Above is a still shot from the "Zero Hour" cinematic, which can be seen here.
Don’t get “Story Mode” and “Singleplayer” confused, because in StarCraft II they are not one in the same. At first glance, Story Mode seems to be the more progressive part of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty’s singleplayer component, but according to Blizzard, it more compliments than over shadows it.
RTS singleplayer gameplay hasn’t come a long way in over 10 years, in fact, it is among one of the many aspects that has prevented the genre from evolving at the same clip as say, FPS or sports. But Blizzard is looking to change that with Wings of Liberty, and it starts with the all new Story Mode.
This new aspect of singleplayer – which omgstarcraft.com reported on last year at Blizzcon – serves as a way to fill in the gaps between Brood War and Wings of Liberty, flesh out the universe’s lore, and act as a practical way to upgrade your army in between missions. It’s not the only new approach Blizzard is taking to the singleplayer aspect of their long awaited RTS sequel, the context of each mission promises to be original and compelling, but I’ll get into all that in my next post.
A lot more on Story Mode after the jump.
The Bridge
The first thing we notice in the series of new screen shots from SC2’s Story Mode is the revamped bridge of the battlecruiser Hyperion, with characters Tycus Findlay (the Marine), Captain Matt Horner and Terran hero Jim Raynor. Besides the bridge’s artwork overhaul, the role of the star map in the middle has changed from an information hub, to strictly a place where you will choose your next mission. Click on any of the images to see a larger version.
The Armory
The Armory may have also received a slight overhaul in artwork, but its overall purpose remains the same -- upgrading your faction’s technology. Previously Blizzard’s idea was to have players use credits earned during missions to purchase new units to upgrade their armies. Now, rather then getting new units, players will use credits to purchase new abilities and upgrades for their existing units. Below is a screen shot of the new upgrade window.
The Lab
The Lab onboard the Hyperion is an entirely new area of the ship and is where you will be rewarded for completing objectives during missions. The ships scientist, Stetman, is using the artifacts you’ve recovered for the Xeno Research Project, which utilizes alien technology and DNA to help improve Raynor’s troops. These improvements will be realized in-game just as the Armory’s upgrades, but the idea is far from final according to Blizzard’s lead developer Dustin Browder. Look for more news on the Lab at BlizzCon ’09.
The Cantina
The last time we saw the Cantina it was a tiny looking bar with a few interesting objects in it, such as a jukebox and flat screen TV. The latest build of the Cantina reveals that it’s a rather large room with a lot of details in it, including a Lost Vikings arcade machine (one of Blizzard’s first SNES games). In the screen shots below you’ll notice that Raynor’s jukebox and TV are still around, only now they are mounted to the ceiling of the room like a sports arena’s scoreboard.
Like the other rooms on the Hyperion, you are able to interact with most of the items in the Cantina, which will give you a greater sense of the story and immerse you in the universe’s lore a bit more. The TV, for example, will show newscasts that act as Dominion propaganda, as Arturis Mengsk keeps his thumb firmly placed on the media.
The countdown to BlizzCon ‘09
Keep checking back to omgstarcraft.com as I continue to preview the game’s singleplayer mode and lay out my predictions for what will unfold during Friday and Saturday’s events. Don’t forget omgrpg.com and omgstarcraft.com will be live at the convention in Anaheim to bring you all the news as it breaks!
Tomorrow: Details on the first seven missions from StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, including a gallery full of new screen shots.
