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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm

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8.0 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 37 critic reviews
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Based on 118 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: THQ

Developer: Relic

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: March 4, 2008

Summary

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm is set in Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe – a dark, futuristic, fantasy setting where armies of technologically advanced warriors, fighting machines and hordes of implacable aliens wage constant war – and is played by millions worldwide. Soulstorm is a complete standalone title and features two all-new armies, including the malicious Dark Eldar, for an unprecedented total of nine playable races. In addition to new units across each of the seven existing races, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm incorporates air units for the first time and introduce multiplayer medals, adding a whole new level of depth to online battles. The revolutionary meta-game introduced in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Dark Crusade is further expanded to an interplanetary scale in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm, allowing players to battle across an entire star system. [THQ]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Winter Assault

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Pelit (Finland)

Soulstorm should have introduced decent air forces, not just these handful of hovering tank-like units. Otherwise a fun expansion as always. [Apr 2008]

My Gamer

Soulstorm does many things differently than many of the other RTS games that have been released in the last ten years, and it does all of them amazingly well.

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PC Zone UK

In adding to the weight of maps and playable factions, as a collection, Dawn of War with Soulstorm alongside it sets itself apart from a lot of the more youthful games out there. [Apr 2008, p.66]

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VideoGamer

Soulstorm, like its predecessors, does a great job of providing an intense, war-torn, battlefield for you to play with. But the most important thing is that the game is great fun, and will surely touch the soul of every RTS geek who's ever dreamt of being a Space Marine.

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GameStar

The third installment of Dawn of War is motivating due to upgradable heroes and battles to conquer fortresses, which add to the standard missions. The missions, which can last up to two hours, are demanding. Quite often you will fight at several fronts at once while being pressed for time.

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Cheat Code Central

Soulstorm gives you another kick at the Warhammer cat, proving that the series may indeed have nine lives.

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Gamer.nl

Soulstorm is a good addition which expands the lifetime of Dawn of War. The expansion is standalone and still all races are playable in single player. This makes the game very attractive for players who haven't gotten the original game. When it comes to graphics and gameplay, not many things have changed. But the huge possibilities in skirmish and multiplayer compensate for it.

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games(TM)

Great stuff. Now how about a proper sequel? [Apr 2008, p.125]

Gamers' Temple

Soulstrorm delivers two new factions that are great additions to the Dawn of War conflict.

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Worth Playing

It's a solid addition, if not the best expansion in the series overall, and while I'm enjoying it, it really is just more of the same, and I can't help but feel like it could have been a little better.

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Armchair Empire

While it's getting long in the tooth, the Dawn of War series is nicely expanded with Soulstorm.

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PC PowerPlay

In a genre that’s looking for new ideas, this would be a nice achievement for a brand new franchise. That Relic has managed to surprise us this late in the Warhammer day is all the more remarkable. [May 2008, p.59]

GameZone

In terms of what it brings to the table, it’s a bunch of the same ole, same ole, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing since the series was very good to begin with.

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Gamers.at

With 29 new multiplayer-maps, two new races and an already a bit aged AI Dawn of War: Soulstorm sadly fails to become, what many RTS-fans were hoping for: A great game. Fans of Warhammer 40.000 and the other Dawn of War-Games shouldn't miss this Stand-Alone-Expansion anyway, because it still packs the same great atmosphere, which made its predecessors famous. [May 2008]

Game Over Online

I love the game, I really do, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's still playing Dawn of War. If you're not you may want to wait for the full sequel to the game, which is already in the early stages of development.

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PC Gamer

I wouldn't necessarily recommend Soulstorm for players new to the series, as mastering the interactions between nine different races is a serious endeavor, but you're getting a lot of game for $40. [May 2008, p.62]

GamerNode

Despite providing the thrilling and series-established RTS gameplay, Soulstorm seems recycled and worn out. Dawn of War fans or RTS players will feel deja vu when playing this game the first time.

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PALGN

As solid and reliable as Soulstorm is, it's a largely uninspired attempt to wring a few more bucks out of the series. If it's 'more of the same' that you're after, then go right ahead.

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Gaming Nexus

There’s nothing new under the Dawn of War sun. Soulstorm is just a repeat of the Dark Crusade expansion, with two different factions thrown into the mix. It might be worth a look for those who absolutely have to complete the series, but most will get just as much mileage from the previous expansion.

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GamingTrend

It seems that as soon as Relic Entertainment gave the reigns to Iron Lore Entertainment a bit of the soul that breathes life into Dawn of War was extinguished.

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Computer Games Online RO

Considering the official announcement for Dawn of War 2, Soulstorm can be considered the epilogue for this Warhammer 40.000 generation, and I can’t escape the feeling that the producers wanted to squeeze the last cents with minimum efforts, especially because it's only a half stand-alone expansion which only allows the two new races to be played online, the earlier version being required if you want to play all factions.

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FiringSquad

Dark Crusade had done everything already, but the two new races and better campaign are a decent addition when the price gets down to a decent level, that is.

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PC Gamer UK

Fun, but not progress. [Apr 2008, p.64]

GamePro

Soulstorm is certainly not a bad expansion pack, but time has certainly conspired against it. Being released almost four years after the base game much of the game is showing its legs, especially in the graphics department.

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IGN

The main issue here is just that everything feels so familiar. While the game still plays quite well and Warhammer 40K fans will surely appreciate all the unit designs for the Sisters of Battle and Dark Eldar, too little has been done to enliven the experience.

