StarCraft II is a sci-fi, real-time strategy video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Experience an epic story campaign, competitive and cooperative multiplayer scenarios, and a revolutionary new way to play StarCraft II's massive army battles. Command powerful armies and wage war across various battlefields to outwit and outsmart your opponents.

Plot

The StarCraft II trilogy takes place in a science fiction universe, four years after the StarCraft: Brood War chapter. This time, you will explore new worlds like the jungle-covered Bel'Shir and known ones that appeared in the first title, such as Char or Mar Sara. As always, each race will fight for its own objectives and do whatever it takes to succeed, even if it means annihilating other forms of life.

Gameplay

Manage your tasks: As a complete and modern RTS, StarCraft II gameplay mechanics combine macro and micro task management. On one side, you will have to increase income with additional workers, construct supply structures, expand across the map, and build your army. On the other side, make sure to threaten and keep your enemies' forces under pressure, strategically target the most vulnerable units, and perform decisive moves like dropping units behind enemy lines to ruin their economy.
Terran: The Terrans come from a disastrous colonization expedition launched from Earth centuries ago. It does not possess any particular natural power but relies on versatile and resilient units to win battles. The unique features of Terrans are building that can lift off, units like the Viking and Hellion that can transform, and the ability to quickly adapt their strategy depending on the situation. Key units are Marine, Siege Tank, and BattleCruiser.
Zerg: The Zergs are led by the crafty Queen of Blades. They are ruthless alien beasts relying on biological adaptation, mutations, and massive unit production. Hence, you can control units burrowing beneath the surface and perform very fast moves using Zerglings and Mutalisks. Key units are Zergling, Mutalisk, and Ultralisk.

Protoss: This is an ancient and mysterious civilization that has traveled across the universe for thousands of years and developed advanced psionic technology. Protoss are great warriors relying on high-end technology and huge psionic capacities. They feature units equipped with recharging shields, can produce powerful individual units, and use Warp Gate technology to build units. Key units are Zealot, High Templar, and Carrier.
Editor: StarCraft II features a built-in campaign, map, and mod Editor to create your scenarios, maps, and mods with specific rules, triggers, and objectives. Also, it is the first editor developed by Blizzard that can publish your content on the internet.
A.I: The artificial intelligence of StarCraft II is finely tuned to offer a challenging and well-balanced experience depending on the scenarios.

Graphics and sound

Considering this is a fast-paced RTS game, StarCraft II features polished sci-fi-style graphics describing a lively and detailed universe. In addition, the game obviously features an epic soundtrack, and every audio piece of feedback is thoroughly polished to deliver a unique and sharp experience. In a nutshell, it successfully provides a combination of a rich yet intuitive experience, which is a tour de force.

Duration and game modes

The average duration of the several Starcraft II expansions adds up to approximately 44 hours just for the Campaign mode. However, if you want to investigate the other game modes and hone your skills, there is no virtual limit to how much time you can spend to become and stay the GOAT.

Campaign: You will travel across space and experience thrilling missions. It is a great way to start if you want to discover the lore of StarCraft II, learn how to play RTS, and master the different gameplay mechanics. Wings of Liberty is about Terrans, and the expansions Heart of the Swarm focuses on Zerg and Legacy of the Void on Protoss.
Versus: This is the core of StarCraft II, where you can test your skills and hone your tactics against other players worldwide. Pick a race among Terran, Zerg, or Protoss, and you are ready to start thrilling and unique combats in every game. You can play alone or with your friends among other players in different scenarios like Training, Versus A.I, Teams, 1V1, or Tournaments.
Co-op: That's the perfect mode to play campaign-style missions with an ally or solo. This time, you can pick and command a specific commander with unique abilities, make him level up, and take your opponents down. As you progress through missions, you can even tune the A.I difficulty levels among Casual, Normal, Hard, and Brutal.

What do the reviews say?

StarCraft II has received a high score of 93/100 on Metacritic and has been praised by the player community.

"StarCraft 2 didn't change the formula because it didn't need to. This isn't just a fresh coat of paint on StarCraft, it is StarCraft, right down to its pixelated bones. It's proof that games don't have to be disposable, that some games are so creative and balanced and fun that they don't go out of style or disappear over the years. Some games, it turns out, really are timeless." (Joystiq)