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Posted by David Collazo on Saturday, 04 August 2007
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Page 3 of 3 THE AWESOME SINGLE-PLAYER
About an hour ago we were shown the new single-player interface for Starcraft 2. Its extremely similar to a graphical adventure game using the in-game engine (with cinematic touch-ups). We were shown the Terran interactive area. Each race will get one, and it wasn't specified whether they would change or not as the campaign progresses (but theres supposed to be 8 campaigns/storylines I think? Unless I misunderstood and campaigns are not storylines). The one I saw was the main deck of the Hyperion, Jim Raynor's Battlecruiser. Jim Raynor has fallen on hard times since the end of Starcraft and is pretty much a space pirate, taking odd jobs and running a ragtag outfit of mercenaries. He has bags under his eyes, a five-o-clock shadow, and drinks. Alot.
Picture of Interior
You see a view of the entire room, with Raynor (which you control) standing over a galactic map along with an advisor, and that Marine from the teaser cinematic (Tychus Findlay) standing in the corner and looking badass. You can control Raynor and move him around areas of the ship as if it were an adventure game, and talk to the characters to be presented with possible missions, information, or just plot progression. Each storyline will have a central character such as Raynor (the only one officially announced), and as of now there will be eight storylines with tons of subplots that are not mandatory. There are dialog trees in the briefing mode. The demonstration had Raynor talk to Tychus about something (I really couldn't hear), followed by Raynor talking to his assistant (some guy in a spiffy suit) about selling an ancient artifact they had acquired during the last mission that the player completed.
Everything in the room that is visible is supposed to be something that the player can interact with eventually. Aside from the galactic star map, there was some sort of computer console and a monitor. Currently, the player could only interact with the map, which is what allows you to choose your next mission. The missions take place at different planets along the solar system. The starmap gave you a view of the solar system. You could also zoom out to a panoramic view of the Hyperion orbiting whatever planet it was currently visiting. In this case, it was a view of it orbiting Mar Sara, where the last mission had occurred. Missions do not just progress linearly as they did in Starcraft. The player is able to choose which missions and storylines he follows based on dialog and other choices made in the briefing area (I forgot what its really called but I think thats the best way to refer to it).
The player can then take Raynor to one of the other parts of the ship, such as a cantina or control/generator room. The generator room has two SCV guys out of their suits. One of them is pissed at Raynor and walks out, purposefully bumping into him. The other one is the main technician on board and advises Raynor about a possible mutiny, as they haven't been paid in months. The dialog tree options include the ability to tell him that they just got an artifact which will sell for lots of credits and he'll be able to pay his men, or you can just blow him off (what ramifications this will have is unknown). This room contains a console with a full encyclopedia detailing every Terran unit, weapon, and upgrade. There was also something that involved buying units before a mission began and starting with them but I didn't really hear what the guy said.
The tester completes a mission quickly using a cheat and returns to the briefing area. Tychus Findlay is gone and Raynor starts walking to the cantina to look for him. On his way there, he traverses a long corridor reminiscent of that in the Amerigo cutscene in the original cutscene, with metal grating covering the path and fans spinning ominously in the background. The doors on each end fasten shut and the lights flicker and black out. Raynor takes a drag on a flask he carries on him and you hear tense music and expect a hydralisk or something to pop out, but ITS ZERATUL HOLY CRAP. He's gravely wounded and warns Raynor that the Xel'Naga have returned, and that artifacts (one of which Raynor just collected in a mission and plans to sell) are what will cause "the end of all". Then the demonstration ended.
-David "Soviet" Collazo
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