Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Review


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The Warhammer 40,000 universe is an incredibly rich one. As they say, in the distant future, there is only war. And the war in the distant future is the unforgiving, brutal, no-nonsense kind of war with uncompromising soldiers leading the charge. All of the races in the galaxy want to slaughter each other... badly. Through thousands of years humans have become one with their violence, adopting a kill or be killed mentality when dealing with these alien races. But along the way, they've also adopted a kind of religion and spirituality that is neither fluffy nor particularly comforting. Their undying Emperor and his theocracy is the centerpiece of a human life washed in blood and order. To protect this mighty Imperium millions of men and women carry weapons as part of the Imperial Guard. On top of that, clans of battle hardened and enhanced soldiers known as Space Marines float through the galaxy bringing war against the enemies of humanity. Each chapter of the Space Marines gives complete allegiance to the Emperor.

The campaign itself centers around one of these Space Marines chapters called the Blood Ravens, designed and included specifically for this game. There are many other races in and about human space, three of which have been included for the purposes of the game. The Orks, Eldar, and forces of Chaos all play a part in the drama that arises during the single player campaign of Dawn of War and stick around for the bloodletting of skirmish and multiplayer. Each of them have their own personality and style of play to keep things fresh. The Orks are built for war, but lack in firm technology using a junkyard wars approach to battle while the Eldar are an ancient and magical race that consider themselves superior to all others. The Chaos mix in all three races with the taint of evil washing over all they touch.

And in this, Relic has done a stunning job. The dark and gritty Warhammer 40,000 universe has finally been given its due. As I said earlier, the scene is set right off from the moment the awesome intro cinematic provided by Blur Studios begins. I can see why they won't let players skip through it the first time the game loads up. I'm not even sure how many times I've watched it at this point, but it certainly makes you long for some sort of animated movie or series in that style.

The rest of the game plays off with just as much presentation and flair as we're used to from Relic in games like Homeworld and Impossible Creatures. Relic has shown they know how to make and present complete entertainment experiences and Dawn of War only emphasizes their grasp of what it takes to make a game more than just a game. Every battle players find themselves embroiled in can turn into a hardcore blood splattering fest of violence so brutal and crazy as to become almost gleeful in its gore spattered presentation.

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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Image

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

Rated "M"
Release DateSeptember 20, 2004
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Review
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Review