StarCraft - The Inauguration (Arcturus Mengsk Speech) HQ

Perhaps the most memorable cutscene from the fantastic RTS-game Starcraft.
Speech:
Fellow Terrans, I come to you in the wake of recent events to issue a call to reason. Let no human deny the perils of our time.
While we battle one another, divided by the petty strife of our common history, the tide of a greater conflict is turning againts us, threatening to destroy all that we have accomplished. It is time for us as nations, and as individuals to set aside our longstanding feuds and unite.
The tides of an unwinnable war are upon us, and we must seek refuge upon higher ground, lest we be swept away by the flood.
The Confederacy is no more. Whatever semblance of unity and protection it once provided is a phantom A memory. With our enemies left unchecked, who will you turn to for protection?
The devastation wrought by the alien invaders is self-evident. We have seen our homes and communities destroyed by the calculated blows of the Protoss. We have seen firsthand our friends and loved ones consumed by the nightmarish Zerg. Uprecedented, and unimaginable though they may be, these are the signs of our times.
The time has come my fellow Terrans, to rally to a new banner. In unity lies strength. Already many of the dissident factions have joined us.
Out of the many we shall forge an indivisible whole, capitulating ONLY to a single throne. And from that throne... I shall watch over you.
From this day forward, let no human make war upon any other human. Let no Terran agency conspire against this new beginning. And let no man consort with alien powers. And to all the enemies of humanity, seek not to bar our way. For we shall win through, NO MATTER THE COST!

[@Yonkage]

"And from that throne... *I* shall watch over you." Gives me chills every time.

[@adonisreaver2301]

I was gonna say that but you beat me to it haha I concer..."and from that throne.....I.....shall watch over you"

[@jdez095]

"For WE SHALL WIN THROUGH.. NO MATTTTER THE COST" As battlecruisers swarm the cosmos. Sooo fuckin badass

[@herbsuperb6034]

Yeah. Sends tingles up the spine.

[@kurzackd]

*"... **_AH_* ...shall watch over you !!* Even better !! :D

[@vgames6792]

FJB, and his masters

[@uanchovy9480]

Something that's always stood out to me in this speech: While Mengsk's rhetoric that humans must unite in order to fight against hostile alien powers, the only combat we see in the clip is humans against other humans. At 1:17 he plays up the alien threat, and then segues into a rousing call for unity at 1:39... but the backdrop of the call to unity is humans fighting other humans. Wraiths destroy some shipping containers, and a battlecruiser destroys another ship. Mengsk talks about human unity even while the screen is showing you humans fighting each other! And not once in the video do you see Dominion or Sons of Korhal forces fire a single shot against aliens. Not once. So, while it's easy to miss, I like that subtle reminder of hypocrisy in the background: that reminder that this is cynical, that Mengsk's entire campaign (as we saw while playing) was to exploit the alien threat in order to destroy his human enemies.

[@dustypaint]

Why this comment has no likes at all? This is a perfect observation. Thank you.

[@SebHaarfagre]

Yes well when you played SC and Brood Wars it became pretty clear what kind of ruler Mengsk is! So yeah everything you say is right but it's still such an insanely powerful speech you can't possibly take that away from him, despite being the way he is

[@saberiandream316]

OMG you put it so perfectly into words!

[@ellysoto7342]

Brilliant comment!

[@leomskiaddict]

the wraiths destroying some shipping containers were not containers at all, it was some evacuation ship escaping which is damn disturbing

[@SebHaarfagre]

"For *we shall win through* - _no MATTER the cost_." Text can't convey it well enough.

[@IKingRonin]

Probably one of the greatest speeches in video game history.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

Which makes it all the more irritating that Bizzard threw away this character because they "felt that Arcturus Mengsk's story and character development has already been executed". While he goes through a cliche story arc in this game, he proved to be one of the best nuanced and balanced character in the series, and him having to work together with all his enemies in Brood War made it all the more interesting. In SC2, he's a 1 dimensional villain with a hidden doomsday trap in his throne room, like he's some kind of villain from the old sci-fi serials.

[@IKingRonin]

ltflak I agree with what you said.

[@Raducu2oo5]

They shat on all the work they did in SC1. Kerrigan was all cunning, manipulative and smart, Mengsk was both villain but also if you saw things from his perspective, his actions made sense. They set up a mystery with Duran in that secret level. Duran was a great character too, as were the UED leaders Stukov and DuGalle. Then came the SC2 story where Kerrigan became this misunderstood person who wasn't a cunning bitch at all, Mengsk became some sort of evil Mugabe-style dictator, etc. It shows how much effort was put in the story of SC1 and how little in SC2.Thats my opinion

[@IKingRonin]

Raducu2oo5 All about the special effects, and not so much the story now a days...

