StarCraft II review : Easily a Game of the Year candidate

EX: "With new units, new gameplay mechanics, an incredibly gripping single player campaign and an addicting multiplayer component that will guarantee you'll never graduate from college, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty makes a crystal clear argument for not only as Game of the Year contender, but perhaps one of the best games of all time. "

[Queasy]

More like "assuredly"

[CrAppleton]

GOTY? not likely

[Perjoss]

let me guess, your thinking GT5?

[Panthers]

Both are good candidates. However, I think it will be difficult to take it away from SC2, a game 12 years in the making that lives up to the insane hype that surrounded it.

[Perjoss]

a driving game will never be GOTY, thats just how things are. Perhaps a driving game with other elements heavily integrated like GTA or Just Cause but never a game that is primarily focused on driving round and round a track.

[Neco512]

Yeah, most likely not GOTY

[Daver]

No but it could be 1998 Game of the year tho.

[JsonHenry]

Certainly should be on the short list of contenders.

[Independent_Charles]

lol the short list for this year is about 15-20 games lol. pretty good year if you not a troll

[Urmomlol]

I find it hilarious that all these butt hurt console fanboys are trying to discredit StarCraft II because Blizz rightfully snubbed them.

StarCraft 2 with PS Move? StarCraft 2 with Kinect?

Are you guys kidding me? This is a game of reflexes, speed and strategy -- it's the last game Blizz would want to dumb down for console audiences like with Red Alert 3.

StarCraft 2 is better than anything made recently. It's time for console fanboys to wake up, realize it's never coming to home consoles and just buy a PC so they can experience the best RTS ever made.

[killyourfm]

*loud applause*

[Xi]

sorry, but with the 20+hrs logged, it's a game of build orders. The little strategy there is in the game is unit composition, which will soon be replaced with unit/build of the patch, just like how wow has has become build of the patch.

[MMFGaming]

IMO, it begins with build order. Once you start scouting, though, things go completely to hell and you have to rely purely on planning counters.

Instance, as Terran if I'm doing a marine rush I try to open with 3 rax w/ reactors, but if a probe starts snooping around and sees my barracks, they'll immediately begin hard countering it and I'll probably move to star port to start pumping out vikings to counter them.

[Xi]

that will change soon enough as blizzard starts pumping out patch after patch which will constantly upset the current unit balance. Just like they do with wow.

You'll start getting your flavor of the week builds, like the beta's nearly unstoppable marine marauders. Then they'll patch that and a new unit composition will reign.

While i agree that unit composition and dealing with the information you gather from a scout is the second most important factor, build order still reigns.

[ALFAxD_CENTAURO]

Could you see the Tournaments of Korea?

The skills to play Starcraft are insane to make Micro actions.

[Xi]

do you see how much they spam a single key to get a single building down in time. Did you know they play starcraft nearly 8-16 hours a day? How is that remotely applicable to people who don't play that much? Not to mention their 300apm is closer to 50 if they didn't spam hotkeys to build.

Yes their micro is impressive, but starcraft 2 isn't the same micro heavy game as starcraft 1. You'll rarely see decent muta micro compared to what you see in sc1. The best use of micro that I've seen is thor med, maybe some sentry work. SC2 is all build order and unit comp.

[Panthers]

One of the main reasons that SC2 has less micro is because it is made better. You can rally your base to your minerals now and units are a lot smarter so you dont have to worry about them being retarded. You can say it takes skill out of the game but I think it just makes a better game so you can spend more time on battles rather than retarded stuff.

[Xi]

But I don't understand the pedestal that SC2 is being put on. The game is not any more competitive as any other rts game out there. I've had just as many close and challenging matches in games like halo wars as I've had in sc2, and the use of hero classes actually provide an X factor that i feel starcraft lacks.

Same goes for my experiences with bad company and dawn of war.

Starcraft is a great game, but it does next to nothing on it's multiplayer front to differentiate itself from the first one. To me it's really just starcraft HD. Is that bad? no. Starcraft was an amazing game for it's time and SC2 is the same.

I just don't understand why people give SC2 and all PC RTS games this superiority. When people act this way(elitist) is makes other PC gamers look like common low life fanboys.

edit.

Dude I know SC2, I've been playing it nearly non stop since release, and all you're doing is proving my point, that unit composition is important (my definetion for unit comp is making sure you have units and buildings in place for what ever might be thrown at you, varied unit comp is usually superior to something like mass X). I'm just skeptical of blizzard letting sleeping dogs lie.

[GrilledCheeseBook]

it's a game of counters
you have to scout and predict and counter the opponents build
best example would be a pro league match with LiquidNazgul vs TLO where the match went about 40minutes with TLO constantly changing his build to counter Nazguls

the higher level of play you reach the more brainpower required to know good build order, the best counters and best resource management with a good sense of when to harass and micro

I think it's one of the most pure RTS games
it's well balanced and works really well compared to other RTS games

[danmachine]

in my opinion red dead redemption will get game of the year.

for ME its the best game ever made.

but thats just my opinion.

[Independent_Charles]

online was poor apart from the free roam

[TwistdKarma]

I doubt that RDD will get GOTY. I enjoyed the game just as much as the next person did, but i just don't see it coming away with that title.

SCII, I haven't played it and i doubt i will, RTS just isn't one of my things and it's Blizzard/Kotikavision. It'll def. be up there in the running, but i think that with the titles coming this fall it'll have a few tough contenders.

We'll just have to sit back and see what'll happen.

[badz149]

dude, it's "RDR" but yeah, this year's GoTY will not be as clear as when Uncharted2 was GoTY lat year! too many greats games already and we are only a month passed the middle of the year!

