Video Interviews
Gameplay Videos and Trailers
High Resolution - SC2.com
High Resolution - Korea
Concept Art

G4Tech TV's X-Play interviewed Karune recently:

GameSpot conducted audio-visual interviews with Dustin Browder, StarCraft II's Lead Designer, and Samwise Didier, the Senior Artistic Director, during the Irvine, California press event:

Browder
Samwise

Also, IGN conducted an audio-visual interview with Chris Sigaty, the Lead Producer of StarCraft II.

Sigaty

For your viewing pleasure, we have uploaded the high definition gameplay video and high definition trailer to Veoh. Before this, we uploaded the low resolution trailer to YouTube.
The Korean press event concluded with professional StarCraft players testing the latest build of StarCraft II. ThisIsGame.com has uploaded three videos. You may watch the videos below:

Blizzard officially released this video in high definition form on March 18th. Read about it and obtain links here.

This is the transcript from the trailer:

Kerrigan wrote:

We are the Swarm. We burned a path of annihilation across the stars. And then, we vanished. Four years ago we faded into the shadows. We thrived… we evolved. And now the time has come for us to step back…into the light. Now, worlds will tremble once again. Empires will fall. Alliances will shatter. We are the Swarm, but we are becoming much, much more. For the final metamorphosis has only just begun.

Korea Announcement

In a precursor to one of the scenes in the gameplay video, a group of the squid-like Corrupters approach two Battlecruisers. Latest information suggests that the Corrupters, true to their name, have the power to control enemy air units (after many hits) and force them to attack each other. It is possible that when the group of Vikings flies in to the rescue in the section of the gameplay video that matches this screenshot, they are actually doing their faction a disservice by providing more units for the Zerg to control. Fortunately for the Terrans, the controlled air units appear to be immobile, so at least they won't be turning around to wreak havoc upon the Terran base.

The second high-resolution image offers us many insights into Zerg ground forces. Roaches and Lurkers make up the bulk of the encroaching army, and some have expressed concerns about the two units being too similar in appearance, with their sharp limbs, tan natural color, and ridge-like models. In StarCraft II, burrowed Zerg units can easily be identified by their owner due to their foreheads (or other appendages) sticking out of the ground; similar to the 'new' nuke target, however, these units cannot be so easily spotted by enemy players. By process of elimination we conclude that Roaches are the other ground unit seen in large number - they sport two long appendages from their heads reminiscent of the Zerglings' "mandibles" in the original game. In the bottom and far left of the screenshot we observe what seems to be the Infester - StarCraft II's sequel to the Defiler. The sprays released by them are the representation of their Infestation ability, which allows them to take control of enemy Terran buildings to produce Infested Marines. It is also known that they possess the ability to create the same Dark Swarm that made Defilers so popular.

In this screenshot a group of Zerg assault a Protoss base atop a cliff. The Roaches are once again found in high number, and while the Zerg tech tree remains under wraps for now, it is possible due to their high numbers in most screenshots that they are located early in tier 2; it is also possible they are equivalent to the Hydralisk's position, or have even pushed the Hydralisk further up the tech tree in StarCraft II, but that is all speculation at this point. The Roach is a quick unit with notable health regeneration, which means the most effective ways of taking them out are high-damage units that destroy them immediately, or focused fire. Of note is the flying unit on the far left of the screenshot, speculated to be the Swarm Guardian. It is said the unit resembles the original Guardian in its role, but can create Broodlings. Whether it is still morphed from the Mutalisk remains to be seen.

A group of Zerglings, Hydralisks, and Lurkers flank a Protoss position. With the Pylon powering the Phase Cannons out of the way, the Stalkers that remain there seem to be no match for this Zerg army. In an actual game, the Stalkers should have little trouble escaping a situation like this with their Blink ability. The screenshot highlights the high amount of detail on the Hydralisks' crests and the way the game environment is taking advantage of the lighting effects in the new graphics engine: in this case, doodad lamps on the space platform.

A Queen mobilizes the Zerg base's defenses as another Zerg force attacks. Roaches and Lurkers are once again littered throughout the battlefield, suggesting the two units' prominence in mid-game skirmishes. Noticeable is the new Zergling design, which fuses elements of the original "raptor-ling" and StarCraft II's "locust-ling" in a very streamlined design; the wings are pushed back to a more vertical position, which makes them less visually dominant than before. The buildings seen in the Zerg base include the Lair or Hive (either way suggesting that the Queen is not now a replacement for the buildings as some assumed, but rather may serve some support function), the Spawning Pool, the Hydralisk Den, the Extractor, and some other building which may be the Roach pre-requisite. The Drone worker unit is also shown for the first time in high-resolution.

This screenshot seems to provide a fairly un-informative glance at a battle between the Protoss and the Zerg. However, closer inspection highlights two features of the Ultralisk unit in StarCraft II: 1) that it can step over at least some smaller units and/or buildings, as can be seen by one of the Zerglings that unceremoniously invades the upper Ultralisk's collision radius (seen underneath its right hind leg), and 2) that the Ultralisk may now be capable of attacking multiple foes at the same time. This is evidenced by bright sparks erupting on not one, but two defenders surrounding the upper Ultralisk. However, it is possible given the earlier development that a Zergling may have found its way to the front lines from underneath the Ultralisk, and may be the cause of this second attack. Unfortunately, the screenshot is not conclusive in this regard.

