L
ately each new real-time strategy game
has been, well, just a new real-time
strategy game. Build, gather, rush, lather,
rinse, repeat. Snore. There was no reason to
think another RTS, or even another adapta-
tion of the revered Warhammer miniature
game system would stray at all from that
formula. Enter Relic Entertainment. Rapidly
becoming one the premier RTS developers in
the world, these Vancouver designers have
rejuvenated a stale genre with Dawn of War.
Relic flawlessly executes the essence of the
Warhammer system, which relies on com-
bined squad actions, with one squad sup-
porting another in a movement/overwatch
relationship. This gameplay philosophy
is a refreshing departure for the real-time
strategy genre, because it discourages mas-
sive unit buildups by emphasizing small
squads. It also allows the replacement of
soldiers who are killed, effective and unique
unit upgrades, and leadership benefits. Early
in the game you learn that nurturing a small
assortment of squads is far more effective
and satisfying than building a mass of dis-
posable units.
Another key to the more subtle tactics of
Dawn of War is the way control points are
implemented. Each point must be captured
by a squad, but this takes time, during
which the squad is completely vulnerable.
Attempting to grab a series of points without
proper combined forces simply won’t work,
so squads need to work together.
All of these elements are made all the moreeffective by the depth of the Warhammer
40,000 world, which pits Space Marines,
Orks, Dark Marines, and Eldar against
each other in a feudal, sci-fi setting. Games
Workshop has spent years building depth
into the characters, units, weapons, faction
histories, races, and stories of this universe,
and much of it emerges here. The campaign
mission is lamentably short, but packs in a
good story, some eye-popping cinematics,
and unusually strong voice acting.
Visually, the game is top-notch, allowing
both a long distance perspective for a solid
tactical overview of the battlefield, and tight
ground level views of the action.
Dawn of War’s main failing is the shortness
of its solo game. A full and satisfying multi-
player component makes up for this—kind
of—but the shortage of maps needs to be
remedied. Beyond this, there are few nega-
tives. Not only is it a satisfying rendering of
the Warhammer system and universe, it’s
also a ripping-good RTS.
—THOMAS L. MCDONALDTerrific implementation of Warhammer rules, requiring
more subtle tactical decisions than many RTS games offer.ORKSORCS
The campaign game is short and slow to introduce the
good gear.
$50, http://www.relic.comMA XIMUMPC VERDICT 9
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Finally—a real-time strategy game that doesn’t feel like a real-time
strategy game!
Dawn of War’s units and landscapes are among the best looking in any game
we’ve ever seen—perfect for showing off your power rig. The game also includes a
custom painting tool for your units.