Motion Designer Reacts to Starcraft 2 | Legacy of the Void Cinematic Trailer

[@ChompStudio]

Oldie but a goodie! What do you guys think of Starcraft cinematics and what should we check out next!

[@HuntersOA]

I adore all star craft animation. They are amazing! :D

[@OmniSkepticSC]

This is a fantastic cinematic from Blizzard but honestly the Heart of the Swarm opening cinematic is cooler. Less particle effects if I remember correctly (it's even older than this one) but some really great moments with a feeling of "momentum"

[@Geeageee]

SC2 Heart of the Swarm was the expansion to the base game that preceded this one. The opening cinematic is pretty awesome for that.

[@Aku-e1n]

I think we all can agree that if Blizzard is good at something then it is their ability to create visual masterpieces for their games. Oldie but goodie? Warhammer Mark of Chaos from 2006 has a great trailer. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5bRc4CJfZqansUsi=OLsK3H-0QHHe2wRg

[@canarsit7659]

Warriors-League of legends Awaken-League of legends there is my 2 favorite animation should reac 😊

[@lordmortarius538]

That lone zealot defending the pylon warp-in is an old, battle-scarred warrior named Kaldalis. He watched Aiur burn under the initial invasion of the Zerg, and has been filled with indomitable purpose to see their homeworld retaken ever since. "My life for Aiur" is not just a slogan for him, it's the core of who he is, willing to do whatever is necessary to free his world, even to the ultimate sacrifice. The whole campaign in this expansion is just amazing, with the ability to choose alternate faction units for the different roles and tailor your strike force to what is needed or what your favored playstyle is.

[@ChompStudio]

Awesome! Thanks for the lore!

[@Nastyn1nja808]

My Life for Aiur!!!!!!

[@crapstirrer]

Blizzard has a long history of great cinematics.

[@ChompStudio]

Agreed! Pretty amazing track record!

[@drhapi5308]

“StILl HoLdS uP” as if this wasn’t the literal leading pinnacle of cgi before the industry buckled under its own greed.

[@ChompStudio]

Its really well done.....and I enjoyed checking it out a lot!

[@Weigazod]

@@ChompStudio The sad truth, after the shining 2000s, RTS as a genre and business sector of the gaming industry failed to obscurity and sank into the abyss of mediocre with barely anything new and innovative for decades. The only place to find a modicum of entertainment was with small indie studio's small projects and all legends. Everything new that are big looked like powerpoint presentations prepared for board of directors or shareholders' meeting rooms. We really reached the pinnacle of RTS games back there and never again approached that masterful level. Truly a time of stagnation and disappointment.

[@itsnotthatserious9102]

Relax. Not everyone is a blizzard d*ck rider.

[@Anschlagen]

Only Blizzard could out do Blizzard Cinematics. No other Game company has come close. If the Warcraft Movie was done in Blizzards CGI instead of live action, it would have been so much better, IMHO!

[@nguyen.tien.phat1310]

​@@Anschlagen how about League cinematics? They are pretty good too

[@Fissiccisst1]

Glad you liked the video! Blizzard still makes some of the best cinematics in the business. So for some lore/history: This is the Protoss Race(blue guys), fighting the Zerg(bugs). They use their psionics to create the weaponized blades, lightning, etc.. The black hole is warping in a pylon, which powers their buildings and allows them to warp in within their field. This entire fight is basically making a beachhead on their destroyed homeworld to start retaking it back from the Zerg. The protoss are a classic Sci Fi super advanced race that's fallen from their golden age. Very powerful, but generally few in number. For some really cool context on the idea of Protoss there's a 2d animated stills video called "StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void - Reclamation" that might not be good for a video. But it's great if you wanna get some more lore as it takes place just before this cinematic. Legacy of the Void is actually the third installment in SC2. The other two trailers for SC2, Heart of the Swarm and Wings of Liberty are also excellent cinematics that highlight the other 2 races of Starcraft, the Terrans(humans) and the Zerg(bugs). Those are definitely worth a video each if you're so inclined.

