Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Graphics: 5/5 - The graphics are quite amazing to say the least, especially to me since the only other RTS's I've been playing for the past several years are Warcraft 3 and Starcraft. Along with the impressive graphics and visual effects, the character animations are fluid and well done.
Sound: 5/5 - The music fits the theme and action of Dawn of War 2 perfectly and the soundtrack is one of my favorite out of any games I've played, period. The sound effects are also top-notch and the voice cues made by units and commanders during skirmishes really add to the flavor of the game.
Gameplay: 5/5 - Dawn of War 2 introduces a new formula for RTS. One that strays away from the traditional element of basebuilding and large-scale unit massing and instead favors smaller, tactical battles and a constant fight for territorial control. Most RTS purists would suggest that this formula is a setup for failure, but in Dawn of War 2 it works and works well. The cover system implemented in the game is impressive to say the least.
Single-Player & Storyline: 3/5 - My only game review component for Dawn of War 2 that gets 3 out of 5 stars would be the single-player portion of the game. The single-player plays more like an action-RPG rather than an RTS, which is something I don't mind and I actually really liked that aspect of the game. My complaints with the single-player is that it only included a campaign for the Space Marines, one of the games four factions. Also, the storyline was not necessarily exciting or compelling. Despite those two complaints though, I did enjoy the loot system of the campaign as well as the character levelling and customization.
Multiplayer: 4/5 - This is where the game truly shines. Multiplayer skirmishes are frantic, fun, and the victories in Dawn of War 2 are extra satisfying. The multiplayer supports 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 over maps specifically designed for each of the team sizes. TrueSkill matchmaking is somewhat questionable, seeing that there have been many occasions where I would get set against players who obviously had ALOT more experience and talent than me. The result? I would get whooped.
I should also mention that as of now, there are only 3 maps for the 1v1 bracket and 2 maps for the 2v2 bracket. More will no doubt be added in future patches but in my opinion the game should have included several more from the day the game launched since multiplayer is typically the key to a games replayability and longevity.
My only serious complaint with the multiplayer would be the frequent bursts of lag in many matches and some bugs associated to both gameplay and matchmaking. For example, there are some rare occasions where a match would be set up and the timer would tick down to zero but then the game would freeze at the pre-game lobby or the match would take a terribly long time to load up. Hopefully some of these issues will be fixed up in future patches.
Replayability: 5/5 - Dawn of War 2 is bound to have a lifespan of at least several years thanks to its entertaining multiplayer, RPG elements in single-player, and solid community. An expansion pack in the future is likely, and something I look very forward to.
Closing Summary
I never thought that any other RTS could kick Starcraft off the throne in terms of being my favorite strategy game but Dawn of War 2 has done so. While the storyline in this game is nowhere near the quality of Starcraft's, the multiplayer component and sheer entertainment of the tactical gameplay is what won my interest and addiction.
I mainly play Space Marines because their strengths revolve around very powerful but expensive units which need to be properly micro-managed and taken care of, and from what little time I spent playing the other races I can say that each of them has their fair share of unique strategies and tactics.
I'm also impressed by the stats-tracking system in the game as well as the ranking. Based on your performance with whichever race you play in a multiplayer match, you'll gain experience points which contribute towards levelling up your rank and unlocking armor additions for your units and commanders. These are purely cosmetic of course and don't provide any sorts of bonuses. Another very great part of the experience/rank system is that you'll still get experience from a match even if you lose, but it will be reduced by a certain percentage.
So all in all, Dawn of War 2 is a top-quality strategy game and I suggest it to anyone who is a fan of real-time strategy.
I mainly play Space Marines because their strengths revolve around very powerful but expensive units which need to be properly micro-managed and taken care of, and from what little time I spent playing the other races I can say that each of them has their fair share of unique strategies and tactics.
I'm also impressed by the stats-tracking system in the game as well as the ranking. Based on your performance with whichever race you play in a multiplayer match, you'll gain experience points which contribute towards levelling up your rank and unlocking armor additions for your units and commanders. These are purely cosmetic of course and don't provide any sorts of bonuses. Another very great part of the experience/rank system is that you'll still get experience from a match even if you lose, but it will be reduced by a certain percentage.
So all in all, Dawn of War 2 is a top-quality strategy game and I suggest it to anyone who is a fan of real-time strategy.
