Starcraft: Brood War

"An Expansion That's Out of Here and Over There"

Oh, what can I say about this game? I have spent countless hours playing this game on Battlenet, and every time I try to stop myself from playing, I always crawl back. This may not be the most popular game created by Blizzard, but it's good enough for me. Starcraft: Brood War is the expansion to the hit strategy game, Starcraft. In this, you choose from one of three races and either fight solo or team up with an ally to clobber the enemy. The diversity of each game and the beautiful array of designs really hooks you onto playing this game. You can play with other people on Battlenet, which is where the fun really is.

If you choose to play single player, you have the choice of either participating in missions or playing custom games. If you choose to complete missions, you must first pick a race in which you wish to play. The three races are Protoss, Zerg, and Terran. Each race has numerous missions, each with different objectives. Some may be long, and some may be shorter, but nonetheless you will always find yourself captured in the intensity of the missions. Custom games, on the other hand, are simply games that have basically no rules and where you can pit yourself against any computer-operated enemy you wish. There are a variety of stages that you can play on, some that are designed with a unique design that alters the difficulty, and others are modified so that you can just duke it out with the enemy whenever you wish. Also, maps that you obtain on Battlenet can be played in custom games, which delights me greatly.

Multiplayer is another aspect of Starcraft: Brood War. If you wish to play on Battlenet, you can either join games that other people have created, or create one yourself, whichever you choose. Most maps on Battlenet have been designed by people who have played this game and wish to add their own insight. There are two main types of games on Battlenet. The first is regular Melee. In this mode, you play with other people and/or computers and battle until a winner is decided. This is similar to single-player, except you can play with real people, and in my opinion, this is much more enjoyable. Also, a record is kept to display your wins and losses. The only problem I have with on-line Melee games is that there is the major flaw of race unbalances. As I said before, there are three races: Protoss, Zerg, and Terran. Each has its own individual advantages and disadvantages. But one of these races, which I will not reveal, seems to have a greater advantage than the rest. But other than this, on-line games with other people are very enjoyable. Ladder games also fit under this section, in which two people battle each other. This is similar to a Melee game, except your Ladder record is the thing that really shows your skill. The other type of game that is commonly found on Battlenet is known as Use Map Settings. In this mode, you follow sets of rules that are pointed out to you and were created by the creator of the map. These are often found in the form of fun little games, like Cat and Mouse or others. There is no record for Use Map Setting games. All in all, I am very pleased with the multiplayer aspect of this game.

Now you're probably wondering, "This information is great and all, but what about the actual battling?" Well, my friend, the battling part of this game is what makes Starcraft: Brood War so successful. In a Melee game, after you choose a race, you begin with some basic workers and you start to mine minerals. With these minerals, you can build a variety of stuff, such as a building where you can buy soldiers to fight for you, or buildings that defend your territory. There are several buildings, each belonging to one of the three races. When you finally assemble an army, you choose to attack an enemy, scout for a new base, or many other options. Whichever you choose depends on what you feel is the best way to lead you to victory. In order to win, you must destroy all enemy buildings. Sounds simple, right? Well, no, it's not. The enemy will be thinking in the same fashion as you, probably with a defense that you were not expecting at all. Just imagine a couple of Protoss Zealots walking into an enemy's base, with the hope of destroying it, only to be confronted by several Terran Firebats. There are many other situations in which you can find yourself in, but I will not get into too much detail. But no matter what, you will always find yourself strategizing and plotting the downfall of your enemy, which is always a pleasurable experience.

This game would not be an expansion to the original if improvements weren't made. Improvements from the original Starcraft include new maps, new units, new buildings, and much, much more. This may not seem like much, but the differences between the two games are quite drastic. Units such as a Zerg Lurker or a Protoss Dark Archon would never be able to be used by you if this expansion were not created. And I must tell you, the units that were added to the expansion are my favorite of all. But nonetheless, the original is still a great game to play.

In conclusion, the game Starcraft: Brood War is an expansion that you MUST get if you are interested in a fun strategy game, or you just want to have a fun on-line fight with your friends. But either way, this game is spectacular and I commend Blizzard on their spectacular job.

RENT OR BUY? I have to say that this is a definite buy, especially if you have friends that also own this game.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/19/06