Mike Bantick
Saturday, 14 March 2009 06:42
Entertainment
Page 1 of 4
Oh! I see what you are doing Games Workshop and Relic. In creating Dawn of War II, you want me to get all nostalgic, dust off my miniatures and play Warhammer 40K again. Dawn of War II is not Dawn of War, in fact it is not an RTS at all, instead it is an exercise in reminiscing about miniature battles of old.
Dawn of War was a modern take on bringing the table top miniature battles of Wahammer 40K to computer screens. With a series of expansions it opened up the majority of Games Workshop’s nightmarish future vision.
Dawn of War II
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Developer
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Relic
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Publisher
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THQ |
Rating
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M
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| PC |
But it steered clear of bringing the game as it exists in physical miniature form, instead providing fans with a hectic real-time experience, whilst maintaining that god like tabletop perspective.
After pretty much exhausting the original games limits, the team at Relic have hunkered down in their development bunker and emerged with a whole new game.
What they have foisted on an unsuspecting WH40K fanbase is a completely different game from the original. It looks similar, in that it involves Space Marines of the Imperium battling against humanities ever present alien foes, but it plays out in a different, less click-frenzy way.
Whereas the original game is more akin to the modern incarnation of Warhammer 40K miniature battles, with significantly sized armies battling on multiple fronts, the sequel is more reminiscent of the original miniature games rule book Rogue Trader.
Back in 1987 the fledgling game of Warhammer 40K was more RPG than sweeping large one off battles.
The opening engagements of DOW II remind me of scenarios from the Rogue Trader rule book, ( “Battle for the Farm” anyone?) with only a Space Marine (Blood Ravens again) campaign available to the single player.
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