Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II Review

By Jim Rossignol Published 20 February, 2009

Powerfist of Charisma +2.

Version tested: PC

What do Space Marines talk about? Dawn of War II's campaign answers that pressing question in its excellent tale of a handful of 41st-century hyper-squaddies. Between missions the muscular mega-men chat amongst themselves, explaining the story and making decisions about how to proceed. They even share some personal gossip. At one point, the long-haired scout character says something like: "Tarkus, Avitus, there's something I've wanted to ask you for so long, but I've been reluctant..." I couldn't wait to find out what he was going to ask, but I'll leave you to discover what he's talking about for yourself.

So, spoilers aside, why are space marines chatting at all? Shouldn't they just be stepping on the face of an ork, forever? Nope. No longer are these tower-shouldered killers mere drones, because in Dawn of War II a number of key marines have distinct personalities, and they take them onto the battlefield. Your squads are no longer cloned rent-a-soldiers from the space factory, they're characters engaged with the story, with their own opinions, secrets, and personal stats and inventory screens. Dawn of War II is, somehow, also an RPG.

In the campaign - which can be played solo or co-op - your armies are not simply disposable, and the squad leaders survive each mission to go on to the next one. If all squad leaders are incapacitated, then you have to do the mission again. As the game unfolds you come to be able to choose between a number of these squad leaders, including the astonishing dreadnought. (EVEN IN DEATH I STILL SERVE, etc.) Of course you've got plenty of doomed lackeys coming along for the ride too, but the hero characters persist, and you buff them up from one mission to the next, dispensing statistic points and loot as they progress.

Loot. Another thing that seems incongruous on the RTS screen: a set of green armour, a blue hammer! What? Isn't this straight from World of Warcraft? It sure is, and Relic's developers are keen to show you exactly what they've learned from too many hours in Azeroth. They've figured out that we love tinkering with our characters, and they've made it down to you to decide who gets which sword, and just how to buff up that talent tree. Indeed, this is the first time I can remember an RTS asking me to make decisions about how to min/max my particular characters in this most traditionally RPG way. Should I really go all-out for melee on my commander? (Yes!) And does Tarkus need to be well tanked, given the ranged role I want to give him? (Probably.)

'Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II' Screenshot 1

Battles are huge brawls containing a sparky menu of explosive effects.

What has happened to our Dawn of War?

Someone called this fresh take in the series "Diablo With Squads" and that's pretty accurate. Most of the levels of the single-player campaign are indeed close enough to dungeons. They're even filled up with "mobs" that you can set up to "aggro" once your men are positioned. A weird change of pace, indeed. Once you've figured out some of the basics - like sticking ranged chaps behind a piece of cover, and charging buffed melee dudes into the fray to finish the engagement - it really starts to gel. That fiddling on the squad loadout screen does pay off, in just the way that having your characters well-tweaked in an RPG does. My assault marines get in close and do some serious damage, leaving the support squads safe from harm behind a fallen tree, or a shattered bunker.

Fights don't always go well, but if you can keep squad-leaders on their feet, you can always pull things back from the brink. Capture points - similar to those of the original game - allow you beam in more squad members, while fallen squad-leaders can be revived by another leader. Your commander is the most essential of the lot - he operates alone, is super tough, and can be kitted out with some serious buff powers.

Take that, Ork scum.

And gone are the days when building a base was integral to success. While point-capture unlocks some useful stuff - and capturing a shrine to the Emperor can be essential on really tough missions - you're not going to be doing any turtling, at least not in single-player. In this you're going to be capturing points, defending points, and killing boss characters in great big end-of-level battles. Some of these are pretty challenging, and they make the best use of Dawn of War II's splendidly destructible environments. Seeing a space marine blasted back through a stone pillar, and have it tumble down around him, makes for brilliantly bombastic battle fun.

Yes, Relic's combat visuals have never been finer. From the moment a space marine drop-pod smacks into the earth you're treated to a carnival of thundering ordnance and bursting viscera. There are times when half the screen seems swathed in smoke and flying debris. Effects like those for the artillery strikes and heavy automatic weapons are scintillatingly violent, and they really do seem to sell the battles to you each time.

