Starcraft II : Wings of Liberty, the test on PC

Twelve years is a long time . Especially in the small world of video games , where a few years are enough to turn the guns yesterday in good old stuff just gathering dust on shelves and enliven the evening with nostalgic geeks .


Yet StarCraft has survived all these years without incident, but not without surprises. An exceptional longevity is explained partly by the unwavering support of a community around a core group Federated competition still very active, especially in South Korea, which play a STR 640x480 2D PC and make groups of up to 12 units do not visibly upset . But , of course , by the excellent intrinsic qualities of the title, and the latest bouncy saga since 2002 and his famous project Ghost, officially still pending (if so) . An occupation of the land at its peak when media Blizzard this first Starcraft II (In Korea , of course ) in 2007. A series finally cut into three parts, here - FINALLY - the first part : Wings of Liberty. Will he bring then Starcraft ground floor in the XXI century? Oh yes .

" Hell, it's not too early ! "

Before entering the heart of the matter, a quick summary of the situation is required : Starcraft propels us into the distant future ( XXVI century ) , where three races compete in the galaxy , slapping gently over the surface of a whole bunch of planets. The Terrans are humans exiled in space (and mostly grouped under the banner of Confederation led by a tyrant) , the Protoss, a humanoid very advanced technologically speaking and mastering the powers of such "empty " , while the Zerg insectoid race are trying to assimilate its neighbors' capacities for total domination. So, we understand that they embody the villains of the saga BlizzardAlthough things are not so simple in reality. History of personifying things a little , each side has its heroic figures that we could have followed in the first starcraft name : Jim Raynor, the rebel with a big heart who has a crush on Sarah Kerrigan, An old (step ) abandoned by human ghost Arcturus Mengsk (The current tyrant Terran , a former rebel and ally Raynor ) and despite it become the brains of the Zerg ( to follow) , Tychus Findlay the Marine nag , Zeratul the mysterious Protoss , etc. . We will find him with joy this little world a bit exaggerated in StarCraft II, which is a screenwriting point of view four years after the events of the first episode , which had been stopped the zerg and protoss holy land sacrificed.

And as in every sequence , the bad guys ( here , the Zerg so) back and they are not happy . All. An event which will give good old Jim Raynor on the rails of the fight against the insect-like , but also against the Terran system currently in place . And this is emblematic human hero that we will follow throughout the campaign solo Wings of LibertyThis first part of the triptych Starcraft II being dedicated to the Terrans . The next Starcraft II : Heart of the Swarm, shall tell the fate of Sarah Kerrigan ( with RPG elements we promise you ) , while Starcraft II : Legacy of the Void focus if the protoss with a more diplomatic. Good. Meanwhile , the Terran campaign consists of 29 missions (26 in playable over scenario , we will return later) that basically put us in command of Terran units then, but not only. Yes , three trips to the head of the Protoss ( completely different to play) are also present , for missions frankly epic, especially one entitled More On Black of Night that will immerse the player ( and the framerate) in a battle of the last chance . The other 28 missions are not left out, grazing the solo campaign perfects a construction point of view , variety and interest .

Terran and Philip

As usual , the tasks alternate between those requiring construction of a base, harvest resources and creating a whole army , and others where it leads only a small squad . These sometimes offer genuine mini- scenarios and help take control of unique units , heroes and even cinematics , which often have very special capabilities . For fans of the genre , it will also definitely not miss the hidden mission of the game (this video how to access it via the mission Bomb MediaOr Media Blitz in VO) , which is a little gem in this area , with In the Bowels of the Beast. But beyond this system already widely used in the past here and perfectly executed, it will retain most of the campaign with its wide variety of mission objectives and especially the very different conditions . If we recover the usual escorts (The Evacuation), collection of resources (Trap, The Devil 's Garden) Or objects (The Puzzle of the Century, Green Hell) and destruction (La Bataille du Rail, Factor Möbius), It will sometimes have to adapt to our environment in order to achieve our ends.

This is particularly the case in The Devil 's Garden For example , where one must put its buildings and units immune to lava mounted every five minutes , thus significantly rhythm section ( the most important Terran buildings can take off , move in the air and whether located elsewhere ). Same with SupernovaA wall of fire moving slowly from left to right of the screen, so it will migrate its base to the east as the clock is ticking . Regarding InfectionIt will destroy buildings the day , the card swarming with infected at night , each phase for several minutes during which he will then in turn destroying structures and defend his own. Infection nevertheless embodies the mission any less successful campaign, the destruction of 140 buildings is somewhat daunting . This means in any case the level of the solo part , quite exemplary . And if only 26 missions can be achieved in this campaign the 29 proposed , is only three points in time, it must make a choice . This is the case Haven and The Fall of Le Havre : opting for the former, we have decided to help the Confederates infected , and in the other, will eliminate all preferred to avoid that they can not contaminate another planet . Choices always fun to do , but that does not change , however much in the background .

