StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void Preview – Whispers of Oblivion

When Wings of Liberty launched in 2010, StarCraft fans rejoiced. Blizzards space RTS narrative would continue, and yet again, would take place over a trilogy of campaigns – one for each of the playable factions – just like in the very original game and expansion. This time though, each piece of the story would be released in entirely separate products. The first third of the campaign focused on the Terran, and the second on Zerg. Now, five years after the StarCraft II launch, finally, we can experience the third – the Protoss component, Legacy of the Void, which will conclude the trilogy in, hopefully, an epic manner.

But first, what’s the story looking like? If you’ve missed both Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm, I would highly recommend taking the time now to either play, or at least read up on them to some degree if you plan on getting your hands on Legacy of the Void at some point.

If you’ve already played both however, and need a quick recap, look no further than this Carbot Animation. Be warned, the video itself, and my own article below, contain story spoilers.

At the end of Heart of the Swarm, Kerrigan grabbed some sweet revenge on Emperor Mengsk. She then left to prepare for a showdown with Amon, a mysterious and almighty antagonist that will debut in Legacy of the Void. In a nutshell, if the Xel’naga chap isn’t destroyed, he will probably destroy the universe itself. You know, just casual StarCraft stuff!

Other than that, the only insight we as players have into this upcoming Protoss campaign at the moment really, comes in the form of the Whispers of Oblivion mini campaign. It serves as both a prologue and a demo of things to come, and focuses on the Dark Templar, Zeratul, and his search for the prophecy.

If you’ve pre-ordered Legacy of the Void, you have access to Whispers of Oblivion, and can play through this short snippet of gameplay right now. I’ve played it myself, and all I can say now is that I’m more than ready to get my hands on this last piece of the StarCraft II puzzle. Though, when Blizzard say mini campaign, they really mean it. It took me around an hour to finish all three Whispers of Oblivion missions on normal difficulty. It was enough however, to give me a taste of what I can expect when Legacy of the Void lands on November the 10th.

The missions, much like those in previous StarCraft II titles, are more than “build a giant army and attack + move across the map”. There are several side objectives to take into account as well as other hazards and enemies to keep in mind.

The first mission for example, gave me my own base to build, with the objective of rescuing Protoss captives located around the map. The catch though, was that Kerrigan was there on that map too, along with her millions of Zerg friends. Her intent is to destroy the occupying Terran force. She informs Zeratul that she will not attack him, but if he gets in her way, she will not hesitate to let her minions have their way.

It made for an interesting scenario, where timing was everything. Zerg periodically charged down the middle of the map, meaning I had to time my moves accordingly. This of course, while stopping the Terran from destroying my base too. At one point, I had a momentary lapse in judgement, and sent my sizeable Protoss force to capture an objective. My poor timing resulted in them being gobbled up by the Zerg onslaught. I had to hold back my tears, regroup, and try again.

It’s this sort of gameplay that makes me enjoy the single player component of StarCraft II in the first place. It keeps player’s on their toes, and like I’ve already said, stops the game from being more than building the biggest army possible and sending them to destroy everything. Tactical thinking is required, always.

It’s also nice to have control of Protoss for a change, outside of the multiplayer. Sure, I enjoy Terran and Zerg, but Protoss are freaking tough beings that don’t go down easily. They’re also, in my opinion, the easiest race to play (please don’t flay me SC2 pros), and I’m sure everybody, both newcomer and veteran, will enjoy taking control of them in this final bit of the StarCraft II tale.

Story aside, I’m also quite excited to see what sort of campaign upgrades the Protoss get. Will Immortals get the option to fly? Will Void Rays get a beam that splits into two? I can’t wait to see what Blizzard have come up with!

If you’re a fan of the series, there is a lot to be excited for in Legacy of the Void. Yes, there is the multiplayer component, the real staple of the game (which Darryn has already previewed), that will bring new units into the mix.

Personally though, I’m eager to sink my teeth into the campaign. I’m dying to find out exactly what Amon has prepared for the puny Terran, Zerg, and Protoss beings.

Last Updated: September 30, 2015