This visual fidelity stretches out into the entire game. The environments are brilliantly crafted, down the details of murkier, spore-ridden atmospherics where the Tyranids have taken hold of entire planets. Relic is fluent in Warhammer's operatic space hobby, and from menu screens to maps, to the awesome mini-cut-scenes between key missions, it's exquisite. No game has wrapped up and delivered the 40k universe in such robust and cogent packaging. The campaign story itself is pretty good, and the non-linear way that it allows you to hop between worlds - and missions - spices things up by providing a modicum of choice. You can decide where to take your team, and whether you'll be fighting Orks, Tyranids, or Eldar. All this dissolves a bit towards the end of the campaign - which is arguably too short - but it definitely seems like a worthy direction for the series.

However, there is a problem with all this, and it's down to the way that single-player missions play out. They're not all that tactically interesting. There's only one real tactic to speak of, and the moment-to-moment engagements never really stretch you once this has been mastered. It's as if the levelling up and other RPG progress stuff has somehow replaced the need for the RTS campaign to make you adapt. Once I'd perfected my squad movements, I seldom changed how they fought. I occasionally messed with their equipment, but the end result was the same because the objectives of the missions (to capture or defend a point, or to kill a boss) never really threw any spanners in the works.

I remember when you were all just Genestealers.

The tactical escalation is so limited compared to other base-free RTS games, and there's really not much novelty after the first dozen missions. What other games with similar aims have done in the past is to force you to adapt by making a particular conceit impossible - blocking your artillery when you've come to rely on it, or out melee-fighting you when that's become your thing. There's really very little of that kind of wrong-footing here, and as a consequence the campaign becomes rather uninteresting towards the end, despite some incredibly dramatic scripted sequences, reveals, and boss battles.

The multiplayer/skirmish, although better off in many ways than the single-player, suffers from some similar problems. Although there are bases from which units are spawned, the classical base-building joys have been surgically removed, leaving a pure combat model. This is simultaneously incredibly playable, and nevertheless lacking. Fighting real human opponents is vital, of course, because of their unpredictability, but even they can't make up for that lack of building-up-tech-tree tactical depth.

I couldn't help feeling that even in this all-options-open version of the game, that the new approach had lost much of what made the original game so compelling. Fortunately there's loads of master, as the multiplayer side of the game is where you get to play with the other races. The Eldar and orks are rather familiar, while the Tyranids are all-new for Dawn of War II. They were worth waiting for too, as their 'orrible biologic units are great fun to play, and even more fun to fight against.

'Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II' Screenshot 2

The Tyranids really do swarm rather pleasingly.

What all this amounts to is a game that is bold, beautiful, and absurdly well-made. The production values are nothing less than stratospheric and - despite the inclusion of the deeply unlikeable Games For Windows Live - almost everything in Dawn of War II reeks of design talent light-years beyond those of most other developers.

It doesn't, however, fulfil the task of being absurdly entertaining. The failings in the campaign mean that for all its incredible fireworks and visual splendour, its not interesting enough. The fact that "Diablo With Squads" feels so natural, and makes so much sense when you're playing it, means that Relic is on the right track. It just hasn't made the vibrant campaign, nor the compulsive multiplayer game, that lives up to the idea it's conjured so colourfully.

8 / 10

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About Jim Rossignol

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Comments (78) 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Gastrian #1 3 years ago

    Got this on pre-order and just waiting for my bonus content key to come through. Review makes the game sound a mixed bag but I enjoyed the multiplayer on the Beta.

  • DerFlange #2 3 years ago

    be nice if i could play it WHEN I WANT TO WHICH IS NOW(time/date specific moan)

  • Metalfish #3 3 years ago

    /Places on "maybe get later list".

  • DerFlange #4 3 years ago

    /Places on "maybe get later list".

    be sure to get permission to play it first

  • chudders #5 3 years ago

    Hhmm, seems about par for the course criticism-wise, a nicely written review none the less.

  • dr_faulk #6 3 years ago

    When I was in school, I had a friend who used to stop me from taking the turn onto my road when walking home, every day, by stopping me and talking at me about Warhammer. It was boring as shit. Maybe he wasn't a friend. Either way, I've huge muscles and all the ladies love me.

  • Eraysor #7 3 years ago

    I'm not much of a fan of base building (thanks to the RTS perfection that was World in Conflict) and the beta was brilliant, so this actually sounds better than the original for me, save for lacking the Tau.

