StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is a 2010 real-time strategy game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, exclusively for PC. It remains one of the most popular RTS titles ever and was critically acclaimed on its release for the iterations it made over the original game. While the title was initially released as a paid game, it made the move to free-to-play in 2017, opening it up to an entirely new audience of players.
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Premise
Gameplay
The gameplay of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty focuses on a couple of main concepts – building and managing a base, gathering resources to maintain said base, and building an army which you then use to defeat your enemies on the battlefield. You do this as one of three races – Terrans, the Zerg, or the Protoss. Each race has its own unique units that change your approach every time you play.
These resources are at the heart of the gameplay, with resource management key to success. Anything you build needs one of two resources: minerals or vespene gas. You get minerals by sending workers out to mine mineral patches, and vespene gas is found by using extractors or refineries on geysers.
As matches progress, you get to progress along a tech tree for each race. This tech tree lets you research upgrades and unlock more advanced units than before. It’s a great way for the game to make you think about your decisions in the late game.
It’s not all base-building and resource management though, as without an army, you’d quickly perish. Combat in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty involves building your army from scratch by considering the different types of units available to your race. These units have a variety of strengths and weaknesses for you to consider. In battle, you’re in charge of putting your army in the right place and knowing the right time to either attack or retreat.
Game Modes
Most people choose to play the campaign, which features 29 missions in total. There are 26 missions guaranteed for every playthrough, with three of these being choice-related. Each mission gives you a set of objectives that you must conquer, making it much different from online matches. You even get to make choices of your own which go on to affect the narrative in a variety of ways.
If single-player isn’t for you, then you can try your hand at the multiplayer of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. You’ll find that online matches are much faster-paced, meaning you’ve got to be quick in making your decisions.
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Main Characters
If there’s one thing the StarCraft series truly excels at, it’s deep lore. The characters are at the heart of it, and there is a massive amount of them in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. So many in fact, that it’s hard to keep track! The game explores characters on all sides of the war and doesn’t hold back on depth for each of them. We’re going to take a look at a few of the main characters from the game:
- Jim Raynor: Jim Raynor is the main protagonist of the game, and the focus of the Terran campaign. Raynor returns to Dominion to fight a war against Mengsk, but due to depleted resources in previous conflicts, he must take up mercenary work to fund his campaign.
- Sarah Kerrigan: Sarah Kerrigan is another of the main human characters of the StarCraft franchise. It’s revealed that Kerrigan has been infested, which leads Raynor on a quest to collect pieces of a Xel’Naga Keystone which he can then use to de-infest her.
- Artanis: Artanis is the leader of the Daelaam, who is looking to unify his people and restore the glory of the Protoss. As part of the “Legacy of the Void” expansion pack, Artanis seeks to reclaim his homeworld of Aiur from Zerg forces, leading him to clash against Xel’Naga AMon.
These characters only scratch the surface of what StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty‘s lore has to offer, with every single person having their own complex motivations and desires.
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Titles in the Series
To this day, StarCraft remains one of the most popular RTS series of all time. What makes this extra impressive is the lack of mainline releases in the franchise, with 2010’s StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty remaining the most recent. While a remaster of the original game was released in 2017, the wait goes on for a brand-new numbered title.
Over the years, it’s not the original games that have kept players returning for more. Instead, each game has had a series of expansion packs to keep the experience fresh and engaging for players, ensuring they stayed alive much longer than most other games would.
- StarCraft (1998)
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (2010)
- StarCraft: Remastered (2017)
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Cheat Codes
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty has a great variety of cheat codes to change your gameplay in plenty of different ways. While you can play the game online, these cheat codes will only work while playing the Single Player mode.
You can activate these cheat codes by pressing Enter during gameplay, which will bring up a chat box. Simply type the corresponding cheat code to reap the benefits immediately.
- WhatIsBestInLife: Instant Victory
- LetsJustBugOutAndCallItEven: Instant Defeat
- TookTheRedPill: Disables Fog of War
- Bunker55AliveInside: Disables the need for Supplies (Food)
- TerribleTerribleDamage: Enables God Mode
- SpectralTiger: Adds 5000 Minerals to the Available Resources
- RealMenDrillDeep: Adds 5000 Gas to the Available Resources
- WhoRunBartertown: Adds 5000 of each Resource to the Available Resources
- SoSayWeAll: Allows the use of all Tech
- IAmIronMan: Instantly Allows all Upgrades
- CatFoodForPrawnGuns: Enables Fast Builds and Fast Upgrades
- HanShotFirst: Disables Cooldowns on Spells
- TyuHasLeftTheGame: Disables Victory Conditions to Allow Continued Play
- NeverGiveUpNeverSurrender: Enables Continued Play After a Defeat
- ImADoctorNotARoachJim: Enables Fast Unit Healing
- MoreDotsMoreDots: All Units and Buildings are Free to Build (No Cost)
- WhySoSerious: Adds 5 Million Credits
- LeaveYourSleep: Opens all Missions (Ability to Jump to Missions)
- EyeOfSauron: Allows Access to all Cinematics
- StayClassyMarSara: Allows Access to all UNN TV News Broadcasts
- HoradricCube: Opens all Research Options
- Jaynestown: Adds 5000 Terrazine to the Available Resources
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Cheat Code FAQs
Does Using StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Cheat Codes Disable Achievements?
Yes. If you choose to use cheat codes in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, you should be aware that you’ll no longer be able to earn achievements unless a new game is started, or a save game is loaded.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no way around this restriction.
Can I Use StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Cheat Codes Online?
No. While the game is over a decade old at this point, it still has an incredibly active community that continues to play the game on a regular basis. As a result, the game doesn’t allow cheat codes in online play. Due to the nature of these cheats, they’d provide an enormous advantage. It’s unlikely you’d ever see a fair game of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty ever again!
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Blizzard Entertainment.