Classic Remastered

It has been a bit of a weird week for me--thanks to an extreme inundation of snow I had many extra hours to spend gaming.  Rather than actually finish Guacamelee! 2 (le sigh), I found myself thinking about StarCraft.  A couple of years ago Blizzard gave away free copies of the 1998 RTS classic as a way to promote the newly remastered version that was soon to be released.  For some odd reason, this fact popped into my head and I decided to fire up my Battle.net account (and endure the oodles of updates) and see what the deal was.  Since the remastered version was only $15.99, I decided to give it a whirl.  Since then, I've been bungling my way through the campaign and realizing that I'm truly horrible at RTS games.  I'm making progress, but it definitely feels like my incompetence is making things more difficult.

I can't even remember the last time I played StarCraft.  There's no way that it was way back in 1998...but it's very possible.  The remaster has remained true to the general story arc in campaign mode, but I keep getting the creeping feeling that there are some definite differences--some missions feel more fleshed out and tied in with the bigger story that expands throughout the three parts of the StarCraft 2 campaigns.  There are many familiar faces that represent the main characters in the series--James Raynor, Sarah Kerrigan, and Zeratul namely--but there are others that I absolutely do not remember--Zasz and Daggoth are two Zerg cerebrates who help give voice to the Zerg storyline; Tassadar and Fenix are two Protoss characters who also feel new to me.

The loading screen features some of the updated characters and models
that appear in the remaster.

I've also noted that some of the missions feel new or at least unfamiliar.  An added bonus is that they have included some units that were not part of the original game--as I played through the Zerg campaign I realized that they had added in Nydus canals which were introduced in SC2.  There are other aesthetic differences that players will immediately note--Kerrigan has been updated to look more like the character from SC2 and also like the Queen of Blades--a reference that was never in the original SC.  There's also more dialogue during missions which helps to shed light on the overall story.

Not everything is new and improved though--notably, the cutscenes have remained the same and still have a very 1998 feel.  Since Blizzard cutscenes have always been some of my favorites, I was really hoping that they would be updated to reflect the changes in SC2.  Maybe it's a good thing that they kept some of the flavor of the original.

The nice thing about the remaster is that it also includes the Brood War expansion.  I'm still not completely through the original campaign and have quite a bit left to play.  Overall, my impressions of the remaster have been positive and make me feel excited about the upcoming Warcraft:  Reforged which is supposed to be out this year.  One of the other nice options is that if you're not feeling the remaster you can change the settings to have the game remain in the original 1998 version.

It has been sad hearing about the layoffs at Blizzard and playing StarCraft has been a nice reminder of the magic they have created.  I can't imagine a gaming world that doesn't include Blizzard.  I hope they regain their mojo.

Favorite Villains #6--Sarah Kerrigan/The Queen of Blades

Villain #6--Sarah Kerrigan/The Queen of Blades

Kerrigan in Heart of the Swarm.

Blizzard really has a thing for taking characters who are the good guys and turning them into the bad guys.  That's fine with me as I find that the revenge element adds great plot elements into many games.  Who doesn't love the satisfaction of watching someone get back at those that did them wrong?

In Starcraft, Kerrigan starts off as one of the good guys.  As a ghost she has valuable stealth and psionic powers.  She plays a big role in helping Jim Raynor in his quest to overthrow the confederacy.  Unfortunately for Kerrigan, Arcturus Mengsk--the leader of the rebel movement, is just using her to achieve his own goals.  At the Battle for New Gettysburg, Mengsk abandons her on the surface of the planet and watches from afar as it is overrun by the zerg.

Kerrigan is then captured by the Zerg who decide that her psionic abilities are too powerful to simply ignore.  The Zerg overmind places her in a chrysalis where her abilities metamorphosize into something much more powerful.  When she emerges it is as the Queen of Blades, a Zerg-human hybrid with vast potential.

Starcraft II pits players against the Queen of Blades as she cuts a swathe of destruction across the galaxy.  It becomes very apparent that with the Zerg behind her she is a force to be reckoned with.  In the Heart of the Swarm expansion players get the opportunity to play as Kerrigan and aid her in her quest for vengeance.  It's very satisfying.

Kerrigan/The Queen of Blades is a great villain because of her unwavering desire to seek out vengeance.  She is willing to sacrifice her relationship with Raynor as well as her humanity to avenge her betrayal by Mengsk.  It's easy to admire her but also to fear her.