Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3772 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,975 out of 3772
  2. Mixed: 410 out of 3772
  3. Negative: 387 out of 3772
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  1. YoloSwag4Doge
    Jul 12, 2018
    9
    I've never played the first StarCraft and judging by how the game was reviewed by some, it seems that's advantageous, because everything was fresh for me. I can definitely see why some people would be less than impressed with the gameplay. I haven't played a ton of MP, but it seems most of your attention is spent on building and teching properly. You're essentially just trying to amass aI've never played the first StarCraft and judging by how the game was reviewed by some, it seems that's advantageous, because everything was fresh for me. I can definitely see why some people would be less than impressed with the gameplay. I haven't played a ton of MP, but it seems most of your attention is spent on building and teching properly. You're essentially just trying to amass a blob quicker than your enemy so you can wipe them out in one sweep, with rushing being the sort of tactic that either wins or loses you the game. There's virtually no grand scale strategizing and the unit's overall low time to kill makes micro managing counterproductive unless done incredibly quickly.

    I've mainly just been playing the co-op modes and campaign, especially since most of the community at this point is god-tier. For being an 8 year old game at the time of writing, I'm actually really impressed with how much quality and content this game has. The graphics have held up well, though the units are all quite small, meaning you can't really see much in the way of detail anyways. The cut scenes are plentiful and are very high grade ascetically, giving them a distinct movie quality. These days devs, (due to cost cutting publisher execs), generally try to avoid cut scenes altogether. So getting really crisp, sci-fi cinema is a real treat.

    I understand that the campaign won't be for everyone, (especially if you find the SC gameplay boring), but they've done an objectively stellar job on fleshing out the campaign with quality content. As you'd expect, the story is built around the gameplay, meaning it's relatively generic and filled to the brim with tropes and cliches. (I found the main character's romanticized alcoholism pretty cringey, but again it's another trope). You'll notice the universe has a western vibe very similar to Firefly and sci-fi elements that parallel closely to Warhammer 40k, but I personally don't have an issue with this since SC undoubtedly maintains it's own creative spin. Characters, though fairly generic overall, are likable and fit well with the plot. What I really liked is how in between missions you can talk with the various characters you're working with, potentially giving you a more personal connection with them. Despite their noticeable lack of depth, I couldn't help enjoying them anyways because of how they're depicted with having flaws alongside their grit and comradry. I thought this conversation feature to be a really nice touch given how RTS's often cheap out on fleshing out their campaigns.

    If you find the gameplay enjoyable, then you'll notice how well done the missions are. Each map is distinguishable, being set in a wide range of worldly environments. Though the primary formula is usually to build a base and defeat X, each mission involves it's own set of narrative objectives that have their own twists to accomplish, with optional side objectives to complete if you want to keep things interesting. Some missions involve controlling heroes with special abilities and though I found these missions to be fairly easy, they were fun and memorable. While the plot certainly accommodates for the creative gameplay designs in ways that are extremely unrealistic, even for a sci-fi setting, the two still synergize really well. Overall, I was amazed with how effectively the devs were able to come up with different spins that make each mission it's own.

    Lastly, there's a lot of substance put into differentiating the three races. The terran have a combination of components seen in a plethora of other sci-fi universes, such as mechanical armor, mechanized walkers and troop drop pods. Their build elements mirror that seen in other RTS games. The protos, an alien race, remind me a lot of Halo's covenant or 40k's eldar, with their advanced technology, shielding and arrogant demeanor. Their units and build functions are in some cases considerably different from the terrans.

    The zerg though just blow me away. They're very similar to 40k's tyranids in their overall design, but the craftsmanship put into them is incredible. Each unit is distinct, and appropriately disgusting to look at with their insectoid appearances. A lot of their units have very unique functions and the way their build system works is not only inventive, but perfectly fitting for the bio-technological theme they have. I couldn't get over how much I enjoyed playing the zerg campaign, (additionally priced DLC), and how much their play style aligns with the game's horde focused functionality.

    The additional DLC campaigns feature the same content excellence and polish seen in the first. I bought them all at half price and they're all well worth it. If you didn't like the terran campaign, then you won't like them either, as it's really the exact same formula with new characters, a continuation of the plot and more of the ingenious level designs.

