Review - Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition

Roberto Nieves
3 minutes ago
7 min read

Developer: Relic Entertainment

Publisher: Relic Entertainment

Available on: PC (Steam)

Review system: ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop A15, Steam via Steam Deck

The year was 2004. It was the golden age of PC games. The world had just been introduced to the likes of Halo, Far Cry, as well as Grand Theft Auto III and its successor, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The cyberpunk thriller Deus Ex sent players into a futuristic dystopia, and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time put players into a timeless adventure. Between these and many other games, the team at Relic Entertainment was about to introduce one of the best real-time strategy games ever made, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War.

Now, 20 years since its release, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War has returned in glory and fanfare with Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition. This significant upgrade and remaster of the base game invites players to revisit one of the best real-time strategy games ever made. They say some games are timeless, and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition has proven that, as it is a wonderful way to revisit this fine game.

There is only war

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. In the 41st Millennium, the Imperium of Man faces constant threats. Hostile aliens, Chaos daemons, Orks, and other threats keep the Imperium on the edge. The Emperor has many loyal servants to this cause, and among them are the mighty chapters of the Space Marines.

On the planet Tartarus, the Orks launch a planet-wide invasion, seizing essential assets and assaulting the civilian population. The Space Marines' Blood Ravens 3rd Company, led by Captain Gabriel Angelos. Assisting the 37th Tartarus Planetary Defence Force Regiment, the Space Marines are determined to take the planet back. There is more to this than what is seen. Evil lurks in the black gulfs of space, and what unravels is a conspiracy from the furthest reaches of The Warp.

Fear Denies Faith

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is the remaster of the real-time strategy game. Originally released in 2004, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War defined the real-time strategy genre with its focus on building large armies and using strategic points to build resources. Additionally, each faction plays significantly differently from the other, having its strengths and weaknesses.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition takes the game that many fell in love with and gives it a full enhancement. The entire game has been upgraded to 64-bit and now includes 4K support as well as upscaled textures. Lighting, shadows, and reflections have all been improved. The UI gets a big facelift, and technical improvements have been made to both large armies and pathfinding. Finally, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is fully compatible with 20 years' worth of mods.

Eat my boltgun

As a first-time player of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, I had no idea what to expect. My familiarity with real-time strategy has been limited, with the last one I played being the divisive Tom Clancy's Endwar in 2008, and later, the praised Sudden Strike 4. Growing up, I was locked in on the various adventures on my PlayStation 2, from Armored Core to Kingdom Hearts. Playing an RTS on a console was unthinkable. Fortunately, thanks to the fine people at Relic Entertainment, they crafted a remaster that is great for newcomers like me.

The big draw to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is the focus on Strategic Points. Seizing these points is everything in a battle as they build requisition points. Subsequently, requisition points can build bases, and from bases, players build units and more power. As the base gets upgraded, so can units and their weapons. From there, it is a matter of strategy and lightning-fast decisions. Entire small armies can be built, consisting of space marines, hero characters, scouts, and mechanized forces like dreadnoughts. A helpful tutorial shows players the ropes and what to expect as they begin their campaign.

Consolidating Position on the Objective

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is a beefy game, with plenty of meat to the content. In addition to over 100 skirmish mode maps and multiplayer, the game features the original base campaign and its three expansions: Winter Assault, Dark Crusade, and Soulstorm. From the Battle Sister to The Eldar to the NEcron and the Orks, the gang is just about all here. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is packed to the gills in regards to combat scenarios and factions.

Another big highlight of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is the factions. As mentioned before, there are several to choose from, and each one plays differently from the others. The Space Marines use military discipline and power. The Orks use brute force and numbers. The Necron are sentient robots that can resurrect themselves. Daemons use the chaotic powers of The Warp. Whichever faction is chosen, it makes for exciting gameplay and different dynamics to combat. Even during the game's several campaigns, each faction requires a different strategy to properly contend with.