[@Freedom21stCenturi]

Blizz completely abandoned all serious story building with SC2. Every character is one dimensional.

[@OrinjFlames]

still sounds more legit than any politician I've ever heard.

[@alioshia3576]

+OrinjFlames agreed.

[@lucassenders860]

totally

[@Sirax123]

+OrinjFlames he actually kept his promise to fight real aliens. Most Honest Politician Award. He even used their genetics against the both of them.

[@SeoulMan]

+OrinjFlames Believe me, I want to rephrase it to be relevant to the times now, because maybe even THIS speech can get through to most rational, intelligent people.

[@4hammer100]

I disagree. He spent far more money into finding and killing James Raynor than he spent dealing with Zerg Threat at the beginning of WoL. He only began taking a stand against the Zerg after the Queen of Blades was neutralized.

[@metalgaming2124]

I love how his voice gets distorted in the Zerg scene, like your actually hearing it through a zerg units ears

[@JohKnoxx]

And protoss aswell

[@mondayjoker]

You know, these days people always talk about how "primitive" game stories were before 2005, but from where I'm standing, it seems to be the other way around. People who wrote games back then were nerds who had an appreciation for old school sci-fi, fantasy and literature. Now it seems to be written by hollywood dropouts, jampacked with every cliche in the book.

[@ecthelion1735]

Exactly. Thank you.

[@FeroxX_Gosu]

mondayjoker agree

[@Szederp]

mondayjoker Exactly.

[@DavidRoyman]

mondayjoker Yep!

[@combinecommando001]

mondayjoker This brought a tear to my eye, this is very spot on.

[@SuperZergMan]

He may be an evil evil son of a bitch, but at least he writes a damn good speech.

[@shreddykrueger3749]

FuzzyZergling hell yeah

[@marcusgorvin175]

FuzzyZergling no, he had a speech writer

[@Phantom6.6.6]

Mengsk and visari would love to take notes from eachother

[@darky5780]

@@Phantom6.6.6 "Making the mother of all omelettes Raynor, can't fret over every egg."

[@mr.hawklingiii8739]

Ironically Mengsk was never supposed to become Emperor, he was originally a Senator in the Confederate Senate and supposed to take control of the Terran Confederacy after it fell apart in the original story they had. This speech was supposed to be made to the remaining Confederate worlds

[@garyauyong5328]

“For we shall win through, no matter the cost” A massive fleet of battlecruisers in low orbit

[@british-guy-]

Who called in the fleet?

[@Galacsia]

I love how Mengsk's voice sounds differently based on where it is listened.

[@Roamingfirebat]

Same

[@alexxx4434]

Great touch

[@xxlCortez]

This speech would probably tempt me to join Mengsk's Dominion if I don't know anything about his dirty secrets.

[@jonathanwells223]

xxlCortez That's basically the point

[@dokscy44]

Fascism and Nationalism are always sexy. Until it starts knocking on your doorstep.

[@richardides2035]

From a mastermind leader to a cartoonish villain...

[@xxlCortez]

@Audio Sugar he used xenophobia. Nationalism in a racial scale. "We humans must stand together against the vile aliens.

[@xxlCortez]

@Audio Sugar nationalism is appeal to cultural superiority (at least the extreme version of it). "Let's make the Koprulu sector great again. We gotta build a blockade and make the aliens pay for it."

[@Thromnabular]

Just recently finished playing StarCraft 2 and this is still, by far, my favorite cinematic from StarCraft and StarCraft 2. It shows Mengsk for what he truly is not just some blatantly evil dictator, but a calculated, intelligent man who got to where he is by using everyone as puppets. A man who truly believes that his cause is just and worth achieving "no matter the cost!"

[@alexxx4434]

Or he is using words as a weapon to manipulate people, just as always, and you're watching propaganda. All he ever wanted is power, as well as Kerrigan in BroodWar (his once loyal puppet). Maybe it's no surprise she turned out like that. I've replayed remastered SC recently and there was a line that apparently Mengsk saved Kerrigan from Confederate's experements on her involving zerg. Maybe leaving her to Zerg was planned by Mengsk. Probably he new more about those experiments, and leaving her to Zerg was kind of an experiment for Mengsk to see what happened?

[@aleksandar5323]

But he does openly tell Jim Raynor "I will rule this sector or see it burn to the ground"...