    The other brilliant thing about this being released is that Relic can now focus on Homeworld 3 :)

  • JediMasterMalik #8 3 years ago

    Sounds slightly disappointing, then again I've been looking at the game independent of the original and even CoH, and I don't think I'll dislike it. I'm hoping some of the DLC will improve the issues the game seem to has.

  • qoobah #9 3 years ago

    The other brilliant thing about this being released is that Relic can now focus on Homeworld 3 :)

    Hear, hear! Although, reading the review, it might be one of the few brilliant things about it. As I loved WiC and thought it was nigh perfect, it seems this has little to offer me in terms of gameplay.

    I just hope they give serious thought to any experimental ideas they might have about H3 (and I mean "think, rethink and then check again", not "fuck this, lets milk the franchise" serious thought type). I'd just hate to see it go the same way as DoW2 which, judging from the reviews, proved to be slightly misguided.

    Well, thanks to the fluff, feel and some fun I had in beta, I guess I'll give SPESS MEHRENS a shot. Sometime. In (the grim darkness of) the future.

  • Bloodloss #10 3 years ago

    Was hoping it'd get a 7 or less. Played the beta and thought it was shit. They've ruined what was good about the original Dawn of War in my opinion. Ah well.

  • ASHBERY76 #11 3 years ago

    I have been enjoying the campaign,fuck base building.Was this game reviewed with the new patch?
    Edited by 1 at 20/02/09 @ 01:36

  • AhrimaaN #12 3 years ago

    Good. Now they can go finish Homeworld 3.

  • Mudo #13 3 years ago

    (am also only interested in Homeworld 3)

  • MightyMouse #14 3 years ago

    One day all games will be world of warcraft.

  • Ryuken #15 3 years ago

    "As I loved WiC and thought it was nigh perfect, it seems this has little to offer me in terms of gameplay."

    DoW II multiplayer/skirmish has more in common with WiC than with the original DoW at times. If DoW II would have used Massgate.net though then everybody would be playing it I reckon.

    "lack of building-up-tech-tree tactical depth"

    Where's the need for that if you got diverse heroes and their interchangeable wargear? :) Beta was absolutely ace yep, Live/Steam problems not accounted for then.

  • Krelle #16 3 years ago

    This feels rushed. As if they were afraid to release it in the same window as Diablo3/SC2 (whichever comes first).

  • E-Raz0r #17 3 years ago

    Did they improve the server browser and the match making? Both were horrible in the Beta. The sb did not even have a refresh button (So much for production values).

  • the_dudefather #18 3 years ago

    So are Chaos in the game in some fashion are are Eurogamer using an inappropriate image for the front page? ;)

  • Skurmedel #19 3 years ago

    How is "8/10" a slight failure?

  • DFawkes #20 3 years ago

    That review reads pretty much exactly like I thought it would. I'm not too fussy about the game itself still, but I am a sucker for loot. They knew that full well :)

    I'll still hold off until I've ploughed through Halo Wars, but after that I think I'll partake in some Ork hunting.
    Edited by 1 at 20/02/09 @ 08:41

  • lockwoodisbored #21 3 years ago

    Isn't that a Chaos Space Marine on the article pic... I don't know, haven't played WH40K for a long time!

    I liked the BETA, but I didn't think it was as deep as CoH. I bought it (it's on its way) because it's Relic and WH40K, but I don't think I'll play as much as CoH (even though I dislike the WW2 genre, CoH is prefereable).

    I think by downsizing, they missed the 'feel' of the WH40K universe.

    **EDIT: New Homeworld now, thank you**
    Edited by 1 at 20/02/09 @ 08:48

  • Dizzy #22 3 years ago

    Base building was cool in the 90s.

    RTS games have evolved... DoW2 is a prime example of a brave new direction that makes RTS games less geeky and more action oriented (instead of learning the fastest tech tree path by clicking a zillion keyboard shortcuts). The only thing that you can say against DoW2 is that the scale is more squad based and hence different from DoW1. BTW maybe people seem to have forgotten that the original rulebook for W40K stated that it was all about squad based combat in the future. So in many ways this goes back to the roots of W40K.

    Anyway... I think it is great. I played SC2 a lot as well and I must say that both are excellent and different (SC2 being 95% the same as SC1). Together with Halo Wars the RTS fans will have a wide choice of different play styles to pick from. I will play all of them.