    Overall, SC2 is filled with grade A content and holds up well even today.    … Expand
  2. ThecriticGoD
    Mar 7, 2016
    9
    The proof that RTS games can still be good nowadays. It's not as good as Starcraft : broodwar, gameplay-wise or story-wise but it's definetely really cool visually, very entertaining and it's a lot of fun to learn to master all 3 races, also the multiplayer is extremely competitive.
  3. CaptainBounty
    Mar 9, 2016
    9
    If blizzard is good at anything, it surely is RTS. They used the old formular and applied it on another flagship-brands of their company. The outcome is a great competetive game, interesting campaign and vast loads of user created funmaps. They took what was good in SC, added some more good stuff, and pressed it into SC2. Hell, it about time!
  4. hpw182
    Apr 17, 2016
    9
    El videojuego contiene una historia que me encanta, la jugabilidad es muy buena, te deja tomar ciertas decisiones en la historia que cambian el curso de los acontecimientos, a pesar de que sólo tiene 3 facciones para elegir están las tres muy cuidadas y completas entrelazando entre sí una trama muy buena.

    La jugabilidad es bastante buena, y el modo campaña me resultó bastante bueno, a    El videojuego contiene una historia que me encanta, la jugabilidad es muy buena, te deja tomar ciertas decisiones en la historia que cambian el curso de los acontecimientos, a pesar de que sólo tiene 3 facciones para elegir están las tres muy cuidadas y completas entrelazando entre sí una trama muy buena.

    La jugabilidad es bastante buena, y el modo campaña me resultó bastante bueno, a parte de que la dificultad del juego te hará exprimir tu cerebro en las dificultades más altas, para mí el mejor juego de estrategia futurista.    … Expand
  5. Demon2017
    Jun 19, 2022
    9
    Самая лучшая стратегия. Единственная проблема, что игру поделили на 3 эпизода, они хоть и длинные и тянут на отдельные игры, но все равно, это немного сбивает понимание сюжета.
  6. Flemat
    Jul 27, 2020
    9
    9/10

    A very good game.
    Was a huge fan to the original Starcraft and Brood war. Was hyped when it was announced and came out. Solid story and campaign, and just as good multiplayer. Its almost starcraft 1 but with better graphics and sounds and some general changes.
  7. TBT
    Apr 6, 2019
    9
    The classic real time strategy franchise with incredibly well balanced factions, frenetic action. This is a game that can be played for years, like chess. It has redefined the genre and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

    Regarding the creative direction, it's a fine-tune sci-fi world, charming and brutal: beautiful aesthetics, charismatic units (something that's often    The classic real time strategy franchise with incredibly well balanced factions, frenetic action. This is a game that can be played for years, like chess. It has redefined the genre and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

    Regarding the creative direction, it's a fine-tune sci-fi world, charming and brutal: beautiful aesthetics, charismatic units (something that's often lacking in the RTA genre), great soundtrack. The player is transported into the future, whether you pick the Terrans, the Zergs or the Protoss.    … Expand
  8. Kotofon
    Nov 2, 2021
    9
    StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty — продолжение культовой StarCraft. В отличие от предыдущей игры серии, StarCraft II выполнен в трёхмерной графике. Как и в StarCraft, основной акцент в игре делается на добыче ресурсов и многочисленных сражениях. Добывая ресурсы, игрок получает средства для строительства зданий, которые могут производить боевые единицы и улучшать их. Главное назначениеStarCraft II: Wings of Liberty — продолжение культовой StarCraft. В отличие от предыдущей игры серии, StarCraft II выполнен в трёхмерной графике. Как и в StarCraft, основной акцент в игре делается на добыче ресурсов и многочисленных сражениях. Добывая ресурсы, игрок получает средства для строительства зданий, которые могут производить боевые единицы и улучшать их. Главное назначение боевых единиц — добыча ресурсов и атака противника. Цель игрока — уничтожить все здания противника (но необязательно все боевые единицы).… Expand
  9. Ruzaky
    Aug 6, 2020
    9
    Pretty much the best you can do out of Rts. Campaing is super fun. Finished it like 5 times at this point. And will comeback to it more in years :)
  10. Red_Spectre
    Jun 3, 2019
    9
    If you like Real Time Strategy, games this is one of the best ones.
    There are so many different ways to play Starcraft.
  11. GameJoin
    Mar 18, 2019
    9
    A great game, no doubt about it. Classic RTS's golden boy no1.
    Enjoyable campaign and great multiplayer. It's quite hard to get in to at the beginning though, and in my opinion the base building is too APM demanding.
  12. JesterTRT
    Jan 17, 2020
    9
    Such an old game now... And it still holds up. After playing other RTS, I still find myself returning to Starcraft. I've played this game to death back when it first launched, and every year I return to it.

