Review: Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War II [PC]
Heals, 19-Jun-09 » Warhammer 40,000 - Dawn of War II
Reviewed by Cholesterol
Having been a big Warhammer fan since the days of painting little Space Marine soldiers, I knew for me at least, this would be one of the most anticipated games for 2009. I wasn’t disappointed, Dawn of War II, developed by Relic, incorporates great graphics and lighting, destructible terrains, a cover/suppression system combined with great single player and multiplayer modes help make DOW2 one of the best RTS games of the year.
The single player aspect see’s you once again playing with the Space Marines as they endeavour to save their galaxy from the usual suspects the “war-mongering Green Skins” (Orks) and the evasive Eldar. There is however a new arch nemesis for the Space Marines, the Tyranids - alien hive creatures threatening to consume their world. You're accompanied by your four Blood Raven squads and travel through the campaign battling all three races, ridding your world of this tyranny.
(The big ugly Hive Tyrant Tyranid).
The single player campaign mode involves travelling around the map capturing points, defending points and usually defeating the enemy boss commander. This basically means you get a fun diet of killing everything that stands in your way which, hey, is a gameplay element I'm certainly not going to argue with. Although the objectives can become repetitive, a new looting and character ranking system makes the game more addictive, letting gamers upgrade their squads' armour and weapons by killing bosses and levelling up.
What makes single player so unique however is the new co-op mode, allowing you to play with another person via a online connection. Refreshingly, unlike most RTS titles, DOW2 features a non-linear storyline. As you progress from mission one to mission two you can actually travel to different galaxies and do side missions. Players are able to complete main missions which advance your calendar or side missions which can obtain you some cool rewards!
(Single Player Mode currently orbiting on Planet Calderis).
There are a few big changes from the previous Dawn of War saga, the first of which being the exclusion of base building. Some would argue this change detracts from the RTS experience. Another change is the inclusion of four attribute skill bars enabling you to continually improve and unlock more skills. These elements totally mix up the game play in DOW2. An example would be, when approaching a fortified position do I ... (A.) Use Cyrus to throw a Demolition pack and blow this sh*t up ... OR (B.) Do I use an artillery Strike? Mmmm choices!
(The Dreadnought's are back and bigger than ever!).
The Multiplayer mode is very similar to Company of Heroes. There’s a stock standard annihilate mode, encouraging the player to destroy everything your enemy has or the popular Capture Control Point, which, using a ticket system, encourages players to dominate territory and bleed out their enemy. Without base building, these modes provide very fast and tactical game play in which you'll usually see teams mass their units and rush control points or take the 'tech-up' approach creating fewer but stronger and more advanced units to combat their opponent. Unfortunately I did find Multiplayer to be a tad buggy and often squads do not respond to orders and lag behind.
Is this Good or Bad Cholesterol?
This is definitely Good Cholesterol and I'm giving it a rating of 8.5/10. I whole heartedly recommend this game to all Dawn of War and RTS fans looking for a new energised look at the DOW experience. The depth of the storyline, as well as the new mechanical look of cover/suppression similarly used by COH makes this an enjoyable and fast paced game. Although the multiplayer has the potential to be bigger and less buggy and the single player bots more challenging you can never get enough of picking up stormboyz with a Dreadnought and throwing them half-way across the map!
Reviewed by Cholesterol
Having been a big Warhammer fan since the days of painting little Space Marine soldiers, I knew for me at least, this would be one of the most anticipated games for 2009. I wasn’t disappointed, Dawn of War II, developed by Relic, incorporates great graphics and lighting, destructible terrains, a cover/suppression system combined with great single player and multiplayer modes help make DOW2 one of the best RTS games of the year.
The single player aspect see’s you once again playing with the Space Marines as they endeavour to save their galaxy from the usual suspects the “war-mongering Green Skins” (Orks) and the evasive Eldar. There is however a new arch nemesis for the Space Marines, the Tyranids - alien hive creatures threatening to consume their world. You're accompanied by your four Blood Raven squads and travel through the campaign battling all three races, ridding your world of this tyranny.
(The big ugly Hive Tyrant Tyranid).
The single player campaign mode involves travelling around the map capturing points, defending points and usually defeating the enemy boss commander. This basically means you get a fun diet of killing everything that stands in your way which, hey, is a gameplay element I'm certainly not going to argue with. Although the objectives can become repetitive, a new looting and character ranking system makes the game more addictive, letting gamers upgrade their squads' armour and weapons by killing bosses and levelling up.
What makes single player so unique however is the new co-op mode, allowing you to play with another person via a online connection. Refreshingly, unlike most RTS titles, DOW2 features a non-linear storyline. As you progress from mission one to mission two you can actually travel to different galaxies and do side missions. Players are able to complete main missions which advance your calendar or side missions which can obtain you some cool rewards!
(Single Player Mode currently orbiting on Planet Calderis).
There are a few big changes from the previous Dawn of War saga, the first of which being the exclusion of base building. Some would argue this change detracts from the RTS experience. Another change is the inclusion of four attribute skill bars enabling you to continually improve and unlock more skills. These elements totally mix up the game play in DOW2. An example would be, when approaching a fortified position do I ... (A.) Use Cyrus to throw a Demolition pack and blow this sh*t up ... OR (B.) Do I use an artillery Strike? Mmmm choices!
(The Dreadnought's are back and bigger than ever!).
The Multiplayer mode is very similar to Company of Heroes. There’s a stock standard annihilate mode, encouraging the player to destroy everything your enemy has or the popular Capture Control Point, which, using a ticket system, encourages players to dominate territory and bleed out their enemy. Without base building, these modes provide very fast and tactical game play in which you'll usually see teams mass their units and rush control points or take the 'tech-up' approach creating fewer but stronger and more advanced units to combat their opponent. Unfortunately I did find Multiplayer to be a tad buggy and often squads do not respond to orders and lag behind.
Is this Good or Bad Cholesterol?
This is definitely Good Cholesterol and I'm giving it a rating of 8.5/10. I whole heartedly recommend this game to all Dawn of War and RTS fans looking for a new energised look at the DOW experience. The depth of the storyline, as well as the new mechanical look of cover/suppression similarly used by COH makes this an enjoyable and fast paced game. Although the multiplayer has the potential to be bigger and less buggy and the single player bots more challenging you can never get enough of picking up stormboyz with a Dreadnought and throwing them half-way across the map!
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| Category: | Game Reviews |
| Posted: | 19-Jun-09 5:28:10 pm |
| Author: | Heals |