[@FarremShamist]

His "no matter the cost" is for ruling the sector. You're literally listening to his propaganda video and going "Look see??? He says he's here to unite humanity to defend it!!!!!! He said so!!!!!!!!" When we know that Mengsk is a liar.

[@JacksonJinn]

Eh, half dozen of one, six of another. He's not *wrong* that the Zerg are a clear and present threat (and would continue to be so under Kerrigan OR the Overmind) and that the Protoss were likewise dangerous (particularly the more... zealous factions). It's just him lining up the dominos and pushing Terrans to the brink until they had no functional choice besides falling in line with his faction. He planned on saving the sector... Just making sure he was going to be the one on top in the end. An emperor without a kingdom's not much of an emperor after all.

[@eastsouth9548]

this speech was written by a genius/intellectual, nice choice of words. you just cant hint the tyrannical tone concealed by beautiful words.

[@noisemarine561]

He reminds me of Napoleon Bonaparte.

[@survey9728]

90% of vanilla starcraft budget goes into this speech, I am calling it.

[@AwarenessBringer]

Mengsk may have fallen to an incredibly crooked level, but no one can deny his oratorical skills are sublime. This speech actually gives me some inspiration in maybe writing fictional speeches both fanon and canon.

[@SebHaarfagre]

-

[@AwarenessBringer]

+SebSk I was just saying what I think of it.

[@SebHaarfagre]

Mike Gilbert Sorry, was in a bad mood.

[@AwarenessBringer]

It's fine.

[@Agent1W]

He had complimented infested Kerrigan for her speaking skills too, which would be saying a lot about how well she can speak.

[@samuelyeung245]

The good ol' days when Blizzard actually gave a damn about their script

[@jinji0205]

now all the big game company is infeceted with feminism and PC. we ll never going back to 90s

[@NealX_Gaming]

What's great is that if you jump from this right into the Zerg campaign, this bright, hopeful ending showing unified Terran power is then completely subverted by the opening text and the imposing Zerg theme music: "the Swarms have crushed the meager human resistance and laid waste to nine of the thirteen Terran worlds". Maximum lolz.

[@OHOHOHCOME]

Dude, this was one of the best speeches I have heard in MY LIFE. It gets to the point, it was well paced, and it was well presented. And man, that severed arm floating in space was one of the most memorable scenes. The moment I saw it, I was like "Ahhh, this was the original StarCraft".

[@Shade.Hunter]

Starcraft 1 is just so unmatched compared to SC2. I felt like playing a cartoon compared to the dark and intense Starcraft 1 game.

[@SebHaarfagre]

+Semmeth Yep... SC2 and Blizzard after -- North left: Just plain soulless cartoon network-show sellout braindead shit. Well compared to what they WERE anyways. The fact that Blizzards games still are enjoyable just proves my point further. Sorry by the way, CN actually has some decent shows. But Blizzard has really taken immersion and quality, ripped it out of old fans' dreams, beat it up and stamped on it.

[@davaa31]

+SebSk I can understand your dislike for Blizzard's actions but THIS IS STILL A GODDAMN BUSINESS. They make games that people buy and play so they CAN MAKE MONEY $$$$. If you're still enjoying their products there should be no complaints. I really feel bad for people who make something and have it get verbally shat on by HATEmongers like you.

[@KaiserMattTygore927]

"they need to make money" is not an excuse for shitty story telling. fuck off, shill.

[@Fenixias]

I didn't play Starcraft 2 but I had the same sensation when I played Diablo 3 after Diablo 2 ^^''

[@Superman20000]

Yeah... It was darker.. Sc2 is more... Child focused

[@Argumemnon]

I hate Mengsk's guts, but that speech somehow makes me proud to be a human. :P

[@thelordofradiance4047]

Belz Zebuth HUMAN AND PROUD!!!

[@Argumemnon]

Demi Hollon Can't wait for us to start conquerin' the galaxy.

[@ElektrikPichuZ]

Belz Zebuth Yeah exactly the same, but I have a french version of the game and it feels like in french, Mengsk used more powerful words than in english version. x3 Now it feels like humans are the supreme race in the whole galaxy besides Xel'Naga

[@김옷닭-e9s]

+Belz Zebuth you better be worried about getting conquered thou :]

[@sumerian88]

+Belz Zebuth He's a very good speaker. But he does exactly the contrary of what he said humans shouldn't do. ''Let no human make war upon any other human'' - He wages war agaisn't the UED. ''Let no man consort with alien powers'' - He used the Zerg to annihilate Tarsonis and weaken the Confederacy. He allied with Kerrigan to retake Korhal from the UED. ''Let no Terran agency conspire agaisn't this new beggining'' - Foreshadowing. The UED sure planned to annihilate this new beggining. The only thing he was honest with : he wanted to keep his Dominion, and removing the UED from power is implied in this objective.

