Best Add-on: StarCraft: Brood War
How do you follow up the best strategy game of the year? You make an expansion disc that fine-tunes the game balance while it also serves up a darker and superior plot. That is exactly what Blizzard did with StarCraft: Brood War. No other add-on released in 1998 so significantly perfected and enhanced the original game as much as Brood War did.
Some gamers might scoff that Brood War added "only" six all-new units, but those six units are an example of quality vs. quantity, and they do much to tweak the game balance. The Zerg now have a defensive measure, the Terrans have medical support, the Protoss have powerful new spells, and all three races gain better air-to-air support. Also, Brood War adds three new tile sets (with their own unique critters) and a host of new multiplayer maps.
Finally, Brood War surpasses the original StarCraft in terms of story, a feature that wasn't lacking in the first place. This time, the 26-mission campaign presents a plot that is much darker in tone, complete with heroes you love and hate from StarCraft and a few fresh faces. Brood War makes the best strategy game yet even better.
Other Finalists: Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome, Microsoft; Diablo: Hellfire, Sierra On-Line; Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency, Cavedog
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