"Blizzard's most perfect gem"

The transition Blizzard made from Warcraft II and Starcraft was a huge step forward for real time strategy games. Starcraft is the first RTS game by Blizzard which has units which are not direct clones of each other. Because of this, more strategies in micromanagement a build orders became necessary than in previous games.

Starcraft has three species which may be played as. The Terrans are a very versatile species, having everything from infantry to heavy cruisers in the air. They rely on the strength of their machines for the most part. The Zerg, sometimes called the swarm are a collective of various insect-like species. They are somewhat limited in terms of air, but have unmatched ground capabilities. The honor bound and mighty Protoss rely on great physical strength of their highly spiritual members. They are a very advanced species and have a great deal of technology to aid them.

Resource gathering in Starcraft is vastly different from resource gathering in Warcraft II. The primary element may be mined by several gatherers at the same time, whereas the secondary element is the more limiting in terms of gathering speed. This was certainly a change for the better, as it allows for greater strategy in how many gatherers to have to keep an economy booming. This also promotes expansion in a way games before it did not.

As mentioned, no units are direct clones of each other. This is good in most cases, but bad in a few. In player versus player modes, creating large amounts of very few units can often be very destructive. Only players highly skilled at micromanagement will be able to overcome it. In the past, rushing with dirt cheap units was a common tactic. However, Blizzard has released several patches to try and ensure games go beyond six minutes in length.

Starcraft has a more basic way of doing damage than previous Blizzard games. I feel it was a step in the wrong direction, considering how damage works in Warcraft III, many people obviously agreed with me. One aspect I did like was the ability for landscape, whether it be cliffs or trees, to be able to cause a unit to miss. This added an element of realism to the game which previous Blizzard games had been missing. Unit damage was further altered by armor classes, which in this game was determined by unit size. This was another great change which has since carried over and expanded into many other games.

The often skipped, but wonderful element of Starcraft rests in the single player modes. There are three campaigns, one for each species, adding up to thirty levels. Each level has a mission format where one or more objectives need to be completed. The story which leads throughout these levels is one of the most complex ever conceived. I really can not express into words how real certain characters became.

The cinematics which tie the plot together are breathtaking. If this game did not have the best movie sequences of its time, please show me what did. This has always been true of Blizzards cinematic sequences and was no different here. The in game graphics are not terribly bad for its time, though limited by poor resolution. Starcraft, like Warcraft II, is still on a two dimensional playing field. Many had hoped it would be released with a visible height dimension [like Warcraft III]. While there is height in the form of cliffs and other landscapes, the graphics do it no justice. Many reds and oranges tend to bleed together to make ugly graphics, as in the case of the Nuclear Missile explosion. Starcraft's graphics are by far its weakest point, but one should never base an experience primarily on graphics.

On an up note, Starcraft did make several graphics revelations from previous games. The first is getting a good unit size. While Marines and Zerglings are small, they are at least closer to being proportional to buildings. In Warcraft II, for example, a Footman was about a ninth as big as a Barracks. In Starcraft, Marines are a mere fraction of that. Large fleet ships such as Carriers and Battlecruisers are maybe a bit smaller than they should be by comparison, but still a great improvement. Another huge graphical improvement is the amount of tile sets and tiles. Each individual square of a map is no longer discernible from the next. The ground blends with itself much better.

Starcraft did not disappoint in the sound department either. The afore mentioned cinematic sequences had great sound throughout. The music is wonderful, though there are only three in game songs per species, totally fifteen minutes per species. The Protoss music is especially fitting, as it sounds like a dire saga. Splendid, simply splendid. Every unit has several different lines of speech which are said when it is selected or moved. Upon repeated clicks, units begin saying humorous phrases, which can be a great way to amuse oneself. The entire storyline is spoken as well as written, allowing a player to truly fall in love with the characters of the game. I laughed at points [mostly in Brood War, though], cried in others and was purely stunned in many places.

Starcraft may not be about the single player aspects, but it is definitely the strongest part of the game. Online play, at this point in time, is becoming more and more limited. Use map settings games are now being done on Warcraft III with its superior ability to make maps. Competitive play is at an all time low and the ladders are full of cheaters. Starcraft's online play reached its peak several years ago, though with literally thousands of maps out there, can still be fun with friends.

Starcraft can still be found at many stores in the Starcraft Battle Chest, which includes the Brood War Expansion as well. I have not seen it run for more than twenty five dollars recently. It is a great pick up, well worth the play through on single player. I promise you will fall in love with at least one major character of the story, as there is a character to match just about everyone's tastes somewhere in the game.

Scores: For those who prefer numeric data.

Sound: 10/10
Graphics: 8/10
Control: 10/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Story: 10/10
Replay Value: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/11/02, Updated 02/09/05