Players Have Some Big Complaints About StarCraft II

The latest sales reports indicate Blizzard's looong awaited sequel to seminal sci-fi RTS, StarCraft, is ruling the charts in its first week of release. Boosted by near universal acclaim from critics, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty  is a hit by any measure. Strange then that a large number of gamers who bought it are wondering if they're playing the same game.

Currently sitting at a lofty 96 on Metacritic, StarCraft II is one of the best reviewed titles of 2010. That score placed it just below Super Mario Galaxy 2's 97, and a notch above Red Dead Redemption's 95. And while both of those titles had their detractors among fans, StarCraft II players are far more divided.

Amazon.com  reviews demonstrate the love it or hate it player reception. As of Friday morning, 589 customers had reviewed StarCraft II on the online marketplace. Among those, 247 give the game a five-star rating while a surprising 231 customers rate it a one-star title. All told, 303 reviewers gave the game three stars or less.

Why are so many of the Amazon customers going against critics? Among the negative or marginal reviews, there are three major complaints with the game:

1. The premium price ($60 for the standard edition) and the fact it's only one-third of the full StarCraft II experience. Wings of Liberty includes the Terran campaign, while the Zerg and Protoss campaigns are set to be released separately with Legacy of the Void and Heart of the Swarm. Blizzard long ago announced it would approach the sequel with this format, but now that Wings of Liberty is here, many gamers are expressing their disappointment with the "one-third of a game" strategy.

2. No LAN parties. Want to play StarCraft II with friends offline via a local area network? Unfortunately, you can't. The game does not include LAN support and players must log-in to Battle.net to play multiplayer. Fans also expressed outrage about the lack of in-game chat, but Blizzard has confirmed that's on the way. Further, some fans expressed distaste with having to log-on to Battle.net for authentication (a one-time requirement), even to play the single player campaign. No Internet? No StarCraft II.

3. StarCraft II is StarCraft with 2010 graphics. Gamers that are looking for a fresh, genre changing RTS experience are discovering that gameplay in StarCraft II is, for the most part, StarCraft. Fans of the original seem to love that little has changed in over a decade while those new to the franchise describe how dated the gameplay mechanics feel compared to other RTS titles that have advanced the genre over the last 12 years.

If you're a StarCraft II player, we want to hear from you. What's your take on the game? Are the criticisms warranted? Are you surprised some players are so disappointed? Start the discussion in the comments section below.

• 

  Bug responsible for StarCraft II authentication woes

  Publish date: Sep 9, 2010

  According to a representative from Blizzard Entertainment, a bug in the authentication system, not a change in policy, is responsible for problems some gamers are experiencing with playing StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty offline. Read more »
• 

  StarCraft II Tops Three Million Sales

  Publish date: Sep 2, 2010

  StarCraft II: Wings Of Liberty sold over three million copies worldwide in its first month of availability. Read more »
• 

  Blizzard Deleting Inappropriate SC 2 User Made Maps

  Publish date: Aug 5, 2010

  StarCraft II may include one of the most versatile map editors ever released for an RTS, but that doesn't necessarily mean creative types are free to let their imaginations run wild. Read more »
• 

  StarCraft II Becomes 2010’s Bestselling PC Game

  Publish date: Aug 4, 2010

  StarCraft II: Wings Of Liberty has become 2010’s bestselling PC game to date, shifting over one million copies within its first 24 hours of availability and 1.5 million in its first 48 hours, according to publisher Activision Blizzard. Read more »
• 

  StarCraft 2 Sold 1.5 Million Units In 2 Days

  Publish date: Aug 3, 2010

  It turns out a lot of people were really excited about StarCraft 2. Blizzard has announced that the almost farcically high demand for the long-awaited sequel translated to global sales of 1 million units in the game's first 24 hours of release, with ... Read more »
• 

  StarCraft II Soundtrack Available On iTunes

  Publish date: Jul 28, 2010

  You've spent the past day-and-a-half doing nothing but playing StarCraft II, and you're beginning to realize you might have to take a break at some point. Read more »
• 

  More than $100 Million Invested in StarCraft II Development

  Publish date: Jul 17, 2010

  Activision has a lot riding on StarCraft II's success. According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), the publisher has contributed some $100 million to the development of the anticipated sequel. Read more »
• 

  System Specs For StarCraft II Announced

  Publish date: Jul 16, 2010

  Release day is right around the corner, and StarCraft fans anxious to know if their gaming rig can handle Blizzard's upcoming intergalactic RTS now have all the information they need. Read more »
• 

  Download the StarCraft II Game Client in Advance

  Publish date: Jul 16, 2010

  Blizzard just made it easier to get back into the intergalactic RTS battle. StarCraft II, set to launch later this month, is now available for client download, allowing gamers that plan to buy a digital copy of the game to avoid what's sure to ... Read more »
• 

  Starcraft 2 Geting 3D Patch

  Publish date: Jul 3, 2010

  Blizzard is jumping on the 3D bandwagon, as StarCraft 2 production director Chris Sigaty has revealed a patch will be issued for the game soon after its release that'll add 3D for those who can take advantage of it. Read more »