StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty PC

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty for PC is the first episode of the sequel to one of the most popular real-time strategy games in history of gaming. The first installment of the series was released in 1998 and received an expansion entitled Brood War. In total, the second one comprises of three episodes: Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, and Legacy of the Void. All three were developed by Blizzard Entertainment.

Story

Wings of Liberty is the first, fundamental part of StarCraft II that begins the trilogy. The game offers a full-blown multiplayer mode, an advanced map editor, and, first and foremost, an extensive story campaign that tells of the Terrans. We assume the role of Jim Raynor known from the original StarCraft who, according to the laws of the Terran Dominion (headed by deceptive Arcturus Mengsk), is a rebel. As the brave Raynor, we are to fight the returning race of Zerg led by Kerrigan, who is interested in obtaining a certain artifact. We will also meet the mysterious and powerful Protoss, as well. The campaign offers a large amount of freedom – we can select missions ourselves and invest in technologies of our choosing.

Gameplay

StarCraft II for PC resembles its predecessor in many aspects, for the basic gameplay mechanics remained the same. However, the developers decided to divide the game into three parts, and each episode is focused on one of three playable factions. Commanding the Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss, our task is to lead the chosen race to victory by building a base, gathering resources, developing technology, and, naturally, defeating the enemy. The subsequent parts consist of a number of missions in which we learn the story of a given side of the conflict.

An interesting novelty, especially for the fans of the StarCraft universe, is the fact that we can explore a spaceship and other places the protagonist resides in between missions. There are numerus interactive objects in each room such as a jukebox with a couple of songs to play, screens broadcasting an information channel, an arcade machine, and many non-playable characters. Some of them, apart from a chat, also offer their services that include the possibility of hiring a team of mercenaries or buying enhancements for our units and buildings.

The Terrans, on which the campaign of Wings of Liberty is focused, have not changed significantly since our last encounter. One of the novelties is the possibility of enhancing the command center with a defensive module or using the building as a transporter for the SCV workers. Moreover, the Terrans can now hide their warehouses under the ground and use a special radar that displays all enemies, even those out of sight. Apart from that, some minor fixes were introduced in the infrastructure (and its modification) and units department. Many of them represent the technological progress that occurred in the StarCraft universe since the events of the original game.

Technical aspects

Some of the most noticeable features of StarCraft II for PC include completely new graphics. The title utilizes great capabilities of an entirely new graphics engine that can generate a considerable number of three-dimensional, and very detailed units on various maps. The game’s audio is also noteworthy, especially the great soundtrack.

Last updated on 15 April 2010