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Blizzard outdoes itself

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 36 / 38
Date: December 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Starcraft is the ultimate real-time strategy game. In a world of games that lose their appeal within a year of release, Starcraft keeps bringing players back. Blizzard Entertainment is known for its excellent RTS-type games such as the Warcraft series, but the company's high water mark is Starcraft. The set-up is that a long lost space colony of humans finds itself in mortal conflict with two alien races, the Zerg (nasty reptiles) and Protoss (ancient psionic warriors). The game allows you to play all three races in turn, and revolves around the collection of resources to buy more units, buildings and technological improvements as you try to fulfill mission objectives.

As we've come to expect from Blizzard, the gameplay itself is superb - intuitive interface, interesting units that complement each other in interesting ways, and graphics that are adequate even if they are showing their age. In my opinion, the balance between the three races is as close to perfection of any game I've played. Each race is utterly distinct and requires completely different strategies to play, but none has an obvious advantage over the others. But where the game really goes over the top is in the storyline. Blizzard is NOT known for great plots. For example, the Warcraft III storyline has some unbelievable plot twists that have to be overlooked to keep playing. In contrast, Starcraft has an absorbing plotline that flows seamlessly throughout the single player campaign and actually made me gasp in astonishment a few times, which has never happened since in an RTS.

I assume that any fan of real-time strategy computer games already has this one. If you have any interest at all in RTS, get this game. If you passionately hate RTS, Starcraft is the best bet to change your mind.

STARCRAFT!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 26 / 30
Date: October 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Starcraft is also a must buy for a strategy game lover. Although Sc is not as great graphic wise as Age of Empired II the game certainly makes up for it's graphics in other ways. Such as it's three seperate races that are nothing alike. Each race have different abilities and different units. Then you have ladder when u play ladder you get a rating and you can check your placement within that area of the world. Then you can play the regular game of melee in which you build up and fight to destroy enemies. Only one problem with the game is that if you happen to play online most of the users bought the expansion Starcraft Brood War. Which means you cannot play with those users. Yet Starcraft is still a great game and a must!

Blizzard gets the formula right!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: May 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Hailed by critics as merely "Warcraft in Space" back when it was released, Blizzard Entertainment's gem is a standard by which all strategy games are now judged. There are 3 playable races to choose from, the xenomorphic alien Zergs, the highly evolved technological Protoss, and the resourceful Terrans. The races are meticulously balanced, and all of them are unique in every sense of the word. The strategies you must devise to win have to be drastically different based on the race you play with, there is no single formula for success, you have to utilize your races' strengths and cover up your weaknesses against your enemy.

The story of the campaign is intriguing and keeps you glued to the screen. There are campaigns for all 3 races, with each campaign consisting of 12+ missions, varying in difficulty. Starting off with the Terrans (futuristic humans), you have to repel the Zerg invasion of the newly colonized system that the human race now calls home. The briefings before every mission are a joy to sit through, the dialogue and voice acting is superb, and it really draws you into the world and gets you pumped up for the upcoming mission. The plot is complex, with plenty of twists and turns, which is surprising for a strategy game, and there are scripted events thrown in here and there that make the missions very fun to play. In a neat twist, the second campaign lets you play as the Zerg, as you devastate the galaxy with your insectoid troops. My favorite campaign, the third, lets you play as the Protoss, and the mission design is absolutely fantastic in this campaign, with plenty of variety thrown in. You will fight indoors and outdoors, on a couple of very cool planets. Overall, the game offers well over 30 hours of single player entertainment. The fantastic cutscenes that accompany the campaigns are typical Blizzard quality and must receive special mention.

Each race gets over 10 uniquely different units to play around with, and every single one is a joy to control. The variety is astounding, from hulking Zerg Ultralisks that tear everything on the ground apart, to the Protoss Carriers that dominate the skies, and to Terran Vulture Bikes that lay spider mines, it will be a long time before you are bored with the selection. Units compliment each other in different ways, and you can concoct an astounding variety of tactics to beat your opponent. With the newer patches the AI becomes extremely potent, so it will give you a stern challenge. The game is quite difficult to master, however the intuitive interface and excellent tutorial make things easier.

Sound is superbly done. Every unit has their own sounds and respond accordingly to your commands. Hearing the battlefield echo with the spitting of the snakelike Hydralisks as they clash against roaring chaingun fire of the Human marines is certainly something every gamer that played "Starcraft" remembers. Music is appropriate to each race too and blends in well with the action, nothing too special, just well rounded and simple.

