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Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty | 
| From: Blizzard Entertainment
Category: Video Games
List Price: $59.99
Buy New: $59.54
as of 7/30/2010 06:06 EDT details
You Save: $0.45 (1%)
New (19) from $54.99
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  565 reviews
Sales Rank: 1
Format: DVD-ROM
Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS X
Genre: real_time_strategy_games
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Edition: Standard
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: Windows XP
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.3 x 1.6
MPN: 72838
Model: Starcraft II: Wings
UPC: 020626728386
EAN: 0020626728386
ASIN: B000ZKA0J6
Publication Date: July 27, 2010 (New: This Week)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| | Fast-paced, hard-hitting, tightly balanced competitive real-time strategy gameplay that recaptures and improves on the original game | | | Three completely distinct races: Protoss, Terran, and Zerg | | | Units and gameplay mechanics distinguish each race | | | 3D-graphics engine with support for visual effects and massive unit and army sizes | | | Full multiplayer support, with competitive features and matchmaking utilities available through Battle.net |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Starcraft II PC
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 565
 There Might be a Unicorn Inside this Game July 27, 2010
JamesA
112 out of 164 found this review helpful
Here you go. By now, I'm sure there are two types of people reading the WoL reviews:
1) People who are legitimately seeking to examine the product; or
2) People looking to bash Blizzard for facts and knowledge that they were aware of (or should have been) nearly six months ago
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Multiplayer:
The core truth is that Wings of Liberty, after several hours under my belt, does not seek to break any innovations in multiplayer. The isometric view is back and you really feel much of the time like you are playing a souped up, incredibly detailed version of the first blockbuster game. That being said, for those of you who haven't played SC1, great painstaking detail has been made to accentuate the "counters" of each race, and Blizzard has easily put as much intelligence into balancing SC2 as they did in SC1. If you're not aware, SC1 is regarded as such a complex, deep, and balanced game that tournaments still regularly occur overseas in countries where E-sports are more readily accepted, such as South Korea. It is true that Blizzard requires access to their Battle.net system to play online, but this was announced months prior. Aside from people who seem to be still playing on 28.8 modems (which could surprisingly play SC1 fluidly...), this shouldn't be much of an issue. Maybe you might need to make sure to have a switch with enough ethernet ports for your pals, but it's not a gamebreaking problem.
That being said, this isn't your daddy's B.net. Blizzard has made efforts to make the new Battle.net a one-stop hub for gaming. With just a click of a button a player can switch to multiplayer, open the map editor, play campaign, or chat with friends even on other Blizzard games, or if you just want to brush up on some knowledge you can even review tech trees and in-B.net help files. It's very much like Steam in its fluid integration with each of its features, but far more focused and easier to get to (as you're not dealing with hundreds of games here, just a select few).
The standard map modes are available, custom maps which offer more flexibility than ever introduced before (there are first-person shooter maps already...), an intricate ladder system which aims to place you against like-skilled players, and non-competitive play if you don't want to play in a ladder game.
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Single-Player (Campaign):
It's been known for over 3 years that Blizzard intended for this to only be the Terran story. While some may consider this a money-grab as it's unlikely that the additional games would add much perhaps beyond a few extra units (they are, after all, mini-expansions in their nature). However, while Blizzard admittedly stated they haven't intended to innovate their multiplayer which was already known across the world, the single-player campaign has been altered incredibly. The story is engaging and voice-overs are done expertly. In-engine cinematics occur between every level and offer the opportunity of the player to even talk about things outside of the campaign; for example, in an early mission while protagonist Jim Raynor and his old friend Tychus Finley are inside of a dusty bar, a player may click on Raynor's old badge for a snippet of character information, a picture where they detail zerg "hunts" for sport, or even change the jukebox tune. These "hubs" change often throughout the game and offer different features, such as unique upgrades which are available solely to the single-player experience from the minor to the major, from adding to the range of units in a bunker to even dropping building requirements for the unit's production.