[@Assasin_and_beast_YT]

heart of the swarm is heat

[@egalomon]

That will always be my favourite Blizzard cinematic. Starcraft was my first Blizzard game and this trailer is so god damn epic. Not only is a great trailer for LotV but it's also so full with these little things that are solely starcraftian things. You mentioned the way the Templar moves to his fellow Templar - that's exactly how they move in the games, they leave behind those mirror images. When they fuse to make an Archon - that's a game mechanic! Sacrifice two spellcasting units to make a giant attack-based unit. And those RULE! The banelings, the Zealot tanking one baneling with his Protoss barrier and then the other takes him out, the way the Zealots at the end sprint ahead of the group... it's all ingame mechanics realized in cinematic form and it makes everyone who has played the games before go like "OH DAMN THAT'S HOW IT IS THE GAME! THEY ACTUALLY DO THAT!" and it makes me and I guess a lot of fans just really happy

[@ChompStudio]

Love that they are true to the game while adding a cinematic spin on it!

[@mirroregg]

The guys with the green acid inside are called "Banelings"; you can think of them as rolling bombs: they can roll/walk in and cause massive aoe damage.

[@ChompStudio]

This is awesome thanks!

[@witchayasipipattanakun7103]

I loved that build in Heart of the Swarm. Won so many matches using the baneling rush hahaha.

[@sim.frischh9781]

Blizzard once was a company that delivered phenomenal trailers and the games that lived up to them.

[@ChompStudio]

Trailers never miss!

[@lordcron]

I heard old mentioned at least two dozen times. I challenge anyone to find a game that will absolutely demand everything from your intellect as starcraft does. You are guaranteed to never play the same map exactly the same way twice! Knowing your strengths and weaknesses on ever single second of the fight is paramount to winning. As a gamer going clear back to the Arcades of the 1980's when I was a teen, I can tell you this "OLD" game is one of the very best ever made.... Period.

[@ChompStudio]

Love this!

[@jayhosh8126]

Warcraft. Total Annihilation.

[@ArgKnoxville86]

This game was my youth, when this expansion was announced I cried. So some explanations to your questions. Those green things are called Banelings, they are like suicide bombers. The interesting thing in that scene besides the particle effects, was that the other guy, the Zelot, smashes right through because Protoss (the golden warriors) have energy shields. So he is able to tank one baneling shot before dying to the next one. In true Zelot fashion, total badass. The two guys fusing are called Templars and they can merge to create an Archon. They do area of effect damage and have lots of shields to protect them. The Protoss, the protagonist here, have the capability to summon more warriors through the Pylon, the thing that was a little black hole in the beginning.

[@ChompStudio]

Awesome thanks for this! I love the cinematics from a Animator perspective, but I do love hearing about the background and lore. Makes it better on the second viewing. Thanks!

[@FeanorToro]

​@@ChompStudiothis is the great thing about the three cinematics, they explore in-game situations and they applly them perfectly in the "movie"

[@jjjj8644]

"He's not alone, is he?" He never was

[@jasonseguerra7280]

After the years! still holds up and give me chills!

[@CReaper210]

Awesome, thanks. I personally love the Heart of the Swam cinematic trailer best, I think it would be cool if you check that one out. It has the same bug monsters(Zerg) that you saw here, but instead shows how they assault a human planet. Some of the human tech in the cinematic is really graphically impressive to look at and it gives a much better look, in my opinion, at showing the Zerg's overwhelming numbers. So I think you'd probably have a lot to say about it.

[@ChompStudio]

Awesome thanks! Ill add it to the list!

[@andrewweldy7508]

Honestly I think he needs to check out both of the other cinematics (Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm), in that order. In fact by watching them in chronological order as they had been released you can see the improvements the design and animation crews of Blizzard made as they progressed in making the other two parts to the game.

[@syweb2]

The hero characters belong to a species called Protoss. The melee dudes are called Zealots, and the "sorcerer"-type characters are High Templar. The little round robot is a Probe, which is normally used for harvesting resources and teleporting in buildings.

[@DJSchreffler]

The effect of the High Templar moving over to his felled comrade, that reminds you of the Riddick villain, is drawn directly from how they move in the games (both original Starcraft and SC2): floating off the ground, with images of themselves trailing behind. Alas, he's not fast and able to dodge in the game. As for the Archon imploding to take the Ultralisk with it? Alas, that is not an in-game ability. Did look utterly neat, though!

[@Luciphell]

Chills. Every time.