Fear our Wrath

As a first-time player of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition, this game is an absolute blast that is lovingly crafted into the world of Warhammer 40,000. The environments are alien, brutal, yet strangely majestic in their ruined state. Small details like the glow of a plasma gun help highlight the alien atmosphere of Warhammer 40,000. Every thunderous round of a tank feels raw. The roar of continuous bolter fire is violent.

When everything hits, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is truly total war. Armies of marines clash with the enemies, some engaging in melee combat and others shooting ferociously. It is a battle of survival and attrition. bombs explode and Space Marines fly, getting back to their feet to deliver victory for The Emperor. It is an ugly, brutal affair that is made exciting by the thrill of using brains to outsmart the enemy. All of this action is accentuated by a rousing orchestral score from Jeremy Soule and Inon Zur.

To me, my brothers

I couldn't help but relish in the thrill of victory. What started out nervously and slowly became true action-packed excitement, met with strategy. There is a genuine thrill knowing that every move made is not only defeating an enemy but also outsmarting, taking over strategic points, and eventually the map. It's a different kind of euphoria, one that is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. Space Marine 2 may have that power fantasy of being an unstoppable one-man army, but Dawn of War has the power fantasy of conquering enemies through tactics and the power of the mind.

As for the remaster's technical offerings, this is certainly one of the best remasters I've personally seen. Visually, the game's colors and textures are sharp and striking. This isn't a simple fresh coat of paint or simply making things brighter, but an up-resolution of sorts. This won't be anything like the Oblivion remaster from early this year, but the textures do strike and look better. This visual upgrade aids the combat and the cutscenes in the story. The same visual upgrade is applied to the UI. Icons are bigger and cleaner, with smaller details able to be seen.

Emperor Preserve Us

Not to be overlooked is the audio. The audio has been sampled to be cleaner, crisper, and more uncompressed. It's a significant difference from the base release. As mentioned before, the music is cleaner, but so is the voice acting. The game's solid story is told between missions and further enhances the grimdark world of Warhammer 40,000. It was wonderful to hear the characters given such attention to their performances more than twenty years later.

Overall, the enhancements to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition mark another stellar entry in the recent trend of remasters. It's clear Relic went through the entire game and made thoughtful, respectful sweeping upgrades. It's the kind of treatment that is to be expected as the gaming world looks back on the vast library of games and decides which one should be given the remaster treatment.

We Bring His Will

It can be argued that while Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition bears the branding of a Definitive Edition, there are small improvements that could have been made. The single-player could have used a small assistance in some spots. Mission 3, Under Siege, tasks players with finding a missing Mechanicus unit. It took hours to look for the unit. Eventually, when it was found and helped win the battle, a small message or orientation could have helped locate and secure the unit faster. Additionally, the message to find the unit had to be triggered by going to a specific spot on the map, which was non-linear.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition does work on the Steam Deck, but a Steam Deck mode would have been a great feature. I can confirm the game does work on the Steam Deck using the trackpad, the shoulder buttons, and the touch screen. It would have been a challenge, but native controller support would have been a nice addition. Fortunately, there are online saves to switch between PC and Steam Deck. Finally, there are no Steam Achievements.

Warhammer is king

It's hard to perfect what already works swimmingly well, but Relic Entertainment has breathed new life into Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition. For those who fondly remember hours fighting the enemies of Man in 2004, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is certainly going to bring back strong nostalgic memories of pouring hundreds of hours into skirmish modes. For newcomers like myself, it is a chance to relish in the experience of a game that redefined what the RTS could be and set the stage for games like Company of Heroes.

From seeing armies take down mighty foes to the thunderous presentation of alien war, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is one of the best remasters and a must-buy for both RT"s enthusiasts and first comers. It's a labor of love all the way through, and it echoes in eternity 20 years later. Steel yourself. Show no fear. Fear denies faith. Take to the skies and win!