There aren't many gamers out there that don't know about StarCraft. Released back in 1998, Blizzard's epic sci-fi real-time strategy game helped popularize the genre, and is still being played religiously in countries like South Korea to this very day. With that kind of devout following, Blizzard had their work cut out for them in creating the highly anticipated sequel. How could they create a game that catered to both hardcore StarCraft veterans, and newcomers to the series? To ultra competitive online players, and gamers who only want to experience an epic story of loss and revenge? Well wonder no more, because StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty is finally here, and it's truly an epic experience that shouldn't be missed by anyone.

StarCraft 2 is a traditional RTS. You have to manage a base, collect resources, and build up an army in order to defeat your opponent. In this respect, not much has changed between StarCraft and its sequel; which, if nothing else, is a testament to Blizzard's original game design. Twelve years later, and it still works beautifully. If you've never played an RTS before, then StarCraft 2 is a good place to start. There are plenty of tutorials for newcomers, and the clean interface and score of helpful hints make is very accessible to the uninitiated.

Taking place four years after the conclusion of StarCraft: Brood War, Wings of Liberty continues the saga of the three races introduced in the original: The ragtag band of humans known as the terrans, the highly advanced race of psiconic beings known as the protoss, and the swarming insectoid aliens known as the zerg. As the first part of the StarCraft 2 trilogy, Wings of Liberty focuses exclusively on the terrans, or more specifically, on Jim Raynor and his revolutionary group known as Raynor's Raiders. As the formal Marshall of Mar Sara, it's your job to help liberate the people from the tyrannical Terran Dominion – the very same Empire you helped establish. Of course, that's the plan, until Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, returns to terran space for the first time in years, and begins invading planets with her armies of zerg.

The story is told through a combination of cut scenes and story sets that take place in between missions. Like all of Blizzard's CGI work, the cinematics throughout the game are breathtaking pieces of art. The story sets are interactive locations where you can talk with other characters, watch news reports, and select your next mission. These sets looks incredibly beautiful, with character models looking amazingly lifelike and a staggering amount of detail throughout each set. It's hard to explain just how good these scenes look – you really have to see them for yourself.

And not only do the story sets look great, but they also serve a pretty important function in the campaign. For example, from the Hyperion, which is Raynor's ship and the main story set throughout the game, you can purchase a number of beneficial upgrades for you to use during missions. From the armory, you can upgrade your units on the battlefield. These can range from increasing the damage your tanks do in siege mode, to allowing your marines the use of stimpacks. From the laboratory, you can use research points you gain by completing bonus objectives in missions to study both the zerg and protoss, and use their technologies to your advantage. Lastly, you can hire mercenaries from the cantina, which provide extra powerful units for you to command on the battlefield.

The bridge of the Hyperion is where you can start your missions. At any given time, there will be a number of missions available to undertake, and you can do them in any order you'd like. In total, there are nearly 30 missions throughout the entire game – not all of which can be played in a single playthrough. Considering the original StarCraft had around 10 missions per race, it's easy to see why Blizzard felt the need the split StarCraft 2 into three games. And even if you're not a big fan of the terrans (they're actually my least favorite race) rest assured that a handful of missions allow you to take command of another race, which is a nice interlude.