Due to the overwhelming positive review and the good experience from the first Dawn of War, I bought this game without much hesitance. After having tried the single player and multiplayer mode, I am hugely disappointed. Frist of, the single player campaign is boring. It is the first time in my life that I fell a sleep while playing an RTS (literally). All you do is just looking at your same tiny Squad, moving them around the map, setup a good position, let them do automatic shooting, heal, then occasionally use their special ability, and repeat that throughout the game. Multiplayer is almost unplayable. Most of the time the match will be disconnected due to somebody's slow internet or computer. However, the new mode, The Last Stand, was pretty fun to play once in a while. I really try to like Dawn of War II, I have install and uninstall the game more than 4 times, but every time I started playing, it bores me. It is great that Relic try new approach on DOW2, but it lost a lot of the charm from the first game while doing so.… Expand

Okay, I'll be honest with you. At first, having tried the demo and a taste of what DoW2 has to offer, I was sorely disappointed by the drastic change from the gameplay of the original game. HOWEVER, I still decided to give it a shot and I'm so glad that I did. The game plays differently, (there's no building, and more about squad abilities and tactics) but this is by no means bad. The campaign is quite engaging and you're given a number of varied squads to improve and upgrade throughout the game, and that is by far my favourite part. There is choice involved in missions, outfitting and strategy, making an overall flamboyant single player campaign. The co-op is just as sweet. But wait there's more. The cream of the crop is the multiplayer and The Last Stand where you take on hordes of monsters with 2 other heroes. Great additions all way round. Long story short, yes it is a massive departure from DoW1's style but it is fortunately just as good in its own right. I certainly have respect for the devs for changing things up and trying out something new, and I'm glad that they've still kept the strength of this series and its ability to constantly impress me.… Expand

I was completly disapointed by DoW 2. If you loved DoW 1 you will be really disapointed by this second part. First thing, you don't even have a builder, you can't make any buildings, you just train squads to join the battle. Second thing, you can't micro at all, the only thing you can do is make your squad ''fall back'' an auto fast running that brings your squad back to your only building. Compare this to DoW 1 and its pure crap. The only good thing are the graphics. This game is not worth paying 50$ for, not at all.… Expand

Dawn of War II is an excellent game in its own right. However, it is easy to understand how fans of the first game feel slightly wronged after having played it. It is very different compared to the first game, perhaps too much so for it to be called a direct sequel. But if you only look at it as a game it is still quite a great one.

The visuals are very nice and the gameplay is fluid and fun. Dawn of War keeps setting the standard for visceral combat in the RTS genre.… Expand

I think the best thing (in my eyes) of this game is the graphics. The graphics are a huge improvement over DOW I and any other RTS I've ever played (and I've played most of the major ones, SC2, Company of Heroes, Supreme Commander I and II, etc etc).
That's the main good thing I liked. That and how the gameplay revolves more around combat rather than resource gathering. And, of course, the fact that it features the Imperium.

The thing that I didn't like about this game was that it had very small army sizes, and VERY small battles. This is a step down from DOW I, where you could actually command armies. In DOW II, you get a few squads, and that's it, you're stuck with them. No building squads, no calling in reinforcement squads, nothing. You choose four for each mission and you're stuck with them. This needs a serious fix in the next game.
Second, the campaign is more of an RTS/RPG hybrid rather than a true RTS. You choose equipment for each character, and decide what each character brings. In regular RTS's, you don't get to do that, each squad has a specialty, and you know their abilities. So it's not a true RTS, but rather an RTS/RPG hybrid.

Hopefully the next game will be better.… Expand

This was no fun at all. except the missions where you defend against waves. INSANE repetition of maps, you will play the same map at least 3 times with similar objectives. Losing men is meaningless, you just retreat and recharge. EVERY situation can be dealt with the same way, lead the enemy to a bottleneck. The AI is non existent, units simply charge at you, or wait until you get in their viewing range.
Massive step back in every respect except graphics.
this is disappointing after the previous DOW games. No buildings just removes an element from the game without adding a thing. Except superior graphics and destructible environments, no advancements and all removals of features.… Expand

Dawn of War 2 is an RTS/RPG-hybrid where the player takes control of a maximum of four squads of units. Standard RTS-controls apply. Each squad comes with a squad leader that can level up between missions and equip new items that are looted on the battlefield or gained as a mission reward. After each mission the player will be asked to choose the next mission objective from a star map where they will be able to see how much time is left for a mission, what the rewards are and what kind of assets are available on the planets. The ultimate goal is to stop the Tyranid threat which is represented by a bar that is constantly filling up as time goes by. Focus too much on one planet and you won't be able to save another. During missions there are three types of assets to be captured and each asset gives the player a strategic advantage. Winning the game relies on finding the time to capture these assets but not lingering around for too long as it diminishes the chances of gaining another deployment for that day. The more deployments per day that you secure, the slower the Tyranid threat grows and the more experience your troops gain. When 2 players engage in co-operative play, they will each be assigned two squads and although these are locked during the RTS stage, the players are allowed to both seamlessly control the interface during the RPG/tactical planning phase. As the person whom I played DoW 2 with put it "the Warhammer universe is endlessly repeating itself" so the story is just that; familiar. Sounds and video are excellent, the game looks and plays brilliantly. Although I am not a very big fan of the Warhammer universe, this game is legendary. Most fun can be had in co-operative play with a like-minded friend and my only grievances with it are the fishtank soundbug, the inclusion of GFWL and the inability to rebind your special abilities and accessoires!… Expand

Beautiful campaign mode. Great voice acting. Great action. Wonderful ability to outfit your team and unit selection. nice graphics.
A Rare game that is nearly perfect as far as a role play campaign is concerned.
2 thumbs up!

This along with Company of Heroes are my most favourite current RTS. The reason for this is the way the game plays. Rather than matches being about unit spam (unless you're playing Orks or Tyranids, where it's partly about unit spam), it's more about tactics and unit placement. My real problem with the game is how hard it is. I can't speak for everyone as I'm naturally bad at RTS games, but I do believe that there has been a problem with this game for not just me, but a majority of people who try to play online and usually end up fighting against people 10x better than themselves. This causes a lot of new players to be put off meaning that other new players don't get a chance to fight against equally skilled people. I suppose it really just takes perseverance but it's still tough.
The graphics of the game are absolutely lovely, definitely best out there, on par with, if not better than Starcraft 2's graphics.

