Customer Reviews

Warhammer Dawn of War II

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(75)

 

 

The game is fun, but it had the potential to be amazing, and fell short. Originally I said to wait before buying, but the bugs have been ironed out, and now it's a good time, specially at the discounted prices.

Things to know:
- Requires Games For Windows Live (GFWL) account
- Steam installation and account required
- No base building (departs from traditional RTS)

=== SUMMARY ===
I just realized the review has gotten pretty long as I've added other information, so I wanted to write something for those people who want a quick overview:
If you don't mind few units, Steam, Games For Windows Live and lack of base building, you will enjoy the game a lot. The loot/items, unique characters, combat right from the start, persistent troops throughout the single player campaign, and an engaging and different 4 races make this game a great departure from traditional RTS. All wrapped up with great graphics, sound and animation to boot. The single player campaign does become very very repetitive after mission 30 or so. (there are probably 80 plus missions - I'm on 75 and counting)


=== THE BAD STUFF ===
- Steam (more details below)
- You need to be connected to the internet to play the single player campaign.
- You need to be logged in to Windows Live to play the game... ugh...
- [[EDIT February 27: While the game crashed quite a bit when I first got it, it has been very stable with the last 2 patches, improving things dramatically. I only have 1 BSOD right after a February 23 major patch. So it looks like the crashing issues have been ironed out. But it was a serious issue at first]]
- Single player campaign ONLY for marines... This is just plainly a bad decision. There are 4 fun and distinct races, with multiple heroes each, and they just do 1 (albeit quite long) campaign with only 1 faction, involving just 1 hero. Very disappointed. I hope they add more campaigns for cheap, like 9.99 for a long campaign for the Eldar or Tyranids.
- Can't restart a mission. Got distracted and lost your units? Too bad, you can't restart it to get that reward you wanted. The game goes on even if you fail, which means you have to always be careful of what you're doing.
- [[Edit: My wireless internet connection dropped while I was playing, and the game didn't stopped, just a little pop-up came up for a second letting me know the connection to GFWL was dropped - this is just a sigh of relief, as I didn't really know what would happen]]

== Steam (why I don't like it) ==
1. No resale value. Period. The software is attached to your steam account upon installation, and you cannot transfer the software or your steam account per the agreement you need to accept. (Kills the second game market - also a word of warning: Do not buy this game used - if someone is selling you one, it either won't work, or it's somehow a cracked version.)
2. You have to log in to Steam to play the game. (offline mode is there but pointless for the game, since you need to log in to windows live anyhow, still needs to run steam though, even in offline mode).
3. SLOW. Opening a game takes forever, since it first has to load up steam, then it needs to connect to steam online, then it starts launching the game. (At least 5 times as long as non-steam games.)
4. You can't play your games if the server is busy (unless you do the walk around every boot up to set it to offline mode). This was a most unpleasant surprise, I did not know Steam would actually go that far, and honestly I cannot think of a worse thing, not even DRM is that annoying. I click on my game, then after about 30 seconds trying to connect to steam, it just tells you something like: "Our servers are busy, try again later"... I could go on and on about how dumb this decision is, but I digress. How hard can it be for them to do implement the logic: "If server is busy, launch the game in offline mode". Note, this wasn't for a minute, I couldn't play it for about half an hour of trying to connect to their servers. Also, if there is a patch, you cannot run your game. My internet connection is not blazing fast so a 150MB patch also leaves you without playing until that's done.... This is unacceptable, period. It is a single player game installed in my local computer, I don't want your server to tell me when I can play it or not.

Note: Steam is not securom or a rootkit or malware like some reviewers are suggesting. It's just an extra software layer, some people love it (you can buy games online, it keeps track of your friends, so you can see who is online and play with them, etc. So there is stuff to like about Steam.