  • guernican #23 3 years ago

    I see no reason why there shouldn't be manly love in space.

    I assume that's the plot device you're talking about, anyway.

  • zuljin #24 3 years ago

    - Requires steam
    - Requires windows live

    Sorry Relic, no sale.

  • dextr1 #25 3 years ago

    This game is so poor.
    War ? It's a local gang fight. This is more like a mini game inside original dawn of war.
    SP campaign is so boring i almost fell a sleep during first 2 levels.
    Tactics ? Running around recapturing victory point.
    it is visually beautiful and that's the only plus.

    Terrible hybrid between RPG and RTS.

  • Iora #26 3 years ago

    It's a Chaos Space Marine... a Khorne Berzerker....... cowers in shame!

  • Dizzy #27 3 years ago

    >Tactics ? Running around recapturing victory point.

    You probably have a TrueSkill of 1 I reckon.

  • Darren #28 3 years ago

    So Dawn of War II is the game to play with big gay, muscular space marines then?

    Cool! :D

    Anyway, I finally got to install and try this game this morning despite *spits* Steam's best efforts to thwart me. Looks pretty decent so far although I only got to complete the first tutorial mission and level up two of my space marines, earning 10 Achievement points in the process. Seems weird playing a non-Xbox 360 game though and getting Achievements. It could do without the whole Games for Windows LIVE thing really but there we go...

    I'm looking forward to checking this out more thoroughly over the weekend. Company of Heroes is my favourite RTS so I have high hopes that Relic have delivered another enthralling epic.

  • Goodfella #29 3 years ago

    ^^Why is this game so expensive on Steam? £35!

    It's £23 for a hard copy from ShopTo.net?!

  • gmjapan #30 3 years ago

    excuse the thickieness but why does it need Steam and Games for Windows Live? You cant even merge friendslists.

  • Turrican #31 3 years ago

    Review seems to nail my concerns perfectly, ie they wanted to strip it down to the combat, but forgot to make that part compelling enough. I'm still getting it though, because:

    - Its W40K and the atmosphere / style is amazing
    - There aren't anywhere near enough polished PC games released these days (3-4 per year)
    - Hopefully the inevitable expansions will improve it

    The original DoW is the best RTS I've ever played, simply because its so much fun sending your troops into battle and watching the ensuing fireworks, and the units were great to play with. I'm hoping that is still the case in this even though the game will become repetitive.

    Its a bit embarassing for the industry as a whole that they've had to package it with Steam and Windows Live together though.

  • Schiraman #32 3 years ago

    From what I played of the beta 8/10 seems very generous - especially if the SP campaign is so dull. Don't get me wrong, the beta left me the firm impression that there was a potentially great MP game there - once they fixed all the bugs, sorted out the balance, repaired the broken AI and added more than 5 maps. Y'know, actually *finished* the game... ;)

  • UncleLou #33 3 years ago

    Pretty much as expected. Shame it doesn't reach the quality of the stellar campaign of Company of Heroes, but I am all in the mood for some "RTS light" with splendid visuals and loot right now.

  • dingo75 #34 3 years ago

    " Indeed, this is the first time I can remember an RTS asking me to make decisions about how to min/max my particular characters in this most traditionally RPG way."

    I think the "Spellforce" series did that before at least for the hero you play.
    However on a squad this might be a first.

    I read on some US forum that it seems one can't save mid-mission in either campaign or skirmish which would suck a lot.
    Can you confirm that EG?

  • toythatkills #35 3 years ago

    "Dawn of War II's campaign answers that pressing question in its excellent tale of a handful of 41st-century hyper-squaddies."

    Warhammer 4,000?

  • Darren #36 3 years ago

    @GoodFella - Because Steam/Valve are greedy bastards, that's why. Just before Christmas when I got my new PC I looked on Steam to see if I could pick up the year-old Crysis on the cheap: it was £39.99!!! I actually bought the game from GAME for £18 a couple of days later. And they say this is the future for games distribution!!!

    /shudders

    I got my copy for £25 from GAME and it came in a steelbook case with a really good-quality and v. nice key-ring. The fact that the boxed version also uses Steam *AND* Games for Windows LIVE pisses me off to be honest. I got the game yesterday but had to wait a day to play it and, even then, I had problems actually launching the game as Steam seemed to be overwhelmed. It's sorted now though but, honestly, this is the kind of thing that gives PC gaming a bad reputation in the same way that the PC version of GTA IV did.

