Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty Collector's Edition - PC

Love the game. The added materials in the collector's edition are all added bonuses. As I had misplaced my original Starcraft CD, having it included in James Raynor's ID dog tag was nice. The storyline development book really added to the game play. Overall, it's a collector's item that I am glad to own.

I spent many hours playing the original StarCraft and making custom maps. It is one of my favorite games of all time, just so you know where I am coming from. (I have several other games on my all-time list, and when the sequels for them came out, they disappointed terribly. Somebody gets the bright idea of taking a fantastic game, and then changing it drastically. Lords of the Realm III, anyone? Why change what was a smashing success?)That said, StarCraft 2 totally blew away the original. Not only did Blizzard stay true to the original story/gameplay/style, they changed juuuuust enough to make it interesting all over again, only with an awesome story and smashing graphics.I cannot rave about the story enough. Engrossing, well-developed storylines are rare enough in computer games, but this was a stunning work. The characters are fleshed out very thoroughly, and are well tied into the universe (read Heaven's Devils, for example). PLEASE NOTE: When I reached the ending of the game, I was disappointed. Something one of the characters did seemed out of character. It actually made me mad, because I am fond of that character. If this happens to you, GO BACK THROUGH the cinematics and game. Not only was the ending in-character, it was thoroughly grounded in the storyline all the way through. Pay attention to what each of the characters knows when, and what they have each been through. It was a BRILLIANT piece of writing and character development. Absolutely the best! And the play style is set up to keep you focused on WHY you are doing each mission, WHY it is important. You don't just play the mission to win the mission or "level up"--you play it because you care about the characters.Take your time going through the game. There are tons of cool conversations and hidden things that are simply awesome. Check the jukebox out for the L800ETC song, for example, or find the flying outhouse, or find the Tauren Marine. :DThe level editor, I admit I haven't tested since the Beta. The beta level editor was insanely powerful, but with a steep learning curve. Dabblers should stick to basic map editing, but advanced users . . . prepare to dive in!As for the Collector's addition, it is totally worth the extra price. Read the items listed. The book of artwork alone is almost worth the price difference, and the USB drive is AWESOME (you must plug it in for the full effect).My one complaint is the lack of LAN support . . . I don't feel cutting it out was necessary for anti-piracy. They COULD have done SOMETHING different to allow the multiplayer to be played without the internet and still kept their security.

My favorite RTS game ever. A must have for Starcraft Fans. :)

Really memorable collector edition by Starcraft

The gameplay is very similar to the original, just as you'd expect. The new units add additional layers of strategy are some are just plain cool. The graphics are amazing. The campaign is original, the missions are well thought out and fun. It's not the standard "destroy the other side" you see in most RTS games.So many people are complaining that they "have to pay three times for the same game". BS. This is way more game than you usually get for $60. Sure, the original Starcraft came with all three campaigns as did the Brood war expansion, but this campaign is bigger, has far more depth, far more story, and in my opinion, is far more fun. You're getting a lot of game here. Also, please consider that Blizzard has not announced or set prices for the additional campaigns. I could be wrong, but I expect the expansions to be in the realm of $30, not an extra $60. Even if they were $60, I'd pay it because this game is awesome, but wait until prices are announced before you start complaining that you're paying $180.I do agree that I don't like the requirement to have an Internet connection in order to play. I understand Blizzard is trying to reduce piracy (and seeing some of other reviews suggesting you torrent this game, I can almost see why), but if my Internet goes out, I'd still want to play. If any pirates are reading this, Stop Pirating! You're just ruining things for the rest of us. This is a quality game. Pay for it! If you don't think it's worth the money. Don't buy it! But that means you don't get to play it. Sorry for the rant.I'm less concerned about the lack of a LAN option. So far, the need or even desire for it hasn't come up. I haven't played much multi-player yet, but when I've done so, I've connected to people across the country so Internet play has been just fine for me.