An RTS to please all gamers
What can I say about Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty? What praise can I give the game that hasn’t already gushed from Angry Joe and dozens of other critics? Can I even describe the satisfaction (and, yes, relief) I felt when I learned that Starcraft 2 would be released for the Mac?
Speaking as a a gamer who isn’t fond of RTS games, Blizzard games transcend the conventions of their genres with top-notch presentation and storytelling.
Starcraft 2 is no different. Simply calling it an RTS game would be a disservice, as Starcraft 2 features a rip-roaring science-fiction plot at its core.
Raynor’s fight to overthrow the oppressive Dominion is compelling and told with few cliches. That’s not to say that Blizzard doesn’t have fun with its material, considering the many pop-culture references and the endearing, larger-than-life characters.
Raynor, the protagonist, is once again voiced by Robert Clotworthy, who superbly depicts a bitter yet kind-hearted mercenary committed to justice. This is a man haunted by the past and memories of Kerrigan, all the while caught up in a war with both the Dominion and the grotesque Zerg.
In a genre where units are expendable and trained with a click of a mouse, Starcraft and it sequel offer real, intriguing characters. Tychus Findlay is a burly old buddy of Raynor, and Raynor’s engineer Swann looks, amusingly, a lot like the dwarves from Warcraft, Blizzard’s other great RTS franchise.
The game is non-linear, as you can play most of the levels in any order. The levels themselves are creatively-designed, with some enthralling set-pieces. From raiding trains to escorting colonists and avoiding waves of lava, the action is diverse and never becomes repetitive.
Two of my favourite levels are relatively early in the game: in one you must keep your base ahead of a wave of fire inching across the arena while simultaneously fighting a Protoss base. The other level is a creepy, atmospheric situation in which you need to fend off hordes of infested humans by night and destroy their buildings by day.
The missions are linked by detailed real-time cut-scenes rendered on the fly by the game engine. These look fantastic even on low-end Macbooks like mine. These cut-scenes are just one level of Starcraft 2’s ingenuity: you spend your down-time in interactive rooms inside the Hyperion, Raynor’s battlecruiser. In here you can look at objects important to Raynor and the cause, boost your units in the Armory and Laboratory with the research points you’ve earned, chat with your crew in the rustic Cantina and choose your missions on the Bridge.
I play Blizzard games for two reasons: the story and cut-scenes.
I often find the process of gathering resources and building an army tedious in RTS games, but the gameplay in Starcraft 2 is challenging and rewarding. The game encourages you to protect your base with bunkers and turrets, research improvements and train the best units for the job, so the game is less about resources and more about tactics and good decisions. Moreover, the engrossing story, deep characters and stelar voice-acting make the staples of the genre all worthwhile.
And the CGI cut-scenes are kick-ass. Blizzard has always been good at these. For that matter, Warcraft III has some of the best CGI I’ve seen anywhere. Starcraft 2’s cut-scenes are extraordinarily detailed, and use impeccable textures, lighting and fluid, organic movements to further enrich the Terran storyline. One poignant scene reenacts a pivotal moment from the first game, with Sarah Kerrigan abandoned to the Zerg by the ruthless Emperor Mengsk. The Protoss hero Zeratul’s confrontation with the infested Kerrigan is low-key and ominous, but still the showdown we’ve been waiting for.
A worthy successor to the original, Starcraft 2 delivers on all counts, and will enthral even non-RTS fans with its intriguing story, engaging characters and immersive science-fiction universe.
As games of immense quality, Starcraft 2 and Blizzard’s other titles beg the question of why companies aren’t releasing more games for the Mac. Where there is no supply, there’s no demand, and Macs deserve more great games like this.
En taro Adun, reader! Starcraft 2 is a hit!