  • Goodfella #37 3 years ago

    I'm generally very impressed with Steam but the pricing side of things is just completely wrong. I owuldn't contemplete for a second paying that price.

    Anyway, how are you finding the game? I'm still undecided and this review hasn't convinced me to part with my hard earned.

  • Darren #38 3 years ago

    @dingo75 - The missions in Dawn of War II, according to the IGN review, last no longer than 15 minutes so mid-game saves aren't really necessary.

  • qoobah #39 3 years ago

    RTS games have evolved... DoW2 is a prime example of a brave new direction that makes RTS games less geeky and more action oriented (instead of learning the fastest tech tree path by clicking a zillion keyboard shortcuts). The only thing that you can say against DoW2 is that the scale is more squad based and hence different from DoW1. BTW maybe people seem to have forgotten that the original rulebook for W40K stated that it was all about squad based combat in the future. So in many ways this goes back to the roots of W40K.


    While I agree that evolution is a good thing in RTS genre, I just think that DoW2 got it wrong. "Diablo with squads" doesn't sound too heartening in terms of how much tactics you need to be good at it.

    Don't get me wrong, I hate base building, tech trees and all that shit since it has nothing to do with immidiate battle tactics. WiC is an example of a good -tactical- evolution - it forces you to adapt by preventing you being good at everything at any given time, while providing challenge and good 'bang' for your time.

    And I do agree, the biggest gripe I have with DoW2 is scale - while it might be a return to the roots, I didn't like WH40k before introduction of the Apocalypse ruleset for a good reason. I just like me big armies and lots lots of destruction - I'd love to see a WH40k Apocalypse ruleset game made Total War style;)

  • sneetch #40 3 years ago

    @guernican
    I see no reason why there shouldn't be manly love in space.

    I assume that's the plot device you're talking about, anyway.

    I can't quit you, Brother-Sergeant Avitus.

  • Grimrita #41 3 years ago

    And you still give it an 8? Maybe all those giveaways increased the score? After playing the beta, I cancelled my pre-order as DoW 2 brings NOTHING over from the brilliant original title. DoW 2 is shallow, online will soon become stale and finding a 'quick match before bed' will be impossible thanks to the stupid match making system.

    Dreadful game.
    Edited by 1 at 20/02/09 @ 10:26

  • sneetch #42 3 years ago

    @Grimrita
    And you still give it an 8?

    That seems to be the general approach to this game in reviews I've seen, again and again the reviewers mention the shallow tactical experience and the repetitive nature of the campaign (often cringing at the boss fights) and then they award it 80+. Bizarre, maybe the multi-player makes up for it but they seem to have issues with that too. It's odd.

  • figgis #43 3 years ago

    @toythatkils

    "Dawn of War II's campaign answers that pressing question in its excellent tale of a handful of 41st-century hyper-squaddies."

    Warhammer 4,000?

    Yes that's how centuries work.

  • sneetch #44 3 years ago

    About Homeworld 3, well, I'm not hugely confident that I'd want to play it if it's developed with the same focus as this and the new COH expansion were: you'll end up only controlling a single corvette or something. ;)

    @toythatkills
    "Dawn of War II's campaign answers that pressing question in its excellent tale of a handful of 41st-century hyper-squaddies."

    Warhammer 4,000?

    Hehe. Yep, you play a young Steve McEmperor before he became the most Divine Emperor of Humanity handling his first paper route!

    It's basically Paperboy with hover bikes. ;)

  • rudedudejude #45 3 years ago

    Jusy replay through Company of Heroes on Expert.

    Same tactics as DoW2 but a much better campaign and vastly more fun.

  • Lemming81 #46 3 years ago

    @Zuljin: "- Requires steam
    - Requires windows live

    Sorry Relic, no sale. "

    More fool you then. Anyone who owns a PC capable of playing these games and DOESN'T have Steam is a cock, tbh.

    No Steam = you don't have Half-life 2. How the hell do you sleep at night?! o_O

  • dryden555 #47 3 years ago

    another RTS game with an uninspired single player mode. Pass.