[@davidvancurik5543]

This cinematic is introduction of "last chapter" of Starcraft story. Zerg (the creatures) have taken control over the homeworld planet of protoss (the armoured guys) few years ago. The Cinematic is showing the moment, where after few years, the protoss refugees groupped up and decided they will give their final try to reclaiming the place, that was once their home. ... I'd sugest to look once again on the cinematic with the knowledge that the protoss wariors are there while knowing ... this is our last and only chance to ever reclaim our home ...

[@ChompStudio]

Love learning more about all the lore! Thanks for this!

[@ryanlorenzo5003]

Carbot's rendition of the trailer does give you the character variety you're looking for, albeit in cartoon format and a parody for those who know in-game mechanics that would conflict with the shown footage. Instead of three zealots, two high templar and the probe, it makes it four unique infantry units and the probe. With just one zealot with their dual blades, an adept with a big shield/ranged weapon, a dark templar that's partly invisible, and one high templar who does his magic and still fuses with the DT to make the archon. Carbot also makes it that the probe is relevant to the team, not just disappearing after summoning the pylon.

[@ChompStudio]

Very nice! Thanks!

[@BobJason1]

Kind of surprised no one mentioned this: The little slow motion / pause effect at the beginning, you’ll also notice a light effect going through their head nerve cords. This is an important detail because it basically gives the Protoss a 360 degree angle of what’s happening on the battlefield. They all are able to see, hear, and communicate with each other in a single moment thanks to those nerve cords. Adds to their superiority as a species and their ability to fight. “For we are bound by the Khala, our sacred union of every thought and emotion”

[@ChompStudio]

Dang this is awesome! Thanks!

[@Yurei008]

Those warriors in the gold armor are known as Protoss which are special type of alien race that have high advance technologies and their home world has been taken by the zergs which are also another type of aliens that are the Protoss are fighting against. The Protoss with the psy-blades are Zealots the little thing or orb guy is a probe used as material gatherers and construction builders as you can see when it warped in a pylon which is the big crystal and the giant cool looking zerg is known as an ultralisk which are highly defensive and can absorb a lot of damage thanks to its high health and they can also do a lot of damage as well

[@ChompStudio]

Dang....this is awesome lore! Thanks!

[@graf_spee]

2:43 nope because one time Zeratul says none of us are ever truly alone

[@emre4789]

Some more lore because i absolutely love this shit: The protoss armour is designed to keep the user alive at all costs (trade off being of course, much more expensive). The personal shield you see being consumed at 1:25 is created by the protoss's armour and is regenerated if not sustaining significant damage. The blue crystals on the armour are responsible for teleporting the warrior back home to safety moments before death. This doesn't always mean they get sent home in one piece though, brutally maimed and crippled protoss warriors are then shoved into (essentially) life support machines with lasers/plasma weapons and sent back into battlefield hahahaha. Sometimes the crystals themselves are damaged, so the warrior dies then and there without being teleported (i believe this is the case in the cinematic). The High Templar (the psionic casters you mentioned) wear a lighter version of this armour.

[@ChompStudio]

Dang this is awesome! Love learning about the deeper lore....Thanks!

[@Nervete]

If you liked this, the trailer teaser for Heart of the Swarm (the prior starcraft expansion) is somehow even better. One of my very favorite cutscenes of anything ever

[@ChompStudio]

Heck ya! This was awesome! Ill definitely check out Heart of the Swarm and add it to the list. Thanks!

[@marcopalazzo9349]

Probably one of the best game cinematics.

[@rusozawr4969]

Word ❤

[@Gizimpy]

"Sorcerer-guy"; no yeah you nailed it. High Templars didn't even have a basic attack in some versions, only "spells." Totally sorcerer guys.

[@ChompStudio]

This is awesome to know! Thanks!

[@tonlomugdang]

I am certainly positive that Avengers End game last battle scene was referenced to this.

[@Nomblies]

Those 2 guys that combined are high templars, sacrificing themselves to become an archon. Archons have an incredibly short life span, they are a culmination of pure energy from the templars, and when that energy is spent, they cease to exist, not unlike the way they vanish and create the hole in the environment. It is one last ditch effort to give everything you have to destroy your enemies before you fade into nothingness.

