Relic’s Dawn of War 2 proves that living in the grim darkness of the far future (where there is only conflict) can be pretty freaking awesome.

By SHAUN A. NOORDIN

Never has a game been more aptly named. Dawn of War 2 not only features a large amount of action-packed battles, but by the time I finished my nightly gaming sessions I’d realise that the sun had just come up.

Relic’s game is a fast-paced, squad-centric RTS game based on the popular Warhammer 40,000 franchise from Games Workshop.

The game is set in the dark, grim and stylishly gothic future where various alien races are constantly waging war against one another across the universe.

Although there are plenty of armies in the Warhammer 40,000 series, only four factions are present in DoW 2.

You’ll encounter the Tyranids (space monsters), the Eldar (space elves), the Orks (space orcs) and the Space Marines (space ... er, nevermind).

The Imperial Guard make a cameo appearance too, but mostly as the cannon fodder of the human faction.

Squads, not armies

I should warn you that before you can start this game, you’ll have to go through the ridiculously annoying installation process.

(I suspect that the process was created by the Imperium’s Inquisition to root out the heretics who are too weak-willed to enjoy the game.)

When I got my copy of DoW 2, I had to first install the Steam client, then update the Steam client, register for a Steam account, install the game through the client, update the game via the client, activate the product online, register for a Windows Live account (for online multiplayer), wash my laundry, feed my cats, etc.

After I was done with the installation, I was more prepared than ever to start killing.

Once you get through the installation gauntlet, however, you’ll find that the gameplay is worth all that trouble.

DoW 2 is markedly different from the original game, and it has a heavier emphasis on squad-level control and tactics than army-level strategy.

Heck, I think of it as more of a real-time tactics than an RTS game.

Since you can only field a few squads at a time — either in the game’s campaign mode or in multiplayer — each of your units is valuable, and you’ll want to make the most out of the game’s protective cover/flanking mechanics and put extra thought into each squad’s individual upgrades.

RTS meets RPG

DoW 2 features two equally addictive forms of gameplay: The single-player campaign (which features co-op) and the multiplayer mode which you can play against AIs in case you’re not keen on signing up for a Windows Live gaming account.

The single-player campaign follows the adventures the Blood Ravens chapter of the Space Marines as they defend sub-sector Aurelia — home of their recruiting worlds — from an invasion of Orks, Eldar and Tyranids.

If you’re a DoW fan, you’ll be happy to see the Blood Ravens — and a few characters from the previous games — return to the spotlight.

If you’re a Warhammer 40,000 fanatic, you’ll be happy to see the attention Relic has put into the details and lore in the game.

If you’re new to the whole Warhammer 40,000 thing, well ... all the backstory that you really need is that the Imperium of Man (the humans) employs the genetically engineered Space Marine super-soldiers to protect them from alien threats.

Humans good, aliens bad. Okay, we’re done.

The single-player campaign blends RPG elements into the tactical gameplay, as the 6 squads — each lead by a hero character — available to you are persistent throughout the campaign and can be improved with experience.

You can even unlock new abilities if you ungrade certain Combat Disciplines enough times and wargear (equipment/items which, like in many good RPGs, come with a spectrum of different powers and rarity levels).

The squads specialise in different forms of combat, and can be further customised to suit your playing style.

They include the Assault Space Marines (close range specialists), the Tactical Space Marines (general-purpose fighters) and yourself, the one-man army known as the Force Commander.

I would have liked to point out how the voiceovers and personalities of each the hero characters (the squad sergeants in particular; your Force Commander is a quiet chap) are very well done, but I think it’s more important for me to point out how you can tell your heroes apart from the redshirts of the squad.

The hero characters are the lunatics in the frontline who aren’t wearing helmets, lending credence to the theory that the less armour that a Space Marine wears, the more powerful he is.

Honestly, I cannot think of anything more terrifying on the battlefield than a Space Marine in a bikini.

Day to day

The campaign takes place across several days, and each day the Blood Ravens are given a selection of missions to choose from.

However, this choice cannot be made lightly as you generally only get to deploy to one mission a day unless you’re rewarded with more deployments.