=== THE GOOD STUFF ===
- Co-op single player campaign. You can progress through the campaign online with a friend.
- Graphics are really good, animation is great.
- Loot. (there are white, green and purple 'drops' to powerup the crews from the campaign. So you can customize your characters with new weapons.
- Leveling. You level up both in the single player and the multiplayer games. In the campaign you even get to enhance your stats by spreading those points around. In multiplayer it just increases your attributes, making a veteran squad much more powerful than a new one.
- Tactics are all about combat. (Even though I like base building, it was nice to depart from it - more info below).
- Smaller number of units - (you cannot just outnumber your opponent to victory, you need to plan and use your units accordingly)
- 3 levels of cover (standing behind rocks makes you harder to hit/damage at a maximum level, while standing behind say, a fence gives you only a medium level of cover protection.
- Destructible environment
- The 4 races play very differently, making the game more unique.
- Even though I am disappointed the campaign is only for the Marines, I have to commend the developers, because it's actually a long campaign. I haven't finished it yet, and played through at least 35 missions, if not more. Granted you have the option of finishing it sooner, but I am doing all the optional missions too.

=== NO BASE BUILDING ===
Since these 3 items are new for RTS games, I wanted to expand on Relic's implementation as far as the single player campaign goes:
- I have come to really, really enjoy not having a base. It works superbly along with the small number of units. In typical RTS I found myself building a well defended base, while "teching" so I could unload lots of powerful units and overwhelm the enemy. So basically, it took a while to complete a mission, and most of the time was spent building defenses and teching up, while the actual battle took very little, since the enemy was outmatched. In this game, you start fighting right away.

=== SMALL NUMBER OF UNITS ===
Most of the time you control 4 squads (in single player, multiplayer is 100 units per race, which depending on the unit type can be 12-15 squads)
What I like about it:
- You learn to care more about your units. (you cannot afford to lose squads in an important battle) You get to experience each squad's personality through their leader, and they are always with you - they are with you through the entire campaign.
- War tactics become most important. Using cover wisely, using the special items wisely (like a grenade to quickly clear units inside a structure)
- And what I like the most: I know my squads 1 - 4 hot keyed, so I can call upon each squad when I need them. I am not managing 100 units where I just select all and click attack - in order to be successful, you need to plan out your attack, heal your quads when needed, and basically be able to quickly call upon any squad when the need arises. (My sniper squad is being attacked by stronger melee units, I need to quickly hit the hot key of my jump squad to jump there and save them)

=== LEVELING ===
Commenting only on the single player campaign.
Do I want my hero to be melee based, or do I want him to be a range damage type? (through the levels and experience points you can choose a path). Do I want my all purpose squad to be stronger in melee? Or do I want to make it into a range squad? Do I want my sniper team for this mission, or should I go with my melee team?

=== BOSS FIGHTS ===
They are fun, and a lot of them really hard. They can quickly wipe out your squad if you are not careful. They drop powerful items some times, which you can then use to bolster your squad. I think they did this very well, since bosses have special abilities, all the boss fights (so far) have been different from each other.

=== LOOT ===
I like having to make decisions as to how to equip the squad, which squad should get which powerups, which armor is better suited for x, y or z. However, it also suffers the same problems of most loot systems:
- An item will drop that I can't use for 2 more levels (which could take about 4 missions to do at the latter stages).
- Right now I have 6 extra pretty good armor drops level 6-9 green drops (sit unused, or switched in for some missions). While my commander has a level 0 gun, and a level 4 sword (there just haven't been good weapon drops for me). My supression squad meanwhile has like 4-5 great guns to choose from. Basically, it is what it is with random drops. I just wish my hero had better weapons at this point, my sniper team is also pretty weak in the weapons department, as is my all-purpose squad.
- The reward items for completing missions stink at first (white items, and the random drops from the mission are better). In the latter stages the reward items become very powerful. On a side note, a lot of blue drops seem worse than green drops...
- One annoyance is changing the armor of a unit. Sometimes when changing the armor, all your equipped accessories get taken out as well. So you need to re-equip them, which means sorting those 3 items among the 20 others you have in your inventory.

=== CONCLUSION ===
Overall the game is very fun, their departures from traditional RTS games work surprisingly well, but I do wish they had made a single player campaign for the 4 races, as well as polish the game, so the crashes (even after various patches) wouldn't be present. Obviously, no steam or GFWL would be much appreciated.