While disappointing to a point, certain units from SC1 (or new) appear specifically in the campaign. Stated to be removed for "balance reasons," it may knock off veteran SC1 players' socks off to see that in campaigns the Medics are still functioning. These models are just as slick as the "official" multiplayer units, and offer incredible fodder for the creative people who create Blizzard custom maps.
That being said, the single Terran campaign is non-linear, offers far more features and hours worth of gameplay than any previous StarCraft campaign. Just from a sheer numbers perspective, not only is this campaign fundamentally better by virtue of the increased polish/story/detail, but it is over two and a half times long in the "required" missions (26). This is not a money-grab. To merit a full Protoss and Zerg campaign of this length could increase the installation from its already sizeable 12gb to the 30+ range, a size which would even dwarf many World of Warcraft installations, and be worth far more than the oft-protested $60 range.
Oh, also there's an offline mode. A few negative reviews have made it their point to get the point across that there isn't one so they can't take their laptop on the road and play campaign and against the AI and yadda yadda. There is. This just seems to point to me that many of the reviews that are low are disingenuous, merely trying to skew numbers based on some perceived shortfall that in truth was explained sometimes years ahead of time.
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Common Elements:
Okay, so maybe this isn't a DX11 game using incredible tesselation, but it's a game that should work on computers that were top of the line at least within a few years. The graphics seem even better than they did during the closed Beta period and carry the spirit of the original game beautifully. Void Rays look like a work of art with their focused lasers, the crisp animation of a furious Zergling are beautiful, and even the lowly SCV is overhauled and worth zooming in on more than one time. You'll be a week into online play when you notice how incredibly unique every death animation is, and even be floored by the change from SC1 when you see that there are visual changes to units upon certain upgrades (for example, when the Zerg "Roaches" gain the ability to tunnel underground, sharp spikes protrude out of their flesh).
The audio, OH THE AUDIO. Blizzard has always been known for incredible in-house composers, and this is no exception. From the building introduction screen to the race-specific songs which always seem to queue up at proper times, they truly get the player in the right mood, be it exploring his secret wish to be a scavenging space cowboy or a sanctimonious, disciplined alien. It's beautiful, it's monumental, and it almost makes me wish I paid the $40 for the collector's edition just for that soundtrack (not to the mention the art book which I'm sure is amazing, based on my prior experience with other Blizzard art books).
Cost:
Okay, I'm sure this is buzzing around like a bee up a few people's skirts, but here's the skinny. This pricing is, unfortunately, on par or less than what console players enjoy. In addition, the price was likely altered based upon the issue of Korea, a staunch supporting country of StarCraft, wherein players do not pay for the software but instead may purchase a lifetime subscription for the price of the software, or game-time based plans so they may play in internet cafes. While I'll admit, yeah, I'm cheap, and yes, I winced a little when I was handed my receipt knowing that I'd not be going out to eat for awhile to make up for it. However, I also knew that this was one of those rare gaming situations where I knew I would be playing this game for years; far more gameplay than the average game these days offers without snippets of unsatisfying DLC.
The pure issue is that many people feel privileged, and if you truly want this game I don't think $10 is going to stop you. Those who rally against the cost come off to me as particularly elitist; there is far more in this package than you'll see in much else this year.
Conclusion:
In truth, StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty is honest gamemaking at its best. Blizzard Entertainment hasn't set out to break the multiplayer mold: no one has been able to follow their breed of gameplay for over 12 years since the first StarCraft, so why ruin a good thing? The campaign is incredibly deep for being part of a RTS, and I'd argue is one of the best stories being told in gaming today with a competent bevvy of voice actors, artists, and overlords watching over it from deep within the Blizzard blockbuster-factory.
StarCraft 2 is like the recent trend of car manufacturers to take old muscle cars and rennovate them for the 21st century. You're going to be able to recognize it, sit in the seats, and get that same feeling of pure enjoyment from when you were a kid and sat in it for the first time, but when you turn on the engine it's clear that it has a whole new bag of tricks.
-James A.
