Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void

Editor's Notes

Digital PC version reviewed.

Introduction

'Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty' was released in 2010 and was followed by 'Heart of the Swarm' in 2013, which would later be turned into a standalone expansion. This release, 'Legacy of the Void', is also standalone, not requiring any other 'Starcraft' products to function.

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

'Legacy of the Void' is the third and final act in the main 'Starcraft II' narrative (although another mission pack starring Nova has already been announced). Told from the perspective of the conservative, shamanistic Protoss race, their leader Artanis has the dubious honor of defending his people and the galaxy at large from Amon, a resurrected god. Amon is one of the last few living xel’naga, an elder race that created both the zerg and protoss species long before the events of the games. Humans, known as terrans, have been caught up in the protoss and zerg wars for years, and by association are also threatened by Amon.

'Wings of Liberty' was about Jim Raynor’s uprising against the corrupt terran emperor, and 'Heart of the Swarm' was the story of Sarah Kerrigan’s revenge against the same person. The protoss chapter is more sweeping and epic in scope - Artanis is not motivated by anger or revenge, but by the threat of extinction. 'Legacy of the Void' is a familiar tale of the last stand; a defiant bastion of heroic warriors fighting against an evil of apocalyptic proportion. 'Starcraft' can be cheesy, and it has a habit of producing campy one-liners and action clichés, but it’s also pretty good at telling a story we’ve heard before. It also doesn’t hurt that underneath all of the shiny FMVs and elaborate cutscenes is a superb RTS framework.

Protoss units have been available in multiplayer since 'Wings of Liberty', but this expansion is the first opportunity that protoss enthusiasts have to enjoy a full campaign. Units and abilities are doled out piecemeal over the course of the missions, and through the technology in Artanis' flagship, the Spear of Adun, many units can be upgraded or altered. This is similar to the mechanics found in the previous installments (although unlike Kerrigan, Artanis is usually not controlled directly on the battlefield). During missions, the Spear itself can be brought to bear on opponents with such abilities as an amplified chrono surge, orbital strikes, and teleporting reinforcements. The protoss are 'Starcraft’s' "quality over quantity" race, with individual units typically possessing a high resource cost but also strong weaponry and, through their innate shielding, a very high sustain. Units and abilities available in the 'Legacy of the Void' campaign further extend this theme with buildings like the shield battery. Unit movement is also a priority, as fresh infantry can almost instantly be teleported all over the map. This can be used to surprise enemies from the flanks or reinforce a weakening position.

Mission objectives are much of the same we’ve seen in the series thus far - lots of timers and king-of-the-hill style land grabs. There are a few surprises in the objectives that make for fun missions though, especially when used in conjunction with the Spear powers. Unit abilities can be swapped out after each mission and can synergize with one another for tactical combinations.