If you have never played Blizzard entertainment’s legendary video game Starcraft, your time has arrived! On April 18th Blizzard decided to make the now 20-year-old game and the DLC Brood War available for free on its website. The fact that this is exciting to gamers is a testament to the popularity and love that people have for a title that has existed for a generation. Starcraft may be the one game that has survived every upheaval in the gaming industry and kept a solid player base for the longest period time. Starcraft‘s only peers in this regard may be other Blizzard titles like World of Warcraft and Diablo III. In a time where game sequels and season passes rule, the classic game still holds up and brings as much joy to gamers as it did in 1997. Having been a huge fan of the Warcraft game series, I remember waiting in line at my local game shop feverishly waiting to get my hands on Starcraft. 20 years later I was overjoyed at the announcement that I could now download it for free on all of my PCs. There is a method to Blizzard’s madness though; the free version comes before a twentieth anniversary HD re-master and re-release.
For newcomers, Starcraft is the story of the battle between three races Terran (essentially human), Protoss (a psionic race) and Zerg (creatures). The factions look to conquer their own piece of the galaxy. Players can choose which race they wish to play. Each race has its own set of special skills and strategies for winning. the gameplay is in the real-time-strategy mode which was innovated by games like DUNE: Battle for Arrakis and Command and Conquer. Essentially you build your own army, buildings, and vehicles and create strategies as you either attack or are attacked by your enemies.
Even if you intend to buy the new release you can still download the original to slake your appetite for galactic domination until the remastered edition arrives online later this year.