Outstanding Game! July 30, 2010
Paul Vogt (Melboring, FL)
If you peruse the reviews, you will that this game receives mostly 5 stars and 1 star. If you read, you will find that the vast majority of the 1 stars have never played the game. How can they review it then? They feel that they are entitled to features that the game lacks. /shrug
So far, I am only 1/3 of the way through the campaign and the experience is fantastic. Though the Terrans were always my least favorite race, the campaign is challenging and enjoyable. The visuals are stunning, and the attention to detail is fantastic. I haven't even explored online play yet, but I fully see myself playing this game for hundreds of hours of the coming months. Furthermore, the game is presented in such a way that new players will be able to comfortably learn the game without playing the first.
Only game to come close to it this year has been Mass Effect 2 and I think the online play will make this experience last significantly longer. This game has Game of the Year written all over it.
Great job, Blizzard! I cannot wait to see what the expansion is like.
Perfect! July 29, 2010
Aaron Martin (Ridgecrest, Ca, USA)
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Never in my life have I seen so many whiny little bitches!! How many of you "one star" reviewers actually played the game? How many of you actually verified the things you've been hating on, not just copy and pasting what others have typed?
I HAVE played the game and it's amazing. The amount of time the team took to balance the factions, polish the graphics, and keep the feel of the original Star Craft has really paid off. Even the haters who have played the game can agree on this much.
That being said, my thoughts on the major complaints being launched at what really is the best RTS out on market right now:
No Spawn: People are actually complaining that they can't give free copies away to friends! Seriously how absurd of a complaint is this? I didn't know how easy a game is to steal factors into its rating.
No LAN: Anyone who has actually set up and played with their friends on a single internet connection knows that not only does the game run just fine, but we also get personalized rewards and such that gets saved to our own profile. How many people who have tried getting a group together really, I mean REALLY, feel that this makes the game unplayable?
Not The Full Game: People have it in their heads that Blizzard had a finished game that was chopped into thirds at the last minute in order to get three times the amount of money. First off: Was anyone who bought the game caught off guard by this; it was announced more than a year ago! Second: What if instead of the above mentioned scenario, SC2 was actually a FULL GAME with two kick ass expansions? Is there really a SC fan who is pissed the game is now three times longer than expected!!! Oh, and who can prove that the expansions are going to be $60? And if they are, who can prove that they're not going to be worth it? How about we just rate the game for what it is now? Crazy, I know!
Battle Net Woes: Was the Battle Net process really that difficult to sign up for? It took me 2 minutes while my game was installing. Let's take a second and think of all the other horrible PC DRM crap we had to slog through the last few years to play the games we love. Think of the shady programs that other companies have forced us to install that keep tabs on us in the background. BNet really isn't that bad is it? And for those reviewers who are comparing this to STEAM: Really now? I'm not going to take the time to get into this one; it really is that dumb of a comparison.
Pay Extra For Maps and Units: Rating the game for something that's not even out yet, again. All I have to say is if people are willing to pay more money for extra things like these, then it just goes to show how GOOD the game is! Make sense?
Blizzard's Greedy: How long have they been working on this game? Can anyone else think of another game that deserves to be $60 considering the amount of money that went into this? After such a large investment, isn't it reasonable to try get back what you put into it? If this game came out six years ago, is there anyone who doubts it wouldn't have made a ton of money? That's what Blizzard would have done if they truly were greedy after all!
Can't Play Offline: Yes you can. You wont be able to sign in your online account (duh!), but you can still play the game offline.
Well that felt better. If you're a gamer, buy SC2. Don't miss out on the best RTS ever made because of trolling, internet sheep. See you on the battlefield!
It's a good game. July 28, 2010
A. B. Chrystie (Salem, MA USA)
6 out of 11 found this review helpful
I gave the game a 5, it's probably a 4, but for some reason I feel as though I have to offset all the ridiculous 1's posted here, many with misinformation.
I played Starcraft 1 all the way through a couple of times in single and multiplayer, as well as Brood War, probably 10 or 11 years ago.
The long and short on SC2, I think it's quite good, needs a couple things that will hopefully be patched in, but overall it's a great game, just as good as the first in gameplay, plus a lot more eye candy/story telling.