  • Silvervein #48 3 years ago

    Would anyone mind if I called Dawn of War 2 a Chaos Gate 2? It seems like graphically upgraded, and tactically downgraded version of that old warhammer 40k classic. Pity they didn't include optional turn based gameplay in DoW2, but oh well.

    Oh, by the way: dear author of this lovely article: chaos gate allowed to tinker with a lot of space marine gear you found during missions years before anyone heard of world of warcraft. Just a little tidbit of info :)

    PS.
    The full title of that old game is Warhammer: Chaos Gate, if anyone would feel curious about it.
    Edited by 1 at 20/02/09 @ 11:49

  • Wolfman #49 3 years ago

    Chaos Gate? Awsome game. Loved it to bits and still have it hanging around somwhere. Always wanted a remake/sequel of it. The PSP warhammer game just didnt have the continual character progression so never bothered with it.

    -wolfman

  • zuljin #50 3 years ago

    @Lemming81
    "More fool you then. Anyone who owns a PC capable of playing these games and DOESN'T have Steam is a cock, tbh.

    No Steam = you don't have Half-life 2. How the hell do you sleep at night?! o_O"

    Anyone ever told you its a bad thing to assume?

    I have steam. I have windows live. I can't access steam from work, so I can't play LAN games at work. Hence no sale, I'm not buying it just for single player. Feel free to feel silly at any point.

  • toythatkills #51 3 years ago

    "Yes that's how centuries work."

    If only Jim Rossignol knew that!

  • Schiraman #52 3 years ago

    @Silvervein and Wolfman: Yeah, Chaos Gate was a fantastic game, I'd love to see a sequel to that. UFO + 40K = Win.

  • JediMasterMalik #53 3 years ago

    Warhammer 40K would take place in the 401st century.

    That's a long time I think :)

  • Grimrita #54 3 years ago

    I dont care about campains, for me its all about online and DoW 2 fails to deliver on every single level. There is no depth, no tactics and simply not fun. I can't believe that someone like Relic would remove all the brilliant elements from the original and churn out this shallow experience of a game.

    I was so looking forward to this as I expected so much from it and once I started playing beta, my mind was made up. Cancel pre-order.

    Shameful Relic.

  • smokingslim #55 3 years ago

    Needs Steam + Windows live too play...
    No sale,
    I'll just borrow it from a sucker that pre-ordered it to try out the single player Camp.

    Also The Computer AI was too easy too beat (even 3 experts vs 2normals + Me (Me being not that great), the matchmaking system doesn't let you filter out people that are on the other side of the globe, find a server with good ping less then 150ish and once in the server lobby you got 300~600 ping...

    And how many maps are there?..... only what, 3 1v1 maps and 4 3v3 maps??? are you kidding?

    I was looking forward to this game,
    Oh well better luck next time.

  • Buran #56 3 years ago

    Mandatory Games For Windows Live + Mandatory Steam = NO.

    The game looks -I don't play the beta but wasreading a lot in forums like dowsanctuary.com- and plays very diffrent than DoW/WI/DC/SS. Units kills fster, but moves slower. Also, there is not squad reinforcement "on fly", so you must retreat to your base when your squads are hurted badly. The concept is very different to DoW. This is not neccesary bad, but DoW II fits worse in my tastes. Is like a low level deep of rts. The good part is that the action is fun.

    But there is the Steam/GFWL thing. I don't install Steam nor play any Steam powered game. GFWL is even worse -last week was the funny thing with Gears PC version. I don't care, I do't install games in which Seam or GFWL is mandatory, so my big rts game this year will be SC II.

  • Lemming81 #57 3 years ago

    @Zuljin:

    I don't feel silly at all, just confused. So you have steam (presumably at home) but not access to it at work. Fine. But then you go on to say you aren't getting it purely for single player. But if you have access to steam at home you can play it online at home, right?

  • UncleLou #58 3 years ago

    I don't install Steam nor play any Steam powered game.

    o_O

  • reality_cheque #59 3 years ago

    Uber Geek Moment: The latest canon history to be set in the universe is in the year 42002 (that's 002M42 in Imperial date format), so over 2000 years have passed in game since the happenings of the original Rogue Trader/1st Edition 40k. If the 40k universe was real, the Emperor would currently be kicking around guiding humanity from the shadows (although he probably wouldn't have been responsible for Bush), and would have been doing so for over 2 millenia already.