For originality of gameplay how ever, this game is basically Company of Heroes, set in WH40k, and a smaller viewing angle with a closer in camera.… Expand

I never knew anything about the Warhammer Universe, until i picked up my copy of Dawn of War, several years ago and i was immediately engrossed. With great eagerness, i picked up this game the day it was released. EDITORS NOTE-All in all, i fear change so my review may be seriously biased but here it goes anyway.
DOW 2, is a game that will please you and frustrate you at the same time. To me, it is just company of heroes meets DOW and that aspect bothered me a lot. It took me a while to get over that. Also, the fact that you have to have an internet connection, and you have to get windows live bothered me a lot too. Well, what if someone doesn't have an internet connection. I am sure there are some people out there who still do not. I am lucky enough to have that.
For those of you who are huge DOW fans, you might be a tad dissapointed at what is going on in this game. For starters, there are no more base building. You have an galactic map which shows you all the planets that you can travel too. there are three of them in which you are to initiate warp travel to reach. You start out with yourself, the commander, and a tactical squad. Mind you, the squad consists of only 4 space marines. then, as you progress you get other squads, a devestator squad(heavy weapons, 3 space marines), a scout squad,(3) and an assault squad.(3). As for the assault squad well, what can i say about the assault squad? I have had it on missions and he is always usually the first to die. He kinda sucks in the first DOW 2. He gets better in Chaos rising.
During missions, your squad earns xp, and upon leveling up you can unlock new powers for your squads to use, some of which are pretty bad ass. But it seems to me, you can only have one and not the other, as there is a level cap of 20, so choose the right path you want for your squads, as you will not be able to get those points back.
Personally, i stuck with the same for guys more or less the same time, varying upon the different missions parameters, which aren't really that different at all. You are going to either attack or defend, and most defend missions, you will have a time limit to do so, in which if you miss it you have to wait for a later point to go resecure that sector and what was lost. At times, i also do feel very overwhelmed. I know space marines are all powerful to an extent, but sometimes it is just insane. I do believe before the first patch, the weapons were a bit different and did more damage, as i get confused, when a bolter says it only does 11.6 damage per second and my squad which does 9 damage, goes down. I thought higher damage was better, call me crazy. Which includes power weapons. Most power weapons, which although do more damage then a chainsword, do not actually do as much damage on the field, due to their attack speed i am guessing?
anyway, all set aside i have fallen asleep during the single player. The same type of missions do tend to get a tad mundane and repetitive, and sometimes the war gear rewards aren't even worth doing it in the first place. But it is a decent campaign.
The multiplayer is pretty engrossing, but once again highly modeled upon the COH engine, with holding of victory points, and anniahalte. No base building, so dont even think about that. It is definitely a far cry from the DOW.
the army painter i was dissapointed in as well, as it seems to me there is less detail you can do from the first one.
the last stand? I don't even know what to say about that. It's as if someone said, no no, we want the game to be harder so they did. It gets repetitive. The leveling up takes too long. DONT EVER PRESTIGE BECAUSE IT SUCKS AND YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING AND GET SOME CRAPPY REWARD.
do i reccommend it? if you're new to DOW yeah, you can go in this with a clear head. If you are into DOW? Sure, just be prepared to be let down a bit. Thanks… Expand

Impressive and plenty of fun, with some noticeable flaws. The biggest flaw I'd say is the lack of responsive units. Nearly every unit feels slow and uncoordinated. With that said, the tactical aspects of the game are very fun. Setting up your units behind cover and watching them obliterate the landscape (along with any Ork in the way) is satisfying. I miss the large army/base-building gameplay from the first Dawn of War, but they've done a good job with this one.… Expand

I have DOW 2 and DOW 2 Chaos Rising, will probably get Retribution sometime this year. This game is good. The stand alone campaign is interesting and replayable. What makes this game really good is the co-op game "The Last Stand" and you can co-op the campaign games too. It is worth getting all 3 games together at $60 on steam but you can buy the first 2 games for $20 each.

This is a new approach at the RTS where you have control of stronger units than the typical RTS but you don't make new ones. Gone is the base building and resource management and you only focus on the combat. For me, that's fun but I can see where some people were let down. Since I only cared about the combat and paying attention to how much of this or that I have never appealed to me this game works really well. Other than that fundamental change its very much a RTS where you control each of your units from a top down perspective and each has a few unique abilities. This game adds a slight RPG element in that you collect loot as armor and weapons and customize your squads. You also spend points on very simple talent trees which adds a little extra to the game. Want your giant mech walker to kill from range or do you want him to squish units in melee range? You decide. It's got decent voiced story parts and the graphics are not bad either. Points taken off are for awkward keybinding which you can't change and missing graphical elements such as Vsync. These things can be modified if you want to go into the files and feel comfortable editing code and game files, something I think the devs should just put the stupid button in the game.… Expand

Don't get me wrong, the game has some things I like about it, specifically a unique blend of RPG and RTS, not to mention that it has the name of Warhammer 40,000. But like many of the other people who expressed frustration with this game, I felt like it just barely missed being exceptional with a few short-sighted mistakes (including lackluster AI, early-launch bugs, and unbalanced play). The fatal blow to the game in my mind was the repetition. Did they really launch a game with only a handful of maps (campaign) and then expect you to play each one until you can recreate it in your head down to the very last pixel? This is one of the few times that I've been very disappointed with the professional critics because I think they missed the mark in a major way. I understand that they want to support a company who tries something new (i.e. blend multiple genres), but the game simply doesn't rate as well as the critics claimed (which is evident in the fact that, for once, the professional critics have a higher rating than the users).… Expand

Singleplayer was great, although filled with cheese. No room for character development with space marines, but I guess that's how they were created. Once the tryanids came in, you did see some repeating missions, but they were avoidable for the most part. Great strategic gameplay, and I loved the loot and the abilities (SO! MUCH! LOOT!!!!).

The multiplayer modes seem well balanced, although I haven't touched them enough to give a rock-solid review on them. Last Stand is incredibly fun, constantly having me come up with new and interesting ways to slaughter hordes of enemies (although there's some loadouts that are clearly better).

Some may not like the squad based gameplay, and I was a little confused with it at first, but it grows on you. Instead of most RTSs where individual units are usually expendable, keeping units alive in this game is crucial (multiplayer). As long as one squad member survives, you can replenish the squad, so their upgrades and levels don't go to waste. The entire squad gets gibbed, you lose their vital experience. That's not to say that you can't beat higher level enemies, but it's certainly harder.… Expand

I'm a longtime fan of Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game. Dawn of War gave me the flair i loved of the stories from that game on my computer. And seeing the models I've painted for years coming to life on my screen was a thrill. Now dawn of war II comes out and I was excited to buy it.

