Some considerStarcraftto be one of, if not the, best real-time strategy games of all time. However, after twenty-two years, it is beginning to show its age. Luckily, a dedicated team of modders is working hard tobring the 90s classicto the 21st century.
StarCraft: Mass Recallis an ongoing effort to recreate the original game inStarcraft 2. The mod is currently in version 0.8. It features 59 maps from theBrood Warexpansion, six from the demo campaign, and three cut from the original game.
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The originalStarcraftwas the best-selling PC game of 1998 and one of the most popular strategy games of all time. ItsBrood Warexpansion was similarly well received, and the game played a significant role in the emergence ofthe modern esports industry. Blizzard released a remastered version of Starcraftwith the same gameplay but updated sound and graphics in 2017.
While many fans were pleased with the remaster, others felt that the gameplay hadn’t aged well.Starcraftwas still a game from 1998, and the sequel had brought many quality-of-life changes. These included an improved user interface, the ability to queue up multiple orders at once, and various other adjustments to the game mechanics.Mass Recallseeks to bring these improvements to the original game and theBrood Warexpansion.
The mod project apparently began from the simple desire to useBrood Warunits inStarcraft 2and grew from there. According to the FAQ, the mod iscloser to a remake than a remaster. The goal has never been to perfectly recreate the original StarCraft experience. Instead, the team has made numerous small adjustments to balance the gameplay and maintain consistent lore. For example, the original developers balancedStarcraft 2around all factions having access to medics. In the original game, they were unique to a specific faction.Mass Recallsplits the difference by giving the UED faction better medics to reflect their technological superiority.
Purists may or may not approve of such changes, but the mod team feels they were necessary to make it balanced and enjoyable. Some may also be disappointed to hear thatStarcraft: Mass Recalldoes not support multiplayer and it’s unclear if there are plans to implement such a feature in the future. Still, the 0.8 version of the mod is compatible with all versions ofStarcraft 2. It offers an excellent opportunity torelive a classic RTSwith improved graphics and gameplay.
StarCraft: Mass Recallis available now on PC.
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