    If you hadn't guessed I'll probably be buying this, because I'm a sucker for GW products.

  • George-Roper #60 3 years ago

    What the fuck is going on with DoW2?

    First off, it requires Steam to be installed (which is fine, already use it) but then it also requires Games for Windows Live before you can even begin to play the fucking single-player Campaign?!?

    To which it gets worse, because when I try to actually fucking get the bastard thing to work and start the Campaign, it tells me it can't retrieve my GFWL Profile, even though im logged onto the fucker using the bastard GFWL client it forces onto my systems as part of the motherfucking game install.

    Last time I *ever* put any money into THQs pockets. Fuck 'em.

  • smoison #61 3 years ago

    This is my first GFWL game after the abortion that was Gears Of War on PC.

    If it has even close to the amount of problems it had in the past it will be my last GFWL game ever.

  • Ryuken #62 3 years ago

    No activation probs here whatsoever with Steam or GfWLive. It's stupid to have two (sometimes unreliable) services running but the game is worth it, in both mp and sp. Went back to CoH before playing DoW II retail and all I can say is that Relic better stay in WH40k universe now... :)

    "I don't care, I do't install games in which Seam or GFWL is mandatory, so my big rts game this year will be SC II."

    It's a bit naïve to think Blizzard won't do the same kind of things (online activation and/or hindered offline/LAN play) in their revamped Battle.net. It's been almost six years now since their last non-MMO got out (The Frozen Throne), I'd be really surprised if they just kept the dvd check + serial key protection method of those days.

  • frederickpipe #63 3 years ago

    "Went back to CoH before playing DoW II retail and all I can say is that Relic better stay in WH40k universe now..."

    My feelings are quite the opposite, although my problem isn't with the setting but just the game itself. Every minute spent in DoW2 had me quietly wishing for things that CoH had or simply did better - supply lines, the tactical map, the ability to press space to jump to audio cues, tab-selection that actually works, a UI that isn't a big jumbled mess, a decent selection of maps (complete with distinct characteristics), some sense of scale and a suppression mechanic that actually feels right (complete with suitably identifiable sound effects).

    It's all quite funny because when I first heard about CoH I thought "wow, I wish they'd do something like this with the 40k setting"... oh how wrong I was :/

    I'm struck by the feeling that they've tried to take elements from various other games without really understanding what it was that made them good in the first place. For want of a better way of putting it, a lot of the design choices seem pretty boneheaded. It wouldn't surprise me if I were to learn that the decisions on what to include in the game were actually made by drawing bits of paper out of a hat.

    On an unrelated note... it struggles to run on my computer, even though it is quite comfortably above the recommended requirements, even if I turn down all the detail (hint: you know you're in for a fun ride when the intro movies are jerky). I'm not terribly impressed by that, and it makes me wonder just how well it must run for people closer to the minimum specs.

  • byron_hinson #64 3 years ago

    I've never understood the moaning about Steam - what is the problem with it? Low footprint on the PC, means I can play my games on any pc etc - to me it just seems a moot point. Guess I'm missing something somewhere.

  • Gurrah #65 3 years ago

    So I've been playing the campaign for hours on end now and then I thought to myself why not play a little skirmish match. That's when I discovered that the game only offers 7, count 'em 7!!!, multiplayer maps. I thought the low amount of maps in the beta was to not reveal everything to the public before the release, but I'd never thought there would be such a small amount of maps in the final version. In this day and age that's just ridiculous.

  • Keivz #66 3 years ago

    Bunch of crybabies is all, byron_hinson. No legitimate reasons exist for the everyday gamer. I had reservations with steam before I used it (orange box), afterwards I hardly even know it's there. Same with GFWL (GeOW, FO:UC). No problems with either.

  • George-Roper #67 3 years ago

    @Keivz

    "Bunch of crybabies is all, byron_hinson. No legitimate reasons exist for the everyday gamer. I had reservations with steam before I used it (orange box), afterwards I hardly even know it's there. Same with GFWL (GeOW, FO:UC). No problems with either"

    Bollocks.

    I'm no crybaby on this kind of stuff and have been using Steam since HL2. The problem now though, with DoW2, is that you have multiple points where game launch failure can go wrong.

