I Ranked All Of The StarCraft Cinematics

[@ImperialButterflies]

Congratulations Grant! You apparently own an actual StarCraft cinematic now! Even if you are unsure why.

[@Romanian901]

he is single handedly keeping blizzard lawyers from people reuploading it

[@alexthai5223]

​@@Romanian901?

[@korhol2065]

@@Romanian901 I think you’re confusing them with Nintendo

[@Bengtssonsan]

@@alexthai5223 He means that since KZbin is asking Grant if he wants to Copyright-strike those videos, that probably mean KZbin does NOT ask Blizzard

[@Blazieth]

@@Bengtssonsan Let's be honest, if Blizzard had problems with people uploading videos of their content, most of the RTS scene on KZbin wouldn't exist.

[@falsnamae3511]

"My life for Auir" changes meaning so much when Zeratul says it, compared to Artanis or Selendis who say it like a religious prayer, or even Kaldalis (the Akhundalar, the tip of the spear) who states it as almost an acceptance of fate. Zeratul's is a declaration not of the immediate (though it is immediate in a sense), but of his entire life's history: The thousands of years he's been alive, he has worked for a planet that betrayed and abandoned him, it was all for Auir. (His snarky SC1 quote "I do this for Auir... not you." reinforces this).

[@UrielAngeli147]

More than that... Even twice exiled, even despised and rejected by his people, Zeratul will still walk the only road he has ever walked. "My Life... for Aiur." Only moment in SC that makes me cry. ...Why does Grant hate Protoss?

[@schach6666]

Should have made it into S tier imo. In particular compared to Mensk Inauguration...

[@bluesbest1]

@@schach6666 I was fully expecting him to give it top marks after that interruption.

[@llSuperSnivyll]

Plus the fact that, with the sole exception of Raszagal, none of the Dark Templar seen in the games were raised in Aiur. Essentially "My life for the home I never had".

[@Norrieification]

I would say overall it’s the best send off of one of the big characters in all of StarCraft, as well as the best send off of a fan favorite character. It sets up legacy’s campaign brilliantly too. Like, using the Khala to completely flip the scales on the Daelaam was actually GREAT writing in my opinion, and the DTs being the confounding variable in Amon’s plan makes so much sense… We don’t really get that writing for the rest of Amon’s shit, but it’s good! So now we have Artanis desperately trying to salvage what he can of his people, as well as what DTs he can find, so he can go and reclaim his homeworld and make up for his initial botched attack. While I like warriors, for me this one is the superior cinematic.

[@dimitriosdrossidis9633]

I can't believe the owner of the "Fury of the Xelnaga" cinematic made a tier list where he doesn't even rate his own cinematic that high. What humility!

[@DaWombatGaming]

It's hilarious the system thinks Grant owns it. Funniest part of the video

[@7thAce]

Mengsk's "I... (audio change) shall watch over you" gets me every single time. He's a bad person but damn he can deliver that line perfectly.

[@thekiss2083]

Yeah Mengsk's VA gives the best performance in either game.

[@pakkazull8370]

The writing and delivery is bafflingly good for a video game cinematic from the late 90s.

[@allhailderpfestor4839]

Even when he was reduced to much more 1 dimensional and dumber role in HotS, he still sounded cool as hell. Mad respect to that VA.

[@TheVision_13]

One of the best VA performances of all time across all of starcraft

[@bljakub9956]

@@allhailderpfestor4839 Hot take Mengsk was still the hero when compered with Kerrigan.

[@liamholt5623]

Fun fact: the Vikings will always have an extremely limited number of pilots due to the fact that the Viking suit will rip many pilots to shreds during the transformation. So that almost anime-like transformation seen in "Swarm" - yeah, that was a very good pilot getting slapped away.

[@maryrosetran5109]

I wonder if Valerian's reforms had them re-engineer the cockpit.

[@Ryanorzone]

Imagine if the in-game vikings had a chance of instantly dying upon transformation

[@Yetidelamontagne]

@@maryrosetran5109 Il think so, I read somewhere that it become much more with ia and robotic (not sure thou)

[@LibertyMonk]

@@Ryanorzone hyperion crew mod, it eats a pilot and just sits there empty

[@ExValeFor]

I dunno, my starports can pop out 2 vikings at a time no problem, doesn't seem like a big deal

[@manolgeorgiev9664]

Finally seeing the original Fury of the Xel'naga cinematic from the owner himself posted on KZbin after almost 30 years! *S tier*

[@Ciggymunch]

There's a really small detail that I *love* about Warriors, and it's in the title. The Protoss (and the writers a lot of the time) treat the humans as 'lesser', which I've always found a bit weird. Marines are so commonly treated not as individuals, but as cannon fodder, but Artanis taking a moment to respect dead Marines as 'warriors' - the same honour he would grant to any of his own people - is extremely powerful. Artanis' attitude towards Terrans generally is one of the things that makes him a super likeable character, and that scene I feel is the pinnacle of this idea.

[@baum2921]

Never even considered that. (EDIT fixed a typo.)

[@jonathanbehrends4796]

Also, as far as we know, there is no afterlife for humans in starcraft, so for every dead marine it's just lights out, a true sacrifice. The protoss will meet "The khala's end". So after seperating themselved from the khala they now share the same fate as lowly humans. Or do their souls now go to the void? I always thought their soul escaped in the Zealot, High Templar and even dark templar death animation, but maybe it's supposed to be emergency recall.

[@Appletank8]

@@jonathanbehrends4796 Yea the near death recall is supposed to explain where they got all the Dragoons/Stalkers/Immortal pilots from.

[@Venkintus]

also given the fact that he himself thought they were lesser in starcraft brood war tho not sure how well that held up, but it does show the genuine respect he grew for them over time

[@Allskil88]

@@Venkintus I would imagine several years' worth of being shot at by marines and then seeing marines shoot threats to the Protoss away would do wonders to get rid of the haughty attitude.

[@rgal]

8:50 Eh, who cares about The Dream? The *real* Zerg campaign intro is the first mission briefing, anyway. "AWAKEN, MY CHILD, AND EMBRACE THE GLORY THAT IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT". Absolutely iconic.

[@swordykins]

Any time the overmind spoke, you really felt the gravitas of an unspeakable eldritch god commanding his trillions.

[@HellecticMojo]

"Serve the hive... I control the groove"

[@llSuperSnivyll]

It also carries a heavy plot twist by that point in the game. The first campaign (and the tutorial as well) depict the Zerg as little more than a swarm of alien animals attracted to psionics like a moth to a flame. Then suddenly you have this grandiose creature that shows they are an organized force.

[@KingKlear]

@@llSuperSnivyll ...and then Blizzard turned them into basically another human faction.

[@GeneralBolas]

@@KingKlear To be fair, they'd already kind of screwed that up in SC1. The StarCraft manual's description of the Zerg, the Overmind, and the Cerebrates is very different from the in-game depiction of them. In the manual, the Overmind is *all of them.* It does not "command" the swarm; it is the very will of the swarm. From the lowest larva to the titanic Ultralisk, from the hatchery to its cerebrates, they are all one singular will. A cerebrate is merely an aspect of the Overmind's personality, not a distinct being. Having the Overmind actually *talk* to its Cerebrates as though they are servants, distinct entities separate from itself is just... wrong. SC2 may have taken it further, but SC1 laid the groundwork.

