Starcraft
Format : PC (soon N64)
Review by : The Ragin Cajun
Players : 1 - 8
Type : Real time strategy
This is perhaps the definitive RTS game on the p.c. in my opinion it is better than the command and conquer series. Taking control of one of 3 different species you work you way through 30 missions ( ten per species) in an aim to conquer the galaxy. Despite the normal RTS fare of building bases, harvesting minerals etc. Starcraft is an a league of its own.
For starters this is the only game of its kind which boasts of races that actually play different to each other. In command and conquer there was no real difference between GDI and NOD. For starcraft you have three races you have the terrans (humans to you and me) who are the middle of the road, with neither huge numbers of ultra powerful weapons, their mobility and specialised technology make up for this. The Zerg who look like H.G. Geiger's' Aliens and play like a colony of ants who have been pumped full of steroids , with a bad attitude. And teeth. And claws.
Finally the Protoss bear a slight resemblance to the Predators. They are very powerful, but ultra expensive.
Infact in starcraft the races are so different that using tactics that led to victory with the Zerg will be ineffective if you use the Protoss. Each race has been tailored not only to suit different player styles but also that no race has an advantage over the other for example the Zerg, while easy to breed in huge numbers are relatively weak, while the Protoss, the most advanced to the three races are very powerful their units are very expensive and slow to build so it all balances out.
The graphics are standard 2d fare although the explosions and unit detail is very high when compared to the little blocks that passed for men in C&C: Red Alert.
The sound is also very good. The tunes may grate after a while but the sound effects of battle are very fitting , and some of the unit speech is hilarious try clicking on the terran siege tanks or firebats many times for some very funny lines.
The plot is also a big highlight, being allot deeper than any other game before it. It has many twists and you favourite characters keep turning up , and you can't help loath some of the more evil backstabing characters. Very nice and the game leaves it self set up nicely for the expansion disk " Brood Wars" .
Finally if you thought that I liked the single player mode then you'll know that I LOVE the multi-player mode, either via Blizzards excellent Battle.net service or over a LAN this game really comes into its own when played against a human opponent. There is nothing to beat the excitement out smarting another person or performing a 3-way pincer move on them, to see them swear at you like you had murdered their whole family.
But like all games starcraft has its faults. Despite the option to create you own campaigns the game can get boring after a while. Also the difficulty of some of the latter missions can leave you pulling you hair out in frustration and eventuality leaving the game to rot in the depths of you hard drive. And the graphics are pretty bland.
To wrap up this is the best RTS game that money can buy and the fact that it and its expansion pack are being sold for a mere 25 quid makes it an even better buy.
Sound : Tunes may grate after a while but funny voices
7/10
Gameplay : You learn it real fast
9/10
9/10
Difficulty : Easy to pick up but gets real hard in the end
Graphics : Not great but ok units and landscapes
7/10
9/10
Overall : A fine game that any fans of the genre should try
Review by : The Ragin Cajun
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