The website of Tom's Games listed the
top 10 anticipated games in 2008 including StarCraft II, Grand Theft Auto IV,
Halo Wars and Metal Gear Solid 4. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is at number 3 on
Tom's Games list.
1. StarCraft II
Platforms: PC, Mac
Developer:
Blizzard
Publisher: Activision/Blizzard
Release Date: 2008
The godfather of the real-time strategy genre makes its long-awaited
return, and that gives StarCraft II the number one spot on this list. After all,
millions of Korean gamers can't be wrong, can they? Fans had long suspected
Blizzard was secretly working on the game, codenamed Medusa, behind closed
doors. Sure enough, Blizzard confirmed the suspicions last May with a big
announcement at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Seoul, Korea, and a
cinematic teaser trailer complete with the clever line "Hell, it's about time."
The story picks up a few years after the events of StarCraft: Brood War, which
left off with "Queen of Blades" Sarah Kerrigan becoming the dominant ruler of
the sector after crushing the Terran Dominion and Protoss. Blizzard says the
original three race classes Terran, Zerg and Protoss will return in the sequel
and the Xel'Naga species will also play a prominent role in the single player
narrative but not as a playable race. StarCraft II will feature new units and
gameplay features to further distinguish each race. In addition, the sequel will
be powered by a new 3D graphics engine that will bring the StarCraft universe up
to the visual level of other recent RTS titles like Company of Heroes. Of
course, StarCraft II will have some new multiplayer features for match-making
and competitions, as well as a game editor for players to create custom maps and
mods. The most intriguing part of the game, however, may be the game's single
player campaign or rather, campaigns which Blizzard calls "groundbreaking." The
campaigns for each race will be unique, and according to Blizzard, the Terran
campaign will non-linear with open-ended gameplay and optional missions.
StarCraft's narrative has always been an under-appreciated part of the series,
but that may change with this highly anticipated sequel. StarCraft II could turn
the RTS genre's recent resurgence into a full-blown renaissance.
Upside: The king of all RTS games makes its triumphant
return.
Downside: It's been 10 years - will StarCraft still
have it? Actually, that's a dumb question...
Next
Page: 2. Grand Theft Auto IV
Sponsor
