Product information

ASIN

B002I0KP4G

Release date

March 12, 2013

Customer Reviews

813

4.5 out of 5 stars

Best Sellers Rank

#73,943 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
#2,342 in PC-compatible Games

Product Dimensions

7.5 x 5.25 x 1.5 inches; 6.4 ounces

Type of item

DVD-ROM

Language

English

Rated

Teen

Item model number

72855

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer

No

Item Weight

6.4 ounces

Manufacturer

Blizzard Entertainment

Date First Available

July 15, 2009

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Product Description

From the Manufacturer

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm is the first expansion to the 2010 release of the heralded Real-Time strategy game, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.* Heart of the Swarm features a new campaign continuing the epic story of Sarah Kerrigan, Queen of Blades, as she gathers the remnants of the Zerg Swarm and plots her revenge against the treacherous dictator of the Koprulu sector, Arcturus Mengsk. It also introduces several new multiplayer units and features that enhance the acclaimed StarCraft II online experience.

Continue the Story Where Wings of Liberty Left Off

Heart of the Swarm picks up the story of StarCraft II where the 2010 release, Wings of Liberty, left off, focusing on Kerrigan's quest to reunite the Swarm and exact revenge on Arcturus Mengsk. Over the course of 20 campaign missions, players will follow Kerrigan as she sweeps across the galaxy, incorporating a variety of distinctive zerg species into her brood. Kerrigan will grow in strength from mission to mission, and players will be able to customize her with powerful new abilities, as well as evolve various zerg strains into fearsome new subspecies to suit their play style.

New Weapons, Units and Multiplayer Features

New weapons of war also debut in Heart of the Swarm's multiplayer, including new units such as Terran Hellbats, Zerg Swarm Hosts, and Protoss Tempests, while certain existing units from Wings of Liberty will be updated with new capabilities. New features will enhance the game experience, including group and clan systems; unranked matchmaking; Global Play, enabling players to battle others in different regions around the world; additional stat tracking; user interface improvements; an enhanced physics system, for more visceral looking battles; multiplayer replays, to watch replays with friends; a leveling system that gives Heart of the Swarm players a new way to earn customization options for their online profiles; and much more.

An all-new, Zerg-based campaign, that focuses on Kerrigan.
View larger Classic StarCraft RTS gameplay.
View larger

System Requirements

PC Mac OS Windows XP SP3 / Vista SP1 / Windows 7 / Windows 8 Mac OS X 10.5.8, 10.6.2 or newer CPU 2.2 Ghz Pentium IV or equivalent AMD Athlon processor Intel Processor RAM 1 GB system RAM / 1.5 GB for Vista and Windows 7 & 8 2 GB RAM Disc Drive DVD-ROM drive DVD-ROM drive Hard Drive 12 GB available HD space 12 GB available HD space Video Card 128 MB NVidia GeForce 6600 GT/ATI Radeon 9800 PRO video card NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT or ATI Radeon X1600 or better Input Keyboard, mouse Keyboard, mouse Connectivity Broadband connection - Battle.net account required Broadband connection - Battle.net account required

Key Game Features

An all-new, Zerg-based campaign, that focuses on Kerrigan, the erstwhile 'Queen of Blades'
Access to approximately 20 new missions
The release of new StarCraft II units and new maps
Improvements to Battle.net, including StarCraft Marketplace, timed to coincide with the release of Heart of the Swarm
New multiplayer options, including group and clan systems, unranked matchmaking, global play enabling players to battle others in different regions around the world, multiplayer replays, additional stat tracking, and others
A leveling system that gives Heart of the Swarm players a new way to earn customization options for their online profiles
PC and Mac system compatibility ensures that everyone can play

Additional Screenshots

20 new missions.
View larger A new Swarm leveling system.
View larger Battle.net improvements.
View larger Customizable battle focus.
View larger

* StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty required for play, and sold separately.

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

813 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers like the quality, multiplayer, appearance and value of the video game. They mention that the story is more enjoyable, the cinematics are beautiful, the game is worth the price and that it's a great expansion.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

311 customers mention277 positive34 negative

Customers like the quality of the video game. They say the graphics are awesome, the story and missions are more enjoyable, and the single-player campaign is pretty fun. They also enjoy the new units, maps, and single-play campaign. Overall, customers say the game plays well and has added many expansion units to the original.

