Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal facts for kids
Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal is an exciting expansion pack for the popular computer game Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness. It was made by Cyberlore Studios and released in 1996 by Blizzard Entertainment. Think of an expansion pack like extra levels or a new story for a game you already love. You need the original Warcraft II game to play Beyond the Dark Portal.
This game is a real-time strategy (RTS) game. In RTS games, you build bases, gather resources, train armies, and command them in battles, all happening in real-time without taking turns.
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What is Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal?
Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal continues the epic story of the war between the Orcs and the Humans. It adds new challenges and adventures to the world of Azeroth. Players get to explore new lands and face powerful enemies.
The Story Continues
The game's story picks up after the events of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness. The Dark Portal, a magical gateway, is still open. It connects the world of Azeroth to a dangerous place called Draenor, the Orcs' home world. Both the Human Alliance and the Orcish Horde must send their forces through the portal to stop a new threat.
The Alliance Campaign
As the Alliance, you play as the brave heroes who venture into Draenor. Your goal is to stop the Orcs from opening more portals and invading Azeroth again. You will meet new characters and face tough missions.
The Horde Campaign
If you play as the Horde, you will also travel to Draenor. The Orcs are trying to escape their dying world and find new lands to conquer. You will lead your armies against the Alliance and other creatures of Draenor.
New Features in the Game
Beyond the Dark Portal brought several cool new things to Warcraft II. These additions made the game even more fun and challenging.
Hero Units
One of the biggest changes was the introduction of special "hero units." These are powerful characters with unique abilities. They are much stronger than regular units and can turn the tide of a battle. Each hero has a special role in the story.
New Maps and Missions
The expansion pack added many new maps and missions. These missions take place in different parts of Draenor, showing off new landscapes and challenges. The missions are designed to be harder than the original game, testing your strategy skills.
More Story and Lore
The game also expanded the story of the Warcraft universe. It introduced new characters, explained more about the history of the Orcs and Humans, and set the stage for future Warcraft games.
How to Play the Game
Playing Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal is similar to playing the original game. You start with a small base and a few workers.
Building Your Base
You need to gather resources like gold and lumber to build new structures. These buildings allow you to train different types of units, research upgrades, and defend your base.
Training Your Army
Once you have buildings, you can train soldiers, archers, knights, and even powerful magical units. Each unit has strengths and weaknesses, so you need to choose them wisely for your battles.
Winning Battles
The main goal of most missions is to defeat your enemy's army and destroy their base. You'll need to plan your attacks carefully, use your hero units effectively, and manage your resources well to win.
Why is it Important?
Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal is an important part of gaming history because it continued the story of one of the most famous real-time strategy games ever. It helped build the rich world of Warcraft, which later became home to the hugely popular game World of Warcraft. It showed how much fun and depth an expansion pack could add to a game.
