Nearly two months after its release, StarCraft II fever is still running high. Finally, after forcing fans of the first StarCraft to wait over ten years for a sequel, Blizzard released StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty on the PC back on July 27th, and it's not ready to settle down just yet. Two expansion packs—Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void—are still to be released in the future. These expansions are meant to further explore the backgrounds and storylines of the Zerg and Protoss races, whereas Wings of Liberty mostly focuses on the Terran.
I, personally, have never played the first Starcraft, so I wasn't as psyched for SCII's release as, say, my boyfriend or half of my other friends. Before I get ahead of myself, though, I want to say right of the bat that I advise you take this review with a grain of salt, as I haven't really been able to play the game enough to completely stand behind my thoughts of it. With that being said, I think it's safe to say that I have mixed feelings about the game, though most of them are positive. In general, real-time strategy games and their ilk usually don't appeal to me all that much. However, with StarCraft II, I found that once I got into the swing of things and figured out what I was doing, the game genuinely took hold of me.
For the first couple of weeks playing online against other players, I was totally mesmerized by it. Even when I wasn't playing, my head was still busy with thoughts of all the methods and strategies to implement. However, after those first weeks, I found myself somewhat burnt out on the game. This was largely because--from what I can tell--the game has certain imbalances that still need to be worked out.
After having gotten a little tired of the online play, I decided to try out the campaign. I know that a lot of fans of the first StarCraft game had good things to say about it, but personally, after a few missions, I was straight-up bored with it. Granted, as I've already stated, I haven't played the first one and am only somewhat familiar with its storyline. However, I will say that the history behind the character Kerrigan (yay, Tricia Helfer) is rather fascinating, if not momentous enough to carry the rest of the game's storyline to the point of making it legitimately captivating for players like me.
Despite all this, StarCraft II really does have a lot of good things going in its favor. The ranking system alone is largely innovative and impressive, which, given StarCraft's status in the competitive gaming world, is a key component to its acclaim. Overall, a lot of care and effort went into the game, and I think it shows. I'm also fairly confident that a lot of its less favorables aspects will be addressed in the expansions and future patches. As far as RTS games go, this one is probably (one of) the best that you could ask for. If you're new to real-time strategies, I would definitely recommend that you give SCII a shot because it is certainly worth trying.
PC Gamer calls it "the most fun you can have online" and I'm inclined to agree. Perhaps not as challenging or mature as other online games, Team Fortress 2 is an essential addition to any gamer's library, regardless. And it's usually on sale--I've seen it for as little as $6 on Steam (I got mine for $10). So what's the hold up? Go download it already and start playing!
Okay, so maybe you actually want to know a little about the game. I guess I can do that. Well, not only is it filled to the brim with cheeky humor (it reminds me a lot, stylistically, of classics like Ratchet & Clank and Crash Bandicoot), but its nine distinct classes (offensive, defensive, and support) make for satisfyingly variable gameplay. With well over a dozen different maps and a handful of different games to play like "Arena", "Payload", "Capture the Flag", etc., all involving two opposing teams--RED and BLU--every time that you log on to play TF2, you can usually expect a unique round. Not to mention, depending on what classes are on the field and how many there are, the interaction between players and the tactics demanded can change completely.
What first got me interested in the TF2 was Valve's series of "Meet the Team" videos meant to promote the game. The videos are not only immensely humorous and entertaining, but they do a good job giving you a sense of each class's abilities and purpose within the team.
The three offensive classes of TF2 are the Scout, Soldier, and Pyro. According to Team Fortress 2's official Wiki page, the Scout is a young'n from Boston who "flies like a butterfly and stings like a Shotgun blast to the face." He is the fastest of all the classes, making him useful in pushing Payload carts, stealing enemy intel, and capturing control points, among other things. Along with his in-your-face attitude, the Scout is equipped with a shotgun and a baseball bat as his primary and secondary weapons. Since his max health is low, it is critical for the Scout to utilize his ability to hit and run and attack opponents at close range.
Then there's the Soldier, who was designed to do the most damage, long-range, of all the classes. The Soldier uses a rocket launcher, which, not only does a considerable amount of damage, but allows the Soldier to attack from safer distances.