=== EDIT February 24th ===
Relic released a big patch in hopes of solving the game crashes yesterday. While I was encouraged at first, I actually experienced the worse crash I've had after the patch. Before the game would freeze, and Windows would be active, so you could submit the error to Relic. The crash after the patch was a full blown BSOD (blue screen of death) - and I had never seen one in Vista before. I will update after a week with this patch to see how the game crashes are going. (see March 2nd edit below)

=== EDIT February 25th ===
I have edited several sections and added others. Some things have already been fixed by Relic, so they were no longer applicable. I plan on updating this review as patches are released, so it reflects the current game.

=== EDIT March 2nd ===
The game has been rock solid stable as of late. No crashes or anything of that sort. So they did fix the issue with the large patch.

== NOTE ==
If I missed a topic, or you have a particular question, make a post in the comments section, I will be checking those periodically and will give you my honest answer/opinion.

I was skeptical when I bought this game. It was not so much Dawn of War 2 as it was its own new game. The only thing it held in common with the original was the setting and the developer. If you can get past the fact that this isn't the original with better graphics then you should really enjoy this game.

Single Player, the campaign was very enjoyable. The story was a little lacking compared to say Starcraft but it was much better then Dark Crusade or Soul Storm. The RPG element gives replayablity and is really fun to collect different weapons.

Multiplayer, is fast paced and really enjoyable. 3v3 is where its at and you can have games that swing back and forth. The coop campaign is a huge bonus.

It does require an internet connection, windows live and steam. But I personally have experienced no problems with this and I find it to be a better option compared to others.

The future, this game has tons of options for the future. I really hope relic sticks to their promise of supporting this game, because it could be one of the greats.

First of all, many players (myself included) were expecting a game that basically merged the original Dawn of War with Company of Heroes, so you had a more tactically advanced game but souped up graphics and fun things like cover, suppression, large maps, etc.

What we got instead, was the tabletop in 3d form, and in it's own right I'd say it didn't turn out half bad, I still wish I could get Dawn of War 2 how I imagined it, but thems the breaks.

So, if you look beyond that, the gameplay is pretty fun, I don't really get down with Multi Player but the Single Player is AMAZINGLY well done, I really, REALLY adore the single player... The co-op was a great touch too!

Biggest gripe? If Windows Live is down, you're not able to play. If you want to play by yourself, offline? Sorry, no go! You HAVE to have a working Internet Connection and Windows Live servers HAVE to be working or you CANNOT play.

The game play also gets super repetitive before long and leads to a very ho-hum kind of feeling, I've played through the single player on two difficulties now and while I'm *slightly* excited to try and beat it on Primarch, (the highest difficulty) it really isn't going to be much different... Take a little extra time clearing a corner, etc.

The game is fun, but I kind of feel like Relic didn't really deliver this time 'round, sadly... I'd like it a lot more I think if it wasn't for the whole Windows Live / Internet issue, but a lot of users have complained of that to quite a lengthy extent so I won't rant about it too much.

Contrary the developers' opinion, this game does not combine the best of Company of Heroes and Dawn of War; rather, it is CoH translated into a Warhammer 40k storyline -- and a lot gets lost in translation.

First off, the experience of installing this game -- simply getting to PLAY it for the first time -- was something I would not wish upon my worst enemy. Downloading and registering for three separate Big Name online platforms is just the beginning; then there's Steam to deal with and the fact that THQ are not thrifty with their update download sizes. Plus there's no way you can run the game if Steam even gets a whiff of an update that it wants. For someone with unlimited broadband access this is no problem; us plebs outside the US and Europe, however, usually have a download cap, which Steam apparently has no sympathy for.

The game itself has an amusing, if monotonous, single player campaign, which is apparently touted as having great replay value. I was personally very disappointed with the RPG elements brought into the multiplayer, since this is exactly what Blizzard did to ruin WarCraft II when they made WarCraft III. Aside from the fact that armies are now considerably smaller than they used to be in DoW -- there goes another star off the rating -- the gameplay itself feels much more sluggish and unwieldy. Frankly this cover idea becomes annoying after the novelty has worn off. Combine with this fewer unit options, fewer upgrades, a tech tree that makes you wonder why they even bothered to include it, and you're left wondering how a great game like Dawn of War could have been pruned down to hatch such a lacklustre, over-hyped, and anaemic progeny.

