Dawn of War 2

By mykl_c
17:25 Mar 3, 2009

Excellent gameplay
Capable graphic engine
Fantastic sound and music
Fun
Easy to learn

Bugs
STEAM
Windows LIVE

First a confession - I am an unashamed 40K fanboy. I have not only played every 40K PC game released (including Fire Warrior /shudder/), but have also been a player of the tabletop game for a decade. Now that's out of the way, let's begin.

The first impression of the game is that it is yet another victim of the insidious "rush to market" disease that has been so prevalent in more recent times. Even after a fairly extensive beta programme, the game has been the subject of an unreasonable number of patches. Interestingly, many of the issues seem to be Vista related.

Bugs aside, how does it actually PLAY? The differences between DOW2 and the previous games are subtle but distinct. Resource and power points are more important than before, as the gather rates seem to barely keep pace with the troop attrition rates (at least in the games I have played). Base building is almost completely eliminated, except for power generators. Some races can also build a support structure which allows nearby troops to resupply (restore dead troops), whereas the Orks and Space Marines have troop carriers which also provide this "hospital zone".

I’ve found that there is more than a rock-paper-scissors mentality at work in combat. Combined arms is very much the way to victory, so another move to bring the game more in line with the tabletop game. There are fewer choke points on the multiplayer maps, so simply plugging one or two points and letting resources accumulate is no longer an option for the lazy (like me). Even when playing against a simple AI and locking them in a corner with no requisition and one power point, they seem to be able to produce units as fast as I could with five requisition and four power points with additional generators!

What about the important but difficult to qualify “fun factor”? I like it! The unit characterizations are very flavourful and provide a much needed dose of humour for the dark universe of the 41st millennium. Unit animations are well executed and death animations are as excitingly bloody as you could desire. The action starts slowly but builds into some nicely frenetic combat that keeps me wishing for a larger monitor and faster fingers.

A score? My overall impression is a great game held back by coding issues and reliance on both Steam and LIVE. For me the greatest question was always – does it improve what DOW gave us? My opinion – yes, this is the 40K game I was waiting for.

Latest Competitions

Thermaltake kicks off your gaming year with a BANG
Thermaltake has started off the new year with a bang by giving away a Tt eSport Theron Laser mouse to not one or two, but TWENTY lucky Atomicans!

Atomic Magazine

Issue: 133 | February, 2012

Atomic is a magazine aimed squarely at computer enthusiasts, gamers, and serious PC upgraders.

Every month we bring you the latest reviews of new technology and PC components, in depth features on everything from overclocking to console hacking, and gaming previews and interviews.

What's in this issue?