Starcraft II

StarCraft II a military science fiction real-time strategy video games currently under development by Blizzard Entertainment. It features the return of the three races from the original game—Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. StarCraft II is also designed to focus more heavily on the multiplayer aspect, when compared to the original StarCraft. The Terran campaign replaced the original StarCraft briefing room with an interactive version of the battlecruiser Hyperion, with Jim Raynor, now a bitter and hard-drinking mercenary captain, as the central character. In a departure from previous Blizzard games, the campaign is non-linear, with Raynor taking jobs for money and using that money to buy additional units and upgrades. Although each play through will vary, the end result will remain consistent keeping the storyline linear. The Terran campaign, Wings of Liberty, will place players in a mercenary style campaign, as Terran rebel Jim Raynor performs missions for cash. The second release, the Zerg campaign Heart of the Swarm, will have RPG elements. The player will level up the Queen of Blades, Kerrigan, throughout the missions. The last expansion, the Protoss campaign Legacy of the Void, the dark templar Zeratul will have to employ diplomacy between Protoss tribes to acquire units and technologies for each mission. Each campaign should span 26-30 missions. StarCraft II features approximately the same number of units as the original game. Some units from the original game are returning, some featuring new upgrades and abilities. StarCraft II is being developed for concurrent release on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS X. According to Blizzard Entertainment, predicts the Starcraft II game will be released at the end of 2009, although a specific release date has not yet been given.