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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. TonyP
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    This is the best RTS game yet and I wasn't even one of those millions of starcraft 1 players. When everyone else was fixated on starcraft, I was playing red alert 2. I only discovered the quality of blizzard games after playing warcraft 3 (my first blizzard RTS). So when starcraft 2 was announced, I was excited, counting down the date to July 27, 2010 (which coincidentally is a day This is the best RTS game yet and I wasn't even one of those millions of starcraft 1 players. When everyone else was fixated on starcraft, I was playing red alert 2. I only discovered the quality of blizzard games after playing warcraft 3 (my first blizzard RTS). So when starcraft 2 was announced, I was excited, counting down the date to July 27, 2010 (which coincidentally is a day before my b-day). Blizzard never disappoints and this is true for starcraft 2. There single player campaign is simply epic and there is so many side things you can do, such as play an arcade, choose the mission path you are going, or upgrade your army (so there is something for RPG fans out there). Enough about the campaign, multiplayer online, thats where its at. It takes a lot of skills and strategy to master this game but the process of learning is so fun. The matchmaking is such that if you play against others, you'll be matched with people your own skill level so you don't have to worry about being pwned by a veteran. The custom games are fun as hell. You'll see games from every genre. And as long as there is someone creative out there, there will always be new content. Hey, I didn't stop playing warcraft 3 since its release date in 2002 until starcraft 2 came out, and I was always playing new content. Now this is a review of CONTENT. For some reason people are giving this game 1 star because of DRM, or lack of LAN, or it being 1/3 of a game, or dumb reasons like their game didn't get shipped on the first day. I'd respect their opinion of the game even if they gave 1 star if it had something to do with the campaign being boring, or the game being unbalanced or something like that. Sure I agree that DRM is stupid, but its not like you have to be online to play single player campaigns. You just need to authorize your game when you first install it. Then the lack of LAN. Yes, blizzard should have included LAN, which was what made their previous games great, but for the most part, this doesn't affect the majority of people who have internet. Besides, if enough people complained, i'm sure blizzard would give out LAN. They usually listen to their fans. I don't know where people get off saying this is a 1/3 of a game. Sure they focus only on one race, but with 30 missions, that's the amount of missions in the first starcraft. And why are people complaining about expansion packs? Blizzard has ALWAYS had expansion packs. Has anyone else complained about blizzard milking the francise with brood war. I'd personally rather play one race straight on in one game with 30 missions than playing only 10 missions having to wait for the next expansion pack to to play the new missions. Blizzard wasn't going to give out 90 missions in one game, that would be overkill and it would have delayed the game until 2012. I doubt the fans would want that. So the quality of the content is perfect. DRM and LAN are really technical features. They don't really count as game content so there is no reason to rate down the game (especially to 1 star) because of this.… Expand
  2. JeffW
    Jul 28, 2010
    9
    Really, really good... I wish you could give 9.8, but oh well! Doesn't quite get the full 10 from me, I would have liked to have seen maybe a little more innovation and new material, otherwise it has a flawless interface, engaging strategy, and just hard enough on normal to satisfy!
  3. ScottD
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    I don't get what all the complaints are about. Firstly, the campaign is fantastic and completely different than what I imagined it was going to be like. Anyone concerned with the lack of LAN is being an idiot. God forbid that Blizzard would like to sell a copy of the game to each person that is going to be playing it. That is really no different than almost every other game on the I don't get what all the complaints are about. Firstly, the campaign is fantastic and completely different than what I imagined it was going to be like. Anyone concerned with the lack of LAN is being an idiot. God forbid that Blizzard would like to sell a copy of the game to each person that is going to be playing it. That is really no different than almost every other game on the market. How many hundreds of millions has Blizzard lost due to the LAN feature in Starcraft 1? More people play SC over LAN in Korea than the number of copies of the game actually sold. The price tag is in now way a big surprise. SC is in no way a single player game. SC is a multiplayer game that will give you hundreds or thousands of hours of enjoyment. Anyone scoffing at the $60 price is an idiot. how much did you pay for God of War and its 9 hour campaign? Or how about the other hundreds of single player games that offer no more content after the primary story?… Expand
  4. CK
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    This is what RTS and Starcraft is all about. Blizzard found a really amazing balance between the things that worked in the original and improving or changing things. The campaign is really fun as it almost feels like it has small bits of rpg elements within an rts. This means selecting upgrades, research, and hiring special unit mercs, and even making choices in the story with This is what RTS and Starcraft is all about. Blizzard found a really amazing balance between the things that worked in the original and improving or changing things. The campaign is really fun as it almost feels like it has small bits of rpg elements within an rts. This means selecting upgrades, research, and hiring special unit mercs, and even making choices in the story with consequences. Don't buy into the usual internet crap that will probably blast this game for very minor things, it's really something special and definitely the best rts blizzard has ever made.… Expand
  5. WillS
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    The multilayer alone earns this game a 10 ten. That being said, there is one thing I was slightly disappointed with... the length of the single player. This complaint is really only because the game is awesome and I wanted it to continue. I'm just a little hesitant to fork over another $60 for BOTH of the next two campaigns. Otherwise this is an amazing game. It's blizzard so The multilayer alone earns this game a 10 ten. That being said, there is one thing I was slightly disappointed with... the length of the single player. This complaint is really only because the game is awesome and I wanted it to continue. I'm just a little hesitant to fork over another $60 for BOTH of the next two campaigns. Otherwise this is an amazing game. It's blizzard so yeah... that speaks for itself.… Expand
  6. TerryD
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    Starcraft 2 is hands down the best RTS game to come out in years. Graphics are beautiful in game and during its rendered cut-scenes, game play is fantastic for all of the races, and the story is awesome.
