WarCraft was a ground-breaking game in the era of resource-management 2D strategy games like Caesar and Civilization. While those games and high-tech strategy games like Total Annihilation focus on a very realistic setting, WarCraft II revels in campy cartoon-like surroundings. The game is just flat-out fun. Unless you're experienced at resource-management simulations, count on watching your subjects get slaughtered by the barbarian hordes (whether they be Human or Orc) until you get the hang of it.

While the graphics are pleasing and the sounds decent, the bottom line is that controlling combat in Warcraft II is like trying to herd cockroaches. The units are very stupid and one-dimensional. With two or three units, controlling them isn't that hard but when you get into 20 or more units, good luck. This isn't a slam on WarCraft II. When it comes to the 2D real-time strategy genre, WarCraft II is a ton of fun but if you're looking for pure combat action to prove your worth as a Macintosh field general, you're better off with the Myth or Close Combat series.

WarCraft II adds new units and provides a very challenging resource-management experience. Like the complex food web of a woodlands ecosystem, WarCraft II requires a complex series of buildings and technologies in order to make better combat units.

The Battle.Net game is definitely a blast to play. There is no substitute for human opponents and Battle.net lets you jump on the Internet and find a willing opponent any time of the day or night. The gameplay is smooth and gives you the additional challenge of an opponent that actually learns your style.

That being said, the single-player game is not good at all. The scenario objectives usually revolve around wiping out not only every enemy unit but every one of their buildings as well. It can make for a very boring experience to watch your well-armed hordes beating the holy Hell out of farmhouses for five to ten minutes.

And heaven help you if you can't find that mysterious last unit -- in one scenario, I wiped out everything my enemy had but the scenario wouldn't end. I placed units throughout the map, trying to find that last piece so I could move on. Three hours later every inch of space had been explored and the game still wouldn't let me move on. Finally I just gave up and never found out what I did wrong. WarCraft II would be much better off with defined military objectives, like "destroy the enemy's town hall" or "wipe out the enemy's infantry."

All-in-all, the Battle.Net aspect makes the game worth buying but don't count on an enjoyable single-player experience. ~ Scott Sigler, All Game Guide

Blizzard keeps everything fun and nice looking . ~ Scott Sigler, All Game Guide

Single player game is bad while multi-player action is excellent. ~ Scott Sigler, All Game Guide

Human foes on the Internet keep you coming back for more. ~ Scott Sigler, All Game Guide