So, when I woke up this morning, or whatever day it was, that morning, when I woke up then, I’ll tell you want I expected. I expected rain, I expected to have to walk quite a bit, I expected to be running a little late, I expected to play some video games, I expected to read a bit, I even expected to maybe drink a little bit. I expected lightning to strike me and I expected aliens to crash land into our planet and thereby begin an intergalactic war of unending proportions. I did not expect news about StarCraft 2.
[gl and hf]
To a majority of people it means one thing, and then to a significantly smaller number of people, it means something else. What is that you ask, well, to the minority it means it’s just another game, meh, maybe kinda fun, something to look forward too, but nothing too significant. Well to the majority, abnormally myself included, I’d say it means, many a sleepless night playing StarCraft, spending hours looking at units and comparing times and build orders to find the best combination. Spending months and months and months spending every moment looking forward to the next time you can play StarCraft… and I mean that literally. You do know what I am talking about don’t you? You know that urge when you have a new game, a new TV show, a new book, a new friend/person in your life, or whatever new entertainment it may be, there is that urge of ‘as soon as you’re done doing whatever it is you are doing becuase you have to do it, you’re gonna go back to doing that thing?’ Most people have that many times in their lives, but rarely does it last more than a week or two, and rarely if it lasts longer than that does it involve doing what is seemingly the same thing over and over again, and even rarely still even after all that, remain to be something you were never ever tired of.

This is what StarCraft was for many of us, and to expect this of them again is hardly inappropriate. The same thing happened with millions with WoW, and pretty much any other game Blizzard has ever made… minus of course Lost Vikings, but Lost Vikings was badass despite not being the things described above. I find it very fitting that I wrote the Smash Bros. article directly before this one, and even more fitting still that it was titled the ‘inevitable’ Smash Bros. article. At the time of the writing, it was undoubtable that Smash Brawl was lightyears beyond any other game in terms of anticipation. It’s only fate that out of nowhere an announcement comes from Blizzard in regards to StarCraft 2. I never expected to wake up today, or any day really, and ever hear about StarCraft 2. As far as I was concerned, it had achieved the pinnacle godly status, and that being that, it was too large to have a sequel. What I mean is, is that it was so good that making a sequel only served to disappoint… but I think that is just the optomist in me; needless to say, I am so damned happy that they are making StarCraft 2.

If any game comes close in my anticipation to that of Smash Bros. it is StarCraft. It is easily my second most played game (behind of course, Smash Bros.) and it means almost as much to me as Smash does. And when I say almost, I do mean it. Smash does mean more to me and I have put in more to Smash and gotten out more from it as well, and that is something that probably shows. What can I say for what I see in StarCraft 2? I say, I see new graphics, tighter controls, being able to run in 1280×1024 resolution, I see awesome graphics and sweet animations, I see a continuation of the reasonably decent storyline, and I see more hijacking of ideas taken from other universes, but implemented so brilliantly that anyone the idea was taken from should be flattered that their creation could be so capably sculpted for the enjoyment of others.

Beyond that, I do not see myself being capable of disappointment from StarCraft 2. People have hundreds and thousands of reservations, and this may be despite the fact that they know they will be getting the game, and then continue to play it to near-death, but honestly I don’t feel most of these reservatsions. Even with Smash I have fear, but I know it is mostly because I know so much more about Smash, but we shouldn’t fear change, we should embrace it. The importance is in the concept that is being developed and having an understanding with the creator, and then having trust in creating something akin to what you fell in love with in the first place.

I can undoubtedly say that StarCraft 2 is my second most anticipated title. but I’ll be honest… although I can play Brood Wars to fend off my hunger for StarCraft 2, it’s much more painful a burden than playing Melee to fend off Brawl; the long long long wait for SC2 will be significantly more gruesome, I believe, than the wait till Smash… but then again, when they annouce a release date for either game, who knows what the hell I’ll be thinking… Haha, it’s amazing that two of my favorite games are each over 5 years old with no patch, sequel, expansion for about the same amount of time. Simply awe-inspiring game development.