Starcraft 2 Preview: Proof 2010 Will Be a Good Year

We all know Blizzard is not the fastest video game developer, but the sure are one of the best. After years in the making, it was only recently Blizzard announced they would finally be putting out a sequel to the popular RTS Starcraft. This was the best RTS there was back in the day and it is still played quite frequently throughout Asia. The sequel will not disappoint, however it is different in a few ways from what we are used to. Blizzard has stated numerous times at BlizzCon and other events, that with this game they plan on making the single player experience unlike any other we have seen before. Instead of just in-game cinematic sequences, which it will undoubtably have, there will also be story line character driven missions between the RTS missions. Meaning once you beat a level, after you will control Jim Raynor as he moves through the battleship, prepares for the next mission, and progresses through the story. How exactly these will work or what they will actually contain is not entirely certain. There have only been a couple videos of this new addition to the RTS franchise. One last thing to know about the single player is that Blizzard plans for it to be big, so big in fact that it will span 3 games. Yes, 3 separate full games. Each game will revolve around one of the races campaign, the first one being the Terran which as far as we know is being stated as an early 2010 release.

Now there is one surprise on the multiplayer side of the game that I don't think anyone was expecting to be honest. It is that Starcraft 2 will not have LAN capabilities, you will only be able to play it over Battle.net which Blizzard is said to be revamping. Yet I think someone out there will be able to find a way around this eventually. As for Battle.net, Blizzard is saying that new version will be a 2.0 version of their multiplayer matchmaking site. Some of its new features will remind of some of the things you can do with Microsofts Xbox Live. You can manage your friends lists while playing a game, track achievements which lead to things such as unlock content for your avatar, and allow you to chat with friends even if they are playing a different Blizzard game. So while your playing Starcraft 2, you could still chat with your friend playing World of Warcraft even though its not the game your playing.

From what I have heard from Blizzard and seen on YouTube, I know Starcraft 2 will be a day one purchase for me. I will still play the first one against my family and friends almost a decade after its release, what other game can you honestly say does that. No other games have replay value like Blizzard games do. So if your just as hyped about this game as I am, you can actually head on over to Battle.net, set up an account, and register to be in the beta test of Starcraft. When the beta will happen is something that nobody knows yet, but as long as there is one, I want to be in it.

More info on Battle.net 2.0

Release Date: Early 2010