Starcraft 2 is similar in size to SC1, don't be fooled by some of the posts here, to dispel some myths:
1) There are at least 26 missions to complete the story (some of these are considered "side" missions I'm sure, but in the end the whole story is told through 26 missions).
So far it has taken me "about" 20 hours to get through 22 missions. It probably could be done faster, as I am a bit slow to play (I read the stories and tend to build a lot more than necessary on missions where it's possible). In the end I think this is plenty of initial release content, and when you consider the 4 play modes (casual, normal, hard, ultra), as well as the online multiplayer, there's plenty of bang for your buck here.
2) You CAN make your own maps, in fact the customization/mod tool is leaps and bounds more elaborate than anything put out for previous games. You can upload these maps online, others can download them (you can set permissions for them), and you can download maps from other people. At least two reviewers have said you can't do this, it's untrue. Some maps may cost money, many more will be free, it's Blizzard/the creators discretion on this. Sure SC1 were all free maps, but look at it this way, if people can charge for maps, that doesn't mean they will, but it will entice people to try and make better maps if they can sell them.
3)The RealID is only available to people that you CHOOSE as your friend by sending them an email/facebook invite. The general populace does not have access to your RealID. This is a convenience, as you can invite people that aren't "already" owners/players using their email address and they will see who you are and know it's not SPAM.
4)You do NOT have to be logged in to [...] to play the campaign. I logged out during play and continued just fine, it's just worth noting that "achievements" are locked to your online account, so you can't earn them unless you are logged in. This makes sense, and is pretty much the way I'd expect it to work. What's the point of achievements if others can't see them or they can be too easily "hacked"? There are "many hundreds" of achievements, at least, I didn't count, but it's at least 400. Many are single player, some are multiplayer.
5) As others have said, there is no LAN play, this is disappointing, it's my one knock against the game, however, I fail to see how this means an instant 1 star review. This is a business decision, and it's understandable. If you want to know why, check out the reviews on this very site where people complain about how they wanted to "pirate" the game. If you want open systems, stop stealing games, it's that simple. Everyone wants something for free, and it ruins it for those of us who would buy it anyway. That said, the game will get pirated anyway, and I'm sure someone will "hack in" LAN if that's what you want. Regardless, BUY A COPY IF YOU WANT TO PLAY THE GAME. You can't expect companies to spend 10's or 100's of millions of dollars on game development so that large percentages of people can download a pirate copy for nothing, get real.
6)This is indeed the first of three episodes. This is a good thing. Odds are the entire series will be a 60 or 70 mission set eventually. That's awesome. I don't see the down side here. People who want that size of game (with all the detail that this game has), for $59 are smoking something. That said, it remains to be seen how good the next two will be, but I fail to see how "more story" and "more game" is bad. It's not as if this first release is lacking content. To put this in perspective, this game, installed is 12GB of HDD space. That's more than comparable to any modern title, in fact it's MORE that most titles. There are crappy FPS games that only have 4 or 5GB of install space, with higher resolution models/graphics (thus even less content), that are $59.
7) There are tons of good cut scenes, and full voice acting in this game. There are at least three high quality video segments (not in game graphics) as well, (maybe one more, I haven't finished yet. :D). The game is, quite simply, beautiful. Even still, the game runs at a high frame rate, with all settings on Ultra, on my GeForce 9800GT, Q6600 Quad Core, with 8GB of RAM. It "also" runs on a mix of medium/low settings on my Mac mini (not the most recent model, the one prior to that 2009 version, and still looks quite good.
It's probably a 4 star game for fans, a 2 or 3 star for those that LAN play means a lot to. One star should be reserved for those that have genuine problems running/installing the game and don't get helped by support.
Everything I Expected July 29, 2010
Lindsey Brewer (Texas)
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
Honestly, I couldn't have asked for more from SC2. I've had no issues with the game and have spent entirely too much time playing already.
The new units make the game fresh. However, it's nice that much of the game has remained the same.
The storyline is mildly interesting. Though, let's be honest - people buy SC2 to play on [...], not for the blockbuster storytelling of single-player mode.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 565
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