StarCraft

Game review

StarCraft puts you in charge of a small group of humans exiled to the edge of the galaxy.  Your mission is to acquire the resources needed to train and expand your military to defend against the Confederate Nations, who are also battling for control of the galaxy's precious resources. This game is designed for multiplayer use. Gameplay in StarCraft has clear similarities to Blizzard's earlier WarCraft II. Building units requires credits and a power source, and once completed you can direct them into combat against foes. You only know the layout of terrain you have visited, and only the exact whereabouts of enemy units which are range for one of your units, due to the Fog of War. StarCraft: Brood War continues the award-winning saga of galactic warfare as the Zerg, Protoss and Terrans struggle for their continued survival. With the shattered Zerg hive torn apart by fierce in-fighting, the Protoss seek to reunite with their Dark Templar brethren and begin the rebuilding of their homeworld, Aiur. Terran Emperor Mengsk I, having achieved his goal of total power over the human colonies, must now turn his attention to both the rising power of the woman he betrayed -- Kerrigan, the infamous Zerg Queen of Blades -- and a conspiracy deep within his own ranks.

The first part of real-time strategies from the Starcraft series tells the saga of human colonization of the surrounding universe in the 26th century. 4 giant transport ships were sent from Earth and landed on the planets Tarsonis, Moria and Umoja, but the fourth was lost without a trace. After the battles that have taken place, the Confederation is formed, which becomes the most powerful structure in the entire known universe. The power status quo is only temporary and the time of new alliances, treacherous maneuvers and unexpected results is coming. Very aggressive extraterrestrial beings (Zergs) appeared on the peripheral colony of Chau Sara, and the entire planet was soon "cleansed" (burned out of orbit) by other extraterrestrials (Prottos).

The game itself offers 10 missions for each of the 3 optional races (Terran, Zerg and Protoss). The differences between the races go beyond just the graphic side. Units, production and factors (resistance) have their specifics and diversity.

• Terrans - people from planet Earth, their ancestors were criminals whom other people more or less wanted to get rid of, so they were sent to colonize the distant universe. Their advantage is flexibility and great "ingenuity".
• Zerg – an aggressive race, sharing a collective (hive) consciousness and assimilating all kinds of organisms to obtain perfect DNA. They rely primarily on the frequency of their units (zergling).
• Protoss - advanced humanoid race and mysterious Templars. They are highly resistant (as the only ones with protective shields) and in addition to their advanced technology, they also rely on psionic powers. They partially share their consciousness (experiences, memories) in a telepathic network called Khala.

There are several levels of improvements, different types of buildings and several important characters - heroes (Edmund Duke, Daggoth, Tassadar, James Raynor) that the player can control in different stages of the campaign. For the production of units, buildings and improvements, two raw materials are mined here - crystals and gas. The contents of the individual missions consist of mining, production and defeating the enemy, with the fact that there will also be defensive (base protection) and rescue missions. The battles take place on different planets representing different environments.

The game also includes a map editor and multiplayer playable over a local network or via Blizzard's own Battle.net internet player service. Here, players can play online against opponents (all you need is an original game with a serial number and an Internet connection). Many fans here in various leagues and tournaments play in groups against the computer or against each other.

The original version of the game was released for free download under the name StarCraft Anthology.