[@notatallboi2735]

I LOVE YOU SARGE

[@thehippie3610]

Wow, this Mengsk guy sure sounds like a charismatic leader who cares about his people!

[@british-guy-]

Also mengks:i will not be stopped not by you the protoss the confederates or anyone! I will rule this sector or see it burn to ashes around me!

[@Ybrethar]

Mengsk was a great leader. The SC2 plot just made him into a cartoon villain for no reason. "Oh no Mengsk let Kerrigan die", to be honest I didn't give a fuck about her character at that point. Now that I've finished SC2 I still don't care about Kerrigan. I just hate what they did to Mengsk.

[@mikaelantonkurki]

+Ybrethar he was always a the same kind of villain in all of the games SC2 Didn't change him at all.

[@CodeineRadick]

+Ybrethar Agreed. The ending could not have gotten any more STOCK if they tried.

[@OrangeSC2]

I do agree that sc2 ruined his character but he was a villain nonetheless. he used a psi emitter to kill off milions by zergs including the killer who wiped out his family, which is kerrigan. plus he managed to lose to a small fleet which is UED.

[@OrangeSC2]

+Fabian Kirchgessner forgot to mention that dominion was still a bigger army right before Koral attacks, based on a transmission.

[@OrangeSC2]

+Fabian Kirchgessner what are you talking about. dominion was on its own while protoss and kerrigan was doing their own things like saving Shakuras from thr xerg. and renegade zergs were too busy building new overmind. I have not read the part where dominions was busy attacking zergs and protoss. if you played protoss campaign, Terran only shows up as an defensive army, not offensive so highly unlikely that dominion was splitted.

[@GenericProtagonist7]

"Fellow Terrans, I come to you the wake of recent events to issue a call to reason. Let no human deny the perils of our time; While we battle one another, divided by the petty strife of our common history, the tide of a greater conflict is turning against us, threatening to destroy ALL that we have accomplished. It is time for us as nations, and as individuals, to set aside our long standing feuds and UNITE. The tides of an unwinnable war are upon us, and we must seek refuge upon higher ground, lest we be swept away by the flood. The Confederacy is no more, whatever semblance of unity and protection it once provided is a phantom, a memory. With our enemies left unchecked, who will you turn to for protection? The devastation wrought by the alien invaders is self evident; We have seen our homes and colonies destroyed by the calculated blows of the Protoss. We have seen, first hand, our friends and loved ones consumed by the nightmarish Zerg. Unprecedented and unimaginable though they may be, these ARE the signs of our time. The time has come, my fellow Terrans, to rally to a new banner; In unity lies strength, already many of the dissident factions have joined us. Out of the many we shall forge an indivisible whole, capitulating only to a single throne! And from that throne, I will watch over you. From this day forward let no Human make war upon any other Human, let no Terran agency conspire against this new beginning, and let no man consort with alien powers. And to all the enemies of Humanity; seek not to bar our way, for we shall WIN through, no matter the cost!"

[@shadowalk]

From an academic point of view, this ending cutscene and speech are very fine works of art. Mengsk's is a very good example of a commemoration speech in the same caliber as speeches orated by the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. The accompanying video sparked the right chemistry between them especially during the final parts. I'm a game design college student and I'd love to show this video to those elitist traditional pricks who thinks computer games are just 'petty kid stuff'.

[@CongaYT]

How'd the game design college go?

[@axechop]

*shows video of one battlecruiser Yamato-ing another* "From this day forward let no human make war upon any other human" I mean what do you expect from a guy who chose a hand holding a whip for his logo

[@demonhunter5520]

anyone ever read "I, Mengsk?" it's written by graham mcneill and it is a fantastic novel describing the early life of arcturus mengsk and later valerian mengsk. I highly recommend it if you haven't read it. you really get an idea of arcturus' motivations and beliefs LONG LIVE THE DOMINION!!!

[@phoenixcraft9940]

One of my favorite books. Seriously, Arcturus is the best video game villain ever. No changing my mind on that.

[@GeneralZap]

These were the days that required THOUGHT to make a game, NOT special effects and this thing people try to insinuate is "balance."

[@irkiIIer]

Pvt Gibs you have a half life 1 avatar in your shit, i suggest you also adapt then if you are telling him to do that, come on get rid of that thing and put up a call of duty advanced warfare or edge of tommorow pic or something

[@yyyihad]

This speech makes me feel proud to be human.

