StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void Reviews
Legacy of the Void is a StarCraft game, which means it is quality by default. Indeed, this is a game that upholds expectations.
A beautifully crafted end to StarCraft II's reign
'Starcraft II' remains a household name in the RTS genre, and 'Legacy of the Void' joins an already great pair of games to make a compelling trilogy. The replay value is high and strategy gamers can enjoy many hours of play after finishing the decent campaign, especially those interested in the robust multiplayer options.
Professional gaming aside, StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void offers a pretty solid amount. While I'm still not entirely behind the idea of splitting Terran, Zerg and Protoss campaigns into three separate releases, I must admit that Legacy of the Void won me over. It has everything I expected it to have: addictive gameplay, solid plot, great characters, Blizzard's trademark kick-ass cinematics, exciting campaign missions and a rich multiplayer package.
It doesn't have the cleanness or the slow-burn escalation of your old-school C&Cs or the first Warcrafts and StarCraft, so certainly don't approach it as a return to the old ways, but if you want a giant sci-fi army bashing buildings and monsters to death while a crazy lightshow rages, Legacy of the Void is hard to argue with on that basis.
A good trilogy is a hard thing to pull off. Far more common than success stories like Return Of The King are third installments like The Dark Knight Rises or The Godfather Part III, where the series ends with a fizzle rather than a bang. Legacy Of The Void rises to this trilogy-concluding challenge. It closes the door on a story that started 17 years ago but opens new ones of its own with a multiplayer mode that has the promise to live on for years to come.
StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void lives up to Blizzard's reputation as a leading RTS developer and offers plenty for both series and RTS fans to enjoy.
Starcraft II shows that even in the modern era there's still a place for an isometric RTS.
I had far more fun with Legacy of the Void than I was expecting to. The campaign is excellent, and even as a newcomer, transitioning from the single-player to dabbling in multiplayer was surprisingly smooth. RTS fans past and present should take this opportunity to return to StarCraft, or - even better - join the action for the first time.
Legacy of the Void doesn't so much conclude StarCraft II with a bang as it helps to re-invigorate interest in a game that has been through dozens of ups and downs over the last few years.
What looks like pure chaos and confusion from the outset, becomes something that feels great to play.
StarCraft II Legacy of the Void is a fitting way to end the trilogy that boasts some exceptional RTS gameplay with some beautiful storytelling thrown into the mix. If you're a fan of the series, then I'm sure you'll be purchasing this StarCraft game but for newcomers, Blizzard have also welcomed them and will give you enough support to draw you into the world competitive RTS.
With a visible and oft-recited commitment to further balancing efforts and post-release content, Legacy is shaping up to be among the best games in the genre, and a fitting final performance for South Korea's would-be national sport. [OpenCritic note: GamesBeat separately reviewed the single player (73) and multiplayer (92). Their scores have been averaged.]
Legacy of the Void has been a long time coming - so long that in some ways it feels like a bit of a throwback. But Blizzard has packed plenty of value into their final expansion, piling co-op missions on top of their solo campaign while tinkering with the multiplayer's pacing and mechanics. The story is ultimately disappointing, but on a mission-to-mission basis, StarCraft II represents the apex of old-school real-time strategy design. Mostly, I'm relieved that it's finished. As Tychus once said, "Hell, it's about time."
Legacy of the Void is a triumphant swan song for the Starcraft 2 trilogy, boasting a fantastic Campaign mode, fun casual multiplayer and a robust competitive multiplayer scene. Starcraft is a game about planning and forethought, and that's definitely something that Blizzard had in mind when making Legacy of the Void: in its aims to finish the Starcraft narrative, accommodate for new players and reinvigorate the competitive scene, this game is everything that it needs to be. There's really something for everyone in this title regardless of your experience in RTS games, with a great story, heaps of different ways to experience the game's content for all skill levels and for those who want to be the very best, there's a gauntlet of tough opponents just waiting for you.
[T]his game is the ultimate product of a bygone era made for the faithful fans it has gathered over almost two decades. It's a damn good real-time strategy game and a damn good StarCraft game.
It isn't perfect, but StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void allows the series to end on a high note, offering a comprehensive experience which should make every type of RTS player happy.
For fans of the series, Legacy of the Void is a no brainer. For fans of strategy games, I say the again, StarCraft II is the best strategy game you can buy on PC. If you've been waiting for any reason at all to jump in, don't. The game is deep, the competition is fierce and anyone of any skill level can jump in and appreciate what the game is all about. There aren't a whole lot of games that can say that.
Legacy of the Void is the most fun I've had with StarCraft 2, perhaps because it's more mellow, and more generous with players who don't want to focus entirely on the elite competitive experience. It's a challenging RTS when you want one, but it also lets you have fun stomping AI with friends and trying out new toys. Legacy remembers that it's a game as much as it is an esport.
Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void is an excellent follow-up to 2013's Heart of The Swarm, even if it doesn't quite match the brilliance of Wings of Liberty.