Well, I honestly didn't think it'd happen, but somehow I've been sucked back into Starcraft 2, just like I did on spring break two years ago. Of course, that was largely due to the release of Heart of the Swarm, and with a release date for the next expansion nowhere in sight, what was it that got me back into the game? Honestly, I can't say for sure, and I've tried a few times since March of 2013 to get invested in the game again. I've been unsuccessful, only playing a few bot matches here and there before burning out. Now though, I've started the Wings of Liberty campaign for what must be the third or fourth time. Not only that, I've been making a real effort to improve my tactics against bots, and the progress I'm seeing and new strategies I've been adopting are reason enough to keep going. It took a few hours, but I can safely say that I'm once again hopelessly addicted to Starcraft 2.
So what was my experience back when Heart of the Swarm was released? I, like many people I'm sure, found my interest reignited at the prospect of not only new units and tweaks to the multiplayer, but also new campaign content. While I'm sure the statistics for people who play Starcraft 2 for the campaign are very low, I've always found the single-player content Blizzard puts out to be extremely rewarding. You can easily get base-building gameplay from AI skirmishes and multiplayer, but the campaign throws balance out the window. It becomes a power fantasy of monumental proportions, throwing dozens of unique units and abilities at the player, giving them a whole lot to mess around with which isn't available in the multiplayer. The mission structure is also nothing to sneeze at, with unique objectives at every turn. It made the lengthy campaign in the first game engaging throughout, and is largely what encouraged me to pick up the expansion at launch.
But of course, the campaign does end eventually, and while hours of enjoyment can be garnered from going back and replaying missions for achievements (and at higher difficulties), curiosity about the other half of the game was inevitable for me. The terrifyingly high skill-ceiling in Starcraft 2 multiplayer has always interested me, and while I doubt I'll ever be invested enough to make it up the ranks; getting better against AI has remained enjoyable for years. Each time I start another AI skirmish, I hone my skills just a little bit more, and every time I think of new strategies. Perhaps I built a supply depot slightly late, and as a result I was supply blocked. Watching footage of the game is also helpful, and is a great source for finding new strategies to employ later on.
In any case, I've loved getting back into what I consider to be a damn-near perfect game, and undoubtedly the best strategy game I've ever played. I'm planning to continue through the Wings of Liberty campaign today, and maybe do a few more AI matches. I'd also like to learn Protoss at some point, but that may have to wait until I have more basic strategy down.
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