I wish on the cover it would have said tactical RPG, because there is no resource management at all in the campaign. Go here, blow this up, go there blow that up. Use some abilities, mission ends. It is fun, but it is not a real time strategy. it's a fun game in it's own right, if you want more tactical play, get Company of Heroes or the original Dawn of War game with expansions.… Expand

Ein sehr gelungenes und spannendes Spiel, macht mir heute immer noch SpaÃ

I love the graphics,the Characters,the weapons,the costumization hero,I'm not so impress with multiplayer mode but it's not bad.I don't really like about the design each mission of the campaign,they're al just the same activities= Explore,find the foundry or the what they call commlink or something,kill the ORKS then find the boss on the top of the map,get the wargear.it's kind of boring activity to me...however I still love the fantasy of the Warhammer 40K universe… Expand

For completely unknown reasons there are game designers who think you can never have enough generic 'zerg the world' games: And it seems they all worked on DoW2.
There is no strategy in this game; there are barely any tactics in this game; but if you're a 6 year old moron and can be entertained for hours on the strength of pretty colours and sparkly lights then you'll find plenty in DoW 2 to love.
A massive step backwards for the franchise and seriously damaging to the entire GW brand.… Expand

Hugely dissapointed, They took away everything that was great about DOW1 and pretty much screwed it up. The battles aren't epic, the lack of base building isn't fun, and the races are all the same and boring. I had really high hopes for this game, I seriously wish I could return this.

2 for graphics.

More diversity is in need for the music and the maps. The game music range from DoW 1 was quite excellent and more diverse in its subjects. Otherwise an excellent game. AND there is a bug with the Heavy Autocannon from the dreadnought, sometimes it doesn*t fire, but the ability is realoading without any enemies having recieved fire, quitre annyoing..

This game takes all of the good bits from CoH and the heroes and levelling up from an rpg mixes them together with some good old fashioned warhammer violence and comes up with something very special... Definitely the future of rts gaming

A very good game, reinvents RTS in lots of ways and removes parts that doesn't make much sense. Singleplayer was fun and different from other RTS games, though there was some parts of repetitiveness. Multiplayer is also very fun and allows for a lot of different strategies, where combined arms beats spamming any day. Multiplayer could use a bit more unit variety at the end game though. All in all the problems are somewhat easily fixed and there's a huge potential in what could be upcoming downloadable content and expansion packs. The future will only make this game even better.… Expand

As a lover of both DOW & COH I was delighted to see a move to the tactical aspect and the arrival of tyranids, but limited options to play skirkishes means I will be watching for the mods and patches that will hopefully come along, though the annoying way everything is tied into a windows live and steam account may preclude people with greater vision from helping us poor saps who just love to play. A resounding "well its OK", but worth £35? - I will definitely think twice before rushing to buy the next update ...... for now, I'll go back to DOW 1 and COH.… Expand

Imtro video 10,game 0. It's a crap.The original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is far better.

Even without building elements this game is awsome!! All the battlesare really intense. If u like RTS, check it out

pretty fun like the multiplayer stuff and survival mode, main quest is fun though a little boring after a while

Great take on a tired genre. Not perfect, but heading in the right direction. I'm giving extra credit for innovation and taking a big risk, we need to reward this. Otherwise it's a solid 8.5 game with potential to get even better if they live up to their DLC promises.

By itself, DOW 2 is a competent and reasonably well-polished RTT with nice visuals and fx, but a bit underwhelming in terms of SP and even MP gameplay. As a successor to DoW, it is a total failure that never does deliver on the promises of picking up where it's predecessor left off and bringing the series closer to Warhammer 40K fluff and TT. Much of the strategy and gameplay options that were present in Dawn of War and Company of Heroes are sorely missing here and much of the game seems rushed and contrived. Not a keeper in my collection...I'll stick with DOW and COH thank you very much.… Expand

I did not expect the game that I recieved, I expected a very statergy based game, tied to the tabletop game with maybe the flare of a multi-layered combat system we found in DoW1 and its expansions. Very pretty game, although I do have to put a big thumbs down at the linear gameplay. Pinning an opponent is great, but what about morale? What about the other 15-20 units that failed to be featured? I understand they plan on expansion-ing in the future (who woulndn't) but I would of liked to see more units, or failing that, better units such as actually having more than ONE ranger/devastator with a weapon....anyway, 7/10.… Expand

this game not only tries to reinvent the the RTS formula but succeeds in every imaginable way. This is a huge improvement over the first in every single way. Theirs a reason relic is one of the best devs out there. This game only fortify s that claim.

This game offers you a two unique gameplay expiriences. The single player campaign with the RPG expiriens. And the skirmish multiplayer RTS expirirence. And, what really matters, that bowth parts are made so well and splesh on the player so mutch anger, force, and fun that it's imposible to stop playing. And it all comes with tons of details and variety of abilities and strategies. It's worth 100 out of 10!!!… Expand

this is a great game, the only reason i dont give it a full 10 is sometimes the units go a little retarded and thats very important for a melee player like me. i dont want my units standing around when they are being fired upon. it also feels like when i play i am too easily out ranged and just get blasted, but i guess it is what it is. dominate when things are slightly in my favor. great game, and its fun having a choice of commanders and wargear for them in order to really customize gameplay besides colors. i agree, i would like to see more campaign and more races added, but for what it is, its amazing and judging by DoW1 there should be expansions on the way.… Expand

Nothing new to see here in the way of RTS games. Good graphics, but thin on Multi-Player content and possessing a redundant Single Player. No support for game modifications and no mention of a map editor in the future, combined with an aggravating setup that requires both a Windows LIVE account and a Steam account, it comes off as very unfriendly for the unsavy. The requirement to locate and download another unassociated program just to redeem pre-order and promotional keys is another flaw worth mentioning. Not like the first Dawn of War in any way shape or form except for core material on which they're both based on. The core material calls for squads, objectives, Space Marines, and aliens, and that's the beginning and the end of the comparisons between the two Dawn of War titles. Users will also find the Army Painter has has it's options reduced down to only a sparse selection of the paints you can buy from a Games Workshop retailer; there is no RGB palette, and the importing of custom insignia and banners is no longer a feature. There are many people who state this game is a reinventing of the RTS genre, but the features are all present in titles we've seen in the past. Cover systems, setting up and taking down heavy weaponry, and unit leveling are hardly new and can be seen across a huge number of titles and settings ranging from the historic to science fiction. Straight off the bat I can name Ground Control and Blitzkrieg as boasting most of the systems present in the game, however, both of those titles have many features Dawn of War II simply does not. As for the Single Player game mode's RPG elements, they have been done in Namco Bandai's Warhammer: Mark of Chaos title, with the difference being the RPG elements in Mark of Chaos were also available for online play. The RPG elements in Dawn of War 2 are simply not present in it's Multi-Player component. For the sake of originality when compared to the RTS genre as a whole, this game lacks absolutely all of it. Many of the systems are seen used in Relic's other RTS Company of Heroes, so if you did enjoy that title you may enjoy this one. It does not break any ground in any field except for what the Dawn of War series has offered thus far, while many players feel it is taking a few steps backwards in the process.… Expand

In my opinion this game deserves a 7.5 however since i cant get that on here i guess 8 will do. I am a big DOW fan...I loved the last few games and when i learned that DOW2 was coming out i damn near $#!+ my pants, however when i finnaly downloaded the game and played i was a tad dissapointed. First the instillation took forever second the video wasnt skippable (was fine the first time but it didnt save so i had to watch it again). third i dont like having to sign up for anything just so i can play a game...i already had steam, the idea just buggs me. the next problem was no building system, which was a big wake up call for me, cuz i dont know about everyone else but i like to master all the diff races and learn all of there units upgrades and buildings before i fight them so i went to skirmish and theres no way to build stuff so i was like WTF! anyways i finnaly figured out that thats not how things work anymore and that just made me loose alot of interest right there, and i know there are alot of people out there going its a great game anyways and in alot of ways i agree. ive only had an opertunity to play singleplayer as i downloaded it but to me it seems good. the story line is interesting the leveling system is new and the wargear variations makes for some interesting strategies. The way the game playes itself only made me want to give it a 6-7 at most...however then i thought about it and realized that this is exactly what the first dawn of war needed, to me this game is great because its a step in the right direction, what i want in DOW3 is the combination of the ideas. im hoping Relic brings back the tech trees building ideas and the large amount of race selection (especially the Necrons, they hauled ass...they where also my fav army) and adds in a sort of vetren system so that you can equip diffrent war gear to your squads as well as the foundry, temple, and comm tower ideas. So all in all it was an ok game with a bit o replayablility to it but what makes it great is the hop for the future and the combining of the series.… Expand

This game has given me something I really whished for, the possiblility to play ranked games with my friends (Starcraft, Dawn of War 1and Comany of Heroes all had a very flawed 3v3) It also takes about 15-20min to complete a game opposed to the 1h matches of Starcraft. But the best part is that it is fast, fun and full of blood

This is an exceptional game. I have enjoyed it since the beta, even though there have been a couple multiplayer balance issues the presentation, the gameplay and extreme emphasis on tactics is truly refreshing. Be warned that if you think RTS skill is definied by how well you can micromanage haverster units to gain an economic advantage you will be dissappointed. This is a game that emphasizes tactical manuever not extremely large armies. In other words if you like Total War as opposed to Starcraft you'll be very satisfied with this game.… Expand

So what if it doesn't have base building, This is the closest thing to the table top game that you will get. anyone who knows warhammer will be delighted with this game. The way you can use cover and pure tactics means everything to any general. Victory in this game is hard to come by online I have found, but when you win, it really really feels good.

While the game is playable enjoyment is constantly ruined by broken down video display 75% of the time, whoever thought streaming this kind of game in a manor similar to everquest (even saved games have to be loaded from the net) should be castrated. since buying the game I have managed to play 3 small sessions the other times display breaks up to make it all but usless, I will not be purchasing any other games using Steam hosting as a requirment.… Expand

This is a very different approach to the WH:40K universe than the the first DOW. It has a much better storyline and is truer to the table top game. I personally don't like the multi-player aspect of the game as much. It isn't as fast paced as the first game. Also the team leader/hero thing in the missions isn't my favorite style of RTS. All in all the game is very enjoyable, visually appealing and has great elements of play. I give this game 9 slices of pie out of 10.… Expand

Visually stunning and the campaign has an interesting RPG style twist to it. The multiplayer is enjoyable but it does suffer from balance issues. The games biggest downfall is the lack of multiplayer maps. There are for example, currently only two 2v2 maps in the ranked rotation.

i'd like to first get my criticism out of the way. the campaign is somewhat bland on the normal difficulty with the warboss and the avatar bosses unimaginably powerfull. the muiltiplayer has two blade dulling flaws 1. the skill matching system (or whatever its called). it simply doesn't work. it doesn't match players in ability. you'll find yourself fighting many skilled opponents but often with little or no chance of winning. 2. the lack of character balance and strategy. this sounds wierd about such a series but the issue is that in 45 games, at least 38 games simply wound down to building one type of unit en masse and then steamrolling through the map. it is a strategy, but the only one ever used. no unit is overpowered, but many are underpowered, like the banshies, the rangers and the sm scouts. all of this needs to be addressed before i can give it a better score. that aside the game is beautifull, inovative and is a suitable successor to its predessessor, if just needs a bit of balance team TLC (but quite a bit to be honest).… Expand

Fantastic game. Giving Starcraft fans something new to play with while we wait *forever* for SC2. Relic has resolved most of the problems with minor bug patches soon after launching the game and a major content and skill balancing update with new maps, which gives a nice fuzzy supported feeling to a customer like me. Requires a quick mind and fast fingers. Some learning curve when playing multiplayer, of course. Expect to get destroyed by online players at first unless you study a bit and practice your strategy against the CPU. Great game, like playing modern "bullet chess" aka super-fast speed chess.… Expand

How can you build your Army when the Computer is at full strenght and attacking you before you get to your first power supply?

Maybe Pratoe M should get a new system. But then do we really want to be playing this excellent game with a racist? I think not.

This game is amzing it conects with the table top RTS it's based on to the letter I can't wait for the expansions.

Completely unplayable. Unless you have a powerful computer dont bother buying this game. Besides the extremely annoying and frequent hiccups and slowdowns (often resulting in a total system freeze) the multiplayer aspect of this game is a huge nightmare. First of all the lag from someone else's connection also affects your own experience, so 90% of the game result in an agonising slowmotion followed by a, "player has disconnected" message. Then there is the issue of game balance ... There is none at all ! Just pick the flavor of the month unit, spam it and obliterate your oponents. Completely lame and boring. Stay away from this game as if it were an infectuous disease !!!!… Expand

They took it all away! If you played Company of heroes from the original then you dam well know they took away the massive tank battles in COH (2 tigers 2 pershings and where the heck is the 2 jags anyway?) ... when they moved on to OF. Same with this game. there are no longer those massive build and smash battles its a more integrated take care of these uber squad game. Yes i feel they should have put MORE into the campaign.. even though watching the ship jump thru the warp is pretty it still seems a bit lacking compared to the last 4 frakkin games, letting you command and attack the enemy with the little bot armys smashing your rears. However i feel there on to something and this game does not dissapoint... this was not meant to be a starcraft 2 clone.. and i feel they have done an excellent job of proving that. ALSO if you know ANYTHING about Relic is that they are ADDING more and MORE into this game 4 expansions of the last game lemme spell it out for you M-O-R-E is on the way. And that my friends could change anything my little fanboys.… Expand

