Game Reaview: Warcraft III

--John and Vincent Rubino ��04

Blizzard's Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos has recently revolutionized the world of Real- Time Strategy gaming. Along with bringing unmatched graphics and sound into the world of RTS games, Blizzard has added a few twists. Over the last five years, the PC world has been bombarded with imitations and cheap rip-offs of original RTS games such as Starcraft and Westwood's Command & Conquer. What may seem at first to be a graphically improved version of Starcraft is something all together different. With its renowned multiplayer system, four playable races, and unique style, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos is sure to keep you locked away in your room, staring at the computer screen for hours on end.

The most notable difference in Warcraft III is the inclusion of hero units. These units are regarded as the most important in the game in that they require experience to gain levels and are able to pick up items to enhance their performance. At each level, these heroes gain hit points, magic points, attack rate, speed, and attack damage. However, in order to gain experience, these units must conquer the random enemies installed on each map referred to as "creeps", or destroy enemy units.

Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos outdoes the number one selling PC game of 1998: Starcraft in a number of ways. First off, in order to succeed in Warcraft, units must constantly out and about, either gaining experience for heroes or killing creeps as a source of gold. Compare this to Starcraft, in which units hang around the base the length of the game for defense, requiring lack of skill and causing extreme boredom. Another relatively new aspect of the game is the food limit. Most units cost gold, lumber, and food. Gold is gathered at the mine and earned from creeping, lumber is harvested, and food needs are supplied at a building unique to each of the four races. However, in Warcraft III, there is a limit of 90 food units per player, in contrast to the 200 food unit limit of Starcraft. This causes Warcraft III to become a more "hero oriented" game, rather then just a contest of amassing units and remaining in the main base in preparation for an attack.

Another outstanding aspects of Warcraft III is its extraordinary use of graphics and sound. Simply put, no other RTS game to date has come close to matching the visual aspects and the sound effects incorporated into this game. Each unit has a unique number of sayings. Notifying the player when they are ready for combat, about to attack the enemy, or making a distinct noise when destroyed, aiding in awareness and adding humor during the game.
Although the game comes with both single player campaigns and a sophisticated multiplayer system, many experienced gamers readily relate most of Blizzard games to its highly organized and well-presented system called Battle.Net. Battle.Net enables players of all skill levels to compete in a worldwide league. Battle.Net assures players that they will be matched with others of their own skill level, using a system of rating based on experience points accumulated by players in defeating other opponents. With its three modes to compete in: solo, random team, and arranged team (available in 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 modes), gamers will find themselves determined to become ranked worldwide in their area of specialty.

With four playable races, hero units, and an advanced multiplayer network, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos excels in areas in which other RTS games failed. Clearly one of the best computer games created. Warcraft III is a must have for both experienced RTS gamers and those new to the world of PC games.