Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

If a computer game is successful these days, you can usually guarantee there will be sequel, often as little as 12 months later.

So perhaps the only surprising thing about the follow up to 1998's Starcraft is that it has taken 12 years to materialise.

Set four years after the last game, the story focuses on three factions vying for control of some war-torn corner of the galaxy: the Terrans, the Zerg and the Protoss.

In Wings of Liberty – the first of three proposed Starcraft II releases – the single-player campaign only allows you to play from the Terran perspective, following the progress of grizzled revolutionary Jim Raynor in his quest to liberate his fellow humans from the evil Dominion empire.

In practice, Starcraft II is a highly refined version of what you may or may not be used to from other real-time strategy games. The four main elements are resource gathering, unit building, exploration and combat. Starcraft II's interface is relatively straightforward and the game is easy for newcomers to pick up but nuanced enough to provide seasoned players with plenty of challenge.

The fact that Starcraft II wasn't rushed to the shops is evident in the quality that oozes from every pixel of the game, from its detailed maps and polished gameplay to its unusually involving storyline and snappy dialogue.

It might be a little more expensive than the average PC game, but it knocks most other strategy titles into a cocked hat. And there's a whole universe of multiplayer action and downloadable content to enjoy, too.

PEGI age rating: 7+