FEATURED CUSTOMER REVIEW:
Evo polishes up his Warhammer and gives Soulstorm a good going over.

The latest 'expandalone' from Relic and Iron Lore in the Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War series, Soulstorm is the third expansion for Dawn of War and is potentially the biggest one yet. Introducing two new armies and a massive new single-player campaign this is an immense proposition.

Soulstorm builds on the same basic principles of all the games in the Dawn of War franchise, build your base, attack using cover, capture control points and crush the enemy. Subtle differences in gameplay arrive with the introduction of the two new races and the addition of flying units.

The single-player campaign has been massively expanded since Dark Crusade, rather than fighting to control one single planet you will be tasked with conquering four planets and all of the enemy strongholds. This poses you with the task of conquering all eight enemy strongholds, along with the many different territories you must capture before launching your final assault.

Different races coming together...

While the scale of the Soulstorm campaign is certainly impressive it carries with it a definite sense of 'more of the same'. The back story revolves around the forces of Chaos arriving into the Kaurava system currently inhabited by forces of the Imperium, the Orks and Necron. Following the arrival of the Chaos Marines via a Warp Storm all the remaining races arrive, Space Marines, Tau and Eldar along with the new races, the Dark Eldar and the Sisters of Battle.

This just feels like an easy way to contrive a reason for introducing two new races, there is a definite lack of immediate back story to them from the outset. The inclusion of a more in-depth back story may have provided greater understanding for why all the races came together at this one system and why you have to fight. Following the destruction of a race there is an epilogue, this varies depending on the combination races involved. While this adds to the story, it still feels like the campaign is missing something.

Despite this, it is a very well structured campaign with all the races attacking where is best suited. The ability to gain Wargear for your commanding unit, another follow on from Dark Crusade, provides challenges to complete in order to unlock them all, the range from getting a 3:1 kill ratio to succeeding in 5 defenses. Again this fails to improve of Dark Crusade, while it does things well, Soulstorm isn't pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

In game everything is as it was from earlier iterations of Dawn of War with different maps requiring different win conditions adding some spice and intrigue to playing different maps. However the fundamentals of the game are starting to feel old and tired. The introduction of new 'flying' units does add a new dimension to the battle; however they don't provide enough change in play styles to make them seem worthwhile.

This can be attributed to the limitations of the engine which has been used with few upgrades since it was used on the original Dawn of War. The graphics are pretty good at higher levels, but compared to other RTS games currently on the market they seem a bit drab and lifeless. The lack of destructible environments also takes a bit away from the game taking away the sense of immersion and level of interaction with the environment.

The Sisters of Battle

Of the two new races in Soulstorm it is only the Sisters of Battle which add something new to the game. The Dark Eldar have interesting abilities, but compared to the Chaos Marines and Eldar they feel just to have been thrown in to provide a contrast to the Eldar while being overshadowed by the mighty Chaos Marines.

The Sisters of Battle are certainly more interesting adding something new to the franchise. They are a fiery race adding a fervent loyalty to their god and provide an interesting alternative to many of the other races. As with their name they are an all female race which is a welcome addition to the other male dominated races.

On the whole this a very solid game that takes the tried and tested formula present in the earlier Dawn of War games and throws in some new races and a vastly expanded campaign. Despite its faults present through age and fairly a fairly limited improvement on the previous games, this is something you can definitely sink your teeth into and get a lot of fun out of. Solid if not excellent.

Review by: Chris "Evo" Evans
Preview Published: 30.05.08

Evo checks out Soultstorm, