Starcraft 2 is a real-time strategy game from Blizzard Entertainment, who are rightfully known as the legends and forefathers of the genre. With three astonishing narrative campaigns and a robust online system supporting standard play and custom game modes, Starcraft 2 gives gamers a titanic amount of content to enjoy. Experience it at its best with the power of a GeForce NOW Powered by CloudGG Ultimate membership.
The sun rises on the horizon—that’s our signal. My soldiers rush out from behind our battered defences en masse, sprinting hell for leather for the infested residential sector as my workers frantically repair our defences behind them. We’re on the clock. Building by building, my marines torch homes, businesses, and apartment blocks.
Sometimes, the teeming hordes of the infected burst forth, burning merrily in the daylight before they’re cut down by my men, always dragging one or two of us down with them.
The sun reaches the other side of the sky, and my men sprint for home base, but too slow, the infected pour from their nests in droves, butchering all in their path. I can only hope my defences will hold out one more night...
Always more work to be done for old Jimmy.
This is Starcraft 2's greatest strength in action. The game takes the tried-and-true mechanics of the RTS genre and applies them in inventive ways to tell unique stories and present unique problems to the player with every mission.
Each of the three narrative campaigns is full of fantastic examples, whether you’re hunting great predators to empower your brood as Kerrigan, duelling for the fate of your people as Artanis, or fighting against ignoble tyrants as Raynor.
Each campaign places you in the shoes of a specific character, not just some nameless armchair general. In so doing, it makes you care, not just about the grander plot, but about your soldiers. They’re your people, and you’ll live and die by their efforts just as they live and die by your decisions.
Home sweet home.
Greatly aiding this investment are the campaign's other characters, as well as the hub areas where you interact with them.
Raynor has his merry band of misfits, including Tychus, his ex-con best friend with a heart of gold and a soul of ash.
Artanis has his advisors and unlikely allies, including my favourite character in the game, Alarak, a villainous despot who only aids you because of how it will benefit him, voiced by the legendary John De Lancie (Q from Star Trek).
I can feel Raynor judging me from that communicator.
Kerrigan has her brood, monsters turned into a family with their unique assembly of quirks and flaws, making each of them so much more than just another Zerg.
So far, my main focus has been on the game's stellar writing, but that’s hardly all it has to offer. Blizzard is a legend of the RTS genre for a reason, and Starcraft 2 is a grand showcase of that talent.
The mechanics are tightly polished, with every faction playing in a unique way keyed to their character and culture. Your faction changes throughout the game as well, tech trees and unit upgrades shifting the way you play. The music is stellar, especially Terran’s space country and the art direction? Magnifique. Blizzard is known for its beautiful cutscenes, and Starcraft 2 is full of them, elevating an already great game into a cinematic wonder.
It’s not a question of if he’ll explode, but how he’ll explode.
All that and I’ve not even touched on the multiplayer aspect, that’s admittedly because it’s not my circus, nor my monkeys. I’m no good at competitive RTS gameplay, but I know full well that Starcraft is legendary in the genre for a reason. The original Starcraft played a key part in the birth of esports as we know them, and Starcraft 2 had an active scene for many years and still thrives today.
So, if you’re looking for a game that will keep you entertained in the cloud for hours on end, look no further. Enjoy it at its best by taking to the cloud with a GFN Ultimate membership for RTX 4080 performance. I’ll see you out there, Space Cowboys. 🤠
This spotlight was written by CloudGG team member “Motley” and does not represent the opinions of NVIDIA or CloudGG.
