world which flooded with lava every few minutes, to a cleansing of an infested world where I was swamped by attackers every night, and then finished up with a good old-fashioned train heist. The campaign gives you a choice of which missions to take and which to ignore, though it certainly seems in your best interests to do every one if you’ve got the time. There doesn't appear to be any penalty or bonus to trying to please any one of your particular crewmates, and the more points you get, the more swanky upgrades you can buy for your little army.

All of these story-elements are visually gorgeous and really flex the muscles of the new graphics engine powering the game. It’s a great addition to a formula which previously struggled to tell its story through tiny character portraits and extended mission briefings. Seeing your characters walking, talking and slamming back copious amounts of whiskey - and boy, can Raynor drink - really helps generate the emotional connection that was somewhat missing from the original StarCraft, which can only be a good thing considering how much Blizzard are playing up the emotionally-conflicted soldier angle. And hey, sometimes it’s just cool as hell to be able to head down to the Armoury and examine a high-poly suit of Firebat armour up close.

It feels a bit hollow to leave the single-player discussion there - Blizzard have really outdone themselves with Wings of Liberty. The complex missions, narrative choices and just plain hot-damn-lookit-that coolness of the entire experience is really going to be the biggest drawcard of this new trilogy for many people. Sure, some of the dialogue is a bit game-y and meta, but StarCraft is now the sweeping, majestic space opera that Blizzard always intended for it to be and it's beautiful to see that vision finally realised. If you're still on the edge, do yourself a favour and check out this trailer to see the sort of gorgeous cinematics and storytelling waiting for you.

When it comes to the multiplayer, things haven’t changed much since we first looked at it back in February. The service is fully integrated with the new Battle.net 2.0, and it’s fair to say that it’s a huge rocket-propelled leap beyond the days of the original StarCraft. As in the beta test, you can opt to play a series (fifty, in total) of unranked practice matches before joining the league. The matchmaking service pairs you up with people of a similar skill inside your own league, so even if you’re a non-competitive chump like me who thinks the best way to victory is to build twelve thousand Banelings, you can find a like-minded soul to butt heads with.



In fact, saying “the multiplayer hasn’t changed much” is a pretty fair way to describe it. As we noted in our beta impressions, at its heart and despite all its graphical polish, StarCraft II really is just a visual overhaul of the rock-solid game design that made the original so successful. While they may have completely revamped the single player campaign, Blizzard are not about to fix something that ain’t broken. If you’ve played the original StarCraft then you’ll quickly get to grips with this - aside from a few unit swaps and tweaks, it’s the same old beast you know and love.

At the end of the day, all discussions of the contentious trilogy-splitting decision aside, I am happy to say that Wings of Liberty at least, is a game well worth your time. For the price of admission you get access to the full multiplayer experience, as well as a lengthy single player campaign which easily equals that of any other major RTS release. With future expansion pricing and details yet to be announced, speculating at the future of the series is pointless. Wings of Liberty is out now, and it’s everything that you’ve been waiting for. If you buy just one strategy title this year, make it StarCraft II. You won’t regret it.

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