Eric Neigher, Contributing Editor: It looks... StarCraft II. The graphics aren't any different, if that's what you mean, but I don't think anyone really expected that at all. What also isn't different is the gameplay; although you're now playing as the Zerg (led by Zerg queen Sarah Kerrigan, again), the faction's basic concepts -- from the interstitial scenes between missions, to research and upgrades, to point-and-click mechanics -- are identical to how they were in the original StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. For those expecting a more role-playing-game-ish take on real-time strategy, or an expansion that emphasizes a different angle on StarCraft II's gameplay, this might seem like a disappointment. But the truth is, the game's still so fun, and the two missions I played were so well-designed, that it doesn't really matter. More of a good thing can't be a bad thing... or some... thing.
Ryan Scott: I would imagine that no news is probably pretty good news for hardcore StarCraft players, in terms of major gameplay shakeups (or lack thereof). What's the story with this expansion? What are Kerrigan and the Zerg up to?
Eric Neigher: Blizzard was awfully tight-lipped about the backstory. Kerrigan is obviously back in command of the Zerg, or at least some portion of the Zerg, but how she got herself separated from Jim Raynor and the other Terrans following the events of Wings of Liberty is unclear. Apparently, without Kerrigan, the Zerg have devolved into a semi-feral state, with much infighting and little in the way of direction. Some individual brood queens and overlords have tried to form pockets of organization -- and you take on one of these in one of the missions I played -- but by and large, the Zerg have been decimated. Kerrigan, for her part, doesn't seem much nicer or much less ruthless now that she's back to being (mostly) human. She still treats her underlings like crap, and she's still full of threats and bile, although this time it's mostly directed at Arcturus Mengsk, the main bad guy of the StarCraft universe... so it's hard to tell whether she's on the side of good or evil. It's implied that she intentionally ordered some of these fractured Zerg elements to oppose her before she gave up being Queen of Blades, possibly because she knew she'd be coming back to lead them, and needed to demonstrate her power. But a whole lot was left to the imagination with just the two missions we played.
Ryan Scott: Well, what specifically went on in those two missions? Since you were playing the Zerg, those must have shed some light on what's goin' on...
Eric Neigher: The first mission I played takes place on Char, the Zerg home world, and sees Kerrigan facing off against a rogue brood queen, attempting to reclaim a cache of Zerg eggs that had been stored below the surface prior to the Terrans' takeover of the planet. You and the rival queen compete to get 100 eggs first, with a sub-quest involving getting a bunch of Banelings that you can use to kamikaze your way through your rival's defenses. The other mission takes place on an icy world subject to flash freezes that temporarily lock all units in place on the map, friendly and enemy -- which, in this case, means the Protoss. Neutral yetis attack from time to time, and if you kill enough of them, you can integrate their DNA into the swarm and become immune to the flash freezes, giving you a huge advantage as you try to destroy the Protoss' communication towers before they can warn their home world that Kerrigan is back. Both missions were quite easy, but both also felt fairly early-game and straightforward. Anyone familiar with StarCraft II's mechanics would've had no trouble -- not to say they weren't entertaining, 'cuz they were.
Ryan Scott: What Zerg units did you get to see? Do StarCraft nerds have anything new to look forward to, unit- or tactics-wise?
Eric Neigher: I didn't see any new units, per se, but I got a chance to see some of the upgraded units you get as a result of Heart of the Swarm's DNA recombination gizmo, which pops up between missions. It's effectively identical to the science research that players did to enhance their units in Wings of Liberty, except that you upgrade each unit along a particular two-tiered tree. With Zerglings, for example, you can choose upgrades that make them spawn instantly from larvae, or make them move faster, or give them more hit points. Ultimately, you can choose between two "uber" versions: Swarmlings that spawn three at a time, instead of two, or Raptors, which have a big health bonus and can leap to attack from range. Roaches, too, can be upgraded -- either to Leeches that regenerate life faster when burrowed, or to Prowlers that can move around while burrowed. As in Wings of Liberty, though, these upgraded units are single-player only, but the ability to choose which way you want your swarm to evolve should add some replayability.
Ryan Scott: Well, seems like you got a pretty narrow vertical slice here -- but, all the same, it sounds like everything's mostly unchanged. Did you see any other new stuff? Story characters? Anything? Take us out on something good, Eric!
Eric Neigher: Buddy, I wish I had something new to tell you, but I don't. I will tell you this, though: Sometimes I'm stuck in traffic on my way to work, and I wonder why my company and other companies don't just have different work hours, to minimize traffic and let everyone live a happier life. What I'm saying is, sometimes I feel like a Zergling when I'm caught in traffic, and I think I'd rather be a Protoss. Or a Terran.
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