    A lot of other RTS games always try to over complicate the games. So I like the simplicity, yet still huge variety that Starcraft offers. The campaign mode is actually good for an    Such an old game now... And it still holds up. After playing other RTS, I still find myself returning to Starcraft. I've played this game to death back when it first launched, and every year I return to it.

    A lot of other RTS games always try to over complicate the games. So I like the simplicity, yet still huge variety that Starcraft offers.

    The campaign mode is actually good for an RTS. Each three class, now with their own campaign as well. But main characters to follow their storylines. And of course, the many many custom maps and mods, arcade modes, and now the really fun co-op mode!

    I wish they'd expand upon the co-op mode and make some 4 player co-op modes. And then redo an entire full campaign with a co-op mode. I'd love to go through the campaign, gaining gas and mats and money, just like the normal campaign. But only with a friend. Upgrading our units differently as we go. And take on a full co-op campaign.    … Expand
  13. Genek13
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Sequel on of the best RTS games in history, which I never played.
    That's why I give a chance to this one and I was not disappointed.
    Great gameplay, MP and campaign.
    What more do you want :)
  14. Rimpy1996
    May 23, 2020
    9
    Meticulously designed, balanced effects, ineffable storyline and an egregious supervillan!
  15. DaPonti
    Mar 20, 2021
    9
    My only complaint about Wings of Liberty is the scale of the campaign story. In Starcraft and Brood war, 3 races were fighting for supremacy of the sector. Here, you're a small rebellion fighting for scraps.
    Apart from that, the campaign is actually great, with a lot of variations and a good progress mechanism.
    Blizzard tried hard for both single and multiplayer to make the game    My only complaint about Wings of Liberty is the scale of the campaign story. In Starcraft and Brood war, 3 races were fighting for supremacy of the sector. Here, you're a small rebellion fighting for scraps.
    Apart from that, the campaign is actually great, with a lot of variations and a good progress mechanism.
    Blizzard tried hard for both single and multiplayer to make the game approachable, but it remains very challenging to master. It is definitely varied and more challenging than the original Starcraft.    … Expand
  16. zzz_DeV1L_zzz
    Jun 7, 2020
    9
    Great, great story. The game is addictive, worry about the main characters. Definitely 9 points.
  17. Sal1k
    Jul 7, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Nice game, but 9 is the best that I can give because of rank system. And, I think that this game can have third part! (Hope it will be!)… Expand
  18. Torgall
    Dec 13, 2020
    9
    Very good real-time strategy, one of the real-time strategies that I played the most. Fans of the original game seem to be very divided in their score, but all I can say it was worth the money.
  19. SauceBox6
    Nov 26, 2022
    9
    10 - Masterpiece
    9 - Amazing
    8 - Great
    7 - Good
    6 - Okay
    5 - Mediocre
    4 - Bad
    3 - Awful
    2 - Painful
    1 - Unbearable
  20. brenty
    Aug 5, 2010
    8
    one point away for the price of the game, another point for the combination of making us wait for so long and bringing very little new to the table. also the fact thats it 1/3 of a game, but im fine with that since it works on its own. everything else is fun tho, the game play is well balanced and it seems like they spent more time on the story this time (its always nice even when the one point away for the price of the game, another point for the combination of making us wait for so long and bringing very little new to the table. also the fact thats it 1/3 of a game, but im fine with that since it works on its own. everything else is fun tho, the game play is well balanced and it seems like they spent more time on the story this time (its always nice even when the story has been done many times). all in all, starcraft fans have to buy it, everyone else, wait till the price goes down.… Expand
  21. RandallO.
    Jul 28, 2010
    8
    I would love to give this game less than an eight, because that is what it deserves. However when looking at the bigger picture I realize i thoroughly enjoy the game itself so it warrants an eight. However, Blizzard F'ed up big time in many departments. 1) Battle.net 2.0 sucks horribly. 2) Blizzard tried to innovate and the UI (User Interface) is horribly like Dawn of War 2 and XBOX I would love to give this game less than an eight, because that is what it deserves. However when looking at the bigger picture I realize i thoroughly enjoy the game itself so it warrants an eight. However, Blizzard F'ed up big time in many departments. 1) Battle.net 2.0 sucks horribly. 2) Blizzard tried to innovate and the UI (User Interface) is horribly like Dawn of War 2 and XBOX Live. (Both Suck) 3) I can't add my Mexican friend because he plays in a different realm. 4)There's no chat channels. (OKAY????) 5) I played the BETA (thousands of complaints went unheard. 6) Custom games are joined by map title basis (Example. I join a popular custom game i. e. Dota. Host is afk. I leave and rejoin and it auto puts me back with that host. You can't specify custom game names like no rush, all random ettc..) and many other problems with StarCraft 2 besides the gameplay itself. I could rant on and on about more things that are messed up. Like the clan system in warcraft 3 was brilliant and the Tournaments were awesome. So far the Campaign is fun but i'm not that far into it. It is utterly better than any other rts i've played in terms of the game itself and will be a great E Sport. Blizzard needs to fix the UI.… Expand