Six massive Nydus worms burst out of the ground, adding to the swarm of units already sweeping down the screen. The Terran base below will soon be assaulted by a large and varied Zerg force. The bulk of the force is made up of the small but deadly Roaches, the new fast moving Zerg melee unit. Zerglings and Hydralisks, two StarCraft mainstay units, round out the swarming part of the force, with some Banelings dispersed throughout the force. The Baneling comes into it's own in large conflicts like this, with fire being drawn away from it by so many other units. Completing this huge strike force are a couple of Ultralisks and a few Infesters, the new Zerg support unit and the first Zerg unit with the ability to move whilst burrowed.

These bases are far too close together to prevent a fight breaking out. A stream of Hydralisks close in for battle, whilst a column of Zerglings move up from the rear. There has been speculation that the Hydralisks near the Gateway are attacking it in melee, however is it more likely that they have moved forward to engage the Immortals behind the Gateway. So far there is no direct evidence that Hydralisks have gained the often-suggested melee attack (which dates back to their original pre-release StarCraft concept). A Queen sits behind the front line of troops, but does not engage in the fighting. A cluster of Zerg eggs can be seen next to the hatchery.

This Zerg hive cluster has come under heavy fire from the Terran army below, but the high ground advantage gives a clearly superior position to the Zerg army. Large numbers of Mutalisks and Hydralisks fight from just above the lip of the raised plateau. In this screen shot we also see evidence of one of the Overlord's new abilities. Quite what this ability is we cannot say, but it has been said that the Overlord will possess it's own methods of attack. Hiding at the back of the base, away from possible enemy fire, is a Zerg Queen, aiding in the defence of the cluster. A number of recently revealed Terran Marauders make their way up the ramp, which shows evidence of spreading creep. Can we expect to see more eye-candy, such as creep hanging off cliff-sides? This screenshot proves inconclusive in that regard.

This Terran position has fallen under heavy assault. They may be small, but Zerglings can attack in such high numbers that size means little. The new user interface - with it's higher unit selection limit - means that the management of swarms such as this has become much more streamlined, allowing the Zerg "strength in numbers" philosophy to truly shine.

This Terran base is soon to be overrun. The buildings on the left hand side are infested Barracks, brought over to the "dark side" by the new Zerg Infester unit, which can be seen using its Infestation ability on a Barracks in the top right. When a Barracks comes under Zerg control it can create Infested Terrans, which have evolved since StarCraft to become more than just living bombs. The new Infested Terrans are slower than their human counterparts, but still pack the same kick, laying down vicious fire with their gauss flayer rifles. When infested, a Terran Barracks can produce a large number of the Infested Marines very fast, making Infesters excellent tactical hitters, able to quickly muster up a force from within an enemy base. Overhead, the flying tentacled monstrosities are the Corrupters, a dedicated Zerg anti-air unit.

The brutal power of the Ultralisk is evident here, as the Zerg answer to the mighty tanks and walkers of the Terran army charge headlong into battle. The heavily armoured Ultralisks provide excellent support for the Zerglings and Hydralisks, which can close in behind without fear of attack. It seems that the Thor unit, often picked on in the past for its toyish plastic colors, has benefited greatly from the recent update to Terran color schemes and "gritification" process. Their function seems closer to the damage-soaking, defense-breaking BlizzCon version, as opposed to the changes Karune spoke of later that included a smaller Thor capable of anti-air. Whether this version has taken up the anti-air role of its short-lived alter-ego remains to be seen.

The Swarm attempts to assault this high ground position held by the Protoss force. Zerglings and Mutalisks appear to be the only units in attack, whilst the defensive line is held by Zealots, Immortals, and a group of Stalkers blinking up to higher ground to counter the agile Mutalisks. The Immortals' new design is evident, as the large cannons of yesteryear are replaced by two smaller cannons each.

This Terran outpost has fallen under a very heavy assault. As well as a swarm of Zerglings, the attacking force also contains Roaches. From what we know at the moment the Roach is a fast moving and deadly Zerg strain with an extremely high regeneration rate. This means that without focused fire falling on a single Roach it is almost certain to stay alive and kicking. The Jackal - the Terrans' most recent Reactor-compatible factory unit (which can be double-built) - which fires lengthy threads of flame at enemies, are the only Terran units in an advantageous position, as they always want to have a column of enemy forces in front to maximize their damage output. Unfortunately, this is more than they bargained for.

Here we see a Zerg outpost under assault by a sizeable Terran force. A couple of Ultralisks charge into battle, soaking up damage and pushing out into the Terran force, supported by two small groups of Hydralisks. On the bottom right we can also see what appears to be the new Zerg Queen, a powerfully evolved defensive unit, capable of increasing the regeneration of surrounding buildings. The Zerg base contains what appears to be the new Hydralisk Den, a Hatchery, an Extractor and what may be an Infester Mound; the building on the right of the Zerg base is, as yet, unidentified. Also of note is that some Marines do not possess the shoulder-mounted shield gained through upgrades. A number of possibilities have been presented, including non-retroactive upgrades that only apply to newly built units, as well as the shield being blasted off as part of an animation (whether or not that animation has any effect on gameplay, and may permanently remove the upgrade from that specific Marine, remains to be seen).

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