[Perjoss]

You can do RTS on console, you can do it quite well too, I really enjoyed the interface for Battle for Middle Earth II on 360, but it plays very different from PC RTS games. Its the same argument as PC gamers playing an FPS vs console gamers in the same game, poor console gamers get slaughtered, no question.

[MMFGaming]

I wish consoles would just support mouse/keyboard so we wouldn't even have to worry about it.

I mean, I just really can't see a console ever being able to replicate THIS without it:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[Independent_Charles]

perjoss whats your GT i play Bfme2 on 360 often with 2 of my freinds but we need a 4th player to make it a bit more fair. we dont hero rush and we have very good battles but spoiled with only 3 players

@opengl
halo wars is a prime example of why rts can work on xbox. controls are controls are very nice on that game. usally arond 7000- 20000 people at the same time any day. it has a really good fanbase behind it.

[ultramoot]

@above

Thanks for that link. That was insane.

[Perjoss]

thanks mate, but I never got into BfME2 online and I traded it in after finishing the single player, I was into trading in games back then, I dont do it anymore unless a game really STINKS and somehow I eneded up buying it.

[killyourfm]

Guh, I haven't had time to play in the midst of packing...cannot wait.

[CrAppleton]

Me neither, to many great console games to bring me back to my PC

[samnvonsam]

Blizzard just needs to go ahead and make a CGI movie for this.

[MMFGaming]

Most definitely. Right after the WoW movie and right before they make a Diablo movie.

[OpenGL]

So far it's my favorite game of 2010. It seems that the console crowd is extremely bitter due to this not being released on their platform of choice. Halo Wars showed that no matter how hard you try, RTS on consoles simply does not work. Blizzard doesn't need consoles, as they're already the most profitable developer in history.

If they had Mouse / Keyboard support in a PS3 or 360 port, yeah it could be done. Unfortunately the vast majority of 360 / PS3 gamers do not own mice and keyboards for their game console, so Blizzard would have to develop for the lowest common denominator.

[Pandamobile]

Yeah, I'm sensing a LOT of jealousy towards SC2. I don't even have the game, but the more console gamers I see hating on it and wishing it was on their platform kind of makes me want to go out and buy a copy.

[OpenGL]

It really is a fantastic game, and it has some fantastic graphics if your PC can handle it on Ultra settings.

[Fishy Fingers]

It's the same old story. It's not "console gamers" but the same select few that even rubbish console games not on their system. The loyalists. If it isnt on your chosen platform, you have to hate it, simple as that.

I'm no StarCraft fan, or even a fan of it's genre. But I know a kick ass game when I see it and this is just that. If it were to win GOTY, great, props to Blizz.

[DA_SHREDDER]

I would rather have Total War on my ps3 than this turd.

[Charmers]

Oh god yet another game that is "GOTY" I take it this game will be GOTY till the next game comes along ? How about we wait till nearer the end of the year before we start proclaiming this rubbish.

[Urmomlol]

Or....the sequel to one of the best games of ALL time could very well be the best game of the year.

Wow, what do you think the odds of THAT are?

[Panthers]

I am so confused by all the hate between PC/Consoles and 360/PS3 on this site. It is pretty funny though to see the posts.

All I know is that SC2 is amazing and worthy of GoTY. I am having a blast on it thats for sure.

[Zinc]

Well said.

[TwistdKarma]

This site runs mostly due to flamewars.... I also enjoy watching these wars and the stupidity on both sides unfold.

[elpresador]

....notice that so far those talking goty and those that will come will say GT5 or some other PS3 only game? Most 360 gamers dont come onto a board that is about a game not on the 360 and discredit it for it not being on their syste as a goty contender.

And though I am more of a console gamer, all you console idiots fantards need to realize that a PC only game CAN be GOTY.

And finally, to the more specific ps3 FANTARDS, seeing as you only eat, breath, crap, and blow sony d!ck, get over yourselves, there are other things than just the PS3 out there.

I will say as far as consoles, so far RDR, ME@, and GOW3 are the top GOTY contenders (see what I did there? 1 vconsole multi and 2 console exclusives, yes ME2 is pc but I am talking or only consoles here)

[STONEY4]

"Most 360 gamers dont come onto a board that is about a game not on the 360 and discredit it for it not being on their syste as a goty contender."

Hypocryte much?

[elpresador]

not at all. You have more PS3 gamers going to non ps3 exclusive games talking crap then you see 360 gamers doing the same. For any non ps3 exclusive game that has an article saying it could be a goty contender you always have a huge amount of ps3 fantards saying no way due to the fact that it is not on the ps3.

I am not saying 360 gamers dont do it as well but just not quite as many.

[Resistance]

It took like 10 years to come out. It should be a damn good enough game for Game of the Year

[TheRebelliousHater]

I've never played starcraft but it will probably get goty

[yamzilla]

The best game made since Elder Scrolls Oblivion.......

What else has there been????

hmmmm??/

Uncharted 2....Dawsons Creek sim...

Mass Effect 2.....lol....space high school popularity contest....

Alan Wake.....rigggghht...540p anyone...8 hour story....

God of War 3...awesome game...the ten hours of it I played was awesome....then...not so much...

Red Dead Redemtion.....got bored in about 2 hours...and the online on 360 was buggy as hell for me...i give that game a solid 7
Some racing game...well I hate racing games....soo not for me at least....

Splinter Cell Conviction....worst one in the series by far

What else is there???

I have played every game i mentioned above and liked all of them....but Starcraft 2....OWNS them all!!

-to above who stated ten years to come out...it's better to me than 5 guitar hero's and modern warfares a year

[jy_mrnd]

I agree with you i've lost too much sleep since the day it released STARCRAFT 2 owns!!!!!!!!!!