Did THQ want to make Dawn of War accessible to younger audiences (eg. the three to seven age group)? Did they simplify DoW because they were hoping to release it on the console platform (which we know is notorious for its lack of depth)? Or did they spend more time liaising with Valve and Microsoft concerning million-dollar involvement contracts rather than thinking about the marrow of their game?

Amid these questions, and having finished the game campaign, I search my weary soul deeply for a reason to brush the dust off the CD and run it again. Perhaps this time I'll find that the game is now focused on exciting squad-based combat, or that the RPG elements introduce a hitherto-unexplored depth to the game. However, I just don't feel there would be a point to all the trouble.

I loved DoW I. It was awesome. I bought every expansion and played the crap out of them. Even replaying the single player campaign's over and over again in Iraq when I had nothing better to do. This sequel is a supreme disapointment. There is not one aspect of the gameplay that I truly enjoy. I hate not getting to build my own force, I hate not getting to build up a base. Extremely limited in terms of your makeup and doesnt even really have use of all the units I liked. I gave it two stars because it is obviously a well designed game with no real bug issues that I have noticed, I just do not like how it is played. Not fun for me. Starcraft II needs to come out already. Havent played a good RTS in a long time. Maybe ill go dig out my old DoW I discs.....

There's nary a geek, dork or nerd out there who hasn't at least heard of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop war game by Games Workshop. Heck, I'm one of them. But the first Dawn of War game which launched in 2004 did something that the franchise could not do previously: it found a tremendous audience OUTSIDE of its own already dedicated and loyal followers. Utilizing standard RTS formulas and somehow managing to find ways to reinvent them, Dawn of War quickly made it to a legendary status amongst RTS gamers. To this day, the first Dawn of War still has a tremendous following, and with myriad expansions released between 2004 and 2008, there was always a reason to come back and play, especially since each expansion introduced brand new gameplay elements. So what happened with Dawn of War 2?

Frankly, Dawn of War II is actually 2 games in one. Taking the standard RTS formula and once more reinventing it, Dawn of War II eschews the traditional mad dash for resources and army building and instead introduces core RPG elements and War Gear loot pickups during the campaign game. Still emphasizing strategy, the player can choose from 6 different specialized Space Marine squads, including one Hero Commander that is the "You" character. Each squad is represented by one of the most honored and revered Sergeants of the Blood Ravens Space Marine chapter, and can be customized to the player's liking. Veterans of the tabletop game will instantly recognize the different types of Squads: Assault, Devastator, Tactical, Scout and eventually Dreadnought. The Commander is a versatile unit that can be customized to the player's liking...whether you favor straight up melee combat, ranged combat, a mix of the two or tactical support, the Commander has abilities that suit any player's style. During missions, the player then chooses from 3 of the 5 remaining squads to take along for the ride.

Throughout each mission, certain objectives will come up that offer bonus Experience and additional War Gear. Gone is the need to find resources and build a defensible base. In true Warhammer 40K style, your squads are dropped "into the maelstrom of battle" as they're so fond of saying, and from there must complete their objectives. There are checkpoints to capture so that you can retreat or reinforce. Some objectives call for eliminating a specific target, while others require you to hold a position as swarms of foes attack. You will return to the same locations many times, and during gameplay you may capture specific buildings that offer you bonuses such as multiple deployments, extra super-weapon uses, and other such benefits. Often times these captured relics will come under attack, forcing you into defend missions that sometimes become overwhelming, especially on higher difficulties.

As far as the game being 2 games in 1, the other half of the game is your standard RTS army building in Skirmish & Multiplayer mode. Like the campaign mode, gone is the need to build bases as the Command Center will be your one-stop source for all of your units. Those who enjoy hording resources will be happy, as Power Nodes and Requisition Points are once more there to be captured. There are multiple game types, and the highly customizable armies (Space Marines now have different paint patterns) allow you to mix it up with 5 other players for a massive free-for-all or team combat. There are some drawbacks in that army buildup is very slow, being that there is only one building that produces units. Requisition and Power are also very slow to start out, and once you upgrade your HQ you must wait to build more units until the upgrade is complete, leaving you vulnerable.

