Starcraft is still one of the best RTS games to come out, and new additions in Brood War makes it even better.
The story begins when the Zerg begin their invasion against the Terrans in the Koprulu Sector. Then, the Protoss arrive; their primary mission is to exterminate the Zerg in the Terran worlds. Major events of the original Starcraft lead to a rebel faction known as the Sons of Korhal fighting against the Terran Confederate, also preceding Kerrigan's betrayal and resurrection as the infamous, and self-proclaimed, "Queen of Blades," which causes the Zerg's invasion of Aiur and eventually, Tassadar's sacrifice to destroy the Overmind. Brood War picks up from where the original Starcraft left off. Aiur is in ruins from the aftermath of the battle against the Zerg, and the few remaining Protoss survivors flee to the Dark Templar's homeworld of Shakuras. The Terran hero, Jim Raynor, along with his rebel faction have been labeled traitors of the Terran worlds, as Arcturus Mengsk, the one who betrayed both Kerrigan and Raynor declares himself as Emperor of the entire Terran Dominion. As for the Queen of Blades, Kerrigan has her own plans to take over the entire Zerg hive and eliminate all those who oppose her.
Starcraft has an excellent plot that gets you deep into the game. Every episode that you complete takes you further and further into it, and allows you to connect with the characters as well. The game doesn't let you connect with just the Terran heroes; it also lets you delve into the affairs of the alien races. Their problems and way of life doesn't feel out-of-this-world, taking on a more realistic tone. I love the way the story is melded in the game, so whenever you complete an objective during a mission, the characters' dialogues provide the player with the situation at hand. These in-game scenes or conversations between characters are really dramatic, but it fits perfectly with the game's impressive storyline. Characters are so well-developed that you get to actually connect with them, and understand their feelings.
The main objective of Starcraft's gameplay is to build, create, and destroy. Basically, you start off with your main base with MCVs, Probes, or Drones, and start gathering resources. The two main resources that the players need to expand their base are minerals and vespene gas. Gathering resources is the most essential concept into building your base and your army of units. You start off with the main, primary building and start from there. These primary buildings can create resource-gathering units, and these units can build other types of structures, and the structures gives you access to offensive units and even more structures for upgrades and other things. Utilizing all these things will help you against powerful opponents, but it takes a ton of strategy to make these things flow together.
Hotkeys are set buttons the player can press so that they do not have to constantly hover their mouse all over the screen. Hotkeys provide the player some convenience that really makes things faster than usual. You can also assign teams for a group of units depending on their numbers. For example, if you want a group of Marines to be team 1, simply click on all of the units, press and hold the Ctrl button, and press the specified number you want (basically [Ctrl]+1=Team 1). After that is performed, just press the number 1 on the keypad, and the number you assigned it to will automatically be clicked, and you don't even have to do that with the mouse. It makes things way easier for the player, so that they won't have to develop cramps on the hands, as a result of too much clicking.
Starcraft's gameplay has succeeded into balancing its structures and units in all of the three playable races. Each unit in each race has different functions and performances than their counterparts. For example, the Protoss Zealot is the strongest of the basic foot units; the other two being the Terran Marine and the Zerg Zergling. Zealot has the best defense, having shields for extra protection. Though the Zealot can hold its own when outnumbered, it takes the longest out of the three basic foot units to create. Also, the Zealot can only attack units on the ground, so they are a huge disadvantage against air units. The Zergling is the Zealot's exact opposite; it has the weakest armor and does not take long to create, but its claw attacks are the fastest; put a platoon of them against an enemy and they can be a formidable opponent. The Terran Marine could be the more balanced unit of the three, because they do not take long to make either, and they can attack both in the ground and air.
The unit AI is done well, as most of the time they do what they are supposed to do when you issue the commands that you want them to make, and the units respond quickly, so you don't even have to worry about waiting for a second or two to wait for a certain command to take effect. The biggest problem with unit AI though, is that it can be pretty stupid sometimes. In Broodwar, the AI is much smarter than in the original game, but that annoyance doesn't really go away completely.