"...They said the new units were fun, lots of new maps, etc. I had some Amazon credit to get this for $10 and I figured why not...." Read more

"...this game. Overall a good game with decent graphics and some replayability, which IF you can pick up at bargain price is well worth playing." Read more

"...At present, I think that it offers a new level of fun in the matches.I have not played the campaign, yet...." Read more

"...Simply put...it is fun!..." Read more

69 customers mention63 positive6 negative

Customers like the multiplayer. They mention that it's a blast, improved in every way, and rife with content. Some customers also say that the expansion provides some alterations to multiplayer while continuing the competitive play many already enjoy.

"...improving the League algorithm for both Ranked and Unranked, and adding in more portraits and awards, like unit skins, make it all..." Read more

"...and it definitely seems more sophisticated to me - with more complex tactics...." Read more

"...does what one should do...it keeps the basic formula and adds new features...." Read more

"...Each unit had its place and each ability seemed correct...." Read more

52 customers mention45 positive7 negative

Customers like the appearance of the video game. They mention that the graphics are good, the cinematic scenes are beautiful, and the game is visually stunning. They also appreciate the nice set of visual extras in the background. Overall, customers say the game looks and sounds great.

"...to lose value for money on this game. Overall a good game with decent graphics and some replayability, which IF you can pick up at bargain..." Read more

"...This game is visually stunning, has more depth than we even thought possible when we were playing games like Defender and Asteroids at the arcade...." Read more

"Bottom line: Game is great. Graphics are awesome. Bought the game entirely for multi-player, and I love it...." Read more

"...even if you are only running the game at half capability it looks and sounds great...." Read more

48 customers mention38 positive10 negative

Customers find the value of the game to be good for the price. They also appreciate the fact that there is no monthly fee associated with playing.

"...of things...but really, what you want to know is if this game is worth the money? Yes. Is it incredible to look at? Yes...." Read more

"...The product at least the beta was great the new units are quite cheap and fun, terran has "mines", zerg has swarm hosts which are very deadly and..." Read more

"...That aside, this was well-worth the money, even if it ends up being the only time I will get to play it -- Although I do hope not!..." Read more

"...what is there is great but it is not worth 40 dollars and should not have taken so long to make...." Read more

47 customers mention47 positive0 negative

Customers find the expansion pack great, adding new units and content to the original Starcraft II game. They also say it's an excellent addition to the series and a very true expansion to the game.

"...The game does play well and has added many expansion units to the original SC2 game in the online multiplayer match up game...." Read more

"...an enemy who may be turtling or contain them and the Protoss units are an awesome addition...." Read more

"...So you'll play through about 30 missions. Again this adds some new units, achievements and you can choose slightly different paths throughout the..." Read more

"...New units add spice...." Read more

15 customers mention15 positive0 negative

Customers find the video game easy to operate. They say it has good graphics, and the gameplay is easy to learn and play. They also appreciate the easy to navigate UI. Customers also mention that the process to activate the game is easy. They find the factions accessible and the game more interesting and challenging.

"...is here for the experience and story only, and I found the gameplay easy to "just right."..." Read more

"...No muss, no fuss. Installed it, and just started playing it. Funny, it's what one expects but something we don't see as often nowadays in games." Read more

"...(like unranked play, Clan support, and easier to navigate UI)...." Read more

"...of which are faster, in HOTS make the game more interesting and more challenging. They introduce a surprising amount of variety into the gameplay...." Read more

8 customers mention8 positive0 negative

Customers find the control of the video game to be fun, with lots of options for customization of the units and evolution. They also appreciate the variety in the missions and gameplay, saying the expansion pack provides many different units to command. Overall, customers say the game is unique from first-person shooters.

"...They introduce a surprising amount of variety into the gameplay. (As reference, I'm a mid diamond player.)The price is worth every penny...." Read more

"...I also felt that the Zerg units were more varied and unique than the Terran units in WOL...." Read more

"...Single player is a lot of fun, they give you a lot of options for customization of the units and evolution paths...." Read more

"...It has a little more variety in the missions and you're not just doing half of them to farm cash...." Read more

10 customers mention0 positive10 negative

Customers find the length of the video game to be too short. They say the map size is too small, making missions too short, and the game is on the short side. Some customers also mention that the single-player is shorter.

