Game profile
StarCraft II
The classic real time strategy title pits three very different races against each other in a fight for the galaxy, demanding fast reflexes as well as smart economic play. The single player campaigns tell an epic space conflict, while the multiplayer is still played competitively today.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Strategy, set in a science fiction world. Visually it is deliberately stylised rather than photorealistic, and the overall tone stays somewhere between light and heavy. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. Sessions of an hour or two sit at the sweet spot here.
It is genuinely demanding, and repeated failure is part of how it is designed. The story matters and gives the mechanics a frame, without taking over. Competitive play against other people is part of the package. It is available on one platform. Getting in costs nothing.
What stands out
- Three asymmetric races
- Competitive multiplayer
- Epic sci-fi campaign
This fits you if
- you want your skill measured against other people
- you want to live through a story, not just play a system
- you want real resistance and are fine with dying a lot
- you enjoy competing against other players
- you want to try it without spending anything
Look elsewhere if
- you want to relax and not be punished for mistakes
- you do not have 60 hours to give a single game
- competitive lobbies stress you out
- you want to play it side by side with someone
How long is StarCraft II?
About 60 hours in total. At three evenings a week and two hours each, you will be busy for roughly 10 weeks, or 30 sessions.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 89 out of 100, which puts it above 82 percent of the 1276 games here and at rank 211 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Strategy averages 82 points across the database, so this one sits 7 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 1150 collected ratings.
Released in 2010, which makes it 16 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 2010
- Genres
- Strategy
- Playtime
- approx. 60 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Demanding, punishing
- Story weight
- Present and relevant
- Play with
- Solo, Competitive
- Setting
- Sci-fi
- Visual style
- Stylised
- Price bracket
- Free-to-play
- Platforms
- PC
- Critic rating
- 89 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StarCraft II | 2010 | approx. 60 hrs. | 89 | Free-to-play |
| StarCraft: Remastered | 2017 | approx. 20 hrs. | 85 | Budget |
| Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos | 2002 | approx. 20 hrs. | 93 | Mid price |
| Command & Conquer Remastered Collection | 2020 | approx. 20 hrs. | 80 | Budget |
If you liked this, try these
- 85/100 StarCraft: Remastered Shared: Strategy, Sci-fi, shorter
- 93/100 Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Shared: Strategy, shorter, rated higher
- 80/100 Command & Conquer Remastered Collection Shared: Strategy, Sci-fi, shorter
- n/a Chaos Zero Nightmare Shared: Strategy, Sci-fi, longer
- 72/100 Arknights: Endfield Shared: Strategy, Sci-fi
- n/a Mechabellum Shared: Strategy, Sci-fi, shorter