SC2VN

Video games have always suffered from a bit of a social stigma, mainly because most people regard them as simple activities designed for children. Esports have altered that conception in the last few years, especially after games like Starcraft, Warcraft and Dota started to feature millions of dollars in prizes. Not only that, but everyone can now see that it takes a lot of practice and talent to become a professional player.

SC2VN is a very intriguing project, designed to shed a bit of light on the South Korean Starcraft 2 scene and the intense training that goes on behind it. This is essentially a visual novel game, although without the unnecessary romance side-plots that end up being the main story anyway. The choices you make have an impact on the ending as well, which means that you can replay the game multiple times and see more of it.

The story follows a Starcraft 2 player named Mach, who goes to South Korea in order to make a name for himself. Here, he stumbles into a few interesting characters that help him achieve his dreams, although it takes a lot of work to do so. You do not need to know anything about Starcraft to play the game, but there is a short introduction you can watch to learn the basics. As a bonus, the said presentation is voiced by the famous Day[9] caster, so it’s worth watching even if you are already familiar with Starcraft.

Gameplay-wise, it’s mostly just reading dialog and your character’s inner monologue, but every once so often you get a chance to choose between one thing or the other. As an example, you may want to opt for one strategy or the other during an important match, although you obviously do not need to execute it as well. Depending on the choices you make along the way, the ending can vary and change accordingly.

Most of the characters have their own personalities and motives, so you should really feel like you are interacting with them. You also get to see a bit of South Korea and the life of a pro gamer, in case you were curious about either. Thanks to the superb artwork and excellent soundtrack, it should be fairly easy to let yourself be swallowed the eSports culture.

In the end, SC2VN really comes through in every regard, especially story-wise. The Starcraft strategies and jargon are spot on, which makes the experience that much more convincing and pleasant. As a bonus, the game is even endorsed by Blizzard, so you'll find a lot of the official music from Starcraft 2 in there as well.