"...Part of the annoyance is this: games can be very long, and to put in so much time into a game and then lose is extremely frustrating...." Read more

"...-Maps are too small, making missions way too short...." Read more

"...The Single player is shorter, but the story and missions are more enjoyable than in WOL (not that it wasn't a good single player experience in WOL)...." Read more

"I think the campaign set is too short. Blizzard should have added more even if they are just standard build-your-base-and-attack-the-enemy scenario...." Read more

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B. Cravens

Sucks You Right In

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2013

Platform For Display: PC/MacEdition: Expansion PackVerified Purchase

Like many reviewers, I have been playing SC since the original. I played SC2 multiplayer for a good 6-8 months after its release (and the campaign of course) before feeling like I just couldn't get over my obstacle of getting out of Gold League. I stopped and didn't really get back into it. When HOTS came out, I shrugged it off now that I'm married, working full-time, and dedicate what gaming time I have now to stuff on my 360. Some of my best friends got back into SC2 and told me to pick up the expansion so we could all play. They said the new units were fun, lots of new maps, etc. I had some Amazon credit to get this for $10 and I figured why not. It's not like I have to be super competitive again. So towards the end of March I picked this up.

Fast forward to now, four months later with 30+ hours into MP (still getting over my Gold hump) and just now scratching into the HOTS campaign. I am addicted all over again, and I love it. If you are an SC fan for the lore, this $40 investment (now $30 on Amazon for the time being) is a no-brainer. If you are still playing WoL multiplayer, you're missing out on the new units and an ever-growing e-sports scene. There's not too much to really persuade you on if you enjoyed WoL since there's a high chance you'd fit right in with HOTS.

Some of the biggest changes including the new units have to do with Battle.net. Adding Spawning back in (meaning if someone does the free trial of SC2, which has limited options, or just WoL and they party with a friend who has HOTS, while in the party they will have access to everything HOTS MP as well. It's awesome!), improving the League algorithm for both Ranked and Unranked, and adding in more portraits and awards, like unit skins, make it all greater experience. Also I've heard in the rumor mill that Tourney modes and Clan support are a matter of time away.

Of course a major component in the expansion is the campaign. If you hadn't guessed by the cover it is focused on Zerg. Like WoL and SC1 the story is no Titanic, but if you enjoy the lore you won't feel like you're wasting your time. I'm still going through the campaign, so I'll display how long it took me to complete once I do so.

Stay tuned for updates as time goes, but seriously if you enjoyed WoL I'm not sure why you haven't bought HOTS yet, and if you are a newcomer who enjoys RTS's at least give WoL a shot.

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2014

Platform For Display: PC/MacEdition: Expansion PackVerified Purchase

In the interest of disclosure let me say that I love playing strategy games. As for the delivery of the item it came via UPS with some difficulty. I however will focus on the game itself.
In terms of strategy itself you have your traditional resource gathering of crystal and gas with workers, that you build. You have an army with a cap size that you can expand by expending resources to a set level, usually 200 troop points per level/match. In this iteration you play as the Zerg Queen Sarah Kerrigan and you get to use the various zerg troops to battle Protoss, zerg - both swarm and wild zerg as well as terrans. The zerg give you the option to research ( three ) different upgrades for each zerg unit with only minimal differences between them so each one gives you a small edge in one particular area such as increased attack speed. This is a nice touch even if it does not generally make a huge difference to game play. However a wrinkle that DOES affect your gameplay is the 'evolution' of each unit with the chosen choice being final for the duration of your campaign. This adds a level or replayability to the game which is nice.
Thus far I have found the overall level of game play to be easier than the Wings of Liberty game as well as a generally shorter campaign so far. This game is definately a worthy addition to the Star Craft franchise, but like many fans I feel as though this game should have been included with the Wings of Liberty campaign combining all playable factions into a single game rather than making the 2nd faction become an expansion game. This is a money grab by Blizzard - fine $20 - $30 tops which is the range I paid for this game. Any more than that and you really start to lose value for money on this game.
Overall a good game with decent graphics and some replayability, which IF you can pick up at bargain price is well worth playing.

