About the game: The sequel to the best RTS of all time? I think that says it all. This review is going to be about the single player experience. In Starcraft there are 3 races the Terran humans (which this single-player game is all about), the Protoss (Aliens with awesome tech) and Zerg (disgusting insect creatures like the "Bugs" in Starship Troopers).
Controls: The controls are upgraded since the original and are that much better.
Graphics: These graphics will not be the best you have ever seen, but they certainly have some wow factor to them. The cut scenes are tops as in all Blizzard games, and the interlude in game scenes are also high quality.
Sound: The music/sound is tops as in all Blizzard games. The music has that epic feel to it when your in the middle of some insane mission or lulls to a slow symphony.
Gameplay: This is the is the RTS of the future. The game has the feel of the original game but with many upgrades. Though you only get 1/3 of the story, it feels like a "complete" RTS.
In the standard RTS you have a base and have to farm resources in order to build buildings and units. Then you use these units to beat the enemy (whomever that may be). The game deviates a bit from this at times as you might have to escort people to a destination or you might have to defend for a certain amount of time, but the standard is still the standard even in this game.
This portion of the single-player is the Terrans and your old friend Jim Raynor is back looking older, wiser and still flying on a huge battleship he stole in the first game.
The game has an epic single-player story but it includes many RPG elements. For example when your not doing a mission you can wander around the ship your flying on. As you walk around you can talk to people touch various things and it might give you some information or it might advance the plot a little.
One of the best things blizzard did is include units in the single-player campaign that aren't in the multi-player. This makes for a real unique experience as you will be using your medics and firebats to heal and burn. As you complete missions you will get a currency that can be used to upgrade your units and even hire mercenaries. You also can find these Protoss and Zerg artifacts that will allow you to make permanent upgrades to your base. Like you can get turrets on top of the bunkers or even build a building that slows down the Zerg.
Mercs are a super cool feature, basically they have their own building and after a cool down you can summon them to the battlefield in small numbers. What makes them awesome is that you can summon them instantly so they can help you out in a pinch. Especially in some of the very hard missions that occur later in the camapign.
The storyline for the game is pretty straightforward and I will not spoil anything but you do get the opportunity to play as another race other than Terran.
The game has some surprises along the way and it really is an epic feel, the only let down was that when your done with the game you have to wait another year (or more) for the next installment.
This really only brushes the surface as to how good the game is. If you have not played the original, I suggest you go and get it and at the same time buy this for when your done.
