Blizzard is remaking 'StarCraft' with better graphics — and it comes out this August

People still play the original "StarCraft," a real-time strategy game that first came out in 1998.

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Now, the intergalactic war game is getting a major face-lift, and the updated version is set to come out on August 14 for $14.99.

"StarCraft: Remastered" will preserve the gameplay of the original 1998 title but will update its aging graphics and audio and will ensure better compatibility with modern computers, the company said.

SC_Remastered_LogoArt
Blizzard

"Gameplay and balance have been precisely preserved," Blizzard said in a press release

Preserving the gameplay is important for this remake because the original "StarCraft" is still played as an e-sport, especially in South Korea.

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Here's what you need to know about the "StarCraft" remake:

  • It will go on sale for Windows and Mac for $14.99 on August 14.
  • Preorders are available. If you preorder, you'll get a few unique building skins.
  • It will be able to display graphics in 4K and wide-screen.
  • The audio ("Spawn more overlords!") has been remastered.
  • The online component has been updated, with cloud support for saves, custom maps, and other user-generated content.
  • As with the original, gamers will be able to play matches online.
  • "StarCraft: Remastered" will include all of the original game's storyline and single-player version as well as content from an expansion, "Brood War."
  • You can switch between the remastered graphics and the original with "the click of a button."
  • The original game and its expansions will be called "StarCraft Anthology," and Blizzard will make it free to download and play.
  • All three original races — Protoss, Terran, and Zerg —will be playable.

And here's how the newly updated graphics look:

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The best way to look at the graphics improvement is by looking at individual units. Here's a Protoss Carrier before:

CarrierSD.JPG
Blizzard

And here's the same unit after the face-lift:

CarrierHD.JPG
Blizzard
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Zerg Overlord, before:

OverlordSD.JPG
Blizzard

And after:

OverlordHD.JPG
Blizzard
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The Terran Battlecruiser is looking good:

Terran
Blizzard

Here's a look at how Zerg infantry units have been updated:

triptico_1490540731788
Blizzard
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The purple really pops on these Space Marines:

Terran
Blizzard

Here's what a Protoss player will see in the remastered game:

ProtossHD
Blizzard
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Here's what it looked like before:

ProtossSD
Blizzard

New Terran graphics:

Terran1_HD
Blizzard
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Old Terran graphics:

Terran1_SD
Blizzard

Another look at the Terrans in HD:

Terran2_HD
Blizzard
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Terran3_HD
Blizzard

The Zerg got a face-lift too:

ZergHD
Blizzard
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How they looked before:

ZergSD
Blizzard
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