[@cheulesyigess1187]

Terran.

[@alexxx4434]

I'm experiencing strong Starship Troopers vibes watching this cinematic.

[@usul573]

The UED cutscenes feel even more like that.

[@amirmansouri1979]

Back when Starcraft characters were 3 dimensional (unlike SC2). Mengsk was authoritarian and ruthless but at the same time he was a human character with a tragic past and some redeemable traits, which is what made him some what of an anti-Villain and a great antagonist in the series. SC2 did him wrong.

[@asuris2646]

Fellow Terrans, I come to you in the wake of recent events to issue a call to reason. Let no human deny the perils of our time. While we battle one another, divided by the petty strife of our common history, the tide of a greater conflict is turning against us; threatening to destroy all that we have accomplished. It is time for us, as nations and as individuals, to set aside our long standing feuds and unite! The tides of an unwinnable war are upon us, and we must seek refuge upon higher ground lest we be swept away by the flood! The Confederacy is no more, whatever semblance of unity and protection it once provided is a phantom. A memory. With our enemies left unchecked, who will you turn to for protection? The devastation wrought by the alien invaders is self evident. We have seen our homes and communities destroyed by the calculated blows of the Protoss, we have seen firsthand our friends and loved ones consumed by the nightmarish Zerg. Unprecedented and unimaginable though they may be, these are the signs of our time. The time has come, my fellow Terrans, to rally to a new banner. In unity lies strength, already many of the dissident factions have joined us. Out of the many, we shall forge an individual whole, capitulating to only a singular throne, and from that throne, I shall watch over you. From this day forward, let no human make war upon any other human, let no Terran agency conspire against this new beginning, and let no man consort with alien powers. And to all the enemies of Humanity: Seek not to bar our way, for we shall win through. No matter the cost.

[@benjaminnguyen554]

my favorite line "The Confederacy is no more, whatever semblance of unity and protection it once provided is a phantom."

[@benjaminnguyen554]

the reason its my favorite has nothing to do with the confederacy collapsing, it has more to do with what government represents for the individuals who live within its shadow or warm embrace, whatever it may be

[@Egobyte83]

Still one of the best cutscenes of all time. Gives me goosebumps to this day.

[@gl3282]

It's 2024 and not a single US presidential candidate can match Mengsk's speech and vocabulary level. Lmao

[@andrewgardiner2524]

James Harper sure can make a character so charismatic and erudite, yet also detestable and repugnant as Mengsk. That is good voice acting, there.

[@RaZeZeRo1]

I forgot how unfathomably based this man was

[@tincanmaniac1931]

Couldn't have said it better myself

[@sumerian88]

He is ruthless for sure. As “based” as he may be, he sacrificed an entire planet just to erase his political opponents. Billions of humans, most being innocent, were sacrificed in the process. That’s genocide.

[@TerminallyChill85]

This speech is a masterpiece. Too bad you don't see anything like it in SC 2.

[@魏子茗-q8c]

The music though, perfectly matches the pace and content of speech, this is a masterpiece

[@CodeineRadick]

I wish they released that looping track played in the first half.

[@NukieD00kie]

Thousands of playing hours made Starcraft my favorite childhood game. And as a non-english-native-speaker, i used to memorize this speech so much, that at the 3rd grade when everyone started learning simple english words at class, i could repeat this speech in a polished Korhal-southern accent. About 10 years later it still makes me wanna get in my space marine suit, grab my gauss rifle, light up a stokey and drill ultrasonic bullet holes into every zerg that comes my way

[@DefaultDerrick]

GENUINELY inspiring. Why can't politicians today make speeches like this?

[@Szederp]

SC1 = professional writing, mature, political, credible. SC2 = good vs bad. Fucking sad. I'm gonna get drunk and cry in a corner because of this.

[@majorsztoss5955]

The writing started to go downhill in Brood War. Only the cutscenes were good.

[@Merthyc]

This, so much this. I am so disgusted by the tons of people acting like Starcraft II had a proper story. I had so hoped to see the quality of the old storytelling where the characters had great motivations and continuity return, but of course that was too optimistic.

[@tailsofUSSR21]

+C dS It wasn't the real tassadar

[@Dausuul]

To me, the turning point was Lord of Destruction. There was a VERY sudden change in tone from the main Diablo 2 storyline, and everything Blizzard has done since then (that I've played, at least) has been written in that new tone.

[@Szederp]

Dausuul Very good point. I myself felt that LOD was lacking.