  22. ConstantineP
    Aug 1, 2010
    8
    Actually I'd give it 85%. It's a great game, but the hype was so big it just couldn't live up to the expectations. All that talk about EPIC story and such - never happened. Story is weak and derivative: ALL of it we already have read/watched/played before in some other book/movie/game. Starcraft got lots of nice touches and fun things and perks and tweaks and so on, but Actually I'd give it 85%. It's a great game, but the hype was so big it just couldn't live up to the expectations. All that talk about EPIC story and such - never happened. Story is weak and derivative: ALL of it we already have read/watched/played before in some other book/movie/game. Starcraft got lots of nice touches and fun things and perks and tweaks and so on, but truth be told it's not as fun second time. Blizzard just took way too long with the release.… Expand
  23. Derek
    Aug 2, 2010
    8
    Felt that the game lost some of it's draw over the decade in-between sequels. A lot has happened since then, making it tough to go back and play an old school RTS without some disappointment. The game does what it wants to do with excellence, but falls short of the greatness that the original achieved.
  24. Erik
    Aug 6, 2010
    8
    It ain't perfect but nothing really is. I do really enjoy this reborn version of one of my favorit game, the campaign might be a bit cliché but still I feel hooked into it. The thing about being connected to Bnet all time is annoying but works very well and so does the matching system inside the game. But I would also like to point out that anything that is but into the game It ain't perfect but nothing really is. I do really enjoy this reborn version of one of my favorit game, the campaign might be a bit cliché but still I feel hooked into it. The thing about being connected to Bnet all time is annoying but works very well and so does the matching system inside the game. But I would also like to point out that anything that is but into the game Blizzard has approved of which is why they only get a 8 from me. Dropping LAN ain't ok Blizz!… Expand
  25. LarryF
    Jul 28, 2010
    8
    A few nice features but overall the single player was underwhelming. The script felt lacking in places and in others thrown together, some voice acting wasn't on par with what I was expecting from a game developed by Blizzard, not to mention all the sub-plots just seemed tacked on with no real dept. Also, the game as a whole felt like it was taking me by the hand, step-by-step, A few nice features but overall the single player was underwhelming. The script felt lacking in places and in others thrown together, some voice acting wasn't on par with what I was expecting from a game developed by Blizzard, not to mention all the sub-plots just seemed tacked on with no real dept. Also, the game as a whole felt like it was taking me by the hand, step-by-step, leaving little to the imagination. Even parts in the campaign made me feel like the game was made with eight year olds in mind where the protagonist(Jim Raynor) would repeat what objective he had to do and exactly how he was going to do it. Great animations, great quality overall but, again, the single player could have had more of a story to tell and felt more "epic", more "complete" without tacked on side quests with no real value other than to contribute to gimmicks such as aquiring cash for armour or new units. I'm hopeful the community will put together some good custom maps ala WarCraft III in due time, however. Single Player gets an 8/10 from me. Story just wasn't all that and some parts simply felt thrown together. Multiplayer, in time, should prove to be a good experience but i'm not liking the popularity listings of custom maps. Honestly, if you want to play it for custom maps stick with WarCraft III for now, if the SC2 competitive RTS is what you're realling looking into then go for it(WC3 and SC are very different). Again, single player could have been better.… Expand
  26. JensJ
    Jul 28, 2010
    8
    While this game certainly is well made, I still can't understand why it took so long to make. There really is no big difference between the old StarCraft and the new StarCraft. Graphics is better, there is a new storyline with beautyful cutscenes, but still the gameplay is exactly the same as the first one. Not much new has been added and that is why I can't give this more than an 8.
  27. DaveC
    Jul 28, 2010
    8