  7. OwenS
    Jul 28, 2010
    2
    To me it feels like a kids game. I'm not seeing the depth that everyone else seems to notice. Also not seeing what is so great about it. I definitely wasted $60. I'll go back to playing SupCom and Company of Heroes (which are both much better).
  8. AntonyB
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    Blizzard has done it again. It's easy to take the work they put into their games for granted...but compared against many of the other games currently available on the PC, StarCraft II is easily an 11+/10. There's so much polish in every aspect of the game. All I want when I sit down to play is a fun, polished, engaging experience, and this game's spades has it in spades. Blizzard has done it again. It's easy to take the work they put into their games for granted...but compared against many of the other games currently available on the PC, StarCraft II is easily an 11+/10. There's so much polish in every aspect of the game. All I want when I sit down to play is a fun, polished, engaging experience, and this game's spades has it in spades. I'm switching back and forth between the single-player campaign and the multiplayer and having equal fun with both.… Expand
  9. JoeM
    Jul 28, 2010
    9
    Lake of LAN play, no new race, and no Zerg or Protoss campaign bring the score from a 10 down to a 9. However I didn't know it was possible but they took the original Starcraft and made it MORE fun to play. The game is VERY fun. Lots of new units and strats. People that rate the game low are just bitchy because they have slow computers or think the few problems I mentioned above Lake of LAN play, no new race, and no Zerg or Protoss campaign bring the score from a 10 down to a 9. However I didn't know it was possible but they took the original Starcraft and made it MORE fun to play. The game is VERY fun. Lots of new units and strats. People that rate the game low are just bitchy because they have slow computers or think the few problems I mentioned above should drag the score down more.… Expand
  10. SpyderC.
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    You can tell Blizzard put a lot of money into the single player campaign. It's fun, well polished and has a great story with incredible graphics.
  11. JimR.
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    This is, simply put, the greatest game of all time. Best looking cinematics around, incredibly deep multiplayer, a great campaign and story. Some people complain that this is 1/3 of a game but honestly this campaign is 3 times bigger and better than any other games out there.
  12. AlexK
    Jul 28, 2010
    9
    I played the original and never finished the single player due to its high difficulty. I
  13. LucasT.
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    Que decir de este juego y de esta compañia. Sacan juegos cada 5 años( tardan mucho ), pero cuando lo hacen, que tiemblen las demas compañias, Blizzard ha vuelto y starcraft se alza de nuevo para proporcionar lo que es para mi uno de los mejores juegos de estrategia que ha existido. Cinematicas impresionantes, esencia de estrategia clasica. Historia que te absorve, Que decir de este juego y de esta compañia. Sacan juegos cada 5 años( tardan mucho ), pero cuando lo hacen, que tiemblen las demas compañias, Blizzard ha vuelto y starcraft se alza de nuevo para proporcionar lo que es para mi uno de los mejores juegos de estrategia que ha existido. Cinematicas impresionantes, esencia de estrategia clasica. Historia que te absorve, graficos clasicos y a la vez buenisimos. En mi opinion un acierto total al juego y una merecida compra. Un saludo y a los amantes de la estrategia os lo aconsejo 100%.… Expand
  14. 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
  15. WallyR
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    Absolutely fantastic. Outstanding visuals, great sound, and fun gameplay. Love the new units and choice of missions. Cut scenes are jaw-dropping and add so much to the telling of the story.
  16. DBLev
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    From the moment I started playing, all the reasons I loved the original came flying back to me. Not only does it evoke the fun and incredible quality of its predecessor, but it expounds upon it with incredible graphics, outstanding cinematics, a compelling story, great voice acting, and new modes of unit progression that give the player exciting new choices for customization. This game is From the moment I started playing, all the reasons I loved the original came flying back to me. Not only does it evoke the fun and incredible quality of its predecessor, but it expounds upon it with incredible graphics, outstanding cinematics, a compelling story, great voice acting, and new modes of unit progression that give the player exciting new choices for customization. This game is a must have!… Expand
  17. MM
    Jul 28, 2010
    5
    Great single player experience...can be great online too but follow this link: http://www.the-ghetto.org/content/battle-net-2-0-the-antithesis-of-consumer-confidence This article is about how Activision want to control everything. No more lan party even online. Tournament? Not without Activision approval. It is a great game but you have too accept the Acti"vision" on your shoulder.
