Years in the making: Wings of Liberty Part One
In the year 1998, my life as I knew it changed forever when I first witnessed the original StarCraft in all of its glory. I remember being at a friend’s house in Montreal, being in his garage with the computer and popping in a disc.
What my eyes witnessed I can’t really comprehend. I wasn’t familiar with real-time strategy games being only eight-years-old, but there was something about this game that got my attention and in a big way.
When I got home later on that night, I downloaded a demo of the game featuring its own short campaign. However, after experiencing the game first-hand, I was more inclined to purchase the real thing.
One week later, my dad’s friend at work burnt me a copy of the game and I was in seventh heaven. If you haven’t already, check out my review of the original Star Craft at this link: And I don’t care what anything in brackets says it has the most views for a reason, goddamn it! 
And thus, nearly a decade later, after so much wait and coming of age, it is time for me to do something I’ve been wanting to do for so long and that is review Star Craft’s sequel – Star Craft 2: Wings of Liberty. And this review will be coming at you in two parts, in two weeks. I’m not going to be an asshole like some people and release something epic in two-parts with almost a year in-between. *Cough Harry Potter Cough*.
The review this week shall focus in on the single-player campaign, primarily dominated by the Terran race. The review next week shall focus on the multiplayer and the new and improved Battle.net 2.0. It is also to note that Wings of Liberty is the first chapter in what shall be a trilogy for Star Craft 2. The two other parts (expansions) shall be released at a later date by Blizzard and are entitled Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void.
And now that the “opening ceremonies” are done, let’s get right down to business. The review portion of the review, much like the “hockey portion” of a hockey game.
Firstly, the presentation. Star Craft 2 sticks to its roots by keeping a very familiar look to the game which fans can easily identify, but ups the graphical capabilities to the next level. Fact is, you’ll need a fine graphics card to play this game on its highest setting.
The units in the game can easily be compared to their original counterparts. Units such as the all-too-basic marine have received an upgrade, but still keep their look and actions from the original. This means the way they attack and move is still pretty much the same.
This keeps the nostalgia from the first game perfectly intact and that’s a good thing. Much of the unit dialogue is the same too, although redone just for this game.
One of the new interesting features happens to be an RPG-like screen in-between missions where the main protagonist, Jim Raynor, talks to his crew aboard the flagship Hyperion. The result is much like a point-and-click game such as Mist, only without all the boring. It’s fun to note that a lot of critics have praised this “innovation” really, I don’t see what the big deal is when it’s something as basic as this. It’s pointing and clicking and hearing dialogue between missions although it’s a nice fun touch, it’s nothing ground-breaking.
As far as cinematics (movie sequences) go, Wings of Liberty has some of the best this side of Korhal. Take this cinematic for example, which showcases one of the major events from the campaign in the first-game and fully depicts it using the technology of today. The result is like taking something you read about in a book and then making it into a film. And I for one approve. Very awesome stuff.
The sound, much like the graphics are phenomenal beyond belief. A beautiful score brings the game to life and really highlights the drama and energy of the conflict throughout the game. As far as production values go, it is clear that Blizzard takes things to another level and the payoff is well worth the price of admission.
The voice-acting is also, once again, quality stuff. Although some of it can be uber cheesy at times especially some of Raynor’s dialogue, you can’t help but shrug and at least crack a smile. It’s also to note that the combination of graphical-prowess, unbelievable music and the emphasis placed on the main characters really makes the ending to this game that much more meaningful. Without giving too much away, when the final cut-scene plays and the credits roll, you may even shed a tear and wish there was more to play.
The actual story of Wings of Liberty takes place four years after the expansion of the original: Broodwar. Jim Raynor is a wanted man and has been seen as being some sort of terrorist set on overthrowing the dominion. The Zerg have seemingly vanished, even though Kerrigan has enough forces to wipe out everyone in the sector and the Protoss are off constructing additional pylons or something.
Early on, Jim will run into an old friend, Tychus Findlay, who has found an easy way to make money in the form of collecting ancient Xel’Naga artefacts. Thing is, the Zerg want them too and you’ll have to duke it out against the dominion, Zerg and Protoss enroute to collecting all of these crazy things.
Think of each mission as being an episode from a TV show, with Wings of Liberty being the first season. As the story progresses, the more things heat up, like in any narrative, and when the going gets good, it gets really good.
However, on a personal note, any sort of attachment I had to the original Star Craft has been struck a serious blow with how the events of this game come about. I’m also not a fan of how some of the key parts in the first game get presented in this one too.
What I mean is, themes such as surviving at a base for twenty-minutes until drop ships arrive to pick you up was done in the first game early on and it happens here again. Personally, I was not a fan of this. Neither was I a fan of late-game story aspects involving the Protoss, but that’ll be spoiling it.
Overall, the story plays out like a cheesy 80s sci-fi film. For better or for worse I don’t know, but I didn’t hate it, just displeased in some parts. My main fear is of the story becoming predictable in the two expansions and turning into a cliché. Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that.
The gameplay remains the same from the earlier game. Which is a good thing. The addition of a few new units such as the Reaper and Medivac for the Terran race are what you’d expect from a sequel. However, mega game-play changes were not made. I’d have loved for much faster unit and building creation times. I know it’s supposed to be an RTS, but there’s no reason why at times the game should feel slow. I’d rather have things be instantaneous.
What we have on the game-play front is something that feels more like a Star Craft 1.5 than a 2.0. The game needed more units to say the least and a revolutionary feature. Instead, it sticks to all the conventions and although they’re preformed in the best possible way, there’s nothing new that sets the bar.
Pretty much, what you get from the single-player campaign is a new story with epic graphics and sound. And while the game-play is still great, it’s too much of the same to really call Star Craft 2 an innovator, rather a perfect mimic of its earlier version.
As far as the single-player goes, I would say rent it. However, you cannot rent PC games. Anywhere. Torrent the game maybe? Hah, I forgot to mention, you *must* be online to even play the single-player game. I’m not kidding. You have to be online. Which means if you pick this game up, you have to take the multiplayer into consideration.
And how is the multiplayer exactly? Well, I regret to remind you that that’s next week’s column. Until then, if you’re a Star Craft fanatic, then you probably already own this. And if you’re a casual player, it’s your call. But stay-tuned for next week when I take on Battle.net 2.0 and see if this game really was worth the wait.
For now then, my friends, I leave you. But until the time is right, keep on fighting until the last man falls. For glory. For honour. Fight for what you believe in. And win the day, for without it, tomorrow will never arrive. And with no tomorrow, all our yesterdays are without meaning. Seize the day. And with it, all of our dreams.
…To be concluded.