Cool graphics and the army painter is definitely much more capable of creating various armies, but many player favorite factions were left out which was an extreme dissapointment. Each mission was extremely repetative, and halfway through the game, I felt as though I had already beaten it. The same tactics can be used over and over again, and the only challenge the game brings is keeping you interested in it.… Expand

Dawn of War 2 is one of those games that trys to reinvent the genre, and bombs itself down with stupid marketing, poor ideas and a lackluster play style, an easy example will be the removal of base building, as stated constantly in a boring monolog that spews from relic base building isent needed, infact this is 4th RTS game relic have made without it (the first 3 being homeworld 1 & 2 + its spinoff) however it fails to take into account that for everything you take away you must give something back. What this turns into is bassicaly an RTS for the console, there is no defence just attack attack attack, there is no base building just attack attack attack, indeed while attacking is the key focus of this game i find it so slow and repetative that i get board watching my heavy bolter team waddle slowly towards some cover, while my oponants attempt to slowly waddle towards my position only to be instantly supressed and for there commander to hit the recall button for them to return to base. The multiplayer matches last a max of 15 mins each if you have played C&C 3 multiplayer before and im assuming that you have, and have probebly stopped playing it along with everyone else becouse it gets boring FAST! this game gets boring FAST! I got board of it in the Beta thats how fast you get board. Over all as far as RTS go the multiplayer and skirmish is not fun, if you on the otherhand have ever thought hey I wish RTS got rid of all that boring base building and got strait onto fighting, but you wished the fighting involved eldely men who will die at any second of high colestrol and can only amble around the battlefeild at walking pace while screaming about the good old days of Halo 2 when games lasted only 3 minutes this is the game for you, infact I emplore you to buy it becouse you will buy the craptastic DLC relic will spew from its anus every 2 weeks for live points. All in All its probebly becouse im a turtler in RTS which is a valid tac in team games, however this game removes all defence style strats, so you cant really do that... therefore alienating half of all RTS players in one go, if you play defence in RTS's you will HATE this game dont even bother, go play company of heroes as the brits and artillary people from the otherside of the map behind you massive stronghold of AT guns and morters. SINGLEPLAYER!! yea this is the big thing... well not according to relic its not but it is.. bassicaly this plays like one of those standard issue C&C or starcraft or infact any RTS game mission where you dont have a base, theres multiple objectives with multiple paths and you have to decide, theres also loot so bassicaly your playing world of warcraft except less fun as a group of slow waddling old people in armor, this is what saves the game for me, yes its repetative, yes the gameplay gets boring quickly as with the rest of the entire game, but the storyline drives you along, you really want to see what happens to this group of eldely "BURN THE HERETIC" marines on there slow quest to collect there pensions. So pretty much, if you liked dawn of war you probebly wont like this, if you liked company of heroes you probebly wont like this, if you liked homeworld you probebly wont like this, however if you enjoy smashing your face into an xbox controler while screaming FAG over the microphone to a bunch of 13 year old mexicans on a game of GTA4 this will be the RTS for you, infact its not really an RTS its more of a QTE becouse you just mash the build devasator squad and then mash the move to commander button over and over till you win/lose it wont really matter eitherway becouse itl be 10 minutes over and then you will go off and play some TF2 or subcom or a game that takes more tactical thinking like pong! over all 6/10 I was gonna give it a 7 but found out I coudent make space marine chapters with a dick or nazi symbol or a middle finger on there shoulders, this is largly down to relic releasing these 3 chapters in the "community pack" later this year for 599 microsoft points, there will also be adding realtime weapon change while there at it.… Expand

Beta was really entertaining and if the single player campaign employs the same gameplay with the promised (and largely confirmed) RPG mechanics, I think this title will be a joy to play through with mates.

Single player campaign like going down a well decorated corridor. Nice but ultimately, a corridor. I can not even begin do describe the level of frustration, nay, hate I feel when it comes to being forced to be logged in to save my game. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but then I will stop buying games that do the same, definitely.

bleh, just bleh. HUGE fan of DoW1 & CoH, this is just bleh. Campaign got boring and repetitive fast, multiplayer same thing. Its just not that fun with such small armies that can be killed in seconds if you are not watching them the entire time. Very small amount of maps (7!!!!!) causes most games to be a repeat. I was very disappointed, I was sure this would be my next RTS, but no, seems like im going back to CoH.… Expand

Single player campaign is my thing, and I loved it here. You get a sense of ownership as you return to locations throughout the galaxy (I counted 13 maps so far, some being major story locations only visited once) and perform new missions on them. The co-op campaign is a wonderful thing, and it's enabled me to lure my girlfriend into playing, who is now also a fan. The promise of wargear drops plus the fast mission speeds keeps tempting me to do the "just one more mission thing", and the post-mission ratings have me pushing to do them more and more efficiently- sort of like a racing game, except there's no cars, and you blow up anything that moves.… Expand

I gave 6 because an effort was made for this game. Otherwise I would give it 3.I think this game is very simplified and dumbed dumb down, for whatever reason I don't know. But it is definitely a disappointment for me. This is not a RTS, it's more like the good old commandos games, only lot worse and shallow(commandos was very good indeed). No real tactical thinking is required to play, just the basic knowledge will do (like: spearman on front, archers behind them). You have undying characters at your disposal, no base or unit building, maps and missions are easy and same, all have end map bosses which adds more to sameness. I advise people who are looking for a real RTS to play medieval total war II or dawn of war I again. (This not about the game: I also advise people who think roleplaying games means/consist only of developing character stats to look wikipedia for a definition or play fallout I) I 'm a true gaming fan but I'm very dissapointed over the last couple of years because the games that are being produced are getting worse and worse. Mostly because simplifications of them. Last word: I advise King's Bounty over this one.… Expand

The RPG element of this game works really well with the RTS aspects of it, and that makes the single player part of the game very engaging to me, as I love kitting up my squads specifically for the mission at hand and seeing how they do. The only things that I might change are the very low unit cap in multiplayer and the fact that it uses both GFWL and Steam as online services. Using both at once seems pretty superfluous, and I think it would have been better to just pick one and stick with it.… Expand

Like 40k? Like RTS games? Like RPG games? If you answered yes to the above three, this game is for you. The campaign is awesome to start with. With a very well created loot/exp system, there's not much to not like. Do not let the fact there is no base building shun you away from purchasing this game. It makes up for it with other well created mechanics. A definite MUST BUY.

Too easy, too slow, boring, lack of multiplayer maps. Campaign dull and repetitive. Lack of units, no base building, races way too similar. Annoying multiplayer bugs, requires Steam and Games for Windows which are more often than not a big problem rather than a help or improvment for the user. Saving grace? Graphics, that's it.

Nine for the absence of base building, and the inclusion a of a great micro/macro aspect. Instead of spending 15 minutes creating the superior squad behind protection of a base, we are given a powerful team at the start. This results in keeping your eyes on the battlefield and also on your squads, encouraging you to constantly be adjusting to the movements of your foes instead of just churning out more cannon fodder from a bloated base. Though hardcore rts and returning DoW fans may find it lacking without the inclusion of a base building aspect.… Expand

Problems 1. Had to join Stream and Windows Live. 2. No Buildings! What? So RTS with no base building? 3. Where are the multiplayer maps? 6 Maps? no 4v4? or 2v2? 4. Its nothing like DOW I and shame on me for asuming it was a sequal and not checking first before I payed 50 bucks for a game I am so bitterly dissapointed. If I wanted Warhammer 40k Real Time Role Playing Tactical Simulator I would have bought that. DOWII was supposed to be RTS. At least I thought it was. Guess Im the sucker. 5. I now have to listen to my 3 freinds who also are disappointed with the game whine constantly about it. I hope to god Starcraft 2 doesnt follow DOWIIs example. If I could return the game I would. But guess what? I can't! Ill think twice before I buy something from THQ again.… Expand

Three steps forward, ten steps back. This is more or less what Relic achieved with their newest title. First of all I'd like to state I have nothing against the lack of base building nor the squad-like mechanics. I simply dislike how this game not only failed to improve upon what was poor in the first, but utterly ignored the specific issues completely. The story is a cliche and the way it's told by audio briefings doesn't help in any way. Cutscenes or any other noteworthy methods of storytelling are nowhere to be found in Relic's title. The plot is predictable, the characters are stereotypical and the writing is simply dull. It's like they didn't even try - a shame, for the IP is great. The singleplayer is a borefest to normal players. People which enjoy grinding for XP and Items on the same maps time and time again, might enjoy it though. After playing the same maps over and over, either defending or seeking a boss, you'll start wondering why you bought a 50 Euro game rather than downloading a Korean MMO for free. The gameplay, is not particularly bad, but for those that played Company of Heroes, it's nothing new either. However, I personally found DoW 2 more enjoyable than the first game in this respect, so Relic's idea was commendable. The only problem that plagues both the singleplayer and the multiplayer are the mildly unresponsive units. When you're seeking to destroy your Eldar friend and your 3 tanks get stuck without any means of getting them out, it's slightly irritating. Dawn of War 2 had great potential, yet it feels like a rushed and unfinished product. The interface, is rather uncomfortable and has a grotesque 90's look. Matchmaking is a pain, despite the use of Live. There are very few maps to be having fun in multiplayer, most of which you'll already be sick of after finishing the campaign. Ultimately, the game doesn't deserve anything above an 8 even if you're completely uninterested in story elements. If you're expecting an epic, engaging and sentimental tale in DoW 2 and value storylines a great deal, this is a 5-6 grade game, and that's being polite. I… Expand

One word sums up how I feel about this game-disappointed. The first Dawn of War was incredible, and got better with each installment. After waiting so long, after all the hype...I wish I would have waited till this hit the bargain bin at walmart while I continued to play the original in the interim. The campaign was fun, a lot of the features are hard to use and not as effective as the simpler ones (there's really no point in having cyrus other than to laugh at him during his holier than thou monologues between missions). All this talk about "you really have to use tactics" is nonsense. the controls are clumsy, and you're tactical options are pretty small. "Well...dropped all my bolter turrets, time to try to clumsily select cover that they'll just leave when i tell 'em to switch targets anyway, or will get blasted by a grenade, then i'll have to make all my boys run back to base to reinforce again." The running back to base or comm array or whatever to reinforce is lame. The only real strategic decisions you'll make are "flamers, bolters, or missile launchers for this one?" When you've got something that works, stick with it, improve it. There's a reason there's such a rabid fan base for the first one. By trying to reinvent the wheel they've really gimped their own franchise.… Expand

The unforgiving nature of the single player campaign has been, and continues to be very frustrating. The inability to save has made me angry on more than one occasion. Further I feel the game would benefit if more of it were on an individual's computer, rather than through the internet.

This game is the perfect RTS! Not only do you get to command your own hero but level him up and upgrade him! In addition to other squads ofcourse. Combat is really intense and the special abilities are excellent. More importantly, is the way the campaign was setup, and how the planets, their strategic assets, intelligence, defense all tie in to your strategy, its really very welll done. The cool visuals and the outstanding interface on the galactic map is also a beautiful touch. The only thing that was missing for me, was just a little more customization for your character, not necessary but would make the story and the events in the game more involving such as face customization, thats it really. Dawn of War perfected!… Expand

Other than the tedious STEAM installation process and forcing of update game that does not even support resume, this is by far not worth to purchase. No internet, and you can't play this game. I'll give a 6 for this, installation to make users feel comfortable to install should be top priority instead of going through heaven and hell get this game running.

Microsoft live is the cheapest lazy way for them to do multiplayer, has tons of complications when you try to start a game and get in with friends. Either the routers dont work togethor or the 3v3 constantly lags because of people with crummy computers that have there settings to high. DEDICATED MULTIPLAYER SERVERS and i would give the game a 12.

Stunning, and new game play is fun and not as formulaic as other similar games i.e; bulid big city... Defend city wile building more troops..... wait till you have more troops than enemy..... Destroy enemy city...!!!

This game has more variety and i feel is more true to the W40K world..... cant wait for the Add-ons!

Like most games, there is a challenge to recreate an experience that is enjoyable regardless the operating system. Both XP and Vista have extremem issue with the way this product uses system resources. It should be unnecessary to strip startup apps and other system features to enjoy a product as purchased. Also this idea that I must run a started client for Steam to obtain patches and enjoy the experience is simply outrageous. I see this product coming off the shelves as soon as Starcraft 2 is released.… Expand

I'd give this game a 9 because I don't believe it is PERFECT, but since there are people giving this game a 2, I had to give it a 10 to help offset the idiocy of people giving this game a bad review. Mike M, you are a fool. DoW 2 offers exciting game play, goal-setting and achieving ambitions, and lots of room for further expansion. Not to mention co-op modes, which are always a plus. I am switching back and forth from this to Empires Total War, and enjoying both immensely.… Expand

While I am a great fan of this universe and genre, there's a few persistantly annoying software items that plague this game. I appreciate the focus on squad based combat and the individuality of each squad, but due to some fatal scar errors appearing repeatedly in certain missions, they're nearly unplayable. (Most notorious, which they've fixed, was angel gate, but I've had more trouble with "The Wailing Doom." I was a little disappointed at the initial offering of four races, but am looking forward to expansions. Also, the tyrranid race was done fairly close to form. Excellent polish, limited replay, but enjoyable overall.… Collapse

I just finished the campaign and it was one of the best campagins I have ever played through. Although quite easy, throught the levels, the end boss, on most levels, really proved to be a great feature and made it just a bit harder causing the game to balance out very nice.