[@SebHaarfagre]

_"Are you prepared to go all the way with this, Alexi?"_

[@TriplePistol]

Mengsk is one of my favorite villan.

[@abelbraga8417]

I like how even the protoss are hearing his speech

[@sumerian88]

Yeah they probably dont care much. They had way bigger problems to deal with than some human dictator claiming power over the remnants of humanity in the sector.

[@EbeeDeeby]

I think you need to look no further than Kerrigan to end the SC1 vs SC2 storyline argument thing. In Broodwar she was depicted as a cunning scheming backstabber who managed to one up everyone, even if they had a bigger army than she did. By the time of Wings of Liberty, she was just a Saturday morning cartoon villain.

[@ReshyShira]

+Bruva Ebee Oh, but don't forget, they made her a physical god because destiny says so. Yeah, the one who killed more people than Mengsk became a physical god. Yep.

[@KaiserMattTygore927]

That was every character from SC1 to SC2. cunning strategists/tacticians turned to boring 90's cartoon characters with shallow motivations :/

[@vinkorfhaxson1008]

I wish they had followed sc1's racial campaign order for sc2. Start with Zerg then Protoss and finish with Terran with Raynor finally killing off Kerrigan and none of that Amon bullshite.

[@StellarDrift]

what are you referring to? They *did* follow it. SC2 had the exact same order of races as SC1; (Terran--Zerg--Protoss). Even Broodwar didn't follow the format you mention (it was Protoss--Terran--Zerg). Granted, the ending to LotV was a bit of a non-event though.

[@Retrobensan]

Love that NOD symbol on your profile.

[@Augtastic]

It's been 14 years since StarCraft came out, and I still know this speech by heart.

[@saberiandream316]

That's 24 years now. Do you still know it just as well? XD

[@themadmonk6700]

The writing was a lot better for many games of that era. They had to be creative and work around the lack of tech. Now they just make it shiny and mass produced.

[@TheOKAY]

Megnsk is the sci fi version of Frank Underwood

[@MeidoInHebun]

Theo Koblesky Down to the accent.

[@Executor009]

Frank Underwood is the live action version of Arcturus Mengsk.

[@saberiandream316]

And President Clark!

[@Sentinel07]

The slight Protoss and Zerg voice filters when observing the carrier and guardian are a nice touch

[@samusaran13372]

You guys notice how this awesome personality is somewhat absent in SC2? Fuck, the campaign in brood war was so much better and darker.

[@Gilmadesh]

Mengsk went on to become a cartoon villian (just imagine him twirling his moustache and saying "drats! my plans were foiled again by Raynor and his band! but i'll be back!) and Raynor went on to become a space cowboy unacapable of subtlety

[@olaokolaok]

***** We - Don't - Care man! Raynor looked like this scared but determined vulture raider on a dark grim future where there are unknown alien threats on every corner! Now is just WOrld of fucking warcraft in space which i fucking hate, and don't get me wrong; the game itself is so good and an improvement, but the design, story telling, plot and artistic approach overall is FUCKEN AWFUL.

[@olaokolaok]

***** "The way I see it is this: Starcraft was a dark and gritty story filled with betrayal, mystery, and hard fought battles. We all loved Starcraft for that feeling of urgency that every character had. Bad things happened in Starcraft, what happened to Tassadar, to Kerrigan, to Aiur, to Korhal, to Tarsonis. Good things also happened, Overmind's destruction, Confederacy's defeat, Kerrigan not being truely lost after-all, the Protoss uniting and becoming stronger. Now lets take a look at Starcraft 2 This game seems like an action movie compared to the drama of what Starcraft+Broodwar was. A bunch of yahoo's running and gunning across the universe. Sure the story wasn't a complete failure, but when comparing it to the success of the original, the relatively few missions that felt worthy of being in the game weren't enough to even get close to being on par Each mission seemed to go something like this: Insert reason for mission here (We need to go kill everything down there because...) Insert cheesy reaction of Raynor and crew here (Lets get em!) Mission plays out, Raynor's raiders kill everything in their path time and time again. Insert cheesy victory reactions here (All in a days work!) Repeat on next mission I'm not saying Starcraft is a bad game, as I said before, the gameplay is flawless, the attention to detail is great, a lot of the cut scenes were impressive. It's just that I feel that comparing Starcraft + Broodwar story to Starcraft 2 is like comparing NFL football to a bunch of kids playing soccer. There is no comparison and one IS better than the other. The group of kids chasing the soccer ball around with no knowledge of strategy or the rules of the game will think their game is better. However the professional football players performing choreographed moves practiced time and time again with great discipline will insist that their game is better... So who's opinion do you go with? The seeming majority of fans that weren't satisfied with how the campaign played out? Or the minority of fans who defend WoL to the last breath. its up to you, opinions are good to have, without them this world would be very boring" *This and many opinions are the "why" of my every comment. IF TL;DR then just don't read it. But it makes a lot of sense and i perceive it as reality, as a fact.*

[@rbalsdldiify]

"For we shall win through, NO MATTER THE COST!"

