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Warhammer 40k : Dawn of War
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Game Name:
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Warhammer 40k : Dawn of War |
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Console:
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PC |
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Reviewed:
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Unknown |
What- Warhammer 40,000- Dawn of War
When- Released 2004, takes place in the 41st Millenium
Who- 4 major sides- Space Marines, Orks, Eldar, and Chaos
Where- The planet of Tarterus
Why- Warhammer brought to life.... nuff said.
What (is it?)- Warhammer is a boardgame, using handpainted minitures and a large set of rules, with weapon ranges, armour, damage, terrain, etc. Many times it has been programmed into a variety of computer systems... most of the time, it falls on its face. Thankfully, Relic has finally come up with something good... and its an RTS to boot...
Warhammer is about a universe very much the same as our own, or rather, that of Tolkien and others, with Humans, Orks, Elves, etc. There is another 'branch' of WH, called 40K (40,000, when it takes place). This is more of future combat in space, with Space Marines, Orks (again), Eldar, and Chaos Space Marines (the evil ones...). It is almost modern combat, although there are much more futuristic weaponry- you still get infantry, tanks, artillery and airsupport, but you also get lasers, walker units, and space bombarment. There is also the small detail about spiritual power, with the power of Chaos able to bring forth Daemons...
Who (is involved?)- There are 4 sides engaged on Tarterus- the Space Marines, the Orks, the Eldar, and the Chaos Space Marines. Each side is unique in the way they are handled, as well as units.
The Space Marines are the 'good' guys, whos role is to engage the enemy of the Imperium anywhere, anytime. Unlike the Imperium Guard, which is essentially a militia force of voluntiers, the Marines are geneticly enhanced assualt soldiers, with heavy armour and powerful weapons. They are, currently, the only side to play in the campaign, and as a result, they are the easiest to understand. Their forces are generalist, meaning they do well at everything, but excell at nothing. Both the infantry squads and the vehicles can be fitted with custom weapon systems, turning a Space Marine squad into a tank-busting group, and allowing a Dreadnought to rip into buildings at longrange.
Their nemesis is the Chaos Space Marines- traitors of the Imperium, who know how to use the power of Chaos. Not disimilar to the Space Marines, Chaos are more focused on disposable infantry, and powerful Chaos forces to attack will the enemy is distracted. They also summon Daemons, which can take out even LandRaiders, and use other powers to shift the advantage to them.
The Orks are long time enemies of the humans, and are almost the Russians or Chinese of Warhammer- they use brute force, with large numbers of infantry to smash through the frontline, backed up by simple but effective weapons- their most powerful tank is the Leman Russ, salvaged from the battlefield from the Guards. They are the only side that needs a third resource, which is collected like power, by the construction of certain buildings.
Eldar- as far as I can tell, these guys used to rule the entire universe... a bit like the Ancients and Forerunners, except these guys are still around. They are the micro-management force- if you enjoy doing every little thing yourself, these are the guys for you. If you prefer doing tank rushes, on the other hand... All of their units are specialised- they excel at one thing, and thats about it. Some are a bit versatile and flexible, but not as much as the Marines. They are also very expensive, and so players will normally engage with an outnumbered force... but by using their special skills and some tactics, they can take on and win against anyone.
When (does it take place?)- Obviously, it is the 41st Millenium, and there is only war- mainly because the Orks love war, and the forces of Chaos want to destroy everyone else. I dont know much of the history, but as far as I can tell, before the year 40,000, there were few large scale wars, mainly small conflicts on single planets, between the Orks and Humans, with the Eldar rarely joining the fray. But, during the 41st Millenium, massive offensives were undertaken by the 4 sides, with hundreds of planets involved. And that is were both the tabletop gamers, and Dawn of War, get their battles from...
Where (do the battles occur?)- The entire game, as was shipped, is focused on 1 planet- Tarterus, where you are sent as a Space Marine commander to battle the Orks, but find that there is something much more sinister...
There are several different areas of battle on planet, including urban areas, arctic/tundra, and areas that seem to have been part of a 'scorched earth' policy. All of these areas have chokepoints, ridgelines, and defensive areas, with both heavy and light cover, similar to the tabletop version- light cover helps protect units from damage, while slowing them down, heavy cover slows units right down and offers extra protection (although your tanks are too large to take advantage of this...), and negative cover will actually expose your units more than normal- good for ambushes, not so good if your the ambushee.
Why (should I buy it?)- There are several things that make this an outstanding game, and should be played by both Warhammer fans and RTS fans-
Customized army- Along the lines of what Halo 2 has done to infantry, and Sims 2 has done to people... well, not that far, but the Halo comparison is good. You can 'paint' your force with a variety of colours, using either Games Workshop default colours or a colour shader like in MS Paint and similar. You can also choose a 'badge' and banner, although there appears to be no way to introduce custom ones...
Intelligent resources- Each side has 2 resources (and the Orks have a third, mentioned earlier)- power and requesition (sp?) points. Power is produced from generators, and allows for some advanced units and upgrades. Req points are collected from Strategic points and Relics- both must be captured by infantry, and can have defensive buildings built on top. Req points are the most important resource in the game, and since the only way to produce more is to actively go out and grab Strat points, the only way to survive and win is to be offensive- if you are commited to defence, the enemy is gonna steamroll over you.
Balanced Armies- Each side is nicely done, designed for different kind of gamers- micromanagment players will enjoy the Eldar, while 'casual' gamers who enjoy tank rushs in Red Alert will prefer the Orks or Space Marines. Each unit and squad is unique, with special abilities and weapons, yet are related closely enough so that major adjustments are few. Sure, using a Marine Scout squad is very different from an Ork Boyz squad, but not overly so....
The Intro Movie- Watch it. You'll see why.
All up a very good RTS, good for both loyal fans of Warhammer, and players of all games that are strategic. Only a few complaints, like a very short campaign and (in my opinion) a simple AI enemy, plus the fact you dont get the Imperial Guard in multiplay (very minor minus, though), reduce it a bit, but it is still aces in my book
More PC Reviews...
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