The final offensive class--the Pyro--is my favorite class to play by far. Not much is known about the Pyro in terms of his personal life...in fact, no one can even say for sure that it's even a "he" in that suit. His mask makes it nearly impossible to understand what he's saying most of the time, but his fighting methods are perfectly clear. As his name might suggest, the Pyro is most savvy with his flamethrower, which has a short range but deals impressive damage. Those who manage to flee the Pyro's flamethrower will still remain on fire for several seconds unless they die first or seek health before the flames go out. If the Pyro manages to ambush his enemies, though, you can pretty much expect them to be toast. Perhaps the Pyro's most important task is Spy-checking, which he accomplishes by setting invisible or disguised Spies on fire, revealing them and usually killing them.
The defensive forces are made up of the Heavy, the Demoman, and the Engineer. Arguably the most essential defensive class is the Engineer, who, instead of engaging in direct combat with his opponents, has a number of buildings he can set up, such as the sentry, teleporter, and dispenser. The Engineer's sentry can be incredibly lethal and problematic for the opposing team, while his teleporter and dispenser can be of great use to his own.
The Heavy, a giant Russian with a thick accent, has the most HP of all the classes and uses a minigun (which he shows more affection and concern for than any of his teammates). Essentially, it takes a lot to kill him and he can easily take down anyone who gets caught in his way of fire, but he's slow and easy to sneak up on. Regardless, he's a pretty good guy to have on your team, all in all, and while he's easier to play than some of the other classes, the Heavy is often crucial to a good defense. As one might expect, he can put quite a hurtin' on his enemies, and he makes a good Medic buddy as well.
The Demoman is, quite simply, "a black, Scottish cyclops" who can often be found with some sort of booze held tightly in his grasp. And, you know, is also a tactical, explosive-damage-dealing, defensive class. Armed with grenade and sticky bomb launchers, the Demoman is best played when he uses his sticky bombs (mines that stick to the ground, walls, ceilings, etc.) to set up traps for incoming enemies or send grenades ricocheting around corners. This is especially effective in situations where the enemy has to stand on or get to a specific area like a control point. Even more so than the Heavy, players will find that they can use the Demoman in circumstances that demand offensive action as well as defensive, such as taking down an enemy Engineer's sentry gun. Overall, a fun and diversely useful class.
Lastly, there are the support classes, which are the Sniper, the Medic, and the Spy. The Sniper and the Medic are both pretty self-explanatory, but the Sniper is obviously in charge of picking off targets with his sniper rifle from a distance where he is barely even noticeable and is, more or less, safe from harm. Don't get too comfy, though--you're usually pretty easy to sneak up on. While a sniper typically doesn't make as many kills as an offensive class, he has the ability to wait for high-value targets like Medics or Spies to make their way into his scope. If a player is feeling a little more ballsy, though, they can equip the Huntsman bow and arrow instead of the rifle, which is a more offensive weapon that demands attacks that are at a shorter range. Because of their specialized abilities, there should only be so many Snipers (like, two or three, tops) on the team at a time. The Sniper is from the Australian outback.
The Medic, who's quite obviously from Germany, is primarily responsible for healing his teammates when they take damage, of course, but he can also be an essential asset in taking down an Engineer's sentry turret or keeping enemies away from a control point or base. When the medic uses either his standard Medigun or the Kritzkrieg to heal his teammates, he charges up for either a temporary period of shared invulnerability between himself and a teammate or a bout of critical hits (or "crits") that his target can unleash upon the opposing team, depending on what weapon he's using. For most situations, the Medic's Über (invulnerability) is more necessary than a Kritz, especially when playing on an offensive team. While the Medic's role is a relatively simple one, you'll find yourself in big trouble on a team without him.
The very last class in the game is the Spy. The Spy can be incredibly useful, sneaking into enemy territory while invisible or disguised, backstabbing his opponents, and sapping Engineers' buildings until they are completely destroyed. They are arguably the most difficult class to play, however, and you usually only want one or two on your team.
With all that said, I seriously suggest that if you enjoy playing games online, you consider purchasing the game or at least giving it a try, cos it really does have something in it for everyone. It's fun and it allows for all sorts of different gameplay. Valve also puts out frequent updates which keep the game from going stale, even after months and months or even years of playing.
Expect a post on my love affair with the Pyro in the near future.
Images were found in several different places around the web and are (presumably) the property of Valve.