The major downfall of Starcraft's gameplay is how long the player can get their bases up and running. Constructing a base, gathering resources, and creating units take too long to finish. Players have to wait a minute or so to create certain units, and upgrading and researching, well-you get the picture. If everything were a bit faster than usual, then taking your sweet time expanding your base, creating many troops for battle, and gathering resources could make things much easier for the player, and much less annoying; players shouldn't have to wait too long to get everything together. This can also strain the fun of playing the game sometimes because too long can slow down a player's progress in the game, as well as the enjoyment of it. Additionally, it can get extremely tiring and annoying for many players and some of them might just quit because of waiting too long all the time. I do have to thank Blizzard for cheats though, because you can actually use them in the game.
Want to be invincible? Do you know it's possible that you can construct 50 Battlecruisers or Carriers in 30 seconds-flat? Do you want to have near-unlimited resources? All these questions and more about Starcraft cheat codes are answered with a definite yes. There are a handful of cheat codes that the player can input on each mission. These cheats gradually help players during gameplay. Cheats are not a very nice way to finish a mission, but when you hate waiting too long, cheat codes are essential to eliminating that problem almost completely. I don't recommend abusing this power, because it can also ruin the whole point of the whole Starcraft gameplay experience. Have some patience. You can finish the single player campaign the right way first, then go crazy with the cheats afterwards.
Besides cheat codes and information about the playable races, there are plenty other features that Starcraft still has to offer. If the lengthy single-player campaign was not enough to satisfy your thirst for more Starcraft, then you'll have some more fun experiences with StarEdit. StarEdit is a level editor that enables the player to make their own unique ways of Starcraft battles. Players can mess around with how big you want the map to be, choose the kind of terrain of the battleground, and assign different races for each player. Units and heroes from all three playable races can also be customized in the editor. Players can also assign the rules of the game in the custom map of their choosing. You can even put in your own sounds, your own triggers in the map if a certain action is executed, and when you put them all together as the finished product, simply save, and it will be ready for you to add more goodies for you and your friends to enjoy. StarEdit also lets you input your map in Battle.net, so you get to battle it out in your own creation in an intense online multiplayer battle with other gamers.
Speaking of multiplayer, it is one of the main reasons why Starcraft does not disappoint in many ways. Battle.net is where you would want to go to compete for supremacy in Starcraft multiplayer battles. If you thought the single-player campaigns were great, multiplayer battles are much more intense and exciting. There are many multiplayer modes to try out, such as Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, or you can just duke it out in a typical match where players destroy each other. The game lets you tweak the game modes to your own liking. You can simulate races by using hoverbikes, or make a puzzle-based game. In Battle.net, the multiplayer world is your oyster, and there are so many things to do and so many to try out, that I don't even think you'll get bored of playing Starcraft on multiplayer…ever.
Starcraft's graphics are presented in two-dimensional form, but otherwise look great. The terrain designs of the maps are impressive to see, and other things like projectiles, electrical effects, and constructing animations were done really well. Unit movements are smooth, and look realistic. The death animations and explosions are funny to look at, in a good way. The cinematic cutscenes are so profound that they feel like they are part of the story itself, instead of the opposite. The same can be said for the game's audio/sound effects. Rifle barrages, exploding sounds, laser shots, and claws and blades sound believable. Even all the hissing and roaring of the Zerg sound menacing, as it defines the fury of the Zerg Swarm. Music captures the futuristic, sci-fi tone of Starcraft, and is great to listen to. Overall, the in-game animations, visuals, and audio effects are amazingly presentable, and feel just right in the game.
Voice acting in Starcraft is astounding. It is one of the reasons why the characters of the game are so memorable because they're also backed up with an impressive script. Each voice actor fit their roles perfectly and dialogue sounds extremely convincing, that it captivates you from beginning until the end. Additionally, the same impressions can be said for unit voices. Most of them provide humorous dialogue and phrases; some of them even reference to pop culture such as one of Darth Vader's speech in Star Wars, or even lines from some of the metal band Guns N' Roses' songs. Voice acting in both the storyline and in-game provide fun and entertainment that players will likely remember for a long time.
With a nice, balanced gameplay and lengthy, engaging story, Starcraft is definitely one of the best real-time strategy games to ever come out. Many players will definitely enjoy the single-player campaign, and they will find its characters deeply memorable. Starcraft also has an impressive level editor that you can mess around with to your self-indulgence, and provide players with an extremely competitive multiplayer that you will most certainly spend sleepless nights with. On top of that, the nice audio/visual presentation, as well the superb voice acting and script make Starcraft: Broodwar an entertaining and amazing experience that you will enjoy for years to come.