Similar to its predecessor, StarCraft II was praised for its engaging gameplay, as well as its introduction of new features and improved storytelling. The game was met with critical acclaim, receiving an aggregated score of 93% from Metacritic. The game includes new and returning characters and locations from the original game. The game is set four years after the events of 1998's Brood War, and follows the exploits of Jim Raynor as he leads an insurgent group against the autocratic Terran Dominion. Wings of Liberty focuses on the Terrans, while the expansions, Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void, would focus on the Zerg and Protoss, respectively. Like its predecessor, the game revolves around three species: the Terrans (humans), the Zerg (a super-species of assimilated life forms), and the Protoss (a technologically advanced species with vast psionic powers). Wings of Liberty has been free-to-play since November 2017. A sequel to the 1998 video game StarCraft and the Brood War expansion pack, the game is best known as the original installment of StarCraft II which was later followed by a number of expansion packs. It was released worldwide in July 2010 for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is a science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment.
