Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade

"The planet Kronus will be stained red."

I'll admit, I used to play the good ol' Tabletop Warhammer games. Back then I had no qualms about throwing away £50 of tiny lead models that I needed to paint. I'd always wanted a genuine convergence of Warhammer and video games, and with the original Dawn of War, it arrived. Winter Assault, while delivering on many aspects, had a slightly lackluster feel to it.

Enter Dark Crusade, the latest (and final) expansion pack for Dawn of War. How does it shape up though?

Graphics: 9/10

As always with Dawn of War, your graphical experience varies depending on how you choose to set the game up. From a basic standpoint however, the graphics are... Just what you'd expect from the Dawn of War universe. From barren deserts to frozen tundra, back into jungles and through hell-blasted landscapes, all the environments just feel... Right. A lot of care has obviously been taken on the presentation of Dark Crusade alone, but games doesn't run on polish alone. All the races look distinct, and depict what they are well. Orks are brutish, green and rugged, while the Eldar are nimble, light and intricate. The game is nothing short of beautiful to look at, and with the ability to view the action from any angle, it makes for some epic screenshots.

Sound: 6/10

Ahh, the sound. A real mixed bag. Sound is generally divided into two factors - music, and sound effects. The latter is executed incredibly well. The voice acting is consistent and flows naturally, be it dialogue between two Generals or simply the sound of a Lasgun firing away. Chaos Space Marines cackle maniacally while awaiting your orders, Imperial tanks will hum and roar, and the distant sound of artillery really brings the atmosphere home.

The music, I found, suffered. Greatly. You might want to compose a playlist and have that run in the background while playing. The Dawn of War soundtrack, while certainly fitting and dynamic - tends to get drowned out by the sound effects, thus sending it into the background, but not in a good way. The music ends up being ignored entirely, which might be a complaint if the game didn't seem to recycle the same handful of tracks over and over. The quality is superb, but the repetition drags the score down.

Story: 8/10

The story revolves around how you are a General of one of the seven races - Chaos Space Marines, Eldar, Imperial Guard, Necrons, Orks, Space Marines or Tau. Each race wants the planet Kronus under their control for different reasons. As the General, it is your duty to conquer the many regions of Kronus - from deserts to cities to catacombs - and drive off those who would attempt to steal the planet from right under your nose. Once you eliminate all the other Generals from the game, you win. Simple stuff, really, just be the last race standing. Nothing incredibly breathtaking as a story, but still, the fact that there's seven sides to this story really help flesh the campaign out. Offline, Dark Crusade is still a very enjoyable experience.

Gameplay: 9/10

It plays... Much like you'd expect an RTS to play. You have to maintain a base, to access stronger troops while upgrading them, as well as taking control of the map though Strategic Points, Critical Locations and Relics, while building up a sizeable force to conquer the enemy. While it certainly is repetitive, in Dark Crusade it loses none of its fun or charm. Strategic decisions can be as minor or major as you want - "Should I take that upgrade or add another member to my Space Marine squad?", or "Should I assault this base with a Terminator Deepstrike, or rush in through the front and sneak in from the unprotected flank?" With seven races to play as, online or offline, this game has longevity in the barrel-loads. No battle is the same, and each one is a new and exciting challenge based on your chosen race. It's rare that such a game manages to balance races so well, but manage to keep it fun.

Single-Player: 10/10

A marked improvement over Winter Assault, it's predecessor. Dark Crusade offers you the chance to step into a General's boots and conquer a planet. There are over 20 regions to capture, including your enemy's fortresses that must be toppled for you to claim Kronus. While many missions are simply "Destroy your enemies HQ", there is some variety. Certain regions will grant you a neat little quirk to help you in your domination. For example, in order to be able to move across the meta-map twice in a turn, you must assault a specific area, the Eres Badlands. Here, your goal is to slaughter 140 of the enemy in 30 minutes before they do. Another one has you tracking down 6 Servitors (builder units) and returning them to your base while making sure your enemy doesn't get 6.

A lot of thought was clearly put into the stronghold missions. Assaulting these bases feels much more like the old-school Dawn of War missions that took forever to complete. At the end, you come out of a two-hour slugfest battered, bruised, victorious, smiling, and thirsty for more of the same.

That's not all! Some of the areas grant you special elite units called "Honour Guard". Consider these beefed-up versions of the regular unit you can requisition and have with you at the start of a battle. Want to start with a squad of hardened jetpack Stealthsuits? You can! How about a Chaos Sorceror with all his abilities? No problem! Just conquer that area, purchase him, and he is yours. It adds another unique twist to conquering areas, and refines your outlook on what's best to take with you, what's best to leave behind.

Finally, your General, after meeting certain quotas (such as 2000 kills, or defeating 3 opposing factions) will be granted the chance to pick some "Wargear" to upgrade him. This really makes your commander seem like a pure killing machine and hardened veteran. Plus, he'll look even better! Dare I say you'll feel proud watching that fully kitted-out Force Commander run into battle, in gleaming gold armour...

Multiplayer - 10/10

Dawn of War has had a trying history with the multiplayer. Don't get me wrong, it's consistently been an enjoyable experience, but balancing and patching will forever be an issue. With Dark Crusade, it feels like the whole slate has been wiped clean when it comes to balance. While others have opinions that some races are too powerful, it's safe to say there's at least a balance most can abide by. Besides, there's always the next patch!

What better way to show off your prowess as a leader than to take on complete strangers online? How about a 3v3 game of last-man standing with quick-start resources? How about 2v2 with limited, low resources that make you use your troops wisely? How about the only way to win is to assassinate your enemy's commander? So many options, so many colour schemes, so many maps, so little time! If anything, Dark Crusade will simply spoil you for choice when it comes to the multiplayer. While the service can cause strife at times, the multiplayer is solid, fun, and has that vital "back for another go!" Factor that so many games' multiplayer lack.

Overall: 52/60... Or 8.8/10... Or 9/10.

This is definately a winner. It's wonderful to see the Dawn of War series rounded off so well with another expansion, which manages to bring even more new features to the table. There's definately something for every RTS fan here. Even if you're not a fan, Dark Crusade obviously stands tall and proud, proving to be an intense experience that'll keep you hooked long after you complete the campaign.

Pros:
+ Top-class, highly polished graphics.
+ Praise-worthy voice-acting.
+ Fun campaign that'll keep you hooked till the conclusion.
+ Great balancing between the seven races.
+ Multiplayer as addictive as crack and fun as whacking clown piñatas.

Cons:
- Campaign will eventually stagnate and become ignored.
- Balancing is not all it's cracked up to be, and each patch brings a new issue.
- AI seems to have suffered again, providing no challenge after suitable experience in single-player and skirmish.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/18/06

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/21/06