    If Steam is down you can't even start the game up. Given the up-time for Steam and all the games I have on it, I don't have issue with this. What I do have issue with, though, is that once the game is running you then are required to login to GFWL before you can begin to play both Campaign and/or Multiplayer. Which I am unable to do, currently. Given the size of the threads on the GFWL forums on this very subject, it seems that i'm not alone.

    Also, given the kinds of 'advice' that GFWL mods are giving out, I have zero intention of turning off my software firewall and bypassing my router. Bunch of fucking cretins.

  • George-Roper #68 3 years ago

    AFAIK, only Orks, Eldar, Tyranids and Space Marines are in DoW2.

  • BobsUncle #69 3 years ago

    BTW this game is buggy as fuck. It crashes all the time (and no, I don't have high settings on) and now I've got a little way in my tactical squad has vanished. They are no-where to be seen at all, and they've also taken three pieces of wargear with them that I can never get back. (Tarantulas, Artillery and Invulnerability).

  • Hypercube #70 3 years ago

    I've got a Windows live log in anyway - it's free with your hotmail account, don't see the problem there. I also have Steam, so that's OK.

    I haven't experienced any bugs yet, maybe I'm lucky! And base building et al can be a bit boring too, I'm enjoying the combat style immensely. It's like Ground Control with great graphics.

    I think 8/10 is realistic, but I'm not yet at the point where it appears to become repetitive.

  • Macross #71 3 years ago

    i actualy like games for windows live :\

  • George-Roper #72 3 years ago

    @BobsUncle

    The Tactical Squad is removed because theyre investigating why the storehouse on the mission you just did contains Chapter Relics.

    /storyFTW

  • martoliver #73 3 years ago

    Also won't play on single processor AMD chips, no matter their speed, that's my LAN gaming gone but saying that I probably wouldn't have been able to get this to work anyway.

  • gmjapan #74 3 years ago

    The single player is dull as mince after 5mins, you can have all the great GW story you want but its all for nothing here coz afer you engage the enemy twice you've seen all the gameplay has to offer. So disappointed in this.

    And the bloody thing wants to update for 18mins on Steam evertime i want to play! I cant offline play coz i HAVE to be signed into GfWL to play single player... assuming they are up and running. 2 extra points of failure, totally outwith my control, to just play single player. This is all wrong. All of it.

  • George-Roper #75 3 years ago

    @gmjapan

    "The single player is dull as mince after 5mins, you can have all the great GW story you want but its all for nothing here coz afer you engage the enemy twice you've seen all the gameplay has to offer. So disappointed in this.

    And the bloody thing wants to update for 18mins on Steam evertime i want to play! I cant offline play coz i HAVE to be signed into GfWL to play single player... assuming they are up and running. 2 extra points of failure, totally outwith my control, to just play single player. This is all wrong. All of it    ."

    Fuck me, what a retard.

    Two missions and you think you've seen all there is to see? You'll barely have any weapons, armour, accessories and command gear, which in of itself alters the way you play the game, let alone have any of the XP-based traits gained from the four different trees, for each unit. And thats not even touching on you only having, what, two units to make your squad up?

    You've also not experienced any Tyranid infestation management and associated missions which come with defending key outposts, which means you've never played a defend mission.

    And the fact that your spastic net connection means Steam needs 18 mins really says all that needs to be said about that particular 'problem'. Considering my Steam has only taken time to update the game when patches have been put out. Plus, when it did it took less than 1 minute each time to download/apply the patch.

    I totally agree with the GFWL requirement but when the game is as good as DoW2 is, i'm prepared to forgive.

    Two things:

    1) Spend more than 2 minutes playing a game before thinking you've seen everything it has to offer (it makes you look a tad thick) and

    2) Get a better net connection, you roper.

  • gmjapan #76 3 years ago

    It was 5mins ;) i'd seen the tyranids and defend missions by the point i posted, extra gear, new squads, some level up skills, chosing which fights and squads etc but the 'hook' still seemed to be on gearing up. Getting ASMs cheered me up but in the end I find singleplayer dull and samey. I certainly hadnt only played 2 missions.

    I might have seen more but there was another 20min patch last night as well... my connection to Steam said "@96K" I envy your 1min updates Oo

  • Chaser #77 3 years ago

    What we really need is an Epic scale W40K game :)

  • DanB24 #78 2 years ago

    There is one. It's called "Final Liberation". :)