The Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War juggernaut rolls on unabated. Almost four years after the release of the original game, developer Relic (in conjunction with Iron Lore Studios) has once again forged another tactical gem from its furnace of RTS excellence.

Following on from the excellent Dark Crusade, this fourth outing for the series takes the freeform open-ended template of its predecessor and expands upon it. Whereas Dark Crusade offered you just one planet to conquer and seven races to play as, Soulstorm tasks you with the gargantuan challenge of crushing four planets, playing as any of nine races. Soulstorm takes place in the Kaurava system, where each race is endowed with a Stronghold on one of the planets or on an orbiting moon, which must be held at all costs. Just like Dark Crusade, the action is broken down into two distinct sections.

The first of these is played from a freeform turn-based map of the system, with each planet divided into territorial segments that possess their own strategic, military and economic properties. From this tactical map you can move your troops into adjacent provinces to attack enemy held territory or reinforce your regions with military buildings and troops. Thankfully the somewhat reticent enemy AI from Dark Crusade has been made considerably more pro-active this time around, with factions scrapping far more ferociously between themselves for territorial superiority. Other features reprised from Dark Crusade’s strategic map are the ability to recruit Honor Guard (lethal killers who protect your Hero) and kit out your Hero units with Wargear (powerful armour and weapon upgrades that make your faction’s champions even more efficient killing machines).

Once you enter an enemy’s territory (or an opposing faction ventures into one of yours), the action switches to a real-time 3D battleground that’ll be instantly familiar to you if you’ve played any of the previous Dawn of War games, as will some excruciatingly long loading times. The series’ brutal, strategic point-capturing RTS action is ramped up to more blistering levels than ever before, thanks to the addition of all-new aerial units that add an extra strategic dimension to the already uncompromising battlefield clashes, and demand you to equip your forces with a well-balanced array of troops. This necessity is further enforced by some stringent troop restrictions that prevent you from packing your armies with just the most powerful units.

While the sheer ferocity and unbridled entertainment of these real-time encounters can’t be questioned, you can expect to encounter a smattering of pathfinding problems, while the graphics engine is starting to look seriously dated, especially compared to the likes of Company of Heroes or Medieval II: Total War.

Soulstorm’s two debuting factions prove as imaginative as they are diverse. The Dark Eldar are evil incarnate, a race obsessed with inflicting pain and suffering on others. These macabre killers may be defensively frail, but make up for this deficiency with a collection of powerful infantry and armoured units, many armed with both cutting implements that tear flesh when up close and ranged attacks. By harvesting the souls of the dead, Dark Eldar Hero units can cast an array of eviscerating spells, while the faction’s armoured vehicles can be equipped with a cornucopia of disruption weapons that sap enemy units of courage. They also have access to teleportation gates.

Opting to play as the Dark Eldar is probably best left if you’re a newcomer to the series, as their bias towards attack can leave you horribly exposed to enemy strikes if you fail to take the fight to your foes quickly enough. The second new race – Sisters of Battle – is the antithesis of the Dark Eldar. Religiously devout and pure, their mission in life is to purge the universe of evil. Aiding them in their task is a set of devastating armoured units, many equipped with cleansing area-damage fire attacks that can incinerate clustered hostile units in seconds, and the ability to construct forward bases before attacking a region. The Sisters’ solid defensive capabilities ensure that they’re just as adept at warding off invasions as they are at mounting them, providing a perfect starting platform if you’re dipping your toe into Dawn of War’s cauldron of carnage for the very first time.

This is without question the most epic Dawn of War game to date. Despite offering much the same gaming experience as its predecessor, Soulstorm’s massive turn-based tactical campaign map and thrilling RTS combat will keep you enthralled for weeks, as will the excellent multiplayer and skirmish options. And while it may not be the best looking RTS out there, its sheer depth and entertainment value ensure that it’s still right up there with the best of them.

88%
Martin Korda