[@ChompStudio]

Dang thats awesome! The Archon is definitely my favorite section of this! Thanks!

[@lordmortarius538]

POWER OVERWHELMING

[@taters9722]

Great breakdown. You picked up on a lot most wouldnt. Great eye for detail.

[@ChompStudio]

Hey thanks for the kind words! Really enjoyed this one!

[@tressil3607]

I still come back to watch this Blizz cinematic

[@ChompStudio]

Its so good!

[@sgchoe4806]

This is one of those fan-service scenes. People who don't know starcraft will think it's cool. People who know the context literally freak out, like i did!!😁

[@ChompStudio]

Love that they are doing that!

[@yuen4817]

New subscriber and really appreciate your work. Looking forward to seeing more overwatch and the other two StarCraft videos. Need the Kiriko reaction

[@ChompStudio]

Hey welcome aboard! Appreciate the comments and recommendations!

[@Teiphel_]

Think he would love the early overwatch cinematics

[@ChompStudio]

Ill add them to the list! Thanks!

[@andrewweldy7508]

You watched this but you have got to watch the full cinematics for all three main parts of the game (Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, and Legacy of the Void) in that order. This is only the opening cinematic for the third part of the game. I would be very interested to hear what your thoughts are on the rest of the cinematics for this game are.

[@ChompStudio]

Sounds good! Ill add them to the list!

[@KickstarterRadio1024]

Must check out the Diablo Cinematic just with Lillith... and also The World of Warcraft cinematics are epic to watch too... a real feast for the eye and incredible work that still stands the test of time. Simply breathtaking.

[@ChompStudio]

Love this comment! I will add these to list I have going. Thanks!

[@rusozawr4969]

Thanks for watching this one! 😆It must be super confusing for someone who doesn't know anything about SC2, but we can all agree it looks cool! I hope to see you react to more Blizzard and Riot stuff!

[@ChompStudio]

Definitely loos cool! Just learned this the last one in the series...so Im gonna go back and check out the other ones! thanks!

[@Vendrix86]

check out heart of the swarm cinematic which was the game before this one!

[@ChompStudio]

Sounds good! Adding to the list!

[@luispavon1371]

That slow motion scene is just like watchig avegers 1 the1st time.

[@enlightendbel]

No matter the unending deluge of faults with Activision Blizzard, their cinematics team has been a decade ahead of the game for a long long while now. Even in World of Warcrafts Battle for Azeroth expansion, I absolutely loathed the entire expansion to the point it got me to kick a 15 years World of Warcraft habbit. But dear lord were the cinematics they put out for that expansion some of the most memorable I've ever seen. And they weren't all just great 3D, one of the best of the lot is the Warbringers: Jaina cinematic, which is a cartoon.

[@ChompStudio]

Totally agree! The cinematics have been amazing! Ill check out Jaina...thanks!

[@michaellopate4969]

Ok, now you absolutely must check out the Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle Launch Cinematic. Really excellently choreographed fight scene, with some very realistic looking (i.e. not flashy, just efficient) sword work.

[@ChompStudio]

Sounds good! Adding it to the list! Thanks!

[@DarkMatterBurrito]

"Bring in the Calvary" Jesus: Wait, what?

[@ChompStudio]

Lol. Yes!

[@Twitch2099]

My Life for Aiur!

[@blooddrawer]

4:55 zergling

[@ChompStudio]

Ahh ok cool!

[@fenorlex1126]

​@@ChompStudioThat's a Baneling, a subtype of Zergling filled with corrosive acid. Suicide rolling bombers, as the others have mentioned, and very effective against armour.

[@ChompStudio]

Dang...that sounds brutal!

[@blooddrawer]

@@fenorlex1126 they are also able to depending on the mutasion you choose with 1 jump up and move through high parts of the map while also going over friendly units to attack or 2 when it implodes 2 smalling banelings come out to attack theough they are weaker they offer another bit of damage after they explode the mutations are also put into 2 categories green and purple with purple as a defence/ strategy and green as a attacking/brute force mutaion and I'm saying they are these cause of how they work and their missions straight and simple giving you better damage and focus more on harming the enemy by either spawning units increasing attack damage or giving a deadly trait while purple allows you too defend bases better use your units in more complex ways or keep your units alive for longer though are called strategic by abathur a lot and purples also focus on their own survival sometimes or are used in their missions in a defencive way saying that that is how they were made and what devs believed they would be used for which is why I said purple is strategic and protecting base

[@Redhotandblue89]

It is a good one, but the Heart of the Swarm Trailer for starcraft 2 was better in my opinion. It has a much greater sense of scale, it also feels longer and builds a story a bit better than this one. This one takes the cake for particle effects and as you mentioned black hole effects which is pretty unique in both gaming and movies, but that Heart of the Swarm trailer really takes the cake, and its older but doesn't feel older.