[@sirlight-ljij]

Grant found a plausible justification to make a half an hour vid about his crush on a giant terran battlecruiser

[@sijiehe1826]

As it has always been, peak male fantasy is the Military Industrial Complex

[@Appletank8]

extremely disappointing SC2 BCs got made smaller.

[@calebstimpson4412]

Big Battle Cruisers

[@Owlfeathers0117]

Can you really blame him though? Battlecruisers are cool.

[@feedfancier]

23:00 I like Carbot's parody of HOTS's Ascension. "I'm the man who's gonna kill you one day" -> "Jim and Sarah flying lovey dovey and Dugalle shooting himself in disgust.

[@arsteel2388]

Link?

[@levsonc]

@@arsteel2388 It's in a video named “StarCrafts S4 Ep1 BroodWar Story In a nutshell”. There is “FF” part at 0:54.

[@brianfhunter]

I had several flashbacks of Carbots videos watching this video....

[@hangover89]

Calling it right now, top of the list is the Heart of the Swarm intro cinematic

[@badgerbane]

Pre-watch, I'd be surprised. The dialogue is absolutely dreadful in that cinematic. 'Now, at long last, vengeance will be mine. For I am the queen of blades'. It's like they tried to cram as many bad clichés into it as they could. Edit: Well, I got surprised.

[@HorizonOfHope]

Clearly the Heart of the Swarm end cinematic.

[@levisamom5069]

Terren is my favourite race and I love seeing all their weaponry in action in that trailer... The Vikings, siege tanks and the infantry up against the best of the zerg... The ultralisk charging still shivers me

[@VK-sz4it]

​@@badgerbaneCliches are not inherently bad. Even if it used some kind of overused trope, that scene is masterpiece. It makes it work. Speaking of it, which clichees do you see here?

[@Regunes]

​@@badgerbane yes, however everything else is godtier so...

[@GenoGar]

What made the Broodwar ending even better was the Epilogue+Credits you read immediately after, you learn that the UED don’t make it out alive and the letter to Helena doesn’t even reach her. The Protoss music playing during the epilogue also creates the perfect vibe as you read about what happens, it’s like reading the ending of a long book and finally closing it.

[@KingKlear]

The BW ending has big Poochie energy. "Admiral DuGalle died on the way back to his home planet".

[@NightHawk92929]

Totally agree. The last thing you see in the cinematic is a bunch of battlecruisers flying off. And then the epilogue comes and you read "none of the UED would make it back to Earth"

[@TheHalogen131]

My favourite moment is the two Marines, Dominion and UED standing together

[@NightHawk92929]

@@TheHalogen131 That's awesome dude. I never noticed that before.

[@lanychabot-laroche135]

@@TheHalogen131 Cool details, so easy to miss!

[@yami-131]

for the chains Cinematic: Grant: "Overall the fight is good and I think it deserves B - ....." Zeratul: "My Life for Aiur" Grant: "Nevermind, A-Tier" Yup. My thoughts exactly. Integrating this iconic unit response that we've heard many times in the Zeratul missions so beautifully and epically into the cinematic makes it a glorious moment that seriously bumps up the cinematic as whole. when I first heard it in my first playthrough it genuinely gave me chills. It's an incredible line on it's own; however the buildup of hearing it in game so many times and knowing the weight of the guilt that he feels ever since the Overmind incident ("my burdens weigh heavily") in addition to the desire for redemption through sacrifice and dedication to the greater good (even to his immediate detriment) that Zeratul has pretty much always exemplified throughout the games, and the lore of Dark Templar still being loyal to and remiss for Aiur despite how much they were made to suffer because of its politics, makes this one moment not just iconic, but a cathartic conclusion of one who could be named a true hero along with the likes of Tassadar. Zeratul may be overly dramatic, but he is my Waifu.

[@chegnarok]

"An easy sentiment for one who is not sending them to die!" - "An easy sentiment for one who IS BEING SENT TO DIE!" Chills every time

[@brianfhunter]

Never seen that cinematic before... Artanis response was very "Human" nad humble, for the next half a second before the response, i tough, "yeah, thats a good point"... That zealot imeadly rebuts with that.... dude... that is Prime Protoss Material right there, more based than Fenix.... "my life for aiur" for him was not a pray, it was the destiny he eagerly waited. S tier

[@solaariel2692]

Hot take: the in-engine cutscene that introduces Valerian (the one after supernova) is just awful when you think about it for more than a second. It makes Valerian look like a complete moron who gets a bunch of his soldiers killed, all for the sake of an out of universe reveal, when he could have just given Raynor a phone call.

[@1q34w]

He could? How do phones work in Starcraft?

[@wolfpackconstructour9348]

I thought that was the point of the cutscene, to be honest. I think it gels well with his foolhardiness/arrogance that we see a lot of in WoL, with his underestimating the danger of invading Char and his grandiose speech during his interview with Kate. I thought he showed some real growth over HotS, which I appreciated a lot more because of his moronity in WoL.

[@solaariel2692]

@1q34w I wasn't referring to a literal phone call, but any form of wireless communication, which have been demonstrated to exist countless times across the series

[@darthmz7305]

Jim Raynor simply wouldn't have accepted the call from the "emperor" he simply went to storm Mengsk's ship because he thought that this is where he would get his revenge. but yes, he was very surprised that Valerian was here, and even on Mengsk's personal ship.

[@AresKusa]

There is _SO MUCH_ wrong with that cutscene that my eyes roll back in my skull every time I replay WOL. Lets put aside the 4-D Chess moment that Valerian accurately predicted everything that unfolded in that scenario... let's instead consider how it could have played out if Ray hadn't went in for Hollywood Drama memes. How about instead of "TURN AROUND ARCTURUS, I WANT YOU TO SEE THIS COMING" he just went in blasting instead? That's it game over no more artifact hunt? How about if he had thrown some grenades in to the command bridge to clear out any likely defenders? God... the entire scene is just so f'in stupid

[@cobaltroselazuli2921]

Something I’ve always liked about LotV - both the Artanis in cinematics and the Artanis as a hero unit in the game are consistent, everything we see him do in cinematics maps onto one of his abilities, for example when he gets his second wind inside the Xel’naga temple on Shakuras and blasts the Zerglings off of him, that’s his passive revive, or when we see him warp through the air during the fight with the Hybrid Reaver, he’s got that ability as a unit as well. I always disliked that about Kerrigan, and HotS in general - Kerrigan doesn’t have the ability to fly in-game, but cinematics sure seem to think she does. She also can’t make Nydus Worms, but cinematic Kerrigan *and in-game Abathur* can. Kerrigan can’t rip enemies in half with her bone-wings, but in cinematics she can.

