military and espionage

WarCraft II isn't exactly the freshest real-time strategy game on the market, but that doesn't mean it's any less fun than it used to be. For those of you who missed it the first time around, WarCraft II is set in a fantasy realm where knights hack at trolls with swords, deadly spells crisscross the battlefield, and powerful fortresses dot the landscape. The game pits the evil orcs against the humans, letting players choose whichever side they want in a series of battles over the world. With the WarCraft II: Battle Chest, players can experience the magic of the original game along with the added enhancements of the Beyond the Dark Portal expansion pack. Rounding out the Battle Chest is a complete strategy guide that will walk beginners through the basics and provide more experienced players with advanced tactics so they can master the game. That's good, because players will need all the help they can get challenging other WarCraft II fans online. It's possible to challenge one to eight other players on the developer's free Battle.net servers, while more solitary gamers can immerse themselves in one of the fun single-player campaigns or stand-alone missions. WarCraft II's finely balanced gameplay has lost none of its charm, even if the graphics are aging. In most missions you start with a small force and must gather enough resources to build a strong base of operations that can field a formidable army.

This is perhaps one of the best games of all time. The gameplay is well-balanced and simple, but the game is suitable for all skill levels. If you are interested in Real-Time Strategy but don't want to spend too much money, this is a great starter game. It does lack a few features of newer strategy games, but the improvements made from the original version make it almost as good as Starcraft (another excellent game all genre newbies should consider getting). The graphics are dated, but considering that the original game came out in 1995, they are impressive. This was not the Game of the Year of 1995 for no reason. Even if you already have Warcraft 2, consider buying this for Battle.net alone. At 8.99, it's definitely worth the multiplayer social and gaming experience. Everyone should own this game.

Warcraft2 is an awesome game that has been around a lomg time...a classic. While some say that its graphics are aging, I love the undetailed, squat Orcs, among other things. Welcme to the World of Warcraft!!!