" Calm down Tychus , you swim in the middle of science fiction there "

But perhaps even more linking of all these missions will mark the most players in StarCraft II : between each trip, we go through a phase of play alternative , where we will play Jim Raynor in the third person. We can not order him to move itself, but as in a game adventure point & clickWe will have the opportunity to go and talk with members of his crew , to access various services or just talk. No reply to choose the action automatically triggers a scripted dialogue that will bring truth to say nothing decisive , but can again vary the action and discover details of our adventure . An extra touch of immersion very welcome , but not all . If one place is available in the bar Joeyray 's (early ) and Char (end ), we have access to Hyperion , Raynor 's ship that will accompany us much time at four different venues . A place to relax , so the bar will find Tychus a drink , watch the latest news from the UNN pipeautées or dancing like a hologram Elfettes of the Night World of Warcraft, change the background music through the jukebox, recruit mercenaries or to spend time on the arcade with the shooter " Lost Viking " in reference to Lost Vikings of Blizzard but with a ship in Terran guest : Viking .

In turn , the gateway includes information on past missions (which we could repeat in different difficulty modes to unlock all the deeds ) and to come. If the flow of missions and the campaign in general is linear, we may indeed choose the order of our destinations between the main and secondary . All we will unlock the units and win money and points of research to improve our military throughout the adventure : a progression that will lead to improvements frankly sometimes abused , but whatever. In this solo part Blizzard could really have fun by incorporating exclusive units (the flammeurs , Medics , shadows , vultures , rattlesnakes , goliath ) without worrying about possible problems with balance , difficulty ( set separately for each mission between casual , normal , difficult and brutal ) is fairly well regulated to provide a challenge to all, newcomers as gosus . To return to these improvements , they will be in the last two rooms of Hyperion: the Armory ( in return for money, we will be able to edit each unit type ) and the Laboratory where the research points or zerg Protoss gleaned on the ground will unlock special abilities such as deploying instant supply depots for example. Yes , it changes everything .

Joey Ray

If there is finally little to say about this single-player campaign , breathless , exciting and sometimes even epic , but, regrettably, may be involved at one end of the fifteen hours of play in normal mode ( in this level of difficulty, missions rarely exceed 30 minutes of play ) . However, after the credits, there will still be working on his skill go to titillate the difficult and brutal methods , the first offering quite a challenge already pointed out halfway through the campaign for a regular STR. The countless great deeds and nine challenges ( only) , expected to strain the knowledge and talent of the player, inflate a little longer this time of life, anyway explode in multiplayer. Those who are merely attracted by the script and / or single-player experience will be prevented, we can at least decently do not think at the end of Wings of Liberty Following that should be on the same DVD ...

Finally, as to gameplay Strictly speaking , nothing new on the horizon for a STR modern, but the gap with StarCraft first name is therefore necessarily enough : creation of groups with key booster , more group limit to 12 units ... The ergonomics and comfort of the game have changed, as the century , but Starcraft retains its identity , strength, his approach stone / paper / scissors require an excellent knowledge of units expected to win at high-level approach that encourages action constantly moving forward , harass and spy on its enemies to The Last Stand . All at the expense of a resource management ( only two : the crystal and gas vespène ) more anecdotal . Regulars of real-time strategy feel so familiar ground , while novices will find this the perfect time to get started , a tutorial is also available to them in the menu of the game

If Blizzard could afford a lot of things solo, flexibility was not even in multiplayer , playable in 1 1 cons 2 cons 2 cons 3 3 or 4 against 4 or FFA ( Every man for himself ) . Because change anything in a title after twelve years of balancing has always tons of effects and , especially , that the issue of eSports is immense. This part Starcraft II : Wings of Liberty therefore inevitably appear months advanced , yet . Side multiplayer content , note straight away that this episode clearly understands the three races of the series , each retaining its approach to combat. Protoss units are expensive to produce but durable , unlike the Zerg , the kind of cannon fodder that will raise more to hope to do as much damage . Therefore , the former are more advisable for beginners than the latter, as one second of inattention can nullify a swarm and that the attack is the catchword of the zerg .

Lastly , the Terrans are just halfway between two other races, and are probably the best choice for a beginner in multiplayer, especially if you have played the solo part , which, although completely different terms of units and balancing can at least understand the basic functioning of the Terran units and emblematic. retained for the next new multi from these people , we will retain the farm buildings that can be provided with extensions ( the image of ComSat StarCraft) , the supply depots that burrow into the soil (perfect for blocking the entrance to the base early in the game ) , and side units : removal of Firebat and the arrival of Marauders , Reapers , Thor , Viking , Medivac ... The Terrans also retain their famous Marines, Ghosts , Sand Headquarters and Battleships .

"It is the largest shooting range in the galaxy "

For the Protoss , most observers will have noticed that there is now Temporal Boost function on Nexus to temporarily boost the production of units or improvements in a particular building. An ability to make maximum use during parties - just think about it. Always fans of all towers and teleportation , the Protoss have probably disintegrated their Dragoons inadvertently , these being " replaced " by the Trackers . Colossi , Riverkeeper , Immortals , Phoenix and other Disloqueurs complete the picture of the new units of our favorite aliens , which are also still in their ranks the usual Zealots , Dark Templar , Carrier Naves and the famous Flying mother.