[@vumasster]

If you’re Blizzard’s special girl you can just do whatever DBZ moves you want apparently, while Artanis the pokemon only can remember 4 moves

[@taelim6599]

Kerrigan actually does use her bone wings ingame... in starcraft 1. In SC2 wings of liberty, she has a hidden bone wing attack identical in stats to her standard psi blast that she'll use against any enemies in melee range. I'm not sure if she has a similar attack in heart of the swarm, but I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't, Blizzard put in a lot less effort in that campaign than the first.

[@Photoloss]

_Technically_ you can do the bone wing slice in HotS by casting Leaping Strike in melee range. Doesn't use the animation from WoL though.

[@Appletank8]

@@taelim6599 While it makes sense for her to use her bone wings, her rather standard mobility makes it really annoying to get into melee range sometimes. Did the Overmind trash her rifle too? Come'on.

[@TankHunter678]

@@Appletank8 I think she simply ran out of ammo for her old rifle and the Overmind never thought to give her some kind of bio rifle to make up for it. Given that she could just simply rip shit apart with her brain and melee weapons.

[@zradrron]

When i first beaten HotS and heared "You turned us all into monsters" and seeing Kerrigan do something to Mengsk i thought to myself... Kerrigan turning him into infested would be so cool! We know that some consider it being fate worse then death, we know that Kerri can do weird Abathur like stuff from Caldir, and turning Mengsk from a monster in human skin to the true monster he always was would be such a good ending... And then he just explodes...

[@lazaroskarmaniolas7410]

Ah, bit you see... Kerrigan is not Arthas. You don't enslave your enemies, you HAVE to kill them.

[@killerninja4416]

@@lazaroskarmaniolas7410 plus there is a chance he became like stukov and i know it was process of being killed, ressurected, infected then cured but knowing mengsk? he could do that when i first played the lotv i thought he would somehow be resurrected in the void but then i saw Duran

[@evilemperorzurg9615]

Kerrigan just energy blasting the things instead of doing something interesting seems to be a running theme.

[@galacticheroman]

A small detail I didn't notice until just now. At 27:51, in "Warriors", after Jim shakes Artanis' hand? The camera shifts slightly to show that he's gripping onto the hand that has Zeratul's Psi-Blade. Showing that Jim might silently acknowledge that Zeratul has truly met his end, and possibly signifying a regret that he never got to give the Prelate a handshake as well. First Tassadar, then Fenix, and now Zeratul. Jim is losing a lot of close friends he's made with the Protoss. Artanis might very well be the last one he personally knows, and that sonova gun is carrying a hefty weight of legacy on his back. That "Give 'em hell Artanis", the passing of the torch, holds a lot of trust and hope in the young Hierarch.

[@siingrysshelter9244]

damm... I love this.

[@BigBoneBusiness]

"Shake the hand of a friend" and all that.

[@NicD]

It was so understated I missed it the first time, although I noticed the handholding and camera overstayed their welcome. I realized years later. What a revelation. Artanis knew exactly what he was offering with that handshake.

[@tb34567]

Half the Grant videos I'm like "Finally, I've been waiting for this!" And the other half are "What the hell is this I didn't know I wanted this"

[@kazzi_]

I couldn't have stated it better :D

[@flazzorb]

Honestly, a better twist for HotS Ascension would've been Kerrigan being immune to the artifact because she has the essence of primal zerg and thus doesn't have Xel'naga influence in her.

[@chibertarian]

That's *exactly* what I thought was going to happen the first time I saw that one. Crazy disappointing to have it go the way it did instead.

[@TankHunter678]

WoL Ariel Hansen basically implies that its due to having psionic energy that the Artifact would suck the life out of the protoss, also why it worked on the zerg since they are all linked by a psionic network much like the protoss. Which is probably why it tried to suck the life out of her. Why it didn't suck the life out of the protoss in LotV is because it was properly handled by a certain engineer who knew how to handle devices dangerous to psionics.

[@lostrelicsf2p756]

Learn about the artifact first. It can change energy, essence, information. It can do almost anything. But it has limitations against beings like Amon.

[@kennysalty6019]

One more thing that I LOVE about "Alone" is that it actually puts the Dark Templar philosophy forward on why they would separate themselves from the Khala. It's the thing that's made the Protoss as insanely powerful and connected as they have been. "Why would you separate yourself from something that has brought us so much glory, reverence, community, and power" is probably a pretty common question asked by many, and this cinematic answers it with "We are each just as capable of reaching those goals without the Khala. And we want to show everyone that." That right there would make me put "Alone" into S Tier. It answers, what I think, is a really good question about the philosophy of the Dark Templar.

[@pokemonduck]

Gotta love how the cinematic Warp tries to give us a logical explanation as to how the Zerg has FTL travel but in the same shot they show mutalisks flying in space using wings :D

[@desfoxofthedesert]

I remember the wiki states that mutas keep flapping their wings because they are used to doing it. The cinematic still makes some sense since we saw the mutas kind of slide forward through the space rather than move up and down each flap

[@Dr.Expendable]

The equivalent of dogs swimming in the air when picked up.

[@terrywatkins]

Arcturus' writing in the first games was S-tier, especially when he's initially presented as an ally, and a reasonable person to support. I guarantee I'd be buying whatever he'd be selling. He's great at misdirection and endearing himself to the people he uses. In WoL - he kinda doesn't really do anything, except "be generic sci-fi dystopia autocrat", when you'd expect the "real" Mengsk to have trick after trick up each of his sleeves. Not helped by the inter-mission news reports that make his empire out to be a joke, and the writing being less gritty or grounded overall.

[@ayhamahmad2277]

It would have been better if we have some mission playing as the villain

[@ko71k52]

I mean he kinda went from the underdog to the champion, so it's hard to show him doing tricks, and him building a capable empire on the ashes of Confederacy is good enough imo

[@brianfhunter]

Agree, but this is not a problem with just Arcturus.... EVERYONE got braindamage... Kerrigan was the worst... she went from being the Bitch Queen of the Universe to a idiotic teenager with anger issues... SC1 was DARK and Unique... SC2 is light and vanilla.... The 2 most loved characters in SC2 is literaly the 2 most psico ones.... Abathur (the autistic zerg scientist) and Alarak.

[@HellecticMojo]

I don't know where Amerigo is gonna place, but that cutscene used to scare the F outta me. "Got your Zerg riiiight here heh heh heh BLURGHGHGHG"

[@TekHardy]

Bro I couldn't watch that cutscene for so long as a kid 😂 scared me shitless

[@charcoaltortoise]

I think its a right of passage to be given nightmares by the Amerigo i'm a bit sad that the zerg (and the entire star craft universe) were made to be less scary. The zerg in sc2 are a tactical threat alright but sc1 zerg are actual nightmare fuel

[@HellecticMojo]

@charcoaltortoise Eh, I think SC1 zerg are not really scary. In terran campaign they were nothing more than war crime bait with psi emitters and with protoss campaign, you spend the half the campaign fighting Aldaris and his goons more than the zerg. In BW, they were purely just a hammer wielded by Kerrigan, which more reflects Kerrigan's capacity as an individual more than any innate scary factor of the Zerg. I think SC2 did more with the zerg infestation problems, more direct combat cutscenes showing how unstoppable they were. SC1 Zerg had more intrigue and are a symbol of the villain's power, but SC2 is where you find out how actually scary fighting them are like in the trenches

[@derdomino828]

18:42: I think you could have made an entire subplot out of it if you had the scene like this: Kerrigan: We hat to get down there and save Jim. Valerian: Belay that order. Kerrigan, with PTSD flashback to Tarsonis, then furious: What did you just say?! Valerian would have been terrified of both Kerrigan and of how similar to his father he might be. For Kerrigan it could have been the start of her working through the trauma of being betrayed by Mengsk, culminating in the final cutscene with her getting even with him.

