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Dawn Of War II
An RTS based on WH40k Universe and packs a whole lot of fun.

Overview:-
From Relic Entertainment comes this action packed RTS based on the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. Its much different from its predecessor, Dawn Of War and its expansions. It focuses on cover based combat, collectable items and unit upgrades.

Plot:-
In the 41st millennia the age of war rages on. Humanity is now defended by the Imperium of Man, founded by the Immortal God Emperor. In a corner of ever expanding space lies a cluster of Human colonized planets which come under attack from a brutal, greenish and foolish alien race called Orks. You play the role of Force Commander of the Space Marines who are also referred to as super soldiers of the Imperium. It falls you to defend these planets and tip the balance toward victory. You soon discover that you face more than just a single alien race here and you have to destroy every single one of them before everything is lost. There are various twists and turns to the story

There are great dialogues in the game fitting every race and characters.

Game-play :-
Dawn of War II combines RTS with various RPG elements. The game has on cover based combat as seen in Company of Heroes which is also from same developers. Unlike previous DOW games you don’t build a base and buildings. Instead you are allowed to select limited number of squads and strategically use them to defeat your enemies. So it’s more about tactics this time. Though base building can be fun, DOW II takes you straight to the battlefield action instead of that which is not bad at all. Soon things that have not changed from DOW are strategic points and relics. There are various relics to be captured giving you different bonuses and possibly helping you to fight future battles.

The battle system causes no less carnage and gore than its predecessor. During battles If your units die you can replenish them at Strategic points. However if leaders are incapacitated then only other leaders can bring them back. Grenades are one of the items that I found particularly handy and I recommend using them, a lot. Don’t think that your enemies are fools. They too utilize stealth, cover, explosives and more. The AI of the game is pretty good.

The game includes tons of collectable items & weapons that can be found on competing objective and defeating enemies. Equipping your squads with different weapons can cause a lot of change. Like RPG the game has unit upgrades where you can skill up your characters and choose what they would be good at. Also you can unlock Special Powers of your units through upgrades. There are various upgrades not only available for Force Commander but for all each Squad.

The game has 4 playable races: Space Marines, Orks, Eldar &Tyranids. Each faction is completely different from other. Units come in all sizes . However you play only as Space Marines in the campaign. There are NPC units of Imperial Guards. Multiplayer provides a whole lot of fun. The game also has co-op campaign mode for up to 2 players.

Graphics:-
What to say, …. Looks great. The game uses Essence Engine 2.0. I think I can see bullet shells coming off when fired. Yes, the visuals are very detailed. The game has utilized physics processing to make explosions and destruction look so much better.

Audio:-
Great audio effects really. There are a lot of variations in audio cues and effects.

Conclusion:-
Great Game. The game-play itself feels great. Though the reception of the game has varied among fans, overall it’s really enjoyable. I’m sure the game will provide many hours of entertainment and great multiplayer experience.


Overall : 9.5/10

System Requirements:-

Minimum Requirements
Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista SP1
P4 3.2 GHz (single core) or any Dual Core processor
1 GB RAM (XP), 1.5 GB RAM (Vista)
A 128MB Video Card (Shader Model 3) - Nvidia GeForce 6600 GT / ATI X1600, or equivalent
5.5 GB of Hard Drive space

Recommended
Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista SP1
AMD Athlon 64×2 4400+ or any Intel Core 2 Duo
2 GB RAM (XP and Vista)
A 256MB Video Card (Shader Model 3) - Nvidia GeForce 7800 GT / ATI X1900, or equivalent
5.5 GB of Hard Drive space