We're hardly two days out from the launch of StarCraft 2 and one-star users reviews are flooding the internet alongside five-star (and numerical equivalent) professional reviews. Here are the top three complaints making the rounds.

1) Lack of an offline mode -- "No LAN support!"
Why it's an issue: Multiplayer PC gaming was defined by local area network connections, especially in the days when many people didn't have high speed internet connections to support online play. With no offline mode and no way to connect to other players other than through the internet, gamers are out of luck if Battle.net goes down or they lose their internet connection for some reason. Also, no more LAN parties.
Why Blizzard might think it's not: Battle.net is supposed to be awesome enough to replace the need for LAN, and by being always-online, it's easier to track and prevent piracy.

2) You can only play one faction -- "What, did I buy 1/3 of a game?!"
Why it's an issue: There are three factions in StarCraft 2 and at present, consumers can only complete the Terran faction campaign. Blizzard intends to add the other two factions' campaigns with Legacy of the Void and Heart of the Swarm, but many consumers are angry that they might have to pay a lot of money for those add ons. Some also argue that the Terran campaign isn't substantial enough for a singleplayer experience by itself.
Why Blizzard might think it's not: By breaking up the campaigns, Blizzard can ration resources so that each campaign gets high quality cinema scenes and well-balanced units. And while it does seem like a money-grubbing tactic, it's not like Blizzard hid the fact that only the Terrans were playable in Wings of Liberty.

3) It does a lot of stuff PC gamers aren't used to, but console gamers are -- "You want me to pay how much?" / "What do you mean I can't play international matches?"
Why it's an issue: PC gamers are used to $30 games with the freedom to take on other players from around the world through online matches. Asking them to pay twice as much for a game that does only half of what they're used to (by region locking them) is understandably jarring.
Why Blizzard might think it's not: This is their fist major game release in a long time and games are more expensive now that ever. $60 is par for the course in every other market, as is region-locking. Besides, different regions have different needs -- it's easier for Blizzard to address stuff like Korean or U.S. privacy regulations in-game if the regions are kept apart.

Now for some stuff that either is being addressed or doesn't really count as constructive criticism:

UPDATE: Blizzard sent us the following response after this article went to press -- "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty includes 29 campaign missions, right on par with Blizzard's past RTS releases. Most gamers are finding that it takes them 15-25 hours to make it through the campaign. On top of that, there are 9 challenge missions that train gamers in useful multiplayer skills, nearly an hour's worth of in-game and pre-rendered cutscenes, and 50+ maps. There's without a doubt, a full game's worth of content in the box, and that doesn't even include the campaign editor and all the cool maps and mods that the community have already created."

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AFP - The Internet has undergone a key upgrade that promises to stop cyber criminals from using fake websites that dupe people into downloading viruses or revealing personal data.

AP - WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief claims his organization doesn't know who sent it some 91,000 secret U.S. military documents, telling journalists that the Web site was set up to hide the source of its data from those who receive it.

With the bountiful slate of holiday shooters about to be unloaded on the gaming public, two older but still popular games are sprucing up their multiplayer modes to make the most of the brief time remaining before the onslaught. Read on to find out how BioShock 2 and Uncharted 2's multiplayer modes are being patched.

The BioShock 2 patch, due out next Tuesday, mainly focuses on creating more stability in the multiplayer menus in both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, though it does make the effects of the experience-erasing "Rebirth" tonic a little easier to swallow, as it won't affect Adam totals anymore.

The Uncharted 2 update is mostly focused on fixing multiplayer mechanics that players had been exploiting to get ahead in matches, while also tweaking kill payouts. The update also gives hope to a few more character content packs, as the patch will now allow voices to be included with character skins.

You can find more information on the BioShock 2 and Uncharted 2 updates in the Cult of Rapture and Naught Dog source links below, respectively.

SOURCE: BioShock 2 Patch Notes for 360 and PS3 [The Cult of Rapture]
Title Update 1.09 [Naughty Dog]

When Call of Duty: Black Ops hits the market November 9, look for it on Nintendo DS as well as every other system under the sun (excepting PlayStation 2). Activision announced a Black Ops companion game for the handheld, developed by n-Space.

Aside from the developer and the confirmation that it's a companion game (as opposed to a port), there are only a handful of details on Black Ops DS. First, players will get to fly helicopters and jets. Second, there's six-player online multiplayer with a Perks System. Third, there is a two-player co-op mode, plus Arcade and Challenge modes for singleplayer missions.

And that's all there is to tell for now. Call of Duty: Black Ops DS is due out November 9.

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