[@chrayez]

My concern with Kerrigan being triggered by the words is that in the original betrayal, it’s fairly clear she can’t hear the conversation between Jim and Arcturus, so she wouldn’t have any association with the specific phrasing he used. It could still be used as a signal to us, however.

[@derdomino828]

@@chrayez Good point. I had always assumed that she would have also heard the radio communication between Jim and Mengsk, but after watching the scene again, she actually didn't. I think you could still make it work because she could have seen the recording herself between WoL and HotS. It was broadcast to the entire Dominion after all.

[@Regunes]

Here's the problem, Valerian would be dead. It's not a question of if, but rather how painfully.

[@SenyiKimmo]

"If you want to be a better man than your father, Mengsk... We have to save EVERYONE. Leave no one behind."

[@screamingcactus1753]

@@chrayez Also, Kerrigan doesn't have a command position on the Hyperion. She can't make orders, so it wouldn't make sense for Valerian to say that.

[@Karti200]

Fun note about Wings of Liberty intro cinematic - it was first show in 2007 at Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Seoul. Thats 3 years BEFORE the game itself was released - just puts how great that cinematic it is and how proud Blizz was of it...

[@kazzi_]

I remember watching it over and over with my colleagues in high school, and it came out exactly on one of my friends 18th birthday 🥳🥳 so Blizzard gave him a nice present. And when WOL came out, I had to decide - collector's edition or one more festival during summer. Well... I missed The Prodigy (Pol'and'Rock), no regrets.

[@WonderingWanderer88]

5:37... can't agree on that one... Unity should definitely sit by the side of Swarm in S tier...

[@xsision5513]

Honestly I was also a little bit hurt by that one

[@pocketspider]

100% agree, Unity is still one of my favorite cinematics of all time

[@kindlesstraitor5587]

Especially once you literally put those two side by side. Swarm shows how relentless are the Zerg. Unity shows how Protoss despite Swarm being relentless, deapite casualities took fighting them are still eager to fight with honour and die in glory. And the particle effects of not just Archon.

[@anonnymousperson]

Totally agree. There's no other Starcraft cinematic that has so much Starcraft packed into it. Almost every aspect of the cinematic is a mechanic taken from the game (apart from that archon black hole maybe) and that is just so satisfying to see in so much beautiful detail. My life for Aiur!

[@hangoverloveyouveryover3054]

it's really peak

[@jkbscopes1233]

cant believe grant owns fury of the zel naga wild on a serious note, in warriors, that little glance Jimmy does at Zeratul's psi blade, its a moment of respect and understanding that his old friend is gone, and also that the dark templar and high templar are both united like never before

[@1Kapuchu100]

"From epic to epilogue." Ouch! xD

[@bogdanbogdans]

"Overall, the fight is pretty good, and I think it deserves a B-" MY LIFE FOR AIUR INTENSIFIES

[@gyppygirl2021]

Honestly, that scene is a very solid S tier for me. I can kinda see Grant dropping it to A because he wanted to keep his S tier as small as possible, but for me, I really think Zeratul's death is one of the most beautiful moments in all of Starcraft.

[@kazzi_]

​@@gyppygirl2021 the only thing I didn't like was Artanis' flight towards Zeratul :/ but I agree with all the rest.

[@AleksanderDrako]

Lets be honest, Conscience is Warfield cutscene. A guy in his final breath not only called Kerrigan out, but he slapped mercy into her. Something she haven't had at the start of campaign and something I do believe hunts her mind in each HotS moment Valerian begs her for her swarm to not be indiscriminate. Shame for Protoss that Lasarra didn't had a sliver of that persuasive power.

[@JinxBfjv]

my favourite mini cinematic, is the one with the mission just before the end of wings of liberty. I think it's called 'fire and fury' or 'sweat and blood', it's when general warfield descend from the medivac with the relic and when James Raynor shout his speech to all marines, address to the rebels and the ones from the dominion no matter their faction, all together unified against one enemy, on one same goal. The music is so perfect and epic, I legit had tears on the eyes when I listen to it, as I remember this cinematic. SC2 was the golden age of cinematics...

[@Szgerle]

Its so fucking cringe, you must be a redditor.

[@dontshootmex5588]

I love that cutscene. Really shows Raynor at his very best.

[@ezirri349]

yeah, fire and fury! jim's speech with the drums make it so good

[@ayhamahmad2277]

I wish the story would have been better though

[@bobbyferg9173]

If believe that’s the one where he gets the dog tag of the unknown soldier too, a really powerful small detail that pleasantly surprised me to see in Legacy of the Void

[@leonristic5158]

I am so glad you added Reclamation as a bonus. It is truly a hidden gem of StarCraft!

[@ChannelMiner]

Love the ending of Brood War, its just really cool how they show Dugalle's perspective there

[@Rws4Life]

Pure goosebumps when the "Dearest Helena" cinematic came For me, that's S-Tier. 10/10

[@saveriov.p.7725]

The UED Victory report was always my favorite. It was clearly inspired by starship troopers. I also really like some of the in-game "cinematics", especially where Mengsk abandons Kerrigan at New Gettysburg. "I will not be stopped, not by you, not by the protoss, not by anyone. HELMSMAN, take us into orbit, NOW!"

[@vumasster]

You forgot “ah will RULE this sector or see it burnt to ashes around me!”

[@kazzi_]

​@@vumasster shhhh... only a few Adjutants possess that knowledge... ;-)

[@benjaminlee985]

BW had a lot of good in-game cutscenes. I'm a big fan of the Valkyries clearing a landing zone in Emperor's Flight.

[@ZebbysGameRoom]

Warriors was always a really hard cinematic for me to watch. When Legacy came out a good friend of mine was in the army, we would chat back and forth about how excited he was to play Legacy when he got back from tour because it was coming out the day after he was going to be getting back. Sadly he died in an accident while deployed. It crushed me and I had a hard time being excited to do any gaming at all. But Legacy came out and a part of me felt like his ghost would absolutely kick my ass if I didn't play Legacy. So I played and when I got to that cinematic It crushed me to watch. Even now it's still hard for me to watch but it will forever be my favorite.

[@luketalbot2643]

I dont really have anything profound to say, but I just want to acknowledge your comment. I hope your friend rests easy

[@sodiumbromide1569]

Reclamation has one easy fix that they should have slipped in: Selendis is already corrupted. All it needs is a flash of Red Spooky Eyes when she gets angry to show that she's pushing so hard because Amon wants it. That he's already in the Khala and is influencing the Protoss to go with this plan. It helps present Amon as a chessmaster, and if its a blink-and-you-miss-it flash of red, then it rewards rewatching the scene and future scenes. It also makes Selendis as the big bad a bit more palatable to me: he already had his hooks in her.

