Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

"It is so well crafted that it transcends my usual blocks, and is arguably the most fun I think I’ve ever had playing this style of game. It’s beautiful, it’s easy to use, difficult to master, and extremely replayable. Incidentally, it is also the best adaptation of Warhammer 40,000 yet put to code. For anyone who loves real-time strategy, this is a superb addition to your collection. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the genre, it’s an excellent starting point. For fans of the Warhammer universe, Dawn of War is a must-have."

"Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is arguably the least faithful and most interesting Warhammer translation on the PC. Although it has an uninspired campaign, it’s very true to the universe. The same can not be said for the combat system, which deviates from the board game a great deal but results in some remarkably bloody battles. RTS games all too often suffer from micromanagement mania, but Warhammer does away with this. Of course, the drawback to this simplicity is that there isn’t much meat to it underneath."

"Dawn of War is a testament to what can be so great about real-time strategy, and it captures the grim and brutal world of Warhammer 40,000 extremely well."

"Dawn of War should be far more than just looks, though. Unlike most RTS games, you won't have to deal with peons to do any resource gathering - every unit has been designed for action, and you can get right into it as soon as the game begins."

"Nothing about the gameplay will really surprise anyone (though the addition of reinforceable squads is pretty neat) but it doesn't particularly matter. The factions are balanced very well, the battles are entertaining enough to make excitable gamers pee their pants, and the pace keeps players attention stuck to the screen at all times. Relic kicked ass creating a great piece of entertainment."