With the disappearance of the queen of Blades, the Zerg Swarm has been shattered.
So, it’s that time again, Blizzard have released something that makes me feel all excited in my geeky bits. I’ll admit, Starcraft isn’t one of their games that I’ve played a HUGE amount of, but as I’ve come to expect from Blizz over the years, they don’t disappoint, and don’t exclude; my time with starcraft may have been brief, but I think it might be love.
My first impression with the expansion is that it played on my need to misbehave. I know you could argue that Raynor (the protagonist in Starcraft II’s main story) isn’t a boy-scout by any means. But I loved the way that heart of the swarm throws you straight in and gives you a chance to really cause some havoc (releasing swarms of zerg into a “contained” area).
I also feel that the ability to play as the zerg in story missions is a HUGE bonus here. I loved playing as the zerg before, but now I feel like I understand the units better, I know what’s going on, and I actually LIKE the characters.
As always with Blizzard games, cut-scenes are crisp and appropriate, the story is well thought out and interesting, whilst not getting in the way of the gameplay.
At this point, I’d like to make a point that I think is often missed in game reviews. Blizzard have an amazing ability to go the extra mile, considering that the disk never actually left the case (the game can be downloaded straight from Blizz and this is the way I’ve always done things), they really do pull out all the stops to make sure that the case is something NICE for you to own. It’s embossed, the imagery is crisp, clear and inviting.
If I was a punter, browsing the shelves looking for something to buy on a whim, this would all help me really feel like I was getting my money’s worth. You don’t have to buy a special edition to get the fancy case (although a special edition IS available), but by simply choosing to buy a hard-copy, you get a beautifully designed box which looks great on the shelf.
I fear I may have gotten off point slightly.
What I’m trying to say is that you won’t feel bad about buying Heart of the Swarm. Nossir! It’s the real deal, the whole package.
A quality RTS in quality packaging. The story is engrossing, the gameplay is crisp and enjoyable and if all this isn’t enough to convince you to part with your hard-earned, Blizzard will let you play a limited version of Starcraft II for FREE! So get yourself onto Battle.net and give it a go, but if you enjoy it at all, I’d seriously recommend getting yourself the full game, and Heart of the Swarm!
Publisher – Blizzard
Rating – 16+
Platform – PC/Mac
Release Date – 12/3/2013