[@Photoloss]

On the other hand Amon managing to infiltrate protoss military command off-screen and going unnoticed for that long is villain sue levels of bullshit which makes the protoss look utterly incompetent. That could be fine for a villain who is _exclusively_ a grandiose chessmaster, but Amon isn't.

[@lostrelicsf2p756]

​@@PhotolossAmon isn't a chess master. But whatever the OP said could have easily done by him.

[@Photoloss]

@ No it couldn't. The attempt definitely yes, but he should have been discovered almost immediately which would have ruined the full takeover later.

[@lostrelicsf2p756]

@@Photoloss agree. Amon directly controlling selendis without being detected is not possible.

[@auroraborealissaltmineswarlord]

i took it more as a "we are on the cusp of the greatest operation in a long time, retaking the lost homeworld, im in the middle of basically every warrior we could muster up... better to make a show of force out of it and arrest him than let doubt take root within the ranks that are about to go planetside or this is going to go a lot worse than planned"

[@soniccboom92]

Zeratul V Artanis brought me to tears. The my life for Aiur is just too good and hits so hard.

[@Megabit12]

"The Deal" is my personal favorite, with mengsks asking "They say a man never really knows himself until his freedom's been taken away. I wonder... how well do you know yourself?" and the whole suit up scene. It just feels great with it also ending on "Your freedom awaits" James Harper's voice is so damn good i wish he did more VA roles.

[@TheHalogen131]

Honestly I hate this "they say" trope. Like... Who exactly says that and when? It's easy to invent some bullshit profound line, but much harder (and cooler) to incorporate an already known and established line to give it a new meaning. Case in point: My life for Aiur.

[@MusicByproduct]

It’s also so memorable because they announced Starcraft 2 with it. ”Hell, it’s about time”, followed by the logo, followed by a crowd going ecstatic irl. I don’t normally care much for trailers but that was a special moment in gaming history for sure.

[@gsuberland]

Man, just hearing that "my life for aiur" line in Chains got me welling up. Easy S-tier for me. Even though we knew Zeratul's fate was sealed, it hurt to see him fall, and I don't think any other cutscene hit me in the feels quite like that.

[@gyppygirl2021]

It's a beautiful tragedy, a bittersweet moment that cements the tone of the protoss campaign. Their old traditions have come back to bite them, and it's only through great sacrifice that they can continue to survive.

[@thealmightyduck5743]

I cannot put into words how powerfully they use "My life for Aiur". It's such a legendary quote that is sprinkled in so well with the cutscenes. When Zeratul says it, it's just. Chills, honestly. Same with Kaldalis. Each time it's said, it feels like it's saying something different in that context. Kaldalis' resolute oath, echoed by Artanis, who sounds more like he's coming to terms with the weight of his actions. But Zeratul takes it to an entire new level with the way he not only sounds like he's resolved himself to die for Artanis, but chose the old oath for the last words of his long and grueling crusade, giving his life in the hope that Artanis can continue in his stead.

[@skem9622]

Man, I can never get over that SC2 Terran Intro, it just feels so epic at such a small scale

[@HellecticMojo]

"So this is why it costs 50 whole minerals" some commentor

[@XochiCh]

A little comment on one of my favorite cinematics, the one where Kate Lockwell announces that Jim was executed, genuinely left me in complete shock when I fisrt saw it, I exploded, with pure, unfiltered shock and said "ARE THEY REALLY GOING TO DO THIS? IS BLIZZARD BOLD ENOUGH TO KILL JIM?! IS KERRIGAN NOW GOING FULL 100% UNHINGED?!?!" I still get goosebumbs every time I see it, even if I know what is going to happen.

[@ethan1142028]

HotS could have actually been good if they'd had the cohones to followthough

[@Regunes]

@@ethan1142028 from a story perspective, Mensk had all the reasons to keep Jim as bargaining chip. They could, however, kill him during the boarding of his prison ship.

[@Papa-Bumblebee]

Grant i understand not wanting to saturate a tier list with too many S ranks, but when something is peak you cant bump it down just because there isnt enough room. Unity deserves S, its probably one of the best cinematics ever made for the protoss, and it deserves to be up there.

[@nurglessohn9234]

Thank God for cold Fusion!

[@AresKusa]

I have really come to despise how Hollywood SC2 became, even in the cutscenes. SC1 had a certain grittiness and grunge to it... perhaps a product of the time but it works to make a MUCH better atmosphere. The revisiting of the scene where Kerrigan is abandoned at New Gettysburg should be dramatic and thrilling, and it almost is... until the long shot of Kerrigan POUTING up at the sky with her model-perfect hair and makeup. Absolute proof that 'just because you can doesn't mean you should'. A scene done with SC1's primitive engine and okay-ish voice acting is better than that absurd production we got in HotS.

[@EliasMheart]

Thank you for always including SC1 I never really played, but through your videos I get a good feeling for it

[@yourname4159]

Well, I'd recommend you playing SC1 if you're not afraid of the poor control of units and all that stuff. Otherwise you could try Mass Recall for SC2's game mechanics with the first game's story.

[@weilhaltdermachtige1701]

I can't fathom that YOU would include the Dr Hanson in-engine Cutscenes but not the ones with Tosh?!?

[@PenguinGunnerProductions]

That handshake in “Warriors” is so good. Beautifully layered. Artanis is speaking to Jim as a friend and leader. Respecting his prowess between their shared history while paying respects to their fallen. On top of that, when Raynor gives Artanis the very human wisdom of self determination and defying prophecy in the face of overwhelming odds, Artanis offers a simple handshake. Artanis knows damn well what a handshake is and is feigning ignorance to show Jim his deep gratitude for both his help and advice. Then comes the slow turn from hand over hand to equal footing. Artanis showing Zeratuls psi-blade. From previous bits of dialogue you can find on the ship between missions, Raynor found out Zeratul had died. From Jim’s perspective, Zeratul fell in battle in pursuit of finding hope in a dreadful prophecy. For him to see the psi-blade makes Jim realize that Artanis was there in Zeratul’s final moments. Jim is not only showing his respects, he is saying a final goodbye to both of his friends.

[@ChuckDisel06]

Alone is such an awesome cutscene.

[@Lucy_1701]

such a good in-engine cutscene

[@Fogwell94]

Zeratul monologue really makes that cinematic, my favourite in the game

[@anzyroadside2374]

Grant, I bed to differ since in my opinion, the Warp cinematic shows how powerful of an entity the Overmind is. Compared to individual warps of the Terran capital ships and the Mass Recall of the Arbiter for the Protoss, being able to single-handedly migrate the whole Swarm to a certain faraway location is an overwhelming endeavor. Tbh, The Warp would have been a great intro for the Swarm since it shows just how vast and oddly organized the chaotic aggregation of beasts that is the Zerg are when they're under the direct command of the Overmind. That would establish its authority and further endear it to the players. In addition, it will make Tassadar's collision into the Overmind even more heroic since he somehow managed to get past the Swarm and defeat such a powerful entity. At least he'd look more heroic to me instead of just the desperate soldier that I saw when I was a kid.