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GameTap

Even though it's not as good as previous installments, and is generally more of the same, the fundamental gameplay underneath is still quite amazing, even today (the gameplay excuses its 2004-era visuals).

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PC Format

A robust addition to a titan of real-time strategy that plays well on PCs. But it's past time for Dawn of War 2 now. [May 2008, p.108]

GamingExcellence

Right now, the game feels dated. It still has the formula that made the game popular in the first place, but that formula is just starting to show its wrinkles.

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NZGamer

But, good or bad, it's just more of the same. Not a recommended buy, unless you've lost your copies of the original Dawn of War and the other expansions, and still have a hankering to play.

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Game Revolution

Fans of the previous expansions will find it worthwhile for the new maps tha thave breathed new life into the multiplayer. Single-player fans will have plenty of content to distract themselves. It’s a standalone game, too, so folks that haven’t bought into the series to date will have plenty to enjoy.

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GameSpot

Soulstorm caps off the long-running Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series with recycled gameplay.

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Play (Poland)

I'm truly sorry to watch such a fine franchise brought to the brink of destruction by ruthless exploitation. Two races - all that's truly new here - are a weak excuse for selling a full priced game with tired graphics, boring single player campaign and imbalanced units. [May 2008]

AceGamez

Soulstorm doesn't offer an awful lot of new content, aside for the new maps for skirmishes and multiplayer. The multiplayer is still the highlight of this series and tactically decimating your opponent or friends is a source of endless enjoyment, but the single player in this expansion fails to inspire; there needed to be more involvement with the running of your territories (see the Total War series) for a map-based campaign to work and be really engaging.

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G4 TV

Soulstorm is not only a ridiculously long title but a ridiculously very solid package of content. It’s a killer bundle for RTS fans that aren’t too picky about graphics. The problem is that fans of the series, who have already purchased the earlier expansions, are really only getting two new factions and a handful of units.

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Eurogamer

Soulstorm is a stopgap game. It really feels like the last breath of the series. And that's a real shame.

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GameSpy

It shows flashes of its former brilliance through two new races that are full of personality and are a lot of fun to play with, but falls flat through a lackluster single-player campaign, mediocre (at best) new air units and two devastating bugs that will kill the multiplayer scene until Relic issues an eventual patch.

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1UP

At this point, three expansions and three years after the original game, the factions in Dawn of War feel like the various menu items at Taco Bell: The order in which you pile on the beans, cheese, or lettuce doesn't make that big a difference.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 118 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Andrew M gave it a5:
METAL BOXES! this is the cry of Firraeveus Carron, the champion of chaos as he boldly stikes at the space marines attacking rhinos. the units response lists are limited, reptitive, and overall really annoying. The cutscene scripts are highly laughable ensuring a high humor quality to the game. But unfortunatly thats not what DoW is about. Its campaign mode is ripped from DC and the aircraft is enough to make the Emperor himself break down in tears with how low quality they are. If you plan on buying this game, do it to laugh at the campaign mode (I reccomend chaos for this one) or the multiplayer which is alright, but not as good as Dark Crusade.

Arshad S gave it a7:
Ok im a uber big warhammer fan right. DC is good..... but this one is kinda crap. I dont know what went wrong here but the tech trees are just imbalanced imo. campaign is jus like dcs campaign but with planets this time. the new flight units arnt all that cool. And gk pops out when banshees can take em on! lol ok maybe almost. I wouldnt reccomend buying this game all on its own rather wait for the whole warhammer package. Very disappointed with this one tho. Im hoping in the future they make an uber great horus heresy campaign to make up for this not so grand game.

Peter D gave it a10:
While not a hugely groundbreaking expansion to the Dawn of War series, you can pick it up cheaply (especially as part of a package deal), it fixes a lot of bugs, balances things out nicely and adds in two more races - which, while not necessary, do add more depth to an already tactically "deep" game. Each race still manages to play differently, the Dark Eldar specialising in early vehicle rushes and mobile troops (in a very different way to the Eldar) and the Sisters of Battle specialising in... Largely inflexible infantry units. Both work surprisingly well, the addition of new maps works wonders, and all together it makes a very nice finale to the series. Dawn of War is probably my favourite RTS of all time because of the balance, the pace and the learning curve, and this does nothing to upset what is already a spectacular game. I would and do recommend this to anybody who hasn't got it, but suggest you look at picking up the earlier editions of the game at the same time (It is an expansion pack after all).

Mike gave it an8:
Great game! The single player campain was kinda cool, but you really had to use your imagination, not a whole lot happens. Great new teams and great usual dow gameplay.

Kameron R gave it a10:
Dawn of war is and always will be one of the best games i have played in RTS. Was a nice addition to add flying units. Still this game is better than DoW2....

Ivan G gave it a4:
Of all the three I would call it the worst expansion. Really. The campaign is all the same as DC pick your side and pwn everyone non-sense. I wanted a decent storyline for once. Air units are absolute trash. The whole point of air force IRL is to fly by barraging/bombarding and be out of enemy's reach in seconds while in SS they just hover above like some awkward tanks that can't meleed bringing absolutely nothing new to the game while being buggy as hell. Could as well be a paid DLC. Imo to pricey even for an expansion.

Nate G gave it a10:
I jumped right into the series with Soulstorm, and WOW! Its much different from Warcraft3 and Starcraft, so the learning curve was a bit high. But having such a large variety in races to choose from made it both interesting and fun to play for hours on end.

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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm

Game Info

Summary

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