I figure this is worth its own thread since it would just be lost in the SC2 Beta thread.
Videos:
Updated, direct-feed version of the prerendered intro from Blizzcon 08
Campaign Mission Movie 1
Campaign Mission Movie 2
Campaign Mission Movie 3
Screens:
Impressions:
Kotaku (Spoilers) / Kotaku (No Spoilers) -
An example of branching missions in the game:
On the amount of content:
Shacknews -
This was already mentioned in the past, but some of the SC1 units that didn't make it into SC2's multiplayer will still appear in SC2's campaign mode:
Additional Links:
StarCraft Legacy
StarCraftWire
Videos:
Updated, direct-feed version of the prerendered intro from Blizzcon 08
Campaign Mission Movie 1
Campaign Mission Movie 2
Campaign Mission Movie 3
Screens:
Impressions:
Kotaku (Spoilers) / Kotaku (No Spoilers) -
An example of branching missions in the game:
Following "Tooth & Nail," two mission options are made available, "Mining Your Own Business" and "The Evacuation of Agria." Since we had the option of access to multiple saves, we tried both.
"The Evacuation of Agria" is fairly self explanatory. After receiving a distress call from Dr. Ariel Hansen, Raynor and crew sign up to escort a group of Agrian colonists through a Zerg infestation. That involves following a series of convoys full of helpless citizens. But the mission offers alternative goals as well, including the total elimination of all Zerg forces in the area and the successful harvesting of DNA from hidden chrysalises.
Since "The Evacuation of Agria" is, as Tychus Findlay jeeringly calls it, a "hero mission," it pays less than "Mining Your Own Business." But it gives the player access to Firebats and it welcomes a new addition to the Hyperion bridge, Dr. Hansen. What benefit she offers, we don't know, as we were only permitted to play a set number of missions.
So we reverted to an older save to play through the mining rescue mission. It's largely a harvest and defend mission. All Raynor's Raiders are on the planet Red Stone III to do is mine the a set amount of high yield minerals, all the while defending against the occasional Zergling nuisance.
But "Mining Your Own Business" has an environmental twist. The area has a rising tide of molten lava every few minutes. So it's more like harvest, defend, retreat, rinse, and repeat until you've pulled in enough minerals to make it worth the while of your employer, the dreadlocked Tosh. He'll also ally with Raynor, should the contractual obligations be met.
On the amount of content:
StarCraft II's units and structures feel much more broad in their scope than what we've seen in the game's multiplayer modeall those upgrades would be nothing short of impossible to balance. It's clear that Blizzard is heavily investing in both single and multiplayer for Wings of Liberty. The storytelling in the Terran campaign is expert, with plenty to dig deep into should players want to hear every single word of spoken dialogue, through which bits and pieces of backstory are delivered.
The decision to split StarCraft II into three separate campaigns was, obviously, concerning. But the amount of content that Blizzard appears to be packing into the first third of that trilogy allays most of those concerns. There's an incredible amount of game here.
Shacknews -
This was already mentioned in the past, but some of the SC1 units that didn't make it into SC2's multiplayer will still appear in SC2's campaign mode:
In addition to money, each mission will also unlock a new unit to play with. These units include favorites such as Medics and Firebats, which have been cut from the StarCraft II multiplayer component. After encountering a strange bug, I also found an unfinished beta version of the Dragoon, pointing to that unit's inclusion in the campaign as well.
Speaking of unfinished things, the laboratory component is the aforementioned system that Blizzard is retooling after internal feedback. In this build, it essentially assigned optional collection tasks, almost in the style of a World of Warcraft quest. The Seth Green-esque lab geek character required several Hydralisk pelts and other optional materials found on levels to complete a specialized upgrade.
And that's all I got to play of the campaign. It was good to see Blizzard sticking to the "minigame" plan. These missions won't be repeated in content--and due to their branching nature, players won't get to play all of them in a single playthrough--making the campaign should be ripe for replaying.
Additional Links:
StarCraft Legacy
StarCraftWire