[@IIITheDeadGamerIII]

The issue is that before the cutscene... we kill all the zerg around the overmind.

[@aparticleforworldtoform]

For me, Unity is the best opening cinematic because it utilizes actual game mechanics (warping to pylons), and it's one of the very few cinematics doing so. And The Betrayal is my favourite. It showcases one of the most iconic SC1 moments and it's just very very well made. As a SC1 fan, I was ecstatic to watch it. These two are easy S tier for me. Might be the only S tiers of SC2 actually.

[@Photoloss]

The HotS intro also showcases a lot of game mechanics: scripted unit spawns such as drop pods (thanks Abathur!) against overwhelming pre-placed armies with atrocious tactics, Kerrigan-zergling-ultra-Kerrigan as the main unit composition, the hilarious viking (and heckbat) AI, destructible statues on Korhal...

[@Safier_Poochy]

27:44 The moment where Artanis asks Raynor for a handshake and reaches out with Zeratul's weapon thing (no idea what it's called) - I think it's the strongest moment in this scene.

[@ondrejmrazek8209]

It is a Psi focuser. Creating a psi blade without one of these is a feat only few can achieve (Tassadar for example).

[@Safier_Poochy]

@@ondrejmrazek8209 Tassadar could it?

[@TheHalogen131]

For me the strongest part is the acknowledgement of countless nameless soldiers, who got killed in so many conflicts. We haven't seen a common soldier perspective since Brood War ending. I don't count the second to last cinematic in WoL because I find it almost insulting in its vagueness and over dramatisation. Raynor in this speech didn't say anything concrete, it was a bunch of generic "feels good" drivel.

[@123Sunwell]

I think Alone is amazing in that it's actually mirroring the end of protoss campaign in BW. Both takes place in the Xel'naga Temple on Shakuras, and both feature Artanis and Zeratul. Yet this time it's to destroy the planet instead of saving it, and this time Zeratul was not actually there with him like last time. Zeratul was explaining what the meaning of being a dark templar is and that they as a people are alone but not truly alone, just like how Artanis was alone but not truly because Zeratul was always there in his heart.

[@Eragon057]

He made Warriors S-Tier. It is my favorite cinematic. Grant, we are now brothers in blood and in bond.

[@omar21710]

Say what you want about shifting perspectives but the line Narud shoots in her face while wearing her human shape is devastating psychological stun "I am everything you lost... I am everything you never had" pure diamond I loved it

[@Photoloss]

Yeah it's not supposed to be true or meaningful, it's supposed to make her stop punching for long enough to get stabbed in return.

[@cjayhay]

not to defend the epilogue or anything, and I am well aware that I'm setting myself up to disagree with the supreme loremaster of all Starcraft, buuuuuuut... The whole deal with the Xel'naga is that they seed the universe and then, sooner or later, races with the characteristics they need should arise naturally. It doesn't *have* to be the Protoss and the Zerg specifically, even though that's what a lot of those races' history has been leading up to. "Purity of form" is said to refer to a species' psionic potential, and although the Protoss are the obvious candidates, the strongest Ghosts and Spectres demonstrate that the Terrans are on their way. I kinda get the feeling that, with the original plan clearly in the toilet after the Xel'Naga were wiped out, Ouros is doing his best to salvage the situation with what's available to him. Given another couple of million years, he could guide the Zerg and Protoss to evolve together into a new race of Xel'naga... *or* he could try to improvise with a unique individual who exists right now and has already combined Zerg purity of essence with something that's *close enough* to purity of form.

[@cjayhay]

re. the Primal Zerg not possessing purity of essence because they had escaped being uplifted... well, the way the game actually explains "purity of essence" to us, "an indomitable spirit capable of great change," the Primal Zerg clearly *do* have that. The part about "indomitable spirit" arguably fits them *better* than it does the Swarm. Maybe that's just an inconsistency between the original backstory of the Zerg race written for Starcraft in 1996 and the way Legacy of the Void explains the infinite cycle in 2015.

[@Photoloss]

@@cjayhay The inconsistency is the Primals existing in the first place, their nature and Purity actually aligns pretty well. The original pre-uplifting zerg were said to already possess Purity of Essence, that is why the xel'naga (no mention of Amon in SC1, later retconned to have been only him and his followers) chose to experiment on them in the first place. As per the SC1 manual Zerus was left "barren and lifeless" when the Swarm departed under the Overmind's control. And Char was said to be reminiscent of their homeworld, though any claims of Char _being_ the zerg homeworld were purely propaganda or misinformed speculation. Given what we know about zerg tenacity and adaptability it actually makes perfect sense IF we accept the SC1 lore to have been written from the perspective of the various featured factions i.e. the Overmind and/or Amon's xel'naga. THEY saw the Swarm consume "everything", and they, like most who would later face the Swarm, underestimated zerg tenacity. A volcanic world like Zerus also offers plenty of opportunities for new nutrients and niches of life to emerge. And yes Ouros was just winging it. Even the LotV shrines describe the "intended" cycle differently from what we see in the Epilogue.

[@Leon_Ryu]

Thank you for not forgetting about Reclamation! I'd like to address two cutscenes. Kerrigan fighting Narud is IMO one of the best ones. The shapeshifting villain will naturally take the form of Jim, it's the logical thing to do to make Kerrigan hesitate, and it worked. It also makes sense to turn into human Kerrigan to taunt her about how she sacrificed her humanity, which was a theme of the game. Also, let's not forget the part after the fight, where it's revealed Zagara could betray Kerrigan while she's injured, but doesn't. The implication is that Kerrigan made Zagara more independent earlier, which was portrayed as dangerous because she could become a traitor - and ironically, that's what saved Kerrigan. An un-changed Zagara would have seized the Swarm right then. That scene deserves more love. And then the Epilogue. The game had a great idea with the whole Purity of Form & Essence plot, which was to subvert the expectations. It was repeated over and over it was supposed to be the psionic Protoss and the evolving Zerg, but in the end, it was actually a psionic Terran and the evolving Primal Zerg. It's a great subversion, except THEY DIDN'T MENTION THIS ANYWHERE. I actually love many ideas of the Epilogue, but they were handled horribly.

[@Photoloss]

Honestly I don't think Narud even necessarily meant any of that. He just pried at Kerrigan's insecurities, with the goal of making her hesitate like you say in order to kill her. He was cornered and desperate at that point, not twirling his moustache while philosophising on the protagonist's flaws. Also the premise of Kerrigan's ascension was quite obvious tbh, not really a subversion when Zeratul tells her to go to Zerus specifically to claim zerginess untouched by Amon. But the way it was done was still a silly hack job which feels very much like Ouros breaking the rules to kill Amon rather than how the Infinite Cycle is supposed to work. Which could still be fine if it was satisfying enough in terms of presentation, but this is the Epilogue we're talking about so naked glowy lady will have to suffice.