The story is great, with superb voice acting and instantly likable characters. Fans rejoice, for your ranting and raving has paid off...Tyranids are HERE! Focusing on a Tyranid Hive Fleet that has appeared in the Sub-Sector of Aurelia, the Blood Ravens find themselves plunged into a desperate war to decide the fate of their primary recruiting worlds. As the odds are stacked ever against them, the Blood Ravens fight a war on all fronts, as the enigmatic Eldar and reckless Orks have also decided to lay waste to the sector. Familiar faces and heroes from the previous Dawn of War games will also join you in your quest to destroy the Tyranid Hive Fleet. The story progresses nicely, with optional missions popping up that offer more story insight. There is even a cluster of side missions revolving around acquiring a new character for use in your squads.

Now that we've covered the basic game, let's get to some technical issues:

The squad AI can be...well, pretty darn dumb. Ranged units will inexplicably charge into melee combat, while melee units will stand off to the side firing away with their weaker ranged weapon, if nothing at all. Many times, issuing an attack order for one of your squads will simply make them charge headfirst into the swarm, instantly getting them killed. Sometimes they will not respond to commands, and pathing issues may wind up sending your squad all the way around the map (again, getting them killed) to get to an open field less than half a screen away from them with a bridge leading right to it. I have actually failed missions based on AI stupidity. On the contrary, enemy AI can often be lethally cunning, even on the easiest difficulty. This can either add more challenge or heap on the annoyance factor...whatever you feel like.

Graphical glitches are few and far between, but they do exist. If you're running a top of the line computer you should have no problem with the visual effects. However, some technical bugs do show through. Similarly, sound has few problems but sometimes the in-game volume can completely cut out, or unit responses to your selection will cease to play, requiring you to set all options to factory default, and then changing them back to your liking.

And my least favorite...

STEAM/Windows LIVE - DAMN YOU for taking over my game! Let's face it folks, we're stuck with this for most games now. It's their idea of fighting piracy, and as annoying as it is you can't let it be the deciding factor. Frankly, I am sick and tired of customers ignorantly giving bad reviews to a game because it has to be played through Steam/Live. Deal with it! It is annoying yes, but it is not the game you should be complaining about. To be honest, there have been a few occasions where my internet has cut out, and thus I wasn't able to play Dawn of War II. Are you KIDDING ME? I need to be on the internet to play a game that is installed on my computer? Yeah, it enrages me but it isn't Dawn of War II that I'm going to bash for it. It's that despicable Steam client and equally annoying WLID.

This has also put a stranglehold on the modding community. Sorry, but don't expect to see custom badges or units from anyone.

So here's a final breakdown:

Gameplay - 5/5: Love it or Hate It...there seems to be no in-between. The tremendous change from straight up RTS to RTS/RPG hybrid will leave a sour taste in the mouths of some, while others such as myself will love the element of strategy and squad customization involved. If you tire of the hybrid play style of the campaign, the skirmish mode is always available for your more classic tastes. Multiplayer is a blast, even if Zerging is still a problem. Campaign ending is also rather disappointing.

Sound - 5/5: Explosions, weapon discharges and screams of bloody death fill the battlefield at all times. The superb voice acting creates extremely likable characters with dramatic dialogue and the music inspires you to keep fighting the good fight.

Control - 4/5: Feels a little sloppy at times but give me keyboard and mouse over console controller any day.

Accessibility - 3/5: An easy-to-use interface, a custom army painter and a recently included map editor make this game a joy to play. Finding online matches can take some time but is easy. However, the invasive and infectious Steam client can completely ruin your day by refusing to allow you to play your own game at its leisure. Offline mode does not always work!

Overall - 5/5: Minor technical issues and ethical questions about Steam aside, DoW II is fantastic and has once more set the standard for RTS gaming. Though some may have minor issues (No Chaos? No base building?) it will continue to win over fans.

PROs:
- RTS/RPG hybrid allows for high level of customization
- Well written and superbly voice-acted storyline
- Diverse environmental terrain allows for different tactics and a "more than one way" approach to missions
- Optional missions always available to gain more War Gear and Experience
- Custom Army Painter has more options than previous games
- Multiplayer and single player skirmish is close enough to previous games to draw in standard RTS crowds
- Highly addicting and plenty of Achievements to Earn

CONs:
- Questionable squad AI leads to needless deaths
- Certain missions (such as "Defense" missions) are nearly impossible at higher difficulties
- Though very rare, glitches can severely hinder gameplay
- Optional missions get repetitive quickly

As it stands, Dawn of War II is one of my all-time favorites. In fact, it's running in the background right now at the time of this writing. Enjoy!

