Customer Reviews

StarCraft Battle Chest

5 star:		(293)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

If, by chance, you're reading this and you've never played Starcraft before, just go ahead and skip reading this and buy it. You won't be disappointed.

If you're thinking about buying it for someone else, go ahead and buy it: I've given three Battle Chests as gifts and it was a hit every time for both kids and adults, even to those who hadn't played this kind of game before.

The Battle Chest is definitely the way to go, as you'll save money over buying it and Brood War separately and get the strat guides for free (and, to be honest, I don't think the guides are worth having unless you're completely clueless about how to beat the game, and there is information in the strat guides that is blatantly wrong as well).

I've been playing RTS games since 1997, and in my opinion, this is the best one ever made. No one has made one that's as fun, has as gripping a storyline and artwork, or depth and replayability of gameplay. It's a work of genius. I've had it for two years and I still play it at least a couple of times a week. There's even one mission left that I haven't managed to conquer without cheating, so the challenge is definitely there.

What you have to understand about Starcraft is that it's not meant to be a cutting-edge feature-heavy supergame where you can customize the behavior of your units and give them complex orders. It's meant to be more of a strategy game like real-time chess, and in this it succeeds brilliantly. It shares the quality of chess in that there are a limited number of units with straightforward abilities, but there are an infinite number of things and strategies that you can do with them. To this day players are still inventing new strategies for these units and races.

The artificial intelligence and pathfinding of the game is the best I've ever seen. No RTS game has perfect AI or pathfinding (units getting lost or tangled up on each other or the terrain), but Starcraft's is by far better than any others out there. The computer will flatten you time and again unless you're playing competently.

Multiplayer is a complete blast, and more options are offered than any other RTS game. You can play team games where you and your allies are actually controlling the same units against the computer or others, in addition to a wide range of variations like Capture the Flag, etc.

Blizzard's Battle.net service is free and at any time of day there are literally thousands of people playing. Internet play is smooth. I've played friends both nationally and internationally with bad connections and low-end computers, and it runs solidly even with the additional traffic of voice chat like Roger Wilco over 56k!

Blizzard's continuing support for the game is also excellent. They release a new map for the game every Friday like clockwork, so there are over a hundred new, well-designed maps available for download and replay.

In summary, just a solid, solid, completely fun game. You can't possibly go wrong by picking up a copy.

I am not going to tell you how awesome this game is ... you can get that from the other reviews. What I want to tell you is this: I took the 'Starcraft Battlechest' home, expecting to play it under 'Classic'; there is no mention on the box of OSX, and the game was made well before OSX was. However, when I installed it, there was an OSX native version right on the disk! So, Mac fans, if you want a good RTS, here ya go.

StarCraft boasts award-winning advanced control features, such as waypoints and training queues, to provide enhanced gameplay. In addition to the intuitive interface, StarCraft has the superb graphics and outstanding sound and music that have come to be expected from Blizzard Entertainment.

This is definitely the best RTS game around. Unlike all other RTS', this game provides you with 3 different races-and i mean DIFFERENT. Most RTS' provide many races, but all the units are basically the same-ie) in Warcraft 2, the orcs had grunts and the humans and footmen-they are the same in concerns with stats. However, Starcraft provides 3 different races that specialize in different things. You can also play on a multiplayer network called battle.net, with up to 8 people at one game. There are countless strategies that can be employed because all the races are so diversed-this game is definitely the best in the market. I hope you enjoy it

All of the reviews I've read seem to come from longtime players of this game rather then new players who actually bought the Battlechest. One of the first things you need to know about this addition that there is NO MANUAL. I was pretty surprised to discover this. But wait, you say, there are two official strategy guides. Yes there are. But they won't teach you how to play the game. They don't include basic stats on all of the units; they don't include all short cut commands; they don't include technology trees; they don't explain the concept of real time strategy games. They offers hints, observations and walk throughs of all of the missions which are handy, but not a substitute for a manual. The only help the game itself offers is a list of some of the keyboard short cuts, hints and one training mission which will be of little use unless you are familiar with real time strategy games.

I've recently discovered and fallen in love with real time strategy games and having recently begun playing Age of the Empires II and Empire Earth, I found the basic concepts similar and could figure you out in general what I was supposed to do. But I found myself struggling to understand the specifics of the game and how to best use the units to win the missions, with such incomplete information. Fortunately at battlenet.com, the official StarCraft website, I discovered extensive documentation. Still it's hardly as convenient as having a manual to refer to while playing.

Armed with a link to the battlenet documentation, I have played through half of the Terran Missions and have found them to be very entertaining. The missions are varied and gradually introduce you to new units and concepts. Hints are offered along the way. So far that are quite easy (once you actually understand what the units do) but for completely mastery of the game there is a huge amount of information to learn. Even though the graphics are not as snazzy as newer releases the attention to detail is outstanding. The cut scenes are excellent and the storyline is far more involved then other similar games. There is an amazing amount of strategic possibilities in this game.