Helpful

Adam Wood

Fun new units and AI capabilities

Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2013

Platform For Display: PC/MacEdition: Expansion PackVerified Purchase

After I saw the images for the Tempest, I knew that I just had to try this. :) So, I bought this expansion pack for both myself and my brother last year from Amazon so that we could play the Beta. I was unimpressed at first, but Blizzard did a real nice job over the following months in improving the graphics, unit balances, and AI capabilities. At present, I think that it offers a new level of fun in the matches.

I have not played the campaign, yet. I played the original campaign, but I more enjoy playing live games online, so that's my experience so far with this. My brother and I play together against the AI (yep - we're scared of getting our butts handed to us by a bunch of 12-year-olds :D), and so far we both really like it. The AI has more levels of difficulty, and it definitely seems more sophisticated to me - with more complex tactics. While the AI still often defaults to attacking along ground paths even when it has air units, it does sometimes attack from an unexpected direction with air in ways that my brother and I never saw in the original. Another thing is that the AI's use of the Raven's seeker missile is at a whole new level - they use it often and effectively, just decimating my brother and I. We're still developing new tactics to try and get around that, so I think this has been money well spent.

What I don't know is if Blizzard has upgraded the AI and other things in the original version to the level of this expansion (I know they've upgraded some of it), but I do like some of the new units that you only get with this expansion. All in all, I recommend it.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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MZS

Five Stars

Reviewed in India on November 3, 2015

Platform For Display: PC/MacEdition: Expansion PackVerified Purchase

Very good

Woo Jin Kim

Fantastic

Reviewed in Canada on April 17, 2013

Platform For Display: PC/MacEdition: Expansion PackVerified Purchase

I'll keep this review short, but:
WoL had a much better campaign in general, the evolution missions got repetitive after a while and they didn't have the same sense of satisfaction that WoL upgrades and mercs had. The earning of credits and spending them was much more fun than the non-existent RPG aspects of HotS. Also, Kerrigan should have been able to level up through kills as well, not just through mission objectives. I felt like that went against what an RPG was. Another thing was that the campaign was way too easy and while it offered a lot of variety, it still did not compare to WoL.

The best thing I like about HoS is that the battles seem to have improved over WoL. The battles start earlier, and the game is more fast-paced and exciting. However, I still feel that BW was the best game out of all of them. Perhaps it is nostalgic bias on my part.

The only thing I wish they would do is fix the broken Arcade and custom games. BW's and WCIII's multiplayer had a much more homegrown feel to it, and as soon as you logged on there would be the chat and people ready to talk to you. SCII multiplayer seems too isolated from everyone else.

3 people found this helpful

寒太郎

いいですね～！！

Reviewed in Japan on October 21, 2015

Platform For Display: PC/MacEdition: Expansion PackVerified Purchase

前作のWING OF LIBERTYを購入してから、すぐに購入しました。スタークラフトシリーズをやっている人だったら、ファーストからの登場人物やストーリー
が分かっているので、英語が理解できなくてもなんとなくわかります。ジムライナー、ケリガン、アルクトゥルスの因縁、グラフィックがリアルになったぶん、
ザーグが気持ち悪いですね。
オンライン対戦できるほどまだ強くないので、キャンペーンを楽しんでいます。
世界的に有名なオンライン対戦ゲームなのに、なんで日本語版がでないのか疑問ですね。

3 people found this helpful

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ARJUN RD

Excellent is all I can say about it

Reviewed in India on December 28, 2015

Platform For Display: PC/MacEdition: Expansion PackVerified Purchase

Excellent is all I can say about it!! :|, but Again dont buy it if you have a dedicated internet connection and already installed WOL, because the automatic update will download all the Expansions and Patches including HOTS and LOV. I think I got screwed in this deal because around 15GB of data was already downloaded and I thought it was only for WOL but apparently it has both the expansions and now I have throw the CD into the bin HUH D:

2 people found this helpful

Jason K Johannesson

Blizzard Strikes Again

Reviewed in Canada on May 12, 2013

Platform For Display: PC/MacEdition: Expansion PackVerified Purchase

Amazing addition to the StarCraft II series. Horribly addictive, wildly fun - almost a throwback to when games were fun to play, over and over again. Starcraft, I find, is either an obsession (see League matches, etc.) or something that sneaks up on you until you don't want to play anything else. Great voice-over acting & cut scenes. I actually felt something for the characters during a scene involving Jim and Kerrigan. Who needs movies? Excellent game - highly recommend, provided you like RTS gameplay.

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StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Expansion Pack

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