The people over at THQ think that RTS fans of DOW want small battles, half the unit variety and less then half of the playable races. They think that this is better because now during battles you can use "cover" as a factor. Why not just give us all the units, races and tech trees while still improving the battles. The developers of this game have short changed the loyal DOW fans here; most of which bought every expansion and enjoyed them thoroughly.

RTS fans, and more importantly fans of DOW like large battles and tons of units. In DOW 2most fights are three units vs. four units or one vehicle vs. one vehicle. Under its tight unit cap and watered down tech tree this is the most you can expect. What's confusing is this is touted as improvement over DOW because there is less base building and allegedly less resource gathering. First what is wrong with base building? It adds an important strategic element to any RTS. Plus in DOW 2 you still have a base that must be destroyed to win in skirmish or multiplayer. They just dumb it down for you and build it for you with a couple of cannons protecting it instead of you having to strategically place the defenses around the base yourself. Plus you still have to collect two kinds of resources you just have less options on where and how you do it.

The graphics on the original DOW look kind of like an Anime movie which works because the game is Sci-Fi. DOW 2 takes the engine from Company of Heroes (COH) so it looks more realistic than DOW but it does not work here because COH was meant to portray real life people from WWII not Sci-Fi characters such as Eldar, etc.. Some people will say the graphics are improved but I think the DOW1 engine worked better for what they are trying to do and the COH engine belongs with COH. Although I will admit some of the details that show up on a high end system are impressive. The Steam and Windows Games complaints are legit but are the least of the game's problems.

Oh did I mention that there are only two or three skirmish maps? I usually play skirmish mode and found a lot or replayability in DOW, but not here. After about three hours of play I am ready to dust off DOW Soulstrom, or dive in to some Empire Total War (a franchise that got it right this time around by giving its fans more of what they like not less!) This game gives RTS fans, and more importantly DOW fans, less of what they like and essentially guts one of the best RTS franchises out there.

First of all, if you look at the box (which you'll have to if you have the game, since if you're buying the game then you obviously didn't get it from Amazon)... right underneath the system requirements, in red lettering to draw your eyes to it, it says "Internet Connection Required." About half an inch below that, in bold text to once again draw your eyes to it, it explains that you have to activate the product via the internet and that it's done through Steam. This is before you open the game, this is before you even remove the slipcover from the game. If it was hidden in the wall of small text at the bottom that explains all of the copyright info that'd be one thing, but this is right by the system requirements and is highlighted to get people to notice it. If you don't realize it then it's not because it's not there.

On to the game itself. This isn't Dawn of War with shinier graphics. It isn't Company of Heroes in space. Dawn of War 2 is its own game, with unique single player and multiplayer components. Unlike some other games where a few scripted scenes are the only difference between SP and MP, you'll find huge differences in how these two modes are played.

The campaign plays out completely differently than the multiplayer component, having you guide persistent squads through different battle zones (on different worlds)... instead of having an entire map available to you like in Dark Crusade or Soulstorm, you have to choose between a few missions that become available at a time. There's an autosave feature in the game instead of a dedicated save/load function, since the idea is to have you make choices and deal with the consequences of them; you choose the squads that you take on the mission, you choose the missions you take (sometimes at the expense of some of the other missions, as the "distress beacons" will go out after a while because the people you sent it up have been wiped out), and you choose how you maneuver through combat. If you lose, the game goes on. If you win, the game goes on. While there are some repetitive missions, it's still an enjoyable experience and as you really start to get into it you can really get the feeling of how Space Marines would really act on the battlefield... instead of sending in a wall of troops like you would in most RTS games (like the original Dawn of War), you've got a limited amount of men against nigh-overwhelming odds. And it's your job to help 'em come out on top. You can also invite a friend to play the campaign with you co-op on a mission-to-mission basis, with each of you controlling 2 squads to get maximum micro in against your enemies.

