Starcraft 2 is (obviously) the sequel to the monumentally successful Sci-FI RTS game by Blizzard, Starcraft. While we did have to wait quite a while for this sequel to come out, all I can say is that it was well worth the wait. As in the original, you still get to choose to play either the Terran, the Zerg, or the Protoss. I figure I should take some time to explain some of the key things I like about each of the races....
The Terran, which is Starcrafts vision of futuristic mankind have an army that is 100% ranged. No Melee units involved. This means that in some cases, you can always have a 1-UP on your opponents as you can mow them down while they have to run over to engage you. From playing Starcraft 2 Multiplayer, I have found that one very successful Terran strategy is pumping out a mass amount of Marines, Marauders, and Medivacs (this has been dubbed the MMM-Ball). With the Marine health upgrade, the Marauder concussive shot upgrade that slows units, Stim-Packs for both, AND Medivacs to heal your guys when they get hurt....well I can understand why a lot of people on different Starcraft boards are complaining about them being a little overpowered. As for the buildings the Terran have, one thing that is great to do is to use your Supply Depots, and creation buildings (Barracks, Factory, and Starport) to make a gate to the ramp that is most often at your main base in a game. You see, in Starcraft 2, your Supply Depots can go underground (it isn't equivalent to the Zerg burrow where the units become 'invisible') which allows units to travel over them.
Where the Zerg, the Barbaric alien race that seeks to destroy all life, is concerned, there are a lot of ways you can play the game. Like in the original Starcraft, you can still rush your opponents with a mass of Zerglings, yet with the way Terrans can gate off their base, you sometimes have to throw the suicidal Banelings into the mix just so you can run in their and bomb their base before your Zergligns feast on the entrails of the resource gatherers. My favorite Zerg unit, has to be the Broodlod, a giant flying Zerg that shoots smaller Broodlings onto the ground to attack your enemies. The Broodlords have a huge range, which make them great for dealing with shot range, ranged units, and it's also run to watch the swarm mass on their doorstep when they have no idea where they are coming from. One big thing that changed from the Zerg in Starcraft 2 was Hydralisks becoming a Tier 2 unit. This mean (unfortunately) that you need to upgrade your Hatchery to a Liar before you can start making what I think is the best ground ranged unit in the game.
Now I play Protoss...so I may have a little more to say here than I did with the other two races. The Protoss, like the Zerg are an alien race, however their ultimate goal is to rid the universe of the infestation that is the Zerg Swarm, by ANY MEANS NECESSARY. On average, Protoss units have a lower health than other units in the game, however everything Protoss (from Zealots to Stargates) come with a nice little deflector shield, which acts as a buffer before they start to take actual damage. The Archon for example, has only 5 Hit Points (that is immensely weak for those of you who don't know) yet their shields have 300 power, which more than makes up for it. Now first and foremost, I love the look of the Protoss units, especially the Zealots and Immortals (<3) and even though some units seem to be quite useless in Multiplayer (*cough* Carriers *cough*) they still look 100% amazing. As for Protoss strategies, I myself use the common 4-Gate, or 3-Gate Robo builds. The first (4-Gate) consist of quickly building up 4 Warp Gates, which allow you to almost instantly create units in any of your power fields, and then just pump out a bunch of Zealots and Stalkers at a Pylon that you have conveniently placed near your opponents base. As for 3-Gate Robo, it is more or less the same thing, only you substitute the 4th Warp Gate for a Robotics Facility so that you can get Immortals, or if the situation calls for it, tech towards Colossi.
As with all Blizzard RTS game, there are a few fun little things that you can do during a game. First is listen to all the things units have to say. Each unit in Starcraft 2 (as well as every other RTS game made by Blizzard) has between 2-3 standard things they say when you click on them. After you click on them about 4 or more time you start to hear more of the funny things the units have to say. So far my favorite has to be the Medics, "Here's some gauss, a knife and a blowtorch. Good luck!" Secondly, the random critters than wonder the map literally explode if you excessively click on them. Trust me, it's hilarious to watch.
Can you believe I haven't even yet touched on the CAMPAIGN!?!?!
In the Campaign of Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty, you play James Raynor, one of the characters from the original Starcraft, who is doing his best to free his fellow Terrans from the oppressive rule of Arcturus Mengsk. Now for any of you who remember Starcraft, Mengsk and Raynor together were trying to overthrow the Old Confederacy. It turns out, Mengsk was just as bad as the Confederacy ever was. In the campaign you go throw a lot of missions to help Raynor achieve his final goal. I really wish I could say more, but honestly, the story in this game is so shocking I would feel horrible ruining it for you.
As you play through missions in the campaign you unlock new units, as well as new technology. Whenever you complete a mission you acquire credits, which you can spend in the 'Story Mode' to get upgrades for the various units at your disposal. If you choose to complete a missions bonus objectives you may also acquire Protoss, or Zerg Research points, which allows you to unlock unique tech that is VERY helpful to you in the campaign.
I am seriously looking forward to the next chapter of the campaign (more waiting though unfortunately, but I can manage)
The game is, in a nutshell, absolutely fantastic. It was worth every minute I waited for it, and I give it a 10/10, which is a Game of the Month first.