I was raised a console gamer from the age of 6. More specifically, a PlayStation gamer (PlayStation, PS2, PS3...). In fact, to this day, I still remember when my dad first brought home the original PlayStation and all of the game demos that came with it. I was so fond of my PlayStation gaming experience that until two or three years ago, console games were really the only ones I ever considered playing. Afterall, the most popular games on the PC that I knew of were things like WoW and Call of Duty, which didn't really interest me in the slightest. So for a long time, I stuck to my Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Prince of Persia, Shadow of the Colossus, and so on. But one day, that all changed.
My dad got an issue of Game Informer in the mail and after bickering with my brothers over who got to read it first, I finally got the chance to flip through it. About halfway in was a brief preview (with lots of pretty pictures that made it seem not-so-brief) of Left 4 Dead. I was instantly enticed. Not only did it star hordes zombies, which I have had a sort of infatuation with for as long as I can remember, but it emphasized the idea of tactical cooperation and the delicate functionality between the four playable characters. Basically, if you couldn't work well as a team, you were screwed. How cool was that? I didn't even know about being able to play the Special Infected or Versus Mode until later. After all of this excitement, however, my heart was effectively crushed when I searched the page for its system availability, only to find that it was for the XBox 360 and the PC only. At the time, I didn't have my own computer so the possibility of playing it on the PC didn't even cross my mind, and I certainly wasn't going to be able to afford a 360 any time soon.
So some time passed and when I had forgotten about the game almost completely, it was released and my boyfriend showed it to me on his computer. At first, I was stubborn and prejudiced, as we gamers tend to be. I was so familiar with playing on the PlayStation that the PC made me feel like a nub. All of those years of experience with a controller in my hand seemed to mean nothing now, and that made me uncomfortable. But then I saw the intro to the game.
Holy crap. I was thrilled in a sort of terrified way. Not only was the intro exciting and fun to watch, but it revealed precisely what made the game special. As a player, you had to constantly be astute to what was happening around you. Where are your fellow Survivors? Do they need help? What kinds of infected are nearby? Left 4 Dead is a game that has so many captivating and unpredictable elements to it, making it a truly unique gaming experience...if not a little stressful and intense, especially in Versus Mode. There's lots that a player needs to be aware of at all times like which route is the best, what items you should grab, what you should do if you encounter a Tank or a Witch, etc. Not to mention all of the wicked fun you can have as a Special Infected. But even then, the strategy shared between yourself and the rest of your team is crucial to success, which makes it different (and in my opinion, more likable) than most first-person shooters that emphasize little more than your kill/death ratio. If that's not your cup of tea, though (it's totally mine), there's lots of fun to be had in Campaign, Survival, and even Single-Player mode.
About a year after Left 4 Dead was released, its sequel, Left 4 Dead 2, was released as well. A lot of people (including myself) found this kind of annoying for financial reasons if nothing else (who wants to fork over $80-100 for two games from the same franchise in one year?) , but the trailers proved genuinely alluring. So I ended up pre-ordering it, of course.
With the addition of a few new Special Infected and melee weapons, among other features that make the game more variable than the first, Left 4 Dead 2 is very similar to its predecessor in that it sticks to the same line of gameplay. Players must rely on both their intuitive and strategic skills to get from point A to point B, hopefully still in one piece. What is unfortunate to me is that with the new characters and environments, a lot of the original Left 4 Dead's charm and horror seems to have been dissolved. However, L4D 2 is full of funny character quotes and unique settings that make it genuinely enjoyable in its own right. Valve also seems to be taking care to make sure that the game doesn't "get old" any time soon with weekly "Mutation" modes and the occasional new map. If all else fails...Ellis is incredibly sexy. I think so, anyway.
Images were found in several different places around the web and are (presumably) the property of Valve.
Nearly two months after its release, StarCraft II fever is still running high. Finally, after forcing fans of the first StarCraft to wait over ten years for a sequel, Blizzard released StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty on the PC back on July 27th, and it's not ready to settle down just yet. Two expansion packs—Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void—are still to be released in the future. These expansions are meant to further explore the backgrounds and storylines of the Zerg and Protoss races, whereas Wings of Liberty mostly focuses on the Terran. 
perfectly clear. As his name might suggest, the Pyro is most savvy with his flamethrower, which has a short range but deals impressive damage. Those who manage to flee the Pyro's flamethrower will still remain on fire for several seconds unless they die first or seek health before the flames go out. If the Pyro manages to ambush his enemies, though, you can pretty much expect them to be toast. Perhaps the Pyro's most important task is Spy-checking, which he accomplishes by setting invisible or disguised Spies on fire, revealing them and usually killing them.