In addition to the missions there are a bunches of ready made scenarios and maps in the Custom Scenario section ready to play. I suspect these were not in the original version, but since I don't have any documentation, I can't say for sure.

So if you have played more recent titles and are wondering if this will seem dated, rest assured that on the fun factor scale it compares very favorably to newer titles. But if you have never played this type of game, you may want to consider another title first unless you have a friend to help you out or are willing to invest the time needed to figure it out on your own.

Starcraft has caught me into the craze ever since its debut in 98...This game is simply amazing. It is the type of RTS that is "hard and fast," you build, build, build, fight, fight, fight, and either win or lose, sometimes having the chance to revive if you lost the first battle. It is different from other great RTS like AOE2 because the latter is more fun when you build a great army w/ diverse units and attack tactically, while Starcraft is more like building a giant swarm and either going straight thru or catching the opponent by surprise...(what I mean is: while AOE2 resembles real combat more, Starcraft is idealistic but fun).

Starcraft's campaigns makes it standout...the Kerrigan story was spectacular, especially if you buy this battle chest and go thru the whole story from the original to Broodwar. Blizzard hired some decent fiction writers for the plot...

Battle.net and multiplayer rules in Starcraft. In case you don't know, battle.net gives you free access to the Blizzard server (if you use the Internet, of course) to meet and play multiplayer w/ hundreds and even thousands of other people off the net (of course, it's only 8 people per game max). There is (was?) also a great ranking system and tournaments, but I don't know if they still do that anymore, having my Internet connection gone extremely slow for the last 6 months...

All in all, this battlechest is a mustbuy, and the guides help a lot in case you're stuck, but try to beat the game yourself (I did it) first...

I have played this game ever since it came out and am a veteran player. Each of the three paragraphs will explain different parts of the game so if you are about to just scroll down past this review because its long, just read the paragraph that most interests you by reading the first few sentences of any of the shown paragraphs because those sentences describe that paragraph. This first paragraph will explain the races and the differences. This game has 3 unique races that are very different. Zerg, Protoss and Terran all have very different units, buildings, statistics, strategies and more. Zerg have weak units, but they are very cheap too build and you can create them very early in the game because you can build units very fast compared to the other races. So Zerg is the best race to rush other players with. Protoss is a very strong and expensive race. They are slower to build than any of the races but they are very good if you are going to play a long game with someone. Terran, which are the humans if you don't know, are in the middle. They are in middle of the stats when you look at the cost difference, strength and how fast they take to build. All the races are good to be, since the game is one of the best of it's kind.

Now this second paragraph is about game play. Starcraft with its expansion pack is a one of a kind. The game loads fast, the controls are straight forward and are simple to use, the graphics are great, with it's dark textures and detailed landscape it has better graphics than all other strategy games for it's time. Even some of the newer games from Westwood Studios do not come near to the graphics of this game. This game has great missions, and the first few for each race also act as a tutorial for new players. Also in between every few mission they have a cinematic movie, which you can watch or skip if you want. The mission-briefing screen depends on which race you are, for the setting is different and the characters (speaking animated portraits) that tell you your mission are different. This game has pretty good music and when you click on a unit they always reply back with some sort of response.

Now this third and last paragraph will talk about the best part of the game, multiplayer mode. ...Blizzards official online multiplayer battle network where you can play against hundreds of thousands of other players who are online, is a great system. You can play MANY different types of maps with up to eight people in one game. There are different types of maps, some are 'User Map Settings, Melee, Team melee, Capture the Flag, etc.' There are more types but I will just continue. When you buy the starcraft battle chest you will receive 2 tip books (on starcraft and the expansion pack) and a manual plus the game starcraft and the expansion. When you install the game it also comes with a map editor. This map editor allows you to customize maps, and even create your own maps. You can change the name and stats of units, change the mission briefings, create triggers and timers and scoreboards and teams and change the terrain plus more. You create an almost actual RPG like game or any other type of game if you put hard work into it. I usually play user map setting maps that are the maps created by other players because they are more fun than the regular melee. This game is the only current strategy game to enable you to completely change and upload your own maps to the server for others to play. I myself have created a map called "God vs. Satan" which is a VERY popular map right now and others have made probably over 10 other upgrades to the map which is probably more than any other map. I play online all the time under the nickname punwod.... I hope you enjoy this game and this review! =)

There is nothing I can say about Starcraft, and it's award-winning expansion Brood Wars, that hasn't already been said a million times over. Starcraft is to Real-Time-Strategy games what Boeing is to 747 airplanes; Neither invented the particular item they are known for (Starcraft - RTS PC game, Boeing - Commercial Airliner), but they both created the perfect specimen in its category, one that could very well stand the test of time.

Originally released in 1997-98, when it was deemed the "RTS game of the year", Starcraft is perhaps one of the only RTS games that you can still find on shelves at stores, close to a decade later! Although new RTS games have invaded the market, bringing with them cutting-edge 3D graphics and unheard-of computer requirements, Starcraft still, to this day, stands alone as the finest specimen of RTS ever created.