    Love the graphics. The plot is interesting enough to keep me playing. The missions are split in such a way that I can play one or two, and feel like I accomplished something, while also knowing there's a long way to go. Unit and Tech upgrades are a nice addition that allows you to cater to you playstyle. Multi matchmaking is quick and painless. Achievements are a great addition that Love the graphics. The plot is interesting enough to keep me playing. The missions are split in such a way that I can play one or two, and feel like I accomplished something, while also knowing there's a long way to go. Unit and Tech upgrades are a nice addition that allows you to cater to you playstyle. Multi matchmaking is quick and painless. Achievements are a great addition that makes you pay attenion to details you might otherwise ignore. Autosave is intelligent, and the interface is beautifully polished. Only a couple of complaints. I don't feel like I'm playing a new game much as replaying something I've beat before. I guess that's one way to create a sequel, and it was probably the safest path for Blizz, but I was hoping for a bit more innovation. Rumor has it that each races single player campaign will be sold seperately? I'm not sure I believe it, but that would fall in line with past decisions by Blizz, and the general trend of the modern market. Shipping without campaigns for multiple races lost it a point though. Last complaint is mostly concern about multiplayer micro. Either you've mastered it, or you lose. That's it. It's razor-fine balance that makes multi unenjoyable for casuals. Overall, worth $50. $60 seems a bit much, but I bought it so it must be close.… Expand
  28. IanH
    Jul 28, 2010
    8
    Well looks like im going against the grain, i dont think its either perfect (score of 10) or worthless (score of 0). Its a very polished RTS, if you didnt like starcraft 1, you wont like this one either. Its bascially the same game. Its an 'old-fashioned' RTS in the same vein as command and conquer. Nothing wrong with that, but dont expect anything different, like the cover Well looks like im going against the grain, i dont think its either perfect (score of 10) or worthless (score of 0). Its a very polished RTS, if you didnt like starcraft 1, you wont like this one either. Its bascially the same game. Its an 'old-fashioned' RTS in the same vein as command and conquer. Nothing wrong with that, but dont expect anything different, like the cover system in Company of Heroes, or the trading system in Battleforge etc. This is a traditional very polished RTS. Multiplayer seems stable, the single player story line is excellent. But as an overall game there are better RTS's in my opinion.… Expand
  29. ShaneB
    Jul 29, 2010
    8
    Fantastic game, great single player campaign and excellent multiplayer gameplay. My only issue with the game is that it does feel incomplete once you beat the Terran Campaign. Blizzard should have waited to complete the entire game and it does feel like a money grab on their part.
  30. JoshN
    Jul 30, 2010
    8
    It's been roughly 10 years since the release of the original Starcraft, and since then, Blizzard has definitely took their time to create a magnificent game. That being said, the amount of effort they put into the game has definitely shown, however, there are still flaws. The multiplayer for Starcraft is the core of the game, and as usual, Blizzard has done a fantastic job on it, It's been roughly 10 years since the release of the original Starcraft, and since then, Blizzard has definitely took their time to create a magnificent game. That being said, the amount of effort they put into the game has definitely shown, however, there are still flaws. The multiplayer for Starcraft is the core of the game, and as usual, Blizzard has done a fantastic job on it, adding hundreds of hours on replay value. Though the game itself is good, it just isn't that magnificent as a whole. The lack of social communication between the Starcraft community is very lacking, given that there are no chatrooms, it is very difficult for others to interact with eachother. The single player itself is great, but that does not mean it does not need improvement. The missions are relatively similar, and is usually the same song and dance. Their attempt to use the in-game engine for the cinematics to replace the CGI was a terrible decision, and though it is not completely horrible - more could have been done to improve this aspect. Fans of the series will definitely enjoy this sequel , but will be dissappointed with the social aspect of the game.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PC Game of 2010
2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
5
#5 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 82 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 82 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 82
  3. Negative: 0 out of 82
  1. PC Zone UK
    Jan 18, 2011
    95
    "Quotation Forthcoming"
  2. Video Game Talk
    Jan 18, 2011
    90
    If you are into real time strategy in any form, it's hard to ignore Starcraft II.
    Read full review
  3. PC Format
    Dec 24, 2010
    93
    Perfectly balanced multiplayer with old school elements intact, and rich and dynamic single player campaigns. [Issue#244, p.102]
See all critic reviews »