[@BFCrusader]

Still waiting for the Starcraft movies/series

[@overmind3922]

You really need to see the other 2 cutscenes, the Heart of the Swarm one is even better

[@ChompStudio]

Sounds good! Adding them to the list, thanks!

[@richmargin6082]

MY LIFE FOR AIUR!!!

[@RajeshJustaguy]

STARCRAFT 2 Zeratul vs Kerrigan cinematic

[@ChompStudio]

Ill add it to the list! Thanks!

[@alreadydeadxx2120]

best game ever?

[@ChompStudio]

Could be.....

[@blooddrawer]

HAHHAHAHAHHA those were not heroes they were regular guys this is a real time strategy game those were the normal troops

[@ChompStudio]

Totally makes sense! I think I meant "heroes" as in the "good guys"...but either way I really enjoyed this animation. Thanks for stopping by!

[@blooddrawer]

@@ChompStudio your welcome

[@HellSpartanZ]

he doesnt understand why they look like that ( looks kinda same) LOL

[@carloscarlsen5425]

"mein leben für ajur"

[@ChompStudio]

Perhaps??

[@tr3d4y]

How the fuck are you not familiar with Starcraft

[@mindless7788]

A pylon in the game lets you warp in at the place the pylon is placed. In the game too :)

[@ChompStudio]

Ok awesome! This helps out...thanks!

[@shawnchong5196]

You should play and watch all cinematics. Or watch online all the cinematics. The storyline is amazing, and this trailer doesn't even do the in-game cinematics justice whatsoever. It's a teaser for those who know the game, and the best part is it gives close to 0 spoilers on what is going to happen, so no substance whatsoever in the trailers, as compared to the in-game cinematics. The best is a character "kerrigan" and how she gets revenge for her past. The storyline of this game arc is from the 1990s up to now. It's incredible except for the FINAL cinematics. The storyline is incredible and better than all the new crap I've seen. The story is gut wrenching, sad, happy, the game and cinematics sends you through a story that is incredible. If you want to know my taste, I like TNG / DS9 / SATC as the best episodic/sitcom series. Starcraft and DOOM for me are the best games for cinematic stories. Of course there is GTA but that's more violence and doesn't need to be thought out as much.

[@ChompStudio]

Sounds good! I have the other cinematics on the list....just gotta get to them. Have a good one!

[@shawnchong5196]

Note on some of your comments: 1. You need to play the game to understand what exactly is happening and what exactly the effects you see are. None of this is BS crap just made for the sake of making this trailer, but actually relates to in-game mechanics and gameplay. 2. The effects that you see of warping and what not, actually are from the gameplay of the first version release of the game in the 90s. A lot of what you mentioned as cool effects were already part of the game mchanics from the 90s. 3. The game's premise is basically taken from the book Starship troopers, but they added the aliens you see on the screen. The bugs in starship troopers, is the insect-like creatures you see in the cinematic. The supposed protagonists are not in Starship Troopers, and are an extra race that the writers tied into a wider plot, in the 90s, but never was revealed how things play out until 15 years later. For people like me, we waited 15 years to finally know the unknowns. 4. The cinematic is very skin-deep, the in-game cinematics and game really build on what makes the actual in-game cinematics so great: excellent character building, plot line, with the CG and effects with excellent voice-overs that make it such a vivid world and easy to immerse yourself into 100%. 5. I never played any of the SC2, because life got busy but I watched all cinematics online. 6. Any person wanting to do CG, want to learn excellent story telling and learn about expanding a plot and story should know about the success of SC2, as it is done so well. When you try to hold anything to the bar set by SC2 for plot/story, it is an excellent standard.

[@ChompStudio]

Thanks for all of this background...love learning about the history!