Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II Review and Rating

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II isn’t your papa’s RTS.  In fact, purists would argue that Relic’s latest game isn’t really an RTS at all but that doesn’t stop it from being an incredibly fun experience that will keep gamers at their keyboards for hours.

Gameplay

Relic’s controversial decision to eliminate base building and unit producing structures from its space-themed RTS has fans scrambling to classify Warhammer.  Is it an RTS?  Is it an RPG?  The answer is simple:  It’s both and neither.

Gameplay is broken into two modes:  Campaign and Skirmish. 
The campaign features the same mechanics as the skirmish mode but plays more like a single-person RPG thanks to the inclusion of leveling up and persistence, two things that have never really been done all that well in RTS games.  Individual units as well as hero units can be leveled up by earning XP for killing enemies, controlling objectives and recycling unusable equipment.  That XP can then be distributed across the skill sets.  Those stats carry through the entire campaign and function as a coherent “storyline” to hang the plot on as the narrative is extremely weak. 

Units can also swap out weapons and armor for that which players acquire through research and looting the corpses of the fallen.  This will have players “grinding” levels to get the best gear yet somehow still remains fun without really getting stale at all.
Relic also decided to carry over destructible landscapes and that damage is persistent as well.  It’s nice to see that the building you raised two rounds ago is still rubble the next time you land your troops on the particular planet again.  These are all elements that RPG players will be familiar with and they really incorporate well into the Warhammer world.

In spite of all these innovations, Relic was able to keep the gameplay balanced and challenging by capping all upgrades at level 20.  You will never be able to have an invincible super soldier that can wade through the enemy without worrying about taking fire.  You’ll also only ever be able to build six squads and can only choose four to bring onto the field of battle with you.  This forces players to choose the skills they upgrade wisely and makes each individual unit all that much more valuable.  Unlike other games where numbers win, tactics are often the key to achieving objectives in Warhammer.  If players fail to achieve those objectives, many are often blocked out for the duration of the campaign.  So build your armies with a little forethought because there’s no turning back.

This is a great changed from standard RTS games where the goal for the first half of any mission is churning out enough units to overwhelm the enemy.  Warhammer relies on a capture system for upgrades and unit reinforcement.  Players must take and hold certain strategic structures in order to advance their cause.  This means that players are forced to get out and explore the maps rather than waiting for the enemy to come to them.  It also means that opposing forces will come into contact more often and earlier than in other games. 
Another thing missing from Warhammer are the geographical choke points that RTS map builders seem to love.  You won’t be able to barricade your forces in a cul-de-sac and pick off the bad guys as they come marching at you single file.  In fact, with the destructible landscape, the battle field is ever changing and players are forced to react to ever-changing circumstances.  It makes battles challenging but also more interesting and victories are all that much more fulfilling.  You’ll actually have to use your noggin to survive let alone surmount the odds.

In campaign mode, the action takes place on multiple battlefront maps on the surface of three different planets.  While the main missions are unique and exciting, the side quests often are repetitive and may just make you question whether or not this is the third time you’ve killed a certain boss or the fourth.  Still, there’s fresh loot and XP to be had so have at it!

Skirmish mode is Warhammer’s online multiplayer.  While the entire campaign can be played with another player, co-op-style, the mechanics of connecting two computers requires you to know your friend’s Windows Live ID.  You can’t randomly pick a buddy to help you out (and help they do because the host player keeps all of the loot and XP from the co-op campaign.) 
Skirmish allows players to choose between four races:  human space marines, Orks, Eldars, and Tyranids (a first for the series.)  Each has a wide array of standard units and hero units each with their own special strengths and weaknesses which must be learned.  However, the variety means that there are endless ways to actually play the game which sends the replay value through the roof. 

At the time of this writing, there are only seven multiplayer maps and only 1v1 and 3v3 matches are allowed (sorry no massive multiplayer mosh pits here) but the maps are fairly distinct and have enough unique geographical and architectural features that you never feel like you’re replaying the same battle.
The battles in both campaign and skirmish modes are fairly short (15 minutes or so), brutal, and don’t really give you any time to get bored—which is a good thing.  They’re also quite a bit of fun to watch.

Graphics

While the graphics aren’t pushing the envelope by any means, the customizable character models are very detailed and the animations are great.  Part of the allure of the Warhammer realm is that battle looks so realistic.  A super-sledge hammer will quickly turn an enemy into a bloody puddle of oatmeal and setting one on fire will net you a crispy critter for sure. 
In addition to swapping out armor and weaponry, you can actually “paint” your units as well.  You can use the feature to identify certain units quickly or just to get a little creative with your toy soldiers.  It’s a really nice touch and allows for some serious personalization.  Warhammer has finally banished the days or unidentifiable swarms of overlapping units (Starcraft anyone?) on the battlefield.

Sound

The sound is there and does add a certain amount of immersion to the gameplay but it’s not that great.  Typical of most RTSs, the focus is on the visuals.  While the sound effects and voice-overs are far from bad, they tend to get repetitive about halfway through the game.  So, when your commander shouts the same command for the 5,000th time, you’ll probably be too busy watching a marine pulp an Ork to notice.

Value

With a spectacular multiplayer experience overshadowing its single player campaign the true value of Warhammer may be easy to over look.  However, when you get up close and personal with the game you’ll see it does pack a lot of replayability into both the multiplayer and single player campaigns.  You’re free to choose different hero units, different skill sets, different weapons, and different tactics so no two battles will ever play the same.  The campaign mode will keep you (and possible a friend) busy for days and the multiplayer will suck your days away for months.

Final Verdict

The decision to remove base building from an RTS will ruffle some feathers but once you get your hands on the game and realize how much more dynamic the omission makes gameplay, you may never want to go back.  RTS games have been around for a long time and a little change is often welcome.

Pros:  great single player campaign, huge multiplayer campaign, customizable and upgradable units, loot!

Cons:  hard to classify, no base-buidling (is that bad?),  lackluster storyline.


Overall Score: 8.5/10