Multiplayer, on the other hand, gives you a commander and a base structure that you can use to call in a number of different troop options. There aren't a lot of maps with the release version, but there are 2 additional ones coming in the first week and more free maps planned as DLC later on. You choose one of 3 commanders (basically an army commander, such as the Force Commander, and two secondary commanders, such as the Techmarine and the Apothecary) which determines which call-in units will be available to you and which special abilities you'll have access to. The modes available at the moment are 1v1 and 3v3, though Relic are looking in to adding 2v2 maps to the mix as well. There are 2 victory conditions, Victory Points (where you hold certain locations and cause your opponent to lose points; first one to run out of victory points loses) and Annihilate (destroy the enemy base.) The game was built to bring 3v3 a bit more to the forefront (which is why you have a main commander and 2 secondaries; 3 players playing a single race can cover all 3 and work as a single army) and has made an overall fun multiplayer system from what at first seems very simple. The AI isn't exactly bright for vs. Comp matches, but again that's something that Relic has stated they're looking into.

There will supposedly be a steady stream of DLC downloadable content, at least some of which (including maps, weapons, etc.) will be free... they've stated that anything which affects balance will be free DLC, while other items such as new campaigns featuring Orks or Eldar may be premium DLC content. A Day Zero patch has already been released, incorporating a number of balance and bug fixes from the public beta that they did last month... more patches are confirmed to be on the way.

This isn't the do-all and end-all of video games, but it's a lot of fun and has a lot of potential as Relic continues to add onto it over the course of the next year or so. The only major problem that I had was with Amazon... I ended up finding a copy at my local Walmart and buying it, canceling my Amazon preorder since Amazon had told me that they didn't even know when they'd have it in stock to deliver it.

To sum it up: Fun game, with unique single player and multiplayer experiences. Co-op campaign features, 3v3 multiplayer is actually fun in this game, and more patches and DLC (both free and premium) are coming. Don't forget to actually read what's printed on the outside of the box.

Thirty-eight thousand years in the future, the Galaxy is gripped in a constant state of warfare. The million worlds of the Imperium of Man are under constant attack from hostile alien races. Whilst the billions-strong army of the Imperial Guard holds the lines, it is up to the thousand chapters of the genetically-engineered, highly-capable Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, to take the offensive.

In one small corner of the Imperium is sub-sector Aurelia, the three major worlds of which - Calderis, Typhon and Meridian - are the primary recruiting and base worlds for the Blood Raven chapter of the Space Marines. When the Orks mount a major assault on Calderis, the Blood Ravens respond and discover that the Eldar are trying to trigger a full-scale war between the two factions. Whilst the Space Marines attempt to eliminate both hostile alien forces, a Tyranid Hive Fleet also shows up to infest all three worlds, resulting in an exceptionally bloody battle to save the planets and their billions of inhabitants from certain death.

Dawn of War II takes place in the Warhammer 40,000 universe and is the sequel to the 2004 real-time strategy game Dawn of War and its three expansions, Winter Assault, Dark Crusade and Soulstorm. Once again, the player takes control of the Blood Raven chapter of the Space Marines and fights against various foes in the single-player campaign, whilst in multiplayer they can also control the Orks, Eldar and Tyranids in battle. The forthcoming Chaos Rising expansion will also add the Chaos Marine faction to the game. Whilst not directly controllable in battle, several missions see the Space Marines fighting alongside the Imperial Guard, who provide fire support and cannon fodder for the enemy forces.

The original Dawn of War was a satisfactorily enjoyable RTS, but it had several key problems: it was very short, the non-linear campaigns of the latter two expansions were dull and repetitive and it was very easy, particularly if you played as the Space Marines. Space Marines in the WH40K universe are one-man armies, each capable of annihilating dozens of enemies from other factions (their counterparts from the corrupted Chaos Marine faction excepted), and Dawn of War seemed unwilling to treat them in this manner or downgrade them fully to the status of just another army, meaning that they fell into a kind of halfway position where they were substantially tougher than most of the other factions in the game but also still weren't as powerful as they should be given the setting's lore. Their sheer toughness also meant they didn't need much in the way of tactics, upgrades or the addition of new units through the game. It was still possible to win the game with just the use of the basic Space Marine infantry type in the final mission.

