Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm (First Impressions)

Heart of the Swarm is a real-time strategy sequel to the epic original title, Starcraft. The release is the second installment in this amazing trilogy and mainly focuses on the quest for The Queen (Kerrigan) to take back control of the Zerg. Heart of the Swarm has went above and beyond to impress with tons of new RPG-type mission campaigns and vast improvements to the game's multiplayer. Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm starts out two years later with Kerrigan maintaining some humanity but has enough Zerg in her body to still pose a threat.

There are several warlords who have stepped up and tried to mimic what Kerrigan had built, but there is only one Queen of the Blades--and she is back to reclaim her title! The saga continues with the clashing races of the Protons, Terrain and Zerg. A major theme in Heart of the Swarm is Kerrigan's inner conflict between humanity and the corruption of the Zerg.

The single player mechanics have received an overhaul with more RPG-styled mechanics thrown into the mix. Players have the ability to evolve and mutate units of Zerg throughout the game which can be altered between missions. We see the true nature of the Zerg swarm whose main focus it to consume and evolve rapidly which improves their numbers drastically.

The multiplayer function has added several new units to the game. The Protoss receive the Tempest, the Mothership Core and the Oracle. The Zerg welcome two new units which include the Viper and the Swarm Host; while Terran, now can spawn the Widow Mine and the Hellbat. These new units add a ton of fun and variation to the game. Players can now enter a new training mode as well that will get you a quick tutorial of the new changes and challenges in Heart of the Swarm.

The AI has received major improvements which consist of new difficulty levels where players even have the ability to pick the build of their AI to help them get ladder-ready. The game's visuals have been enhanced with new maps and art upgrades containing beautiful tile sets and terrain features. The upgrades to the physics have added a whole more dynamic to the already polished storyline.

The best part of Heart of the Swarm is the support for clans and groups with access to private chat, rosters, game news and much more. Clans can contain up to 50 members who will receive a clan tag; while groups do not have these restrictions or tags. Players can also form large parties with more than six people and play on the multiplayer ladders of any region. Gamers will also get the chance to practice their skills in unranked matches which will not have an impact on their ladder ranking. A great new feature is the ability to watch replays and the ability to take control of a replay at any point. If you had been waiting on a way to improve your strategy, then this is it! Other improvements include a new leveling system and a streamlined user interface with a beautiful, simple menu.

Heart of the Swarm is already looking to be an amazing game that will only continue to impress. Check back soon for our full review.

Overall First Impression:  A+