Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II

It's a pity in some respects, but the Dawn of War series – set in the Warhammer 40,000 (hereafter just '40k') universe – was always going to be battling to carve out a niche in what it might feel to be its own rightful space. (Pun intended.) But sadly for the Games Workshop franchise, games like Starcraft got there first. And, let's face it, for all their virtues, neither 40k nor Warhammer Fantasy had particular claim to originality in the first place.

...Which is all a way of saying that the Dawn of War series was always going to have to offer more – or at least something different – than other sci-fi RTS games. The first game managed this quite successfully, adding to the genre more of a focus on battle, and the experience of squad-on-squad combat.

Stepping out onto the online battlefields of the Dawn of War II Beta, I can see that Relic Entertainment have pushed this element of the game even further. DoW2 has learned much from its Relic sibling Company of Heroes: much emphasis is placed on the effective use of cover, et cetera, in close firefights.

It's quite an intimate experience, actually, for a strategy game. Resource management remains simple, and base building has been stripped back, to allow for maximum time spent on the front lines. More time for combat also means more time for tactics, which always makes me happy. It's quite easy to build yourself an impressive-looking body of troops, only to get slaughtered traipsing into a courtyard defended by a few enemies with good cover.

The necessary degree of finesse in moving your men takes a little getting used to, but it is well supported by the game's interface. And not having to worry about your base for the most part (except when ordering in new recruits) means you can spend the time on this stuff. Upgrading your troops also plays a big part – and your choice of commander (there are three different options for each of the four playable races) makes a big difference in the way you approach the game. Though there wasn't much chance for me to do this a lot while I was getting slaughtered by more experienced players, I understand there's a pretty complex and interesting tech tree in there...

I say it's an intimate game, but that is most definitely not to say that it is delicate. DoW2 is the most brutal RTS I've played. Destructible terrain is always a friend of mine, and the game does very well in this regard. But what were even more noticeable were the gory hand-to-hand encounters: as it turns out, a chainsword ripping through your enemies makes quite a mess! Between the rather personal firefights and the blood involved in a melee, this is a game that one actually should think twice before giving to a five-year-old.

The finished game will, I'm sure, be much more forgiving in this respect, but the beta throws you right out into online play without even the barest of tutorials. So if you're not a DoW veteran, and not an advocate of learning-by-doing (or, as I call it, learning-by-failing), I would suggest waiting until release. You can take your pick from four playable races (Space Marines, Orks, Eldar, and Tyranids), each with an impressive array of variants (read: colour schemes*).

As well as simple head-to-head matches, DoW2 also reaches out to a slightly less overtly competitive audience with its team multiplayer. I'm still not totally convinced about this 3-on-3 mode. While it is nice having allies, I also (knowing a thing or two about the 40k universe) find it very disconcerting when my space marines are fighting alongside ork boyz and genestealers. There's something about that that simply isn't right. And, while on the one hand this team experience is meant to appeal to slightly more casual players, I can't shake the feeling that it would really be a lot more fun if I put a lot of time and effort into my team: coordinating tactics, etc.

Graphically, it's certainly all there. Impressive gore I have already mentioned. The detail is also worth noting. However, I would love to see more customisation options in the release version – particularly if we're meant to feel attached to our main characters.

I'm also somewhat anxious about the single player campaign. While the online game was good, it didn't offer enough to stand up as a primarily multiplayer title – DoW2 will need to give us the goods in human-AI matches, and in story.
I look forward to seeing how it shapes up.

* Don't get me wrong, though – I'm still impressed.