If a solid single-player narrative is not your cup of tea, then there are plenty of other options. Skirmishes can also be played against up to 7 computer controlled players, but the multiplayer options are what really give the game its longevity. Multiplayer through Blizzard's Battle.Net service has become the flagship attraction of the game, and servers (especially Korean servers - the game has become a pop culture phenomenon there) are still raging with activity eight years after the game's release. The tactical variety and perfect balance make for very addictive multiplay. Not to mention that the maps that ship with the game are top-notch, and allow plenty of interesting scenarios to unfold. LAN option is also available if you want to hook up a few PC's together.

The graphics were good for it's time, but what it lacked in cutting edge technology it made up for with personality. The races have their unique flair to them, and the 2D designs reflect the creativity of the art designers. Each unit has its own stylistic quirks and features, and the animations are in my opinion excellent. Missiles fly and impact realistically, shields flare upon contact, and Zerg acid sprays across the screen. A campaign editor also ships with the game, and it is useful if you want to cook up your own maps, although the interface is not the most user friendly.

There are minor quips here and there, such as the inability to group more than 12 units together, and lackluster pathfinding is an issue sometimes, but overall the game is impressively free of any technical glitches.

Every serious computer gamer should have "Starcraft" in their library, and if you are still one of those people who has never played what is considered by many to be the greatest real-time strategy of all time, then be sure to dive into the bargain bin and give "Starcraft" a go.

One of the best Real-Time Strategy games

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: October 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I'm generally not into Real-Time Strategy games, but I really enjoyed this one. It has a compelling story line, which is unusual in this style of game, and the single-player game has a shallow enough learning curve for even a first-time RTS player, but it doesn't ramp up the complexity so slowly that it's boring. The three races are fairly well balanced, yet significantly different in their strategies.

I definitely recommend buying the Starcraft: Brood Wars expansion with this, or just buying the Starcraft Battle Chest set that includes both, because Brood Wars adds so much to the Starcraft game. It continues the story, adds some interesting new units to each side, and re-balances the old units.

With the included editor, you can make your own maps or even whole campaigns. One of the reasons this game is still popular after so many years is that so many people have done just that, and made their contributions available for download. More importantly, online-multiplayer support keeps this old game alive by providing an endless supply of new opponents with an endless variety of strategies. The graphics, of course, are getting progressively more outdated, but in this kind of game, that really isn't a big deal.

The Best Strategy Game Now and Forever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Chess has been around for centuries because of its depth and strategy. Monopoly, some decades.

StarCraft BroodWar will be that computer game that you've tucked away in the closet, and upon finding it dust-covered, you'll reinstall it and play it again and again.

GET IT

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If you have any doubt about getting this game, drop those doubts and get it. First of all, this is one of the cheapest online games in the world nowadays. Get it. You WILL thank me.

StarCraft: A Classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: August 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Wow, I wasn't really sure what to expect when I bought this game! I had only played once before at a friend's house, and thought, "Oh sure, it's fun, I guess." But after buying this from Amazon, I had yet to discover the fulness of the game! As old as it may be, I discovered how many people still go online to play the game! That alone is proof of how good a game this is. Creating armies to conquer the battlefield, using great strategy along the way, this game really gets you thinking, too! I absolutely love it!

Nothing matches Starcraft, including Red Alert 2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I got Starcraft 4 years ago. I still play it all the time. No other game has been able to keep me hooked for so long. The single-player campaign is great, and I am not a fan of most single player RTS'. There are 3 races, the Terran, the Protoss and the Zerg. The races all have completely different units, different strategies, different everything. For example, the zerg rely on mass amounts of cheap units, while the Protoss prefer smaller numbers of powerful, shielded units. However much appeal there is in the single-player game, the real fun starts when you log onto Batlle.net. Battle.net is Blizzard's online service, and it has to be the best i have ever seen, including Westwood's. The multi-player is what has kept me hooked. The computer will never be able to match a human in 1 on 1, and the human element supplies much more challenge than your CPU does. There are new challenges every time you play. When you think you've seen it all, there will be another strategy to contend with, more challenges to face. Even though I have used multiple names, and my record is 61/20 (wins/losses) i still never have an easy victory. Pick this game up and love it. You won't regret it. If you really like Starcraft, get the expansion pack, Brood War

Best game ever made!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Starcraft is simply unmatched in the history of computer gaming. In my opinion, only the Civilization series comes close, so it's just a choice between real-time and turn-based games.

