So I started with SC2, I tried to play the non-remastered version a while ago, but just lost interest. But then I got sc1:remastered for free from twitch prime so I figured Id go and play it through.
Honestly, I can see why people like it so much even after all this time. It took a quite a while for me to get used to the jankiness of the game, but playing through the protoss campaign (episode 3) felt really nice since i had finally gotten used to the macro and army “control”.
I had initially kept trying to make a big deathball army and move out, across the map, and well… you can imagine how that went… bad pathing and ramps intensifies. But once I stopped being so desperate for the mega army, it kinda just lead to more interesting scenarios where I would have a bunch of units just all over the map fighting and a bunch of siege tanks that I had forgotten about giving fire support from the high ground. It felt pretty cool.
Enemy AI:
The AI is far more enjoyable to fight against in SC1 than SC2. The fact that whenever I attack into an enemy base 100 shuttles and dropships or overlords start scrambling to grab reinforcements from around the map just feels REALLY cool. Makes it seem like im fighting an actual opponent rather than the static defenders in SC2. Of course they go overboard sometimes causing other areas of the map to be left undefended due to excessive pulls. Also the AI is REALLY aggressive with their spellcaster abilities which SC2 really doesnt do as much.
Story:
I like it! The characters have better interations with each other and some of the characters actually change throughout the campaign, whether it be Raynor/Kerigan’s betrayal Fenix’s death, or Aldaris apologizing to Tassadar when we successfully kill a cerebrate. The characters and story in SC2 just feels so… static? no one has a change of heart, no one dies, no one has their arm twisted like General Duke, and there is no betrayal (aside from tychus, but it was in the end cutscene). It just ends up being a generic good vs evil and “Its Amonnn ohhh nooooooooo”
Spellcasters:
Why do aoe status abilities just last forever? Dark swarm, stasis and ensnare just last so hilariously long XD. I assume its because spellcasters are a massive pain to use in SC1 and thus their abilities need to last a long time since you prob arent going to be spamming them anywhere near as much as you do in SC2.
Artwork:
Idk why but i really like the sounds that the game makes. From marines shooting to units dying. I love the fact that destroyed buildings leave a small remnant of where they were. And the music in SC1 is just better.
Its never going to happen, but if SC3 ever gets made, I would love to see it done in 2D with a similar style to SC1 remastered (of course in higher resolution).
Im looking forward to playing through broodwar!