[@alfredashford5924]

Mengsk: “Let no human make war upon any other human!” United Earth Directorate: “Lets introduce ourselves...”

[@EX8.CS3]

Mengsk the great terran emperor

[@MeidoInHebun]

I get goosebumps every time I listen to this.

[@00Clank]

When tools are limited, creativity fills the gaps and time and proven again and again that creativity provides cooler things than any budget can afford. Hearing the speech be heard by every race, faction and person in the sector is such a cool idea, and James Harper's delivery is golden. To this day this gives me Le Goosepimples.

[@acequat]

childhood memories! i think i completed the terran campaign to watch this cutscene 14 years ago when i was 12y :)

[@chefnerd]

Back when Blizzard still cared about their games ...

[@joshpeterson2451]

Sue me. Mengsk is my favorite Starcraft character. Cold. Calculated. Genius. Selfish. But he actually offered the best protection for humanity against their enemies.

[@Ouranyama]

Sad to see this quality of writing didn't make it to Starcraft 2

[@Roamingfirebat]

I think SC2 is fine as it is

[@phamnhat2925]

I'll never forget the sight of the floating severed arm in space .

[@TheDynomiteGuy]

And that lit cigarette in his hand even though there's no oxygen in space so that shouldn't be possible.

[@mediamix1277]

StarCraft did floating dead arms in space before Dead Space made it cool. :P

[@LordZero666]

I'm guessing that it's a cigarette from the future that packs it's own oxygen, just like rocket fuel does.

[@Mosh213]

for the record: that arm belongs to the guy in the introduction cinematic of starcraft

[@demolnazlo]

Or it simply remains hot, unable to cooldown fast in absence of atmosphere.

[@theliato3809]

Hearing the broadcast over the factions of the terrans moving in the face of this serious threat as the confederacy collapsed. It adds a kind of weight to it like your in the shadows of the very threats he’s talking about as the distorted broadcasts from the Protoss and Zerg occupies worlds, hoping for that semblance of unity and protection as the foreboding music plays and then it switches to this rising music as the fleets and armies of the Terran worlds mobilize as one under the dominion in that final scene.

[@IIIJFRIII]

Back when Star Craft was amazing. Thumbs up if you think Blizzard dropped the ball BIG TIME with SC2.

[@IIIJFRIII]

StarCraft and StarCraft 2 are not even in the same game series to me. Starcraft was so amazing. All Blizzard cared about when making SC2 was how much money they could make from the multi players, thats it. The single player game was ovbs second to them. It sucked so much its not even a joke. And of course there are so many blizzard dick suckers out there that the people who complain get drowned in the countless comments from the fan that blizzard can do no wrong in. I happy so many people are saying how bad it was. But the damage is done, the game is now lost forever. These damn fag competitor gamers made gaming so gay. The idea of playing for fun is such a insult to them, fucking young kid assholes.

[@IIIJFRIII]

DINDRAGON lolol

[@KaiserMattTygore927]

I know you're fishing for likes, but I concur.

[@KaiserMattTygore927]

+Lord J3STER "it's supposed to be different" what? generic hollywood shit? WOOOO! It's supposed to be a SEQUEL, not the nebulous concept of "different"

[@MadDogEddie]

I'll be honest, I went into reading this entire comment thread thinking that the multiplayer aspect comprised a huge portion of whether it was still good or not in your opinions. Now it seems that you all were speaking mainly about the campaign. I agree that the campaign completely changed from SC1 and Brood War, like they were from completely different writers. But when it comes to multiplayer, I think that the new features and enhancements of gameplay mechanics made SC2 lose the clunkiness that SC1/BW had.

[@Executor009]

Those battlecruisers are operational and theyll come through.

[@alekseyl172]

If I was a Terran I would die for Dominion after listening this speech!

[@Roamingfirebat]

Same........wait a minute

[@WJen8]

"And from that throne, I... shall watch over you." Chills up the spine, every time.

[@aaronp2542]

*When I purchase Mengsk in SCII Coop *

[@alexye0079]

I remember i was like 9 years old when this trailer came out

[@papaa59]

One of the reasons why starcraft 1 was better than 2

[@meathead6155]

I prefer both.