[@Additional_Pylon156]

My gripe with the whole Zerg/Primal Zerg complaint is: that the Zerg were not uplifted, they were corrupted by Amon and his followers, the primal Zerg and the Protoss were to be left to their own devices but Amon altered both which is what eventually caused the war between the Xel’Naga and their subsequent death at the hands of the Zerg, meaning the primal Zerg DO have purity of essence, its the whole reason of their existence and their constant evolution, and purity of form in lore just means a being/race of immense psionic potential, the Xel’Naga chose the Protoss as the preferable candidate and Amon meddled with them too, so humans, untouched and untainted and with a capacity of individual psionic power/potential could eventually become candidates of the purity of form too, as it turns out, Kerrigan met the criteria, her infestation unleashed her psionic potential to its maximum and her willing hybridization with the primal Zerg made her essentially into a proto Xel’Naga. I do wish they were bold enough to turn her into a manatee first though.

[@kindlesstraitor5587]

Raynors Rallying Speech being A tier is a crime. Change my mind.

[@TheHalogen131]

I agree. It should be much lower. It's the most generic and useless rallying speech I've heard, until the one in Quantumania.

[@danielhale1]

I'd love a ranking of mission intro cutscenes. The Overmind's "AWAKEN MY CHILD", Mira Han's banter, conversations with Tosh, the way characters like Duke and Mengsk introduce themselves... there's a lot of juicy stuff there!

[@bobbyferg9173]

And while I think Legacy of the Void has several flaws in it’s presentation and story, the mission where the UI “shuts off” when you click start mission due to Amon influencing the ship was such a cool surprise

[@-Raylight]

*"Your **-memes-** cinematic ends here!"* *"No, I just passed it to you"* Grant finally owned SC's cinematic xD

[@double2254]

Don’t worry grant, if KZbin does believe that you own the copyright for that cinematic then it is finally in competent hands and we couldn’t trust anyone else

[@kotqrka]

Watching Unity always gives me goosebumps. It is as epic as it could be and deserve S tier for me.

[@bertdog2119]

I disagree with Unity’s A tier. Unity has a better cohesion with the game mechanics because you go straight into the Invasion of Aiur after watching it. Swarm’s leads into the Umojan facility. You don’t get to be “the swarm” until way later in the campaign. With Unity you get out on top of the world as the Protoss, and that works with you then getting smacked back to the ground after the corruption of the Khala.

[@Gredran]

I'll never forget that the ENTIRE end cinematic was leaked of Heart of the Swarm(the video is still on KZbin, it's VERY early CGI like layout and no textures, but it's almost the exact same minus how Mengsk uses the Xel'naga artifact to stop Kerrigan which wasn't the original plotpoint in the dev cinematic) and no one believed it because the end of WoL had JUST happened and everyone was like, "Really, it can't be real because she's Queen of Blades again" and even down to her comments about the Zerg not even totally lining up with WoL Kerrigan and then I remember being floored when the first scene of the cinematic played and I was like "ITS REAL!" and not in a great way lol.

[@menelik6652]

Entombed is at least A tier in my heart "... the firstborn shall fear you NO LONGER!" chills!

[@sdsdfdu4437]

The Wings of Liberty intro deserves an S tier. It was an announcement to the world that Starcraft is back, and it's dripping with so much coolness that I've seen many parodies and cinematics inspired by it.

[@maladusprophetofmia9874]

One thing ill say that makes warriors even better in my opinion is the opening to it, to anyone else, they may have been offended at calling the "boys" a warrior like that, but raynor, arguably the most knowledgeable man about the protoss, knows that to the protoss, such a title was said with the absolute highest respect, it mirrors the later attempt by artanis to show his want to respect terran customs, and its just great

[@Wisper200]

The honorable mention at the end of this video, was something id never sween before and it shook me to the core.

[@jesuschrist9677]

ok, but the newgrounds animation for the fall of Fenix with the battery falling out is an s-tier.

[@KaelDraykose]

This video brought back so many memories of the games for me. So many great memories that I don't even get when I replay through them nowadays. greatly structured, gratifyingly said, and ultimately.. wonderfully done Grant!

[@TonicSpirits]

One of my favorite things about "Unity" is, as far as I'm aware, it's one of the few big events in Starcraft and probably the ONLY cinematic that showcases something being a match for an ultralisk. We're used to these hulking behemoths crushing everything in their way up to this point. - the Torrasque in the UED campaign and ultralisks in general in SC1 - Starcraft: Ghost cinematic showing one tanking a whole squad of marines' rifles - WoL having some scripted events in Belly of the Beast presenting them with a bit of fanfare and dread - Swarm showing one plowing a Viking like a chew toy and walking off a shell from a SIEGE TANK So seeing something square up with it 1-on-1 and actually hold its own not only helps sell the power of the Protoss but gives longtime fans some catharsis upon seeing this seeing this iconic unit finally get some comeuppance.

[@WTFChickens]

Glad you touched on the in game cinematics. The jump from Mar Sara by itself got me invested to play Wings of Liberty, as someone who never played SC1. The idea that these guys being completely cool while in a spaceship being actively attacked on all sides and out numbered, and they instantly start to fall apart when they find out that the Zerg are starting an all out war was all I needed to set the stakes of that game.

[@Zyrvaria]

can't believe grant owns Fury of the xel'naga. I think he deserves it though

[@thematriarch-cyn]

Thank you for this vidceo, owner of the Fury of the Xel'Naga cutscene!

[@Lucy_1701]

Congraz on owning Fury of the Xel'Naga! 😄

[@Dr.Expendable]

Those Protoss cutscenes really do a good job of emphasizing what Auir means to the Protoss. That they really mean it when they say they would die for it.

[@TheSerbianEmperor]

I remember I was a kid when WC3 first released. I watched a trailer with my dad and he was absolutely convinced these trailers and later cinematics in the game were cut from some movie. He literally spent days trying to find that movie for us to watch and never managed it.

[@bobbyferg9173]

The visual quality jump between StarCraft and Warcraft III is absolutely amazing, and I’d say they are easily still some of Blizzard’s best cinematics

[@bobbyferg9173]

Even with the limitations in StarCraft 1, you can tell that the devs had an incredible cinematic eye to create cinematics that ranged from funny with references to epic finales that leave the player in awe. While I feel like the later SC2 campaigns fell off in quality, Wings of Liberty did not disappoint in carrying over that original feel to updated graphics that arguably still hold up today. Also even if it is a smaller video, a Warcraft III ranking would be amazing because they pulled no punches in making those cinematic some of the best Blizzard has ever done in my opinion

[@theangrysuchomimus5163]

24:02 To be fair, In Utter Darkness is set in the future, so maybe Selendis and Zeratul set their differences aside by then

[@NightHawk92929]

Brood war intro was robbed 😤😤 That was the coolest thing I'd ever seen a kid

[@Lifeslayer8]

"Alone" not being S tier is a crime against Aiur!😭 You have an Aiur templar on Shakuras, and hes about to blow up the planet of his former master who he killed and making him the first dark and high templar. There's a TONNE of weight behind this. I might be wrong but don't think up until now we saw "warping out" as a possibility so watching it for the first time, it does give you the impression that Arthanis is going to die.

