Filed Under:
Sports Legends previews games with the philosophy that people want to hear our honest opinions on titles before they are released. If a game looks really promising, we'll pass on our excitement. But if a game needs work, we'll let you know. Here is our exclusive StarCraft II PC preview. (Also On: Mac)
Here's a closer look at three new units in StarCraft II. Check back soon as we feature three more units and discover new secrets.
The long-awaited return of StarCraft has been rumored for years, and now is finally official -- Blizzard officially announced on May 19, 2007 the sequel to its incredible strategy title Starcraft.Designed to be the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game, StarCraft II features the return of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg races, overhauled and re-imagined with Blizzard's signature approach to game balance. Each race will be further distinguished from the others, with several new units and new gameplay mechanics, as well as new abilities for some of the classic StarCraft units that will be making a reappearance in the game. StarCraft II also featurse a custom 3D-graphics engine with realistic physics and the ability to render several large, highly detailed units and massive armies on-screen simultaneously.
Each chapter of Starcraft II focuses on a specific faction of the Starcraft war. By splitting the game, players will access more story content, more characters, and more customization as the explore each side of the conflict.
Genre: Real-Time Strategy | Also Available On: Mac
Release Date: December 31, 2009
According to Blizzard, StarCraft II is in the Alpha phase of development, which means that there are still new units to unveil, faction balancing to tweak, and that a late 2009 release date is a stretch. However, Blizzard has already provided plenty of detailed information regarding old and new units for all three factions -- Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. Here's a special look at three new units for each of the factions, and a little something extra we spotted on the battlefield.
Terran Reaper
(click for a larger screen)
The Terran Reaper is a new ground unit that trains from the Barracks in StarCraft II. The Reaper's creed is to strike fast and hard. That's why the Reaper is equipped with light armor, dual gauss pistols, and a turbo jetpack which give it the mobility and agility to harass the enemy. The Reaper's jetpack isn't capable of flight, but allows the Reaper to leap up and down cliffsides, over chasms, and skate across the ground. For tougher units, the Reaper is also equipped with devestating D-8 demolition charges that detonate and explode after a short delay, perfect for enemy structures.
Protoss Colossus
(click for a larger screen)
The Protoss Colossus is a towering attack unit that strides across the battlefield on four tall arthropod legs which allow it to traverse steep elevations with ease. The Colossus is heavily armored and equipped with two powerful thermal lance lasers that sweep the battlefield like sunbeams through a magnifying glass. The large unit is a powerful war machine, but because of its size, the Protoss Colossus is vulnerable to both anti-ground and anti-air fire making it susceptible to additional damage.
Zerg Baneling
(click for a larger screen)
The Zerg Baneling is a suicide unit so bloated with an acid-filled belly that it rolls in somersaults and explodes to attack. Even after the Baneling explodes and destroys itself, the searing acid that showers the surrounding area continues to deal massive damage. The Baneling is a formidable unit against both infantry and vehicles, and its lethality is further reinforced by the unit's ability to burrow underground. A seemingly safe expansion can quickly turn into a Baneling deathtrap as these acid-filled rollie pollie bugs emerge from the ground and explode in a kamikaze whirlwind.
SPOTTED! High-yield resources
In StarCraft II, resource minerals that are yellow in color yield higher resource gains than blue minerals. From what we've seen, yellow high-yield resource clusters are located on the battlefield away from players' starting bases and should be sought after for expansion. Units that harvest resources from high-yield minerals will gather more resources each load and will be a high priority target for the enemy. Keep high-yield expansion bases defended and prosperous.