  18. DaveD
    Jul 28, 2010
    9
    here are the facts, this is a great RTS. It has all the great parts of the starcraft, with a big graphics upgrade. It offers new possiblilties with the new units, wich are, just like other blizzard games, very balanced. I love the orignal starcraft, and I'm not writing some stupid fan boy review. But I'm also not writing a hater review. Pros: New unit choices, dynamic story, here are the facts, this is a great RTS. It has all the great parts of the starcraft, with a big graphics upgrade. It offers new possiblilties with the new units, wich are, just like other blizzard games, very balanced. I love the orignal starcraft, and I'm not writing some stupid fan boy review. But I'm also not writing a hater review. Pros: New unit choices, dynamic story, mission choices, large campain (23 missions, most games come with 8 or 9 per side, so up to 18 total), lots of humor, great graphics, awsome multiplayer, upgraded map editor for more great possibities in map making. cons: tasking on hardware to run at full settings, a bit laggy online, only comes with Terran campain so long wait to play other stories nutral: cost of expansions will not be the same price as a full game, but will offer over 20 missions per side, no new units...at this time...will be offered to keep balancing issues out I think this game is not perfict, but it is awsome and a must have for RTS fans People who are giving this game less then a 5 are probally morons who dont know what their talking about. I can not see one acutal complaint about the game that was not a known issue (like only comming with one storyline), or the price (which will come down in 6 months). Also, morons dont realise that they will, in 2-3 years, will be able to buy the game and all the expansions as a package deal, so if you dont like the price, dont give a bad rating beaucse this is a standard for games now (call of duty, music games that can cost $100s of dollars for the songs you want, or Fallout games). This is the game the RTS genera really needs, with all the crappy RTS games that are comming out now.… Expand
  19. Michael
    Jul 28, 2010
    9
    People with complaints about balance have a baseless argument since patches will fix it. People with complaints about performance can turn settings down. People with complaints about how it's 1/3 of the game clearly don't that its multiplayer experience has near endless replayability. The only valid concerns are the prices (and yes, the expansion prices as well) and the lack of People with complaints about balance have a baseless argument since patches will fix it. People with complaints about performance can turn settings down. People with complaints about how it's 1/3 of the game clearly don't that its multiplayer experience has near endless replayability. The only valid concerns are the prices (and yes, the expansion prices as well) and the lack of LAN play, since there IS and offline mode if you can't connect to the internet.… Expand
  20. Peet1337
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    Incredible game, I hate all those people who rank 0 just for a random fault or because they didn't read the system req. in the box, this game is awsome, and even if it didn't have as much inpact as its precestor, its always good to have a sequel. Best RTS game IMO in a long time, pretty more enjoyable than my all time favourite RON. Sorry if my English isn't that good, so Incredible game, I hate all those people who rank 0 just for a random fault or because they didn't read the system req. in the box, this game is awsome, and even if it didn't have as much inpact as its precestor, its always good to have a sequel. Best RTS game IMO in a long time, pretty more enjoyable than my all time favourite RON. Sorry if my English isn't that good, so please pardon my mistakes. … Expand
  21. MarkP
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    Fast, frantic play. Excellent graphics. Very high quality sound and voice actors. No programming bugs detected at all. Still has that SC feel to it. An absolute must-have for RTS players. Easily a 10/10. And I'm not a fanboy; I didn't like WC3.
  22. ColinR
    Jul 28, 2010
    5
    Compared to other RTs's this is just lacking. It is not as in depth as supreme comander or innovative as company of hero's. It is not as tactical as the total war series. It is a very basic rts with an ok story. The only reason it is so popular is based off the original. But it has been years couldnt they have done and changed more.