[@Photoloss]

We don't really see warping out in cutscenes all that much, but it was consistently used for in-mission endings to signify a fighting retreat, despite being completely irrelevant in terms of game mechanics. Heck they even do it for that very same Shakuras holdout right before the cutscene plays. Also there not being any Hybrid in that cutscene is a dead giveaway that Artanis _SHOULDN'T_ die.

[@MrGeorgeFlorcus]

"Swarm" is maybe one of the best video game cinematics ever. It blows my mind every time I see it, I struggle to comprehend that it is well over 10 years old; It's literally older now, than the BW intro was in when "The Deal" dropped. The fidelity of the CGI, the intensity of the soundtrack, and the cinematography, all underscored by Kerrigan's narration (in my opinion, the best contribution she has as a character to SC2, considering her... troubled reintroduction to the series). It felt like the closest thing we've ever had, and maybe ever will have, to a StarCraft film. For a brief moment, it felt real.

[@jonathanfaber3291]

I think the final heart of the swarm cutscenes would’ve been good if it was clear there was like… any push and pull between Jim “what the fuck Kerrigan” Raynor and Jim “her legs are Zergy now does that make her more or less hot” Raynor. But since you get him back so late and since you basically never see him again until Korhal it doesn’t go anywhere and there isn’t really clarity that that’s actually the conflict here. I can totally see what they were going for but they really needed to make that conflict like, the entire second half of the game or something ~and probably hire better writers to depict their romance lol~

[@Photoloss]

Plus the Jim side was entirely ruined by the WoL Prophecy bullshit anyway. Jim is "a good man", NO FUCKING WAY is he going to let THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE BE WIPED OUT over some personal hangups, romantic, Fenix-related or otherwise, in all but the most Game of Thrones pilled grimdark awfulness of stories.

[@GerMorden]

Wait, no Tosh/Nova on-engine cutscene ranking?! Not even a mention?! That is criminal, especially given how good Tosh's one is. Also I feel that Fury of the Xel'Naga deserves better, especially given how much it establishes in the lore. As a reminder, "Shakuras was a planet fixed in a state of perpetual twilight", so having Artanis, who's being unsure of Dark Templar's customs while being scared due to having temple completely encircled by the zerg, to greet a very first dawn on Shakuras after temple's activation was an incredibly powerful moment.

[@bobbyferg9173]

I thought Grant was missing a bunch of cinematics at first but then I realized they were in-engine renderings, which almost could have surprised me considering their quality. And yah it’s a shame they weren’t mentioned because both Nova’s and Tosh’s cutscenes were great in their own way

[@ilunfrost1006]

Am I seriously the only person that'd rank Legacy S tier?

[@WonderingWanderer88]

Saying "above" may feel a bit too much for me. But "parallel", or "same tier" is what I aim for

[@Danydino21]

No

[@necromanticer169]

22:22, I thought that Jim shooting the wall was Jim legitimately trying to kill Kerrigan, but that was only an image of Kerrigan she was projecting which is why at first he literally sees a Ghost Kerrigan. He wanted to and tried to kill her to atone for all that he sacrificed. Kerrigan thought he might and entered with an illusion to test him, watched him try to kill her, and still lets him leave powerless and frustrated... The way I watched and read that scene hits different. Definitely moves it up a few grades for emotional impact.

[@Photoloss]

That would be a very interesting reading if Kerrigan EVER pulled ANY kind of psychic trickery throughout the entire trilogy. But she doesn't. Straight up honest comms, and everything else is just HULK SMASH! Not even a flashbang or shadow clone spell in gameplay. Also it would add another layer of fail to the finale, because why the heck would she do that to Jim but not even acknowledge the risk with Arcturus? (Yes in lore he's extremely resistant to telepathy. That only means the queen of the ZERG should ADAPT and find another way to achieve the same goal)

[@BaranZenon]

The WoL - The Betrayel also shows what of a masterpiece Starcraft 2 was and how much did they care about the quality of SC2. Becouse that cinematic was FULLY translated in other versions of the game! You know how in most games where there are other launguage versions of a game and there are ingame writings, like posters, signs etc. it mostly is in english, or which other is the main laungage in that game, and in other tranlations they add subtitles or something. In some games they do translate also ingame writings. In cinematics they might also add the dubbing (which they didnt in Starcraft Remastered, even if the game itself had new dubbing). But to translate also a pre rendered cinematic? And in SC2 they translated BLOODY EVERYTHING - ale the signs, textures, flagues, beeping lights, everything that had writings on it. So in polish version for example we dont see on the sign "Welcome to New Gettysburg", but "Witamy w Nowym Gettysburgu".

[@Chengyuan79]

wow

[@LaigledeMeaux]

As a kid, "Battle On The Amerigo" gave me freaking nightmares. I couldn't even playthrough the rest of the game for months due to that cinematic lol.

[@anzyroadside2374]

Swarm... Reminds me of Carbot Animations' rendition of each StarCraft2 cinematic. I think even they forgot the very first StarCraft intro.

[@vaniellys]

I was not expecting such a video, but I'm very interested !

[@kyledawson7175]

THEY TURNED MY MAIN MAN JIMMY INTO A SIMP. >:(

[@thomasvalosor330]

I love the moment of Jim realizing that Zeratul is gone, and just silently acknowledging the weight that Artanis is carrying - and giving him that final bit of encouragement.

[@Yetidelamontagne]

Ascension is so much better when you take into account than the first time you see Dugalle, he explains how he despites liar, coward and traitor. And in the end, he has betrayed Alexis, he lied to everyone (even his loved one) about his fight and k*lled himself. Pinacle of tragedy and character bulding.

[@malikil]

You mention how everyone forgets the sc1 intro, then how iconic wasteland patrol is. Admittedly I may be one of those people, and without being reminded of the real opening I would have sworn that wasteland patrol *was* the opening.

[@bobbyferg9173]

Yah I guess the problem is that most people see the Brood War cinematic intro instead of the original due to how most people had the expansion installed, meaning it wouldn’t play the original

[@DrakonPhD]

20:44 No, i think it actually is *more* powerful when Kerrigan is still human. She appears human, but went right back into acting like the Queen of Blades, appearing to betray everything they fought for on Char

[@Photoloss]

It would be if the second half of the campaign aligned with that interpretation based on your mission order.

[@eikbfsrum]

Love the video, Warriors is probably my personal favorite I did wish you included the 6 minute long Starcraft Ghost cinematic though, it's goofy and probably lands somewhere in the middle but I enjoy a lot and it's a stepping stone in animation quality between BW and WoL

[@HellecticMojo]

13:02 This is Murrica baybee. Sue those imposters stealing your rightfully owned content!

[@amplesstratleholm7609]

Early LotV is some of my most favorite experience in gaming. The sheer coolness and gravitas of how Protoss talk and fight, and the normality behind it all just makes all the cutscenes hit. Unfortunately it falls off slightly since then, until the Epilogue nose dives the story (Into The Void is still a pretty cool mission though).