Dawn of War II intelligently overcomes these problems by changing the single-player game entirely. It's now much more of an action-RPG along the lines of Diablo. There is no recruiting or building of new units mid-mission. Instead, you can order four units into each battle out of a pool of eventually six squads. Each squad is highly specialised in a certain field, with a heavy-weapons Devastator squad capable of laying down vast amounts of heavy fire whilst a jetpack-equipped Assault squad can drop into the midst of the enemy and engage them in heavy melee combat. This move away from strategic considerations - which were really limited in Dawn of War I anyway - to purely evaluating the tactical considerations of each engagement adds a lot to the game. Also, by removing the resource model (holding tactical strongpoints on the battle field) the game becomes one of movement, with the need to hold and defend resource-requisition sectors not slowing down the game as it did before. In addition, squads find 'wargear' (the equivalent to Diablo's loot) which they can equip between missions, such as better armour, heavier weapons or items that increase durability or damage potential. Squads also gain experience between engagements and can improve their fighting capabilities over time.

The single-player campaign is non-linear, with at any one time several missions available to the player on the three planets. If the player chooses to take one mission on one planet, enemy forces may advance on the other two, and in the case of the Tyranids ignoring one planet for too long a period of time may see it overrun and consumed. Whilst it's not exactly Total War, it does introduce interesting elements of strategy to the game. However, to avoid the problem of repetition from the latter two Dawn of War expansions, these semi-random combat and defence missions are frequently interrupted by key storyline missions which advance the overall course of the conflict.

Both the strategic map and the tactical battles work very well, and the game is considerably longer than the original. The number of missions you need to do to complete the game varies, but comes in at between 30 and 40 (contrasted to the original game's 17). You can also play the campaign in co-op with a friend, and there are numerous multiplayer options including a 'last stand' mode where you have to hold out for as long as possible against apparently infinite waves of enemies.

The game has been heavily criticised for moving away from the RTS model of Dawn of War, which I think is unfair. Dawn of War came out in the summer of 2004, between Ground Control II and Rome: Total War, and suffered in comparison to both games, not being as tactically enjoyable and inventive as the former or as strategically impressive as the latter. The game looked great and was fun to play, but it was also a bit lightweight and was far too easy. Relic have proven surprisingly intelligent and mature in realising that the Space Marines simply don't work as a traditional RTS side and constructing a new game concept that makes them shine without becoming too overpowering (since your Space Marines are often outnumbered 100 to 1 per mission, and losses can be incurred if you are not careful). It also allows them to create some extremely memorable characters in the case of the six squad commanders and their interactions with one another and their observations on life and war in the Imperium (although the ultra-cynical Cyrus really needs to get out more and chill out a bit).

There are, however, some other problems. Many of the battles take place on the same maps, which can get a bit boring the third or four time you visit them. There's also a strong sense of repetition to the early battles in the game, in which you have to fight your way across the map and kill a boss. This threatens to get tedious, but fortunately the game opens up into its more freeform stage just after this and the game becomes more enjoyable. If you're a huge RTS fan, than the absence of base-building and unit-construction may be disappointing, but conversely action-RPG fans will find a game that is much more appealing than the original. Slightly more annoying is the fact that you need both Games for Windows Live and Steam running to make the game work. Either one of these would be irksome, but having both running simultaneously takes up valuable memory (annoying with a game this memory-intensive), which is irritating.

Dawn of War II (****) is an enjoyable game with some great ideas and a solid action element to it. It's not the most original of titles, but is a rare example of developers identifying key issues in the original game and taking some pretty big steps to eliminate them. The game is available now on PC in the UK and USA.

Have tried and failed to get this abomination to run on two different, frequently used gaming PCs and that's AFTER jumping through the absurd registry/software hoops for using (against your will, there's no choice) Steam AND Games For Windows Live. The vile, always-on must-be-online DRM scheme attached to this product is infamous and well documented. But no matter, all it does for me is fail to load on one PC and blue screen of death upon loading on the shiny new Alienware rig. Spend your money elsewhere. A curse on Relic Entertainment and a curse on THQ. /spit