[@gl3282]

As a kid back in 2000 I was so confused watching this. Now it gives me goosebumps

[@자치령친위대]

My life for Terran Dominion!

[@alakazor9643]

To his credit, he is really good at pushing speeches.

[@alanoxford6219]

Mengsk for President 2020

[@Szederp]

It is ridiculous. It is not only a fucking piece of art but a speech so cleverly built it can stand the scrutiny of academic analysis. The employment of different viewpoints altering the audio to who how the Protoss and the Zerg receive the transmission is a wonder in itself. The psychology responsible for building up the trust and the need for the emperor is convincing and the way the audio is supported by the scenes is truly one of a kind. No other studio put out anything like this. Ever.

[@PaddysPubPatron]

Based Mengsk!

[@Vahe345]

Reminds me of the times we face now. Unprecedented and unimaginable as they may be...

[@jamesgrist1101]

This was Putin's speech to the Russian people on the onset of war

[@AcidTripOk]

Damn, where do I sign to join the Dominion Army?

[@meathead6155]

Sadly, many people did. While other are convicts.

[@aaronnorrie8225]

I love how the radio quality changes between scenes

[@GenericProtagonist7]

"My Dominion, right or wrong!"

[@Gillrien]

I love how the entire sector is listening to his speech, at least that's how I interpret it - the different changes in his voice seem to me like the other races are listening and paying attention to this very important / game changing event for the Terrans.

[@Tarik360]

Apparently that logo is an arm cracking a whip. I usually thought it was an arm just flexing because "look at our strength!" or something.

[@Vorteksio3]

Don't forget about Westwood studios and their C&C games. They way they porterated Kane as a Intelligent, calculated bastard was marvelous. And that was 3 years before Starcraft. Then EA took over the series and well. . .I don't have to tell you how that affected the writing.

[@professoremeryeetus5292]

How could there be a more based Starcraft faction? Oh, right, the UED. Broodwar is a thing.

[@kajetandziebaj6405]

One of the best speeches in video game history.

[@Roamingfirebat]

I agree

[@TrueGamerX]

Man. This speech still gives me chills after all these years. Which is why, Arcturus Mengsk is my favorite character in the entire saga.

[@-Samus-Aran-]

This is still awesome in 2019

[@macwecek]

Damn what a great speech

[@Little_Nicky]

The speech still raises the hairs on my arms and spine, when i think what great potential the Human Kind has. P.S. if someone has the voice and is willing (for free) to make something similar as a message to man kind, i have the text (partially), all i need someone with a base in his voice and power to replicate this mood of speech, it will be used to help all humanity , i promise.

[@Polloles]

I must admit it's a hell of a speech!

[@Anterwaare306]

This is a damn good speech

[@hereLiesThisTroper]

The EMPEROR PROTECTS!

[@mrionzo4843]

Is that a warhammer reference

[@minhngai8243]

@@mrionzo4843 yes

[@FunknRapDisturbin]

bow down to the emperor Mengsk, long live to the dominion

[@Blackhound73]

Every few years this cutscene pops into my head. So I look it up, and I can just watch this magnificent shit over and over and over again. PLEASE talk to me more about capitulating. PLEEEEEEEEEEASE.

[@Sabaoth_Horaios]

Still sends chills down my spine to this day

[@CodeineRadick]

If you read "I, Mengsk" you see him as less of a typical cartoon villain and start to like him. His character has much more depth than the games ever showed. The Terran Dominion was the best thing that happened to humanity in this story line. Instead of 13 bickering factions fighting each other there was one solid brick of Terran power to resist the alien powers.

[@ottovrizo5693]

did nothing wrong praise the emperor

[@Roamingfirebat]

My opponents are classified

[@Slith3rdLegion]

I can just see Tassadar listening to this on the Ganthritor before the conclave comes to arrest him for cooperating with the Dark Templar.

[@Niko_Malthus]

"And to all the enemies of humanity - Seek NOT to bar our way!"

[@Kolt461]

Mengsk: "No matter the cost" Maybe that is where the name of the Music Track from Echoes of war came from.

[@gl3282]

SC1's story is flawless not even one plot hole

[@loscopihues2343]

humanity fuck yeah!

[@ReshyShira]

Ah, the times when Mengsk was charismatic and not a Stalin stand-in.

[@Pedro-hn7nj]

He was Stalin all the time. Even the City in the video, Augustgrad, is the best example of a massive skyscraper stalinist architecture I ever seen.

[@kolsveinnskraevolding]

Stalin was charismatic as fuck.