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StarCraft 2 Wings Of Liberty

The most important strategy game in the world has finally been released, the highest rating for a test period, the campaign and the multiplayer mode of Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty to the high expectations. Unless you bring your patience.

When we made ​​the campaign of Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty test, we need to an interview thinking that we with Rob Pardo about the first Starcraft led. Because it said the veteran Blizzard: "Although Starcraft was just a silly Armeespielchen, we wanted to tell a real story."

And that despite the sparse presentation: hidden at the (after all set to music) dialogues Starcraft anno 1998 wooden one animated Charakterbildchen the render cutscenes had to do partly with the plot less than Gothic 3 , the term "" bug free. Nevertheless the first Starcraft tied with a rich application for action. The memory of Kerrigan's death and resurrection evokes today goosebumps on players arms. This Starcraft 2 is now also the stuff.

The Staging: Groundbreaking

Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty is to talk with Pardo, also a "silly Armeespielchen". But the presentation of the story is better, much better. And not just because the nice render sequences now better to action fit. On the space cruiser Hyperion, serving as campaign menu, we're between missions visit as an adventure game four rooms: the bridge, the laboratory, the bar and the armory. And everywhere wait interlocutor with whom the campaign main character Jim Raynor well translated (but not interactive) leads dialogues - as Christopher Blair in the classic Wing Commander, in which the characters were talking in between missions also.

These talks staged Starcraft 2 in a bored and extremely detailed version of the 3D engine, even the lip movements Blizzard has adjusted the ordinary German speakers - no comparison to the Porträtbildchen from the first Starcraft. Much of the dialogue takes place before or after certain missions, but there are also optional argument. And even those we do not want to miss because they give their characters more profile.

The Characters: Alive

The main character of the campaign is, of course, Jim Raynor leading a guerrilla war against the Terran Dominion and its dictator Mengsk. Both Raynor is driven by hatred of his former lover, the Zerg queen Kerrigan, herfällt just mankind again. Sure, these characters are not particularly deep, and cliched, Raynor fits around wonderful as an aging Space Cowboy in the default schema of "broken rebel." For a strategy game, Starcraft 2 is still every effort to infuse the characters to life. And better drawn than Kane from C & C 4 they are all. At Raynor's side are among others Matt Horner, the honorable captain of the Hyperion, the gruff Space Marine Tychus Findlay and shady dreadlocks elite warriors Tosh. latter Blizzard has set to music unsuitable as single character, Tosh speaks namely with attached Jamaican slang.


In addition to discussions Hyperion offers the fun trappings, such as a TV news program that reports on the current state of the war. And the moderator like to strangle the correspondent if they reported positive about Raynor's rebel troops and their successes. 's bar is even a slot machine, on which we can play Lost Viking, an arcade shooter in the regular game engine - the same time proof of the fact is that with the huge feature editor can even tinker Action. In addition, we can click in the menu screens get individual details about Raynor's former Marshall badge or a banner, which have rescued colonists paid. There were such atmospheric gimmicks's still in no real title - for special praise to Blizzard.

The Story: Initially Paralyzed

To avoid misunderstandings: Our praise refers first time only on the narrative and the tense atmosphere between uses. On the battlefield, staged Starcraft 2 his story similar to the first part: Portrait set to music with good dialogues and script scenes in-game graphics.

latter but sometimes not quite fit the game. About once we defeat our boss, a Protoss Mothership, survived with only one of our Viking fighter. But in the following script sequence, we see a whole fleet of Vikings runs the aliens. This does not mean that the production within the missions is bad. Just not quite as spectacular and consistent as between them. The real action in turn leads to the first five to ten hours of play extremely slow going, to Raynor meets his old buddy Protoss, the dark templar Zeratul. After that, the story is gaining pace, a new threat emerges, and Raynor's conflict with the League heats up gradually. Furthermore, there is again surprising twists. Would you have thought about that the Zerg ... oh moment, we hold dear to us. After dry start the story wins so much pace. Only the end disappointed again. Because Blizzard orchestrated the campaign but with a chic final render sequence, however, is the output to open and not very satisfactory.

Without giving away too much to want: Important issues are not resolved, important opponents remain undefeated. Sure, the concept is the trilogy due, the next episode of Starcraft Heart of the Swarm will continue to spin the story. Nevertheless, Blizzard could have for Wings of Liberty come up with a more satisfying end - Warcraft 3 has all worked out well.

The Campaign: Mercenaries And Upgrades

To get the next mission we choose on the bridge of the Hyperion, what the course of action but do not change. Rather, there's some side branches that we can ignore it.

For example, we help the researcher Ariel Hanson in the rescue of civilians - or not. However, we do voluntarily all the 26 missions, because we so often unlock additional troop types (including those from the previous units known as the Goliath mechs) and earn money for upgrades and mercenaries. Mastered by secondary objectives we also fill our account with research points. mercenaries we recruit in the ship's Hyperion, which is worthwhile, however, is limited. Since this is a bit more powerful versions of standard units (Marines, Siege Tanks, etc.) to use on the battlefield, we must first build a special building there and buy the mercenaries also again - against commodity payment. So the expensive elite units are really only at the two high difficulty useful to the low normal range troops. mission proceeds, we also invest in upgrades for each troop type, there are two upgrade-options. For example, we can increase the range of our Viking flyer and give them land damage.


Because the money is not enough for all the upgrades, we need to consider what we upgrade units. This increases the strategic diversity of Starcraft 2, thanks to the upgrades we can tailor our troops on our favorite tactic. If we use some prefer Siege Tanks and Goliaths, we improve the course first.

The Campaign: Diversity Through Research

The research contributes to the increased diversity: If we have collected (depending fulfilled subsidiary objectives) five Zerg or five Protoss research points, we may create and activate one of two alternative technologies - such as the Raven pilots, commonly used in the previous research vessel . So does the counterpart value: We would like to know the impact of the alternative technologies.


If we miss side missions, we can already filled inserts repeat any time to bag the research points - even at a lower difficulty level. Thus balance falters, why (apart from personal ambition and success points) we should in addition to tasks effort when we research meter catch up afterwards anyway can? total increase mission choice, mercenaries, upgrades and research the variety of campaign revolutionary else plays out Starcraft 2 but not in, especially on the battlefield, almost everything remains the same. As Warcraft 3 at the time the RPG hero had introduced into the genre, the progress was compared to its predecessor from much larger. Nevertheless consoles across the variety of StarCraft 2 on the fact that we can compete in the campaign exclusively with the Terrans. Only in a separate mini-campaign we command the Protoss. Their four missions to play this very exciting and an interesting story.

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