4 stars = Outstanding
Ratings explained

In early 1998, a little real-time strategy game called "StarCraft" was released by Blizzard Entertainment, followed later that year by an expansion, "Brood War." On the strength of its online multiplayer mode, professional players are dedicated to the game in South Korea, where matches are televised.

A dozen years is a long time to wait for a sequel in the face of such appeal and continuing demand. But "StarCraft II" (Blizzard Entertainment; PC and Mac OS; $59.99; Teen) doesn't disappoint.

Plenty of things have changed, but this is still "StarCraft" the game doesn't style itself as an RPG the way "Dawn of War II" does, nor broaden its scope to the level of "Supreme Commander." Blizzard knows its fans want more of what they love, so that's what is provided here, but polished to a glow.

Everything feels like it's supposed to, from cycling through groups of units in search of a specific ability to picking out idle workers to assign to resource mining. The graphics are gorgeous and scale well to a variety of systems, and the sound and music are great.

The solo campaign focuses on Jim Raynor, a hero of the earlier titles. A persona non grata to the Terran Dominion (led by a man whom Raynor both helped gain power and who betrayed him), Raynor and his Raynor's Raiders take on mercenary missions, generally helping people along the way.

Raynor will tangle with fellow humans as well as the series' two main alien species: the Zerg and the Protoss.

Only the humans are playable in the campaign. Two expansions will contain campaigns for the other two races. But all three are open for use in multiplayer matches.

Each of the races differs greatly from the others, but all have their own strengths and weaknesses.

The humans are mobile and flexible, able to launch some of their structures into the air, sink others into the ground and field a variety of heavily armed and armored space marines, tanks, warships and mechs.

The Protoss are tough and protected by energy shields, but their units are more expensive than the other factions. They can warp units from place to place on the battlefield, call in massive space ships and spindly robot walkers, and merge their more powerful warriors into a being of pure energy.

Finally, the Zerg are a tide of teeth and claws, all its creatures great and small derived from the same breed of basic larva -- some units can even evolve into more advanced forms once conditions are right.

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