Starcraft II: Nova Ops - Mission Pack 1
Overview -
The 'Starcraft II' trilogy may be complete, but Blizzard isn’t quite done with it yet. 'Starcraft II: Nova Ops' is a three-part DLC pack, with each part consisting of three missions following the exploits of a Dominion black ops soldier named Nova. It is the spiritual successor to vaporware from 2002 called 'Starcraft: Ghost', a stealth/action game for the sixth generation featuring the same character. The second and third mission packs will be released on or before December 1, 2016.
Video Review
'Nova Ops' uses the same engine as 'Starcraft II'. While aging, it is quite pretty on higher settings, and framerate is rarely an issue. The character design for the new Ghosts is pretty cool.
Audio Review
Cutscenes and missions are fully voiced with a capable cast. The soundtrack is evocative of action movies and a certain famous British spy, and it leans on these influences to great effect.
Final Thoughts
This is not a bad start to a small season of Nova DLC. It has some fresh ideas and enjoyable missions within the framework of the successful 'Starcraft II' recipe. It’s a bit lighter on story than I would like, and stingy with Nova’s upgrades, but I’m quite happy to try the next one as soon as it’s here - especially considering that this is probably as close to 'Starcraft: Ghost' as we’ll ever get.