Also, many missions are time-sensitive and new emergencies come up every day or so.

So, choosing to pursue an assassination mission which gives a sweet reward might mean you won’t be able to protect that sensor array in time.

Unfortunately, this is where the first complaints about the gameplay start to crop up.

Almost half of the missions in the campaign mode involves moving from Point A to Point B to kill some boss creature.

Most of the other half involves defending a strategic asset (that you can capture over the course of missions, which provide a longterm strategic bonus) from waves of alien attackers.

Add that to the fact that the number of maps in the game is very limited and you’ll realise that DoW 2 comes a little short on the subject of variety.

I know this is a game called DoW , not Dawn of Capture the Flag or Dawn of Puzzle Solving, but come on. I’m sure these missions can be spiced up a bit.

A glass of whine

While I’m complaining, I should also add that despite the game’s emphasis on squad-level combat and unit micro-management, the game can suck pretty bad when it comes to unit responses and user feedback.

In many instances, I’d be telling my Force Commander, “Pull back! The boss is going to unleash an area attack!” and he’d just linger there saying, “... naaahh, I think

I’ll just hang around here for a few seconds to finish my attack animation and oops, I’m dead.” Sigh.

And when I command my Tactical Squad to throw a grenade into a building, I can never be sure if they received the order as there’s little visual confirmation until they actually do it. Double sigh.

And then there were the times when I’d command my squads to take cover behind the rocks, but somehow they’d misinterpret the command and reply, “take cover in front of the rocks? Roger!”

In the end they’d all die, valiantly using their bodies to protect the stones behind them. Sigh.

Despite my complaints, however, I still enjoyed the campaign mode immensely.

My only real regret was that I wasn’t able to test out the co-op mode, since none of my friends were keen in joining my battle against aliens at five in the morning.

Heretics!

Eye candy

For a game that supposedly takes place in the grim darkness of the far future, DoW 2 is a beautiful, beautiful game.

Each unit on the battlefield is adorned with various bits of detail and stylings that would make any Warhammer 40,000 fan happy.

The maps are also rendered with a lot of attention to detail, and if you take the time to zoom in to admire the scenery (and ignore your squad’s desperate pleas for attention) you’ll get to see the lush vegetation of the jungle maps, the dusty terrain of the desert maps, and the dirty industrial decorations of the city maps.

And if you don’t like the scenery, that’s not a problem. Toss a demolition pack and watch the highly destructible environment explode in a glorious shower of debris. Thank you, physics engine!

You can use explosives (and any other heavy ordnance) to your advantage, opening passages in walls to flank your enemies or collapsing entire buildings upon the enemies taking cover inside it.

Conclusion

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 isn’t by any means a perfect game, but it’s certainly one of the best RTS (or RTT, I should say) games available now.

Its focus on squad-level combat puts the player on the frontlines of the battle, where the action comes fast and tactics really matter.

Add in the addictive campaign mode and its RPG elements and you’ve got a game that would make the Emperor of Man proud.

That said, though, with its lack of variety I’m guessing I’m going to get bored with DoW 2 in about a week or two.

But hey, that’s what expansion packs are for, and I will happily purchase them as soon as they come out.

Having been won over by the gameplay in DoW 2, I will gladly follow the Blood Ravens and their continued adventures into the Afternoon of War and the Tea Time of War.

Pros: Deliciously action-packed; squad-centric gameplay; RPG and strategy elements in campaign mode; excellent attention to details; looks beautiful despite (or because of) all the destruction.

Cons: Lack of variety in the campaign missions and the single-player/multiplayer maps; occasionally poor unit response.

WARHAMMER 40,000: DAWN OF WAR 2

Real-time strategy game for PC

(Relic Entertainment/THQ)

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Pentium 4 3.2GHz or any dual-core processor, 1GB RAM for XP)/1.5GB RAM for Vista, 5.5GB free HDD space, 128MB nVidia GeForce 6600 GT/128MB ATI X1600 or better, Internet connection

PRICE: RM149 (RM179 for Collector’s Edition)

Review Unit courtesy of Replay Interactive Sdn Bhd.

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