  23. SteveJ
    Jul 28, 2010
    3
    Very disappointing, but not because of the core gameplay. The load times are ridiculous, the menu is confusing and messy, the newsflash cutscenes try to be 'funny' but end up like something that would be in a show for 7-year olds. Worst of all are the regional locks.... making online play with international friends nigh-on impossible. You can't even add people from other Very disappointing, but not because of the core gameplay. The load times are ridiculous, the menu is confusing and messy, the newsflash cutscenes try to be 'funny' but end up like something that would be in a show for 7-year olds. Worst of all are the regional locks.... making online play with international friends nigh-on impossible. You can't even add people from other regions to your Battle.NET friends list. The game itself, once started, is not so bad.... but woefully uninteresting. It's changed from StarCraft quite a bit, notably units won't just run around in a single file and get killed one by one when assaulting a base, which was never fun. However, some problems that were bad already in StarCraft still exist, such as SCVs getting stuck behind buildings if they are built too close to something else. There is less micromanagement, but in the end it's mostly just a graphical update with a few different units and few interesting features. Overall, the problems don't necessarily stem from the game itself but rather its presentation. The single-player campaign isn't bad, and it has a few attempts at original and good missions while still leaving in nods to the original game, but it doesn't really shine as an outstanding example of story-telling and originality. I got the collector's edition, which is quite impressively designed but beware; the art book has several pictures that are clearly just scaled up from a low resolution, and as a result they look pixelated in the final product. This is extremely poor work on their part. I cannot honestly give this a high score. With some luck, Blizzard will fix their menus and optimize the load times, while also removing the regional locks. That would go a long way to making the game more playable both offline and online. The lack of LAN play, the requirement to stay connected to Battle.NET and regional locks all contribute to making this game inferior to the set standards and expectations.… Expand
  24. JamesP
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    Simply the most satisfying RTS experience in years, doesn't do much new but what it does is that it takes the Starcraft experience at an enormously amazing level. The multiplayer is as solid as ever but the improvement on the single player makes this games more than a must have.
  25. StevenH
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    This game trivializes any rts on the planet besides one. Starcraft the original. And even then its a photo finish. With the amount of time they spent balancing the races and the success they achieved with them, I would have gladly paid the 59.99 even if the game was completely online. With all the custom games that are on battlenet it makes SC II an amazing deal even before you consider This game trivializes any rts on the planet besides one. Starcraft the original. And even then its a photo finish. With the amount of time they spent balancing the races and the success they achieved with them, I would have gladly paid the 59.99 even if the game was completely online. With all the custom games that are on battlenet it makes SC II an amazing deal even before you consider the singleplayer campaign. If you like strategy games at all this is a no brainer purchase.… Expand
  26. AshleyC
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    Stunning graphics, very innovative and immersive level design. Multiplayer is well-balanced considering the ambitiously diverse styles between races. Runs on max settings with rarely any reduction in FPS lag on my $700 PC. Not having a protoss or zerg campaign is a bummer, but I'd rather have the game out NOW than wait for them to be finished. Besides, users will create content and Stunning graphics, very innovative and immersive level design. Multiplayer is well-balanced considering the ambitiously diverse styles between races. Runs on max settings with rarely any reduction in FPS lag on my $700 PC. Not having a protoss or zerg campaign is a bummer, but I'd rather have the game out NOW than wait for them to be finished. Besides, users will create content and BNET is where the action is. There is plenty in this game to justify the price tag.… Expand
  27. ZenM
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    It was a long time coming, but for fans of Blizz and SC I think this is just what we asked for. Only downside is that Battle.net isn't all it could be. No chat, no real support for tournaments, etc. Hopefully that will change in time. Thanks to the amazing beta the game is well-balanced for multiplayer even at lunch, and the campaign is well done. I'm looking forward to seeing It was a long time coming, but for fans of Blizz and SC I think this is just what we asked for. Only downside is that Battle.net isn't all it could be. No chat, no real support for tournaments, etc. Hopefully that will change in time. Thanks to the amazing beta the game is well-balanced for multiplayer even at lunch, and the campaign is well done. I'm looking forward to seeing how the story goes.… Expand
  28. JuaksD
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    This game is a masterpiece. Wonderful sound, graphics and gameplay. Very well balanced for a 1.0 version. Both Single player and Multiplayer are a joy to play. This game will make e-sports even bigger worldwide and it has a brilliant future.
  29. AlvaroV
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    Direct to the point. The gameplay is great (single and multiplayer), you can make your own maps, you can play alone, simple and intuitive interface, very good performance for any actual machine configuration. I gave 10 because there is no weak point on the game.
  30. LukazP
    Jul 28, 2010
    10
    While it may not revolutionize a genre, or even include many of the innovations that have been incorporated into countless RTS' in the twelve years since the release of the original Starcraft, this game succeeds in the same manner that virtually all Blizzard games do: by perfecting a genre and providing its loyal fanbase with a game so polished, so well-crafted, and so entertaining While it may not revolutionize a genre, or even include many of the innovations that have been incorporated into countless RTS' in the twelve years since the release of the original Starcraft, this game succeeds in the same manner that virtually all Blizzard games do: by perfecting a genre and providing its loyal fanbase with a game so polished, so well-crafted, and so entertaining that in contrast, other games appear clunky and pedantic. As someone who has been a PC gamer since 1988, I can wholeheartedly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys video games. You will enjoy it immensely and, notwithstanding the whiny criticisms of pale-faced fanboys, you will find that there is very little, if anything, not to love about this game. Go buy it.… Expand
Page:

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 »