Here’s the same game play video (as below) - this time narrated by Chris Sigaty. Note that the current label for Starcraft 2 is “internal alpha”. He does mention it will be playable at Blizzcon though and also says there will be a beta (though it might not be a public one).
An amazing game play video with more info on the upcoming Protoss units. This is a bit better quality than the ones at Youtube but I hope Blizzard will upload an HD version to Starcraft2.com
Words fall short but here’s the gist of it:
1) Soul Hunter - his attacks get stronger the more units he destroys.
2) Phase Canon - you can now move them around the base.
3) Mass Tempests (previously known as Carriers) - now feature a shield that protects them from ground attacks. They’ll also cost less.
4) Twilight Archon - powerful infantry unit, doesn’t seem much different from its previous incarnation
Gamespot just released another bit of Starcraft 2 news. They do admit Blizzard are being too secretive because they do not to release info ahead of Blizzcon (remember a Starcraft 2 beta will be playable at Blizzcon).
It’s mostly about new Protoss units…
While Pardo affirmed that previously discussed units such as the zealot infantry and immortal battle tank are still on the table, we were also introduced to several new units that hadn’t been shown at Blizzard’s previous event in May.
These include the soul hunter, a hovering ground unit that can attack both air and ground opponents. Another new unit is the phase cannon, a stationary turret that can be changed into a hovering energy ball that can move like a normal unit, reminiscent of Warcraft III’s wisp units, as long as it remains within range of the Protoss power grid. They can then be redeployed as stationary turrets to act as roadblocks or as forward firing lines.
Other units include the tempest, a flying troop transport with an underside energy shield that protects against ground-to-air fire, but leaves the unit vulnerable to air-to-air attacks, and the return of the dark templar (which still has stealth abilities) and the high templar (which still possesses the devastating psi-storm ability) units. As before, templars can be merged to form archons, known as twilight archons in Starcraft II, which act as exceptionally powerful infantry units.
Note that while all these units sound promising and offer intriguing new strategies, none of them are final. A completely different set of units may end up in the final game.
In his interview, Rob Pardo mentioned that gameplay will be almost exclusively focused on the multiplayer (including a total revamp of Battle.net). He added there will be a several surprises for the Starcraft 2 single-player campaign, so everyone will play it through at least once.
I won a couple of Starcraft games last night – against two (admittedly weaker) opponents. Which got me thinking – I would’ve had a MUCH tougher time in Warcraft III (though I have beaten two players repeatedly). Why? Because armies in Warcraft III are much smaller, the bases have much better protection, expands are generally harder to build.
So comparing apples to oranges, I meant Starcraft to Warcraft to Starcraft 2, I think a good player in Starcraft 2 will be able to take on (and beat) 2,3, even 4 opponents. Just like in Counter Strike, one top gun will nail 5 lesser players just with his Desert Eagle.
Skill, in other words, will play a much bigger role in Starcraft 2. Rob’s interview seems to confirm this. Now all we need to do is wait for the beta at Blizzcon.
Now, I don’t think I will be able to beat three opponents but if two or three of you join me, we might stand a chance against a gosu player from Korea. Or maybe not.
Blizzard will be at E3 2007 through July 10-13. Expect to see more gameplay videos from E3.
According to Karune:
Blizzard will be at E3 this year. Members of the Dev Team for Starcraft II and I will be there showing off bits of the game to the press. Look forward to seeing you there if you’re going.
See you there!
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