"Some things are worth fighting for." These are the words of Jim Raynor. If you may ask who this person is, he is simply one of the biggest icons in the history of fiction epic. Yes. The monumental science fiction theme video game of Blizzard Entertainment is influential enough to identify its heroes with the inspiring historical warriors like William Wallace, George Washington, Ryoma Sakamoto and Joan of Arc. The Starcraft franchise has been a great success since the late 1990's and it continues to be a thriving video game monopoly for decades. By 2010, ten years after Starcraft: Brood Wars have claimed global fame, Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty was released. Since July 27, 2010 until today, Starcraft 2 is still considered the number 1 real-time strategy game in the world.
According to four standard categories Starcraft 2 surpassed most, if not all, of the real-time strategy games around. These are the following:
I. Storyline
Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty is set four years after the final events of Starcraft: Brood Wars. Pretty much the universe have just recovered from a cataclysmic rumble where the Zerg brood of Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, have single-handedly destroyed the biggest and baddest united front of Terran and Protoss forces. But the Queen of Blades retreated to her home planet and kept silent in the entire galactic sector. The Terran Dominion ruled by Emperor Arcturus Mengsk licked their wounds and once again amassed great power. At the same time the embittered and broken-hearted rebel Jim Raynor, after years of vanishing into the political scene, have once again returned to notoriety as he stage an insurrection against the Terran Dominion. Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty follows the story of Jim Raynor's galactic crusade aboard the battle cruiser flagship Hyperion, along with the rest of his army- Raynor Raiders. He will go toe-to-toe with his arch-nemesis Emperor Mengsk and once again face the ghost of his past, his beloved Zerg-infested Sarah Kerrigan. In this game, Jim Raynor's character and storyline resemble the type of epic tale that made heroes like Ryoma Sakamoto, Joan of Arc, George Washington and William Wallace the main standard for military heroism and righteous rebellion in world history.
II. Graphics
The game graphics are magnificent. Starcraft 2 is among the newest benchmark for animation superiority for all incoming real-time strategy games and other PC games. Of course, I am not talking about the Beta version. Starcraft 2 is featured in 3D, not only in the dimension aspect but also for the transition frames. As far as graphics is concerned, there seems to be no virtual difference between cinematic cut-scene and game sequences themselves.
III. Sound
If the graphics is magnificent, the sound is twice meritorious. It has surpassed its sci-fi real-time strategy rival Dawn of War as far as music and sound system is concerned. In one aspect of the game sound realism is best manifested as to how the jukebox music in the Hyperion's cafeteria fades in the midst of the live television show, but still the cowboy-themed song Sweet Home Alabama remains audible behind the superior voice of the newscaster lambasting Jim Raynor's reputation live via intergalactic feed. The same goes with the RPG dialogue of characters mixing vibrantly with environmental noise.
IV. Gameplay
What makes Starcraft 2 stand out among other new real-time strategy games is that the management follow the decade-old orthodox commands. Yes. Fans of the previous sequel do not need to go over walk-through and in-depth tutorial to get familiarized with the game functions. Learning curve? Are you kidding me? You don't need one if you ever played Starcraft ever since ten years ago. If you haven't played the previous Starcraft granted that you are a fifteen-year old teen; trust me, you will appreciate the extreme convenience.
"Something is really worth buying for." That is what I would quote after having the experience of playing this game. Starcraft 2 is the best real-time strategy game ever, and I very much predict it will still be so for the next ten years, just like its predecessor. Do not wait for the Zerg to invade earth! Join Raynor's Raiders and buy this game!
