After nearly three years, the next installment of StarCraft 2 is finally here. Titled Heart of the Swarm, the second of three planned stories in the StarCraft II saga follows Sarah Kerrigan in the aftermath of the battle on Char.
In addition to the new story, Heart of the Swarm has also brought new units and multiplayer features, as well as a host of general gameplay improvements. After such a long wait for what basically amounts to a large expansion pack though, how has it been received?
The reviews so far have been very positive, with Giant Bomb calling it a "must-have add-on," and Machinima saying, "Heart of the Swarm is an absurd value and a complete necessity for anyone that enjoyed any aspect of StarCraft II."
Destructoid praised the cost-to-content value of the $40 game stating, "quite frankly feels on par with a $60 game."
IGN's review was not entirely positive, mentioning that the game's story mode comes with a "generous helping of cheese and some tedious boss fights," but adds that, "the chance to play with increasingly powerful units and abilities makes up for a lot - as does some inventive mission design and greater-than-average replayabilty appeal."
Some publications, such as Joystiq, criticized the "two part trilogy" mentality of the game's story, writing, "Blizzard spends time in the campaign teasing the story of Legacy of the Void when it could be doing Kerrigan's tale a bit more justice." However, the reviewer also agrees that the expansion "is well recommended to anyone who enjoyed Wings of Liberty. Heart of the Swarm shakes up the universe and moves a larger threat into place, getting us ready for the resolution in Legacy of the Void."
Overall it seems reviewers had a few nitpicks with the game's story, but just about everyone agrees that it is more than worth the $40 Blizzard is charging. It should go without saying though, if you weren't a fan of the first game, you probably won't find what you're looking for in this expansion.