Zerg side , we note the promotion of the Queen, who has a more prominent role in the hive and significant entry of cockroaches , Investing , Cankers , and Lords - Corrupters Vermin , thus joining the eternal Zergling , Hydralisk , and Mutalisks al . If all aspects of the game have been reviewed , is the airspace that has probably undergone the most upheaval between the two episodes . One consequence of the new maps deeply indented with many relief ? True priesthood BlizzardThe balance has a priori not affected by these changes, which may seem small to outsiders , but they still largely alter strategies in multiplayer and this was the goal: "Re -imagine the game, not re -invent " they said .

Already a striking solo , changes in the cards StarCraft II prove decisive in multiplayer. It said : relief now plays a particularly important given the number of units able to clear it and the possibility of ambushes by playing with different levels . The observation posts Xel'Naga will also take into consideration, they lift the fog of war around them over a wide area, while the grass will cut the same fog of war to the enemy by surprise . The arrival of a new type of crystal to double the density ( that is to say, referring twice ) does not fail to lead the meetings, the deposits are rare and coveted ... All these little additions that electrify a little longer gameplay Multiplayer in StarCraft IIEven more frantic and nervous in solo and this time requiring a perfect knowledge of units of each camp to prepare its cons .

And for beginners disgusted that there is somewhere a haven of peace away from the disciples of Elky and others who are excited fart 'sAPM Meter and B.O. impeccable. The system for online leagues for the promise that "rank "players in pools of comparable level after a certain time , the best pass to the chicken and worse than the lower . Logic . It remains to be seen how this system will behave beyond the first days of play, but it seems to keep its promises yet . Note again the presence of cards stamped " Beginner " (9 out of 61 proposed by any Blizzard, not to mention the tons of custom already uploaded by players and shaped through the editor provided by the developer) that have some big stones to avoid rush to destroy unwanted .

Champagne Supernova

Finally , a word on the technical part of this StarCraft 2Which will stand the test of time for at least the next ten years if we rely on fate of his predecessor . Taking the artistic direction normal BlizzardWith 3D models rather angular , especially once the zoom to max, this sequel may suit those not already resistant to plastic World of Warcraft. However, apart from some textures a bit poor , all have a strong identity and immediately recognizable , a leg that will not leave indifferent the majority of players. As usual , we will not rely on screen shots that do not really honor the battlefields , which shine more in video with animations , still naked, and visual effects galore.

But to have a real insight into the capabilities of the game engine, is to phase - out tasks that we must turn . We discover a very fine graphics , but paradoxically not always very expressive faces . What is technically could disappoint in any case most often caught by the art , a constant in California developer . Unsurprisingly , the cinematics are they always so successful , in the finest tradition blizzardienne - the same one that sticks chills when Frostwyrm arrives in intro of World of Warcraft : Wrath of the Lich King. In full game, it's also the variety of terrain offered ( lush jungle on board various ships , on platforms in space, etc. . ) that we will retain, together with the excellent engine optimization Capable of operating on a wide spectrum of machines . To view all the details thoroughly , it will still need to get out the heavy artillery, especially if we hope to cross swords with 4 against 4 in multiplayer.

On our test machine at 1920x1200 with all options and benchmarked on Ultra, the first slowdowns were beginning to manifest itself at the battles of the biggest, that is to say, with at least a hundred units on screen the dance and visual effects that this represents. Conditions still not so frequent, while we note however the extremely long load times for the single player campaign, plus a few crashes (but never in full mission) . And if the music StarCraft have become true classics , those StarCraft II are not standing still and know sublimate the action or be forgotten in different situations - from high art, again a trademark Blizzard. The interface game has not changed cosmetically since it StarCraftBut it is still as efficient and enjoyable . We can not say the same menus , not always very clear , especially when we enter the " great deeds " .

The Battle.net 2.0 brings him some nice features (like the opportunity to discuss between games Blizzard) , and promises a market maps created by players, who will certainly not surprise us at the option of next month if one refers to the work already done by the community first Starcraft and especially Warcraft III, white-hot for years. Regrettably , however, the lack of solution for direct download replays games of other players (you can view statistics in contrast meetings of his friends ), and especially the best in each league . A kind of market replays would be so easier. As for French localization , we immediately noticed the inscriptions in the language of Molière directly involved ( the grenade Tychus hit "Good day " enrollment " Mengsk ment " on billboards, etc. . ) , a good effort , Accompanied by French voices somewhat uneven ( the strong accent of the eastern Thor ), but overall very accurate . We will retain some more aftershocks quite amusing , especially as Tychus " Take it in your ass " in mission In the Bowels of the Beast or else " Thanks for the tip boy . Now , you shut your mouth " Raynor . Despite the stakes , the atmosphere is obviously still quite relaxed and good- on Hyperion .

Test Setup : Intel Core 2 E8400@4.0GHz , 4GB RAM, Radeon 4870 1 GB