How to review a game like StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void? Where do you even start? Do you try to figure out how it fits into today’s landscape of competitive multiplayer games? Do you ask whether it makes for a worthy conclusion to the story that began nearly 17 years ago? Do you just say whether or not it’s fun?
I have been playing StarCraft II, on and off, since March 5, 2010. For five years, it’s been one of my go-to multiplayer games, something I’ve always kept installed on my laptop so I could squeeze in a quick match before bed. I’ve pulled off clutch victories, gone on brutal losing streaks, and cursed myself for still getting supply-blocked five minutes into a game. I’ve watched dozens of Day9 Dailies, played hundreds of online matches, and observed as the internet declared that StarCraft II is dead, murdered by the MOBAs that had spawned from its predecessor. At one point I made it to Diamond League.
So let’s take a stab at answering all three of those questions. With Legacy of the Void, StarCraft II multiplayer is in a better place than it’s ever been. Competitive matches are faster and more interesting. The new co-op mode is an unexpected delight. There appear to be balance issues—Liberators are hard to stop, aren’t they?—but this is a living game that will be patched and updated for years to come. Amid all of these new ideas and changes, it remains clear that Blizzard is not afraid to experiment.