Here's why Starcraft rules real-time strategy:

Great story. You spend time playing each of the three races, fighting against every combination of enemies, and yet it always makes sense. You won't always see it coming -- there are a few surprises -- but the fantastic storyline keeps you believing. The high quality cinematic cut scenes don't hurt, either.

Perfect balance. The three races in the game aren't just different graphics over the same units. And yet they are fairly matched.

Good learning curve. You'll generally have to work to beat the scenarios, but they don't hand you an entire task force in your first mission.

Superb replay value. Name another game from the last decade that you still play. Did you actually come up with one? I'll bet it's your favorite, right? OK, well Starcraft will be your other favorite. You can replay the original campaigns (yes, they actually work more than once!), download more from Blizzard for free, or play your friends on the internet. This game was built to last.

I give Starcraft five stars because Amazon doesn't allow six stars even for the truly exceptional. Buy one. Enjoy!

GREAT GAME

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Starcraft, produced in 1998 by Blizzard Entertainment, is still as popular as it has ever been with thousands of players still playing it on Battlenet. When it was released in 1998, it was an instant hit, selling over 1.5 million copies that year and receiving numerous awards. The game play isn't revolutionary in the real-time strategy (RTS) genre, following closely to the blueprint of its predecessors, Warcraft and Warcraft II, but it's still a well-crafted game, offering hours of entertainment.
The storyline in Starcraft is compelling, leaving the gamer craving more after each mission is completed. The graphics are two-dimensional, lacking, the rotational option in the newer RTS games, Warcraft III and Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War, but it's still impressive even with today's standards. The buildings and units are well-crafted and detailed. The cut scenes are captivating with their excellent animation and voice acting. The music is dark and melodic, which is appropriate for this game.
The single player campaign offers 30 missions, split evenly between the three warring factions, Protoss, Zerg and Terran. The three campaigns can be played in any order but the recommended order is Terran, Zerg and then Protoss. This is because the difficult of each campaign increases and the storyline also follows that order.
Each race is completely unique from the others, containing different units, build orders, and playing styles, but they are still well balanced. Each Zerg unit isn't particular strong, but they are agile and the cost of building each one is relatively inexpensive so players are able to mass many of them. Zerg buildings are living organisms so they cannot be repaired, but instead they have regenerative abilities. The Protoss units are strong, but that strength comes with a price, so each unit should be valued. Protoss structures, unlike the other two races, are teleported in, making building faster. Terran units are a mix of Zerg and Protoss, not particularly strong, and moderately expensive. Large Terran buildings have the ability to lift and relocate, which is useful when moving to another mineral patch, or escaping from an onslaught.
The single-player campaigns are interesting and offer hours of entertainment, but for most players, the single-player campaign is just training for the multiplayer games. Players can play against each over local area networks (LAN), direct connect, modem, TCP/IP or over the internet using Blizzard's free Battle.net servers.
Battle.net is an online community where thousands of Starcraft players go everyday to chat and play. There are many different chat rooms for players to communicate ranging from technical support, to gaming strategies. Players can create their own game or join an existing game. Each game can contain up to 8 players. The artificial intelligence (AI) for Starcraft is impressive, but it's nothing compared to playing another human player, who can think, deceive and exploit weaknesses. Most "newbies" playing over Battlenet will be defeated with the infamous "rush," strategy where players quickly build several units to attack the opponent before he/she is prepared. The games come with a replay option at the end so players can review their games and learn from their mistakes. With time, players can learn how to stop the "rush."
Starcraft isn't only limited to head-to-head games. There are a variety of maps and games ranging from free-for-all, to using map setting (UMS). Players even have the ability to create their own maps using Starcraft's easy to use campaign editor. Players can modify an existing map or they can create a whole new map from scratch.
For those who loved the single-player campaign, they can continue with 24 new single player missions in the expansion, Starcraft: Brood Wars. The game play and feel of Brood Wars is exactly the same as Starcraft and the story picks up where Starcraft left off. There are also seven new units in Brood Wars: corsairs, dark templars, and dark archons for the Protoss, valkyrie and medics for the Terrans, and lurkers and devourer for the Zerg.
Though a bit dated, Starcraft is still an excellent RTS game. With its well-designed game play and its excellent visual and sound, it is one reason why it is still the standard by which newer RTS games are compared to. For those new to RTS games, Starcraft is the perfect gateway into the newer RTS games, and for those who love RTS games, Starcraft is a must play.

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