Starcraft
Released March 31 1998, Blizzard Entertainment's Starcraft is a must for any strategy fan. Like any game from this studio, Starcraft sets the quality bar extraordinarily high for the strategy genre. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, one could argue that no strategy game released since has lived up to this title with regards to narrative, creative races, and gameplay balance.
At the heart of the Starcraft universe lies a compelling space opera with three races jockeying for galatic supremacy: Terran, Zerg, and Protoss. The Terrans are humans with convential weapons and power armored vehicles. The zerg are an alien race whose inspiration is ripped straight from movies such as Aliens. The zerg's melee ability is devastating in the hands of an experienced player. Lastly, the protoss combines elements is the technologically advanced race. What sets this game apart from its peers is the gameplay balance. The protoss while strong are very resource intensive, whereas the terran and zerg are considerably cheaper. However in the right hands, anyone of the races can easily dominate.
The narrative is Starcraft is an old-fashioned space opera with many memorable characters. Jim Raynor, Kerrigan, Admiral Duke, and Phoenix drive you on to next mission. Many strategy games lack a narrative to compel one to play further. Starcraft strays far from the norm. It is a fun and highly engaging intergalatic romp.
The multiplayer gives this game serious legs. Just ask South Korea....Starcraft tournaments are televised, and the best players are celebrities with gamers across the country.
In short, BUY THIS GAME!