StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void

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.

A brilliant strategy game that manages to be both broad and deep, challenging and accessible.

The campaign fails to deliver compelling storytelling, but varying faction unit styles and custom call-in abilities add a jolt of life. Multiplayer is better than ever, featuring new units, daily and weekly tournaments for all skill levels, and co-op action

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.

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."

If you're invested in StarCraft II's story already, you likely won't be disappointed by Legacy of the Void's tale. If you haven't played any form of StarCraft II yet and are intrigued by the prospect of another RTS, this is probably the strongest the game has ever been. It's a perfect time to jump in.

Both the campaign and multiplayer are as great as they've ever been.

Blizzard's third, and final, expansion for StarCraft II adds new units and game modes, and ties up loose plot threads in the galactic saga of this storied real-time-strategy franchise.

Legacy of the Void is a good release for those already fans of the series. Priced too high for my liking, but the game still offers a decent length campaign marred by a bad and poorly wrote story. The changes and new features made to the online portion of the game should reinvigorate the community and potentially bring people back to it.