It's Sci-Fi universe holds legends, stories of survival, heroism, and evil. Every single individual in the game, be it Zerg, Protoss, or Human, is created with such extreme depth that you would swear their tales and experiences were real (as impossible as that may sound). The story of the game, and it's expansion, is the stuff of prize-winning novels! (Starcraft actually did spawn a Trilogy of novels, all of them set in the game's universe, and all of them a great-read)

The game has spawned countless websites, fan-clubs, mutli-player tournaments, championships, novels, DVDs, action figures...you name it, and Starcraft has been there at one point in time or the other...and it has reigned supreme. Good, even Great games come and go, but Starcraft is the one RTS game that you will forever remember.

I have bought over 5 copies of the game since it came out (lost some CD's, some got scratched-up), and it is the only game that I have had installed on my computer for over 5 years. I may not play it as much as I did before, but the assurance that the universe of Starcraft is only a few clicks away is worth it.

If you have never played this game before, you will NOT regret buying this box-set. And if you once played it before, trust me, this trip down the memory lane will be just as addictive as the first time around.

Starcraft to this day has not lost it's charm...

Following the footsteps of Warcraft, Blizzard went on to a space era and created Starcraft. However withen a year the story line grew boring and the Expansion pack: Brood War made its debut. The original Starcraft begins in a time where Earth is "cleansed and the outcasts (*computer hackers, people of other religious faiths, criminals etc*) have been sent on an experiment to test high-speed space travel. The Experiment goes wrong and the outcasts crash on the worlds of Tarsonis, Umoja, and Moria. After years of settlement the Humans (*Terrans*) create the Confederacy and their technology eventually allows them to control other worlds. It is when another species-created by the Xel'Naga-Zerg arrives in the Terran space to take over the humans that the story of the game begins. The Zerg secretly populate the worls and another race: Protoss-also created by the mysterious Xel'Naga decimates the world inhabited by the Zergs, and human colonists alike. This action, which was the only way to save humanity alarmed the confederacy and the Terrans go to war with the Protoss, and later on the Zerg. Starcraft follows most stratagy-game platforms. The scenarios are both challenging, and at the same time lesson-learning. The computer in the first levels "teaches" the player how to use such tactics as the Terran Vulture Cavalry, or the Marine invasion. Another thing that makes this game a good buy is the play as either Terran, Zerg, or Protoss... and even better: all three are different! Thats right, all three are different, different strengths (*Terran is good at both air/ground, Protoss at Air and Zerg at ground*), and weaknesses. The units all are greatly detailed and the photo of the unit's pilot/unit is animated and humorous (*after a few clicks on them to annoy them lol*). Some examples of units include:

Terran: SCV's Marine, Firebat, Vulture hover cycle, Arclite Siege Tanks, Goliath Walkers, CF/A-17 Wraith Fighters, Explorer Science Vessels, and Behemoth Battlecruisers
Protoss: Probe, Zealot, Dragoon, Reaver, Templars (*Dark and high*), Scouts, Arbiters, and Carriers
Zerg: Drone, Zerglings, Hydralisks, Mutalisks, UIltralisks, Infested Terrans, Overlords, and other creatures.

Brood war is better in a sense. I suggest Brood War as a buy NOT RIGHT AWAY, but later on when you get used to Starcraft. Brood war follows the events of the original game, only 10 years in the future when another agency; the UED from Earth (*United Earth Directorate*) attempts to overpower the new government in the Terran Sector with new weapons of war. These new weapons are the Medic (*very handy*), and the Valkyarie (*needed*). However like I stated earlier, do not play this part of the game right away since Brood war has no tutorial to game play, or no guide on stratagies. It is basically made for those who have played and mastered the original. In addition to the Terran Medic and Valyrie, the other new units are:

Protoss Corsair, Dark Archon. Zerg Lurker, Devourer.

So if you ever wondered, what else is there out there besides us, or just want to kick alien butt, this is the game to get. Playable on different worlds including: Badlands, Jungle, Ice, Desert, Twilight, and Ashworlds (*fire*). Tired of playing by yourself? Dont worry, Battle.net is free and challenging and is also included, you could play games with up to 8 people from around the world this way. All you need is an internet connection. And with over 100 maps and small missions, playing by-yourself isn't that boring. But if it gets to that point, no worries still. Campaign Editor allows you to create your own map, and program the computer player's movements simply with Trigger language that even the average-day computer iliterate could understand. Getting this game will make you wonder when it is all done, when is Starcraft II comming out. More information on the plot, the story-line and/or characters? Play this game and find out.

Star Craft is the one game I found myself playing in the late hours of the night... It is intense and forever changing. Your stragities will constantly be changing...as you learn new ways to play. In game you can not sit around and do nothing...you must be thinking at all times