WarCraft 2 Battle.net Edition (Jewel Case)

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Product Overview

• Game Name: WarCraft 2 Battle.net Edition (Jewel Case)
• Platform: PC

From Amazon.ca This definitive version of the classic real-time strategy game
combines the original WarCraft II: Tides of Darkness and the WarCraft II:
Beyond the Dark Portal expansion set with free Internet play over Battle.net,
allowing competition with up to eight opponents from around the world.
WarCraft II Battle.net Edition is the continuation of the ruthless clash
between the armies of the noble humans and the brutish orcs. From the initial,
unexpected invasion of the Orcish Horde to the Great Alliance's quest to
forever seal the Dark Portal that links their two worlds, you will experience
the epic saga of the mighty battle to gain dominance over the kingdom of
Azeroth. Along the way, you'll need to carefully manage your limited resources
to successfully construct and rule your medieval empire while engaging in
real-time tactical warfare over land, sea, and air. Gamespot Product Review
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the wasteland, along comes
Beyond the Dark Portal. Set in the Orcish homeland, this expansion pack for
Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness adds 24 new single-player scenarios and nearly
50 multi-player scenarios, all for a bargain-basement price. Be prepared: The
new solo scenarios are hard with a capital H-A-R-D. Even the most jaded orc or
human will be challenged by the new levels, which thankfully dispense with the
tutorial nature which made the early portion of Tides of Darkness somewhat
tedious. In Beyond the Dark Portal, you start off with almost all of the
technologies at your disposal, and you'd best be prepared to use them
(strangely--and this is my only complaint about the expansion pack--you don't
get everything right away, and some vital units are inexplicably unavailable
in the early scenarios). Apart from a new environment to represent the Orcish
world, nothing has been added to the game. But there are some minor changes
which affect gameplay, and require some new strategies to ensure success. The
most notable change is the newfound emphasis on heroesspecial units whose
survival is necessary. Many of these heroes appear in the circle of power
missions found in Tides of Darkness, but others just fight alongside your
troops with superior strength and endurance. They can be an excellent aid, but
their death means failure. The new custom maps are a diverse lot. For the most
part, there is less emphasis on resource gathering than in the multi-player
maps included with Tides of Darkness. This change has the benefit of making
games less of a race-for-the-resources duel, allowing players more breathing
room and time to plan strategies, as well as lessening the effectiveness of a
brute-force attack at the onset of a game. Also included are a couple of
strange maps for quick games: one with a football theme and one with a chess
theme. Fans of Warcraft II are split along two fronts: there are the single-
players and then there are the multi-players. But whichever side of the fence
you lean toward, this is a must-have. More challenging and more diverse than
its namesake, Beyond the Dark Portal proves once and for all that you can
never have too much of a good thing. --Ron Dulin/SpotMedia Communications
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