I absolutely adore this game. I believe the vast majority of negative reviews are from people who expected it to be just like the first game. When I look at this game I see the good elements of DoW1 combined with the good elements of Company of Heroes. The campaign is pulled of artfully and is truly innovative and successful in its innovation. The lack of base building blends in perfectly with the tactical play style of the game and the interface is beautifully streamlined making micromanagement a breeze. Sure there may only be 4 races and 1 campaign but if history is any sort of teacher, we can count on expansions.… Expand

This game is an excellent and bold first step in a new direction for both the Dawn of War series and the RTS genre as a whole. The game looks and plays great, and the campaign is breath of fresh air into genre; a welcome change of pace from most RTS games which only include a campaign mode for posterity. In some places, however, the game feels unfinished. The multiplayer, in particular, is in need of balancing on more variety, but remains pulse-pounding and entertaining when you find a good match. One has to think of this game as more of a starter pack to be expanded upon in the months and years to come through DLC and the inevitable expansions. Much like the original Dawn of War so many years back, Dawn of War II is a work of art, but also a work in progress, and it may take time for it to reach it's true potential.… Expand

great game upon intial look, but features such as waiting up to 20 min for a ranked match and once you get into a ranked match the teams being no where near equal destroy the game. If you are looking for a good multiplayer RTS wait for star craft this x-mas

This game is only marginally an RTS and should not have been marketed as one. It is more akin to Real time tactical/RPG the likes of Mechcommander or the Commandos series of games. It is neither as fun as the original Dawn of War series, nor as polished as the Company of Heroes series, which it takes most of its ideas from. It is an inferior RTS game and would not be worth mentioning were it not for the -short- Singleplayer.… Expand

You see so few games these days where the developers spent as much time on the single-player gameplay and storyline as they did on multiplayer gameplay. Warhammer 40k's DoW II stands above and beyond all of the rest in all respects. It has balanced multiplayer interaction, a fantastic and epically enthralling storyline, and single player gameplay that will indeed keep you coming back to play all difficulties. Its replayability is high and I see myself playing this game on into the future. At least until Dawn of War III comes out. … Expand

If you have played the desktop version of this game, then this will be a game that you will love. This game has captured the fun element of computer games, without selling out to cheezy compromises. I put off buying this game for two weeks because I read some of the negative reviews on this site. Don't be swayed this game is worth buying.

I found the graphics for this game to be undesirable, all that shine just doesn't look right on the battle hardened damaged space marines. And you can't help but compare it unfavourably to DoW, it's much less of a game and while I played DoW for months without getting bored, I was bored of DoW2 within the first day. We were told that the reason DoW didn't have Tyranids was because they couldn't do them justice on the old engine, but I fail to see how DoW2 has done anything at all any justice. There are only two saving graces for DoW2, the excellent cover system and it's modding community who I'm hoping will undo all the damage that has been done to the DoW series. If you are looking for a Warhammer 40K game get the first Dawn of War game and it's expansions, it's vastly better, you won't easily get bored of it and hopefully by the time you do, those wonderful modders will have worked their magic to make DoW2 a playable game deserving of it's name.… Expand

Most of the low scores are from people who want this game to be something it isn't - DoW1. And I guess that's fair enough, but if, like me, you're ready for something new, this game is an absolute blast. Bringing the focus in on the tactics of battlefield by removing base building and complicated tech trees, this game is much faster than the original, but easily as involving as you concentrate on map control and unit combinations/placement to win the day. It needs some more multiplayer map and game types, but what's in there will definitely keep you happy and perhaps we'll get some more through developer promised downloadable content (free and fee based). The single player campaign may not have the deepest of storylines, but it is a lot of fun, and I'll be replaying it a couple of times.… Expand

There are a lot of new things in this game. On the whole, I think they work. There are several design changes I would have made, but I think the good far outweighs the bad. This is primarily true in the SP campaign. The MP side, I think, is a bit more broken due to too few maps and poor matching through MS' TrueSkill system.

A very good game if it were a prelude to Dawn of War [1]. Unfortunately the repetitive nature of singleplayer grinds you down the second play through. Multiplayer is good for 2-3 games but then becomes very predictable and boring. Very few unit choices, very little strategy involved, direful selection of maps (only 7 maps supplied), unit pathing is very poor, cover system and your unit�39;s overriding AI spoils micromanagement.… Expand

Fatal flaw in the pop cap double counting whenever I am reinforcing error. Get it fixed Relic. I spent $50 on this and I don't want to have to work around bugs like this when I spend so much for a game. And if you can't release a game without jeopardizing the quality of your other games (IE COH), then dont release a game until then.

I can honestly say that after playing this game, I can never go back to the traditional RTS game ever again. With Dawn of War II, Relic has completely reinvented the RTS genre, to the point where there is no going back. It plays like a dream, the perfect blend of strategy and action, combined with great graphics and physics engines makes for an all around great game. Don't believe what the critics say about the so called, "less-impressive single-player campaign," as, while it does lack variety, it is an incredibly enjoyable experience that does, unlike many RTS games, require tactics and strategy (Gamespot, http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/warhammer40kdawnofwar2/review.html). Having only played the beta, I can't judge the multiplayer component 100%, but from the feel of the beta, I know that without intelligent micromanagement, you can't do anything except lose. So if you read out there to stay away, experienced RTS players, don't buy it, because without the use of tactics, you can't hope to succeed. Overall, I find the game a little repetetive and the lack of multiplayer maps disappointing, however, the kick in the collective pants of the RTS genre is a welcome one, which I welcome with open arms. I truly must say that Relic has made the perfect RTS experience with Dawn of War II, one which makes it easy to overlook any shortcomings, and one which will keep me entertained until the next expansion or next game that Relic releases.… Expand

I would have liked to have seen a more varied campaign with been able to play the other races but overall I like the new direction they have taken with the game and think it moves away from the monotinous building of bases to nuke things, you can just move straight out and have fun.

To start with it is much better than DOW 1. While I did expect better, it is much more in tune with real Warhammer 40K. The squad make up and number of units is much more like tabletop than the first DOW. Also without base building it focus more on platoon level tactics, cover, fields of fire, support while advancing, etc., which is what 40K is all about. Also I love being able to customize you wargear and kick up the skills of my various squads. Now for the negative. It still crashes, after a few patches! I have more than the recommended specs and it seemingly randomly crashes. Grrrr. Also I hate of vehicles and terminators destroy all of my cover, both should be able to use cover as well! There should be an option for those units to avoid tromping everything, maybe I wanted that wall standing there to protect my flank.… Expand

The campaign is repetitive as others have mentioned (and the reviews themselves) but I find that less of a problem when I'm turning orks into green cubes and tyranids into squishy bits. The actual game is fun as hell. I don't see how people could give this a 1. It may not be your cup of tea but there is no way this game is a 1 or even a 5. Everytime I've seen this it's been from someone who mentioned it's not like Dawn of War 1, get over it.… Expand

All time favorite game! all around game play is great. this type of Hybrid RTS/RPG really brings new strategy paving a new path for RTS games to come! I love how you no longer build, so you're more in the field of battle and using tactics rather than pawning your opponent. graphics are amazing however, the one thing that bugged me was RAM requirements, and drive space. make sure you buy a computer with high RAM and a good graphics card otherwise you may find this tittle pretty sluggish. but its well worth the price.… Expand

I spent hours and hours playing DOW1. I was looking forward to this seguel but when I after the first minute playing it...I was horrified. Skirmish sucks...You are not allowed to really build anything, which makes it more easier. And capturing the strategic points ain't fun. The story mode was ok, but I didn't like that they give you so many "heroes" to play. I'd prefer one stronger hero and lots of weaker soldiers. And your only tactic in the game is that you make your way using covers. That is not really tactic. It's all just the same. "Forward, cover, kill. Forward, cover, kill." Of course there is chance of going multiple ways in the map, but it cannot cover all the mistakes. At least skirmish's unit types were acceptable. Graphics are over hyped. From long distance, they look mediocre, but from close they are ugly as dog's ass. Relic really f*cked up with this. No real strategy, mediocre graphics, voice acting from hell and on the top of a cake, NOT REAL SEGUEL, ONLY PILE OF SH*T COSTING 50$. F you Relic, you dissapointed me.… Expand

Counter-Strike: Source offers flexible styles of play. Using mod's and various game settings, there is always something fun to do involving great action and Edge-of-your-seat thrills. The mechanics allow you to quickly get used to working out, and the smooth rendering with higher model machines give such a life like feel, as though you were in really Razing and Blazing "The Point". Hands down, 11 score in my book. Get it today. Get in and play!… Expand

It completely fials in caturing the feel of warhammer 40K. Online multiplayer is a total failure, and skirmish is dull and totally uninteresting. Did I meantion it totally fails to capture the feel of warhammer 40K? It's just a lazy attempt to re-skin their WWII game. 4 man tactical squads? Has anyone at Relic even played 40K? Aparently not.

I'll give it a 10/10 : +Extraordinary graphics (you'll need a good cpu) +Revolutionary strategy game (No boring construction phase or what so ever) +Responsive and intelligent units (each squad can be fully controled, upgraded and has it's own ranking levels) +Intense battles with a reactive environment (intensity, destruction and blood are the 3 bases of battles in this game, the all new reactive environment with destructible walls, barricades etc ... gives a thumb up for the game) +Non-Linear Campain (For my part, I loved the campain even if it's quite short if you take a level below "Primearch" but it's based on a solid scenario and gives the game a spice of roleplaying with the innovative "equip your characters and level them" system in a RTS which is quite surprising) +Good choice of the races (Space Marines, Orks, Eldars and Tyranids are all very different from one another but they are a perfect combination of races that had to be put in this game of equalised battles; all that matters is your skill and your "game-reflexes"). To conclude I think this game should be nominated for the game of the year award. I just hope the producers won't make the same mistake they made in DOW 1 ( Including in each expansion a new race ==> it completely disorganises the game ).… Expand

this game sucks balls compared to Dark Crusade and Soulstorm. Relic have taken their best franchise and killed it. there nothing to this game. its extremely bad and nothing else. if they had made this game properly, like the 3rd and 4th game, it would be 50

This game Rocks! I have the entire Dawn of war series, love them all! But DOW II brings a whole new level to the intensity of the future of war... in teh future there is only WAR.

This game is fast paced & really engaging when you face a horde of enemies. Back then playing DOW : Dark Crusade (Soulstorm sucks) micromanagement like plasma beam or meta grenade is not necessary, you just need to have the strongest & largest troops to win the game. This game actually requires some strategy & thinking to play so bravo for that.

The fact that a RPG / RTS hybrid is still a new experiment for Relic they should be encouraged to further refine & enhance the game later on.… Expand

Just no, I waited for so long to upgrade my pc to play this game and all that relic have done is created a pc rts that looks and handles like a damn console rts. I know they told us that base building was going to be gone but unti l played the game i didnt realise quite how bad this would be, waiting to gather up enough resources to buy stuff in multiplayer takes far to long, then once you've built your 3 or 4 squads you have a lot of 'fun' slowly moving them towards critical locations where chances are they will either all get killed by weapon emplacements or suffer a couple of losses so your forced to fall back and lose all your progress. Where is the fun in this! Couple this with matchmaking that takes longer than halo 3 and a ranked system that seems to delight in placing low level players against high level players and we I'm left wondering what the hell I just wasted my money on, Campaign is all that even makes it worth a 2 in my books as the storyline is good and once you've leveled up enough commanding is moderately fun untill you play on insane difficulty which somehow makes your supposed superhuman soldiers completely pathetic when facing anything larger than a tyranid gaunt. Oh and boss fights suck.… Expand

Great campaign, great multiplayer gameplay... if evenly matched. The TrueSkill in this game is so broken that I am quitting until they remove it from the system. It's a game I like to have fun in, and fun for me is not getting blasted by Rank 52 TrueSkill 36 people. Replay value plays heavily into my rating of all games, seeing as longevity is key in purchases.

Great fun, the missions bring you straight into the thick of the action and rarely take too long, effectively forcing you to abandon old base-building strategies of grinding on until you've won. The RPG advancement is fun but a little tacked on, and the superhuman space marines are rarely in trouble unless you really push the advance, or until you meet a tough boss, but still, it makes the action RTS genre a reality in spectacular style.… Expand

While the game is visually impressive and fast paced, it may be too much so for anyone who was expecting something similar to the previous incarnations of the franchise. Base building is all but gone and the scale of combat has become small and squad-centric; somewhat like a bird's eye view of a first-person shooter playing out below.