StarCraft II

StarCraft II is a real-time strategy game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, the same company behind World of Warcraft, Diablo III, and Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. The game is set in a science fiction universe and features three unique playable factions: the Terran, the Zerg, and the Protoss, each with its own distinct gameplay mechanics and single-player campaigns, similar to those found in Command & Conquer and Age of Empires. The game's storyline is heavily influenced by the events of StarCraft: Brood War and features characters such as Jim Raynor, Sarah Kerrigan, and Zeratul, who also appear in StarCraft: The Board Game and StarCraft: Nova.

Overview

The game takes place in a distant part of the Milky Way galaxy, where the three factions are vying for control and survival, similar to the struggles depicted in Battlestar Galactica and Stargate SG-1. The Terran faction is a group of human exiles from Earth, led by Arcturus Mengsk and Jim Raynor, who have formed their own government, the Terran Dominion, with its capital on the planet Tarsonis. The Zerg are a swarm of insectoid aliens, led by the Overmind and later by Sarah Kerrigan, who seek to assimilate all life in the galaxy, as seen in The X-Files and Alien (film). The Protoss are a technologically advanced alien species, led by Zeratul and Artanis, who seek to preserve their ancient culture and way of life, similar to the Vulcans in Star Trek: The Original Series. The game's storyline is full of unexpected twists and turns, with characters like Tassadar and Raszagal playing important roles, and is heavily influenced by the events of StarCraft: Insurrection and StarCraft: Retribution.

Gameplay

The gameplay of StarCraft II is similar to that of its predecessor, StarCraft: Brood War, with players gathering resources, building structures, and training units to defeat their opponents, using strategies similar to those found in Company of Heroes and Total War: Shogun 2. The game features a variety of multiplayer modes, including 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4, as well as a single-player campaign with a rich storyline and engaging characters, such as Nova Terra and Valerian Mengsk. Players can choose to play as one of the three factions, each with its own unique units, buildings, and abilities, such as the Terran Siege Tank and the Zerg Ultralisk, and can use strategies like micro and macro management to outmaneuver their opponents, as seen in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. The game also features a variety of maps, including melee maps and custom maps, created by players using the StarCraft II Editor, which is similar to the World Editor found in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.

Development

The development of StarCraft II began in 2003, shortly after the release of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, and was led by Dustin Browder, a veteran game designer who had previously worked on Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. The game was developed using the Havok physics engine and featured a new graphics engine that allowed for more detailed and realistic graphics, similar to those found in Crysis and Half-Life 2. The game's soundtrack was composed by Russell Brower, who had previously worked on World of Warcraft and Diablo II, and featured a mix of electronic and orchestral music, similar to the soundtracks of Halo and Mass Effect. The game was announced in 2007 at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Seoul, South Korea, and was released on July 27, 2010, for Microsoft Windows and macOS, with a launch event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Expansions

Two expansions were released for StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void. Heart of the Swarm was released on March 12, 2013, and focused on the Zerg faction, with a new single-player campaign and new multiplayer units and abilities, such as the Viper and the Swarm Host. Legacy of the Void was released on November 10, 2015, and focused on the Protoss faction, with a new single-player campaign and new multiplayer units and abilities, such as the Adept and the Disruptor. Both expansions featured new cinematics and storylines, and were well-received by fans and critics, with praise from IGN and GameSpot.

Esports

StarCraft II has a thriving esports scene, with numerous tournaments and leagues held throughout the year, including the StarCraft II World Championship Series and the Global StarCraft II League. The game is particularly popular in South Korea, where it is considered one of the most popular esports games, along with League of Legends and Dota 2. Many professional players, such as Lee "Life" Seung-hyun and Jang "MC" Min-chul, have made a career out of playing StarCraft II, and the game has been featured in several esports events, including the Intel Extreme Masters and the World Cyber Games. The game's esports scene is supported by Blizzard Entertainment, which provides prize pools and sponsorship for tournaments and players, and has partnered with organizations like ESL and MLG to promote the game.

Reception

StarCraft II received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, with praise for its engaging gameplay, rich storyline, and impressive graphics, from critics like Game Informer and PC Gamer. The game has a Metacritic score of 93 out of 100, based on reviews from IGN, GameSpot, and Eurogamer, among others. The game has also been a commercial success, with over 3 million copies sold in the first month of its release, and has won numerous awards, including Game of the Year at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards and Best PC Game at the 2011 BAFTA Video Game Awards. The game's expansions, Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void, have also received positive reviews, with praise for their new gameplay mechanics and storylines, from critics like Destructoid and Joystiq. Category:Video games