Blizzard's latest installment in the StarCraft series, StarCraft 2 Heart of the Swarm, takes players on a campaign of vengeance against the series' main antagonist, Arcturus Mengsk. Mengsk is responsible for leaving Sarah Kerrigan behind during a mission in the original StarCraft game, which leads to her becoming the villain of the two following installments in the series. The campaign mode, or story mode, delivers a very emotional journey featuring Sarah Kerrigan, the now former Queen of Blades, and James Raynor, the hero from StarCraft 2 Wings of Liberty. Along this journey, Kerrigan is forced to evolve not only the Zerg Swarm, but also herself.
StarCraft 2 Heart of the Swarm drastically differs from the gameplay style of the original StarCraft. It breaks from a strictly Real Time Strategy style and features elements more akin to an Adventure or Role Playing Game. The player is given many opportunities to make choices that will alter hero and unit abilities. Some of which can be changed later on, but some cannot be altered, save starting a new campaign from the beginning. The non-cimeatic character conversations are tailored to the choices you have made as well.
Some great new online features have been added with StarCraft 2 Heart of the Swarm. These features include Groups and Clans for a more regulated multiplayer experience. Maps and units have had several upgrades made to them for the new expansion. Zerg creep now flows up the buildings and structures on old maps and all new themed maps have been added. Unranked match games will now feature a leveling system that will unlock decals, portraits, and unit skins allowing you to customize your experience that much further. A half dozen new units have been added across the board to help balance and create a brand new experience with multiplayer battles. Tutorials were added to get the player ready for battle with these new units, as they can drastically alter the competitive online play of StarCraft.
The myriad of features added to the gameplay and the dramatic storyline make Heart of the Swarm a must have for fans of the series. Seasoned online players will, of course, find the expansion a necessity and newcomers to the series will enjoy a more gentle campaign than that of Wings of Liberty. Unfortunately, newcomers in North America are required to purchase StarCraft 2 Wings of Liberty before they can upgrade to StarCraft 2 Heart of the Swarm, but this can be accomplished completely online via digital purchase and download.
For an in-depth review, including gameplay specifics and plot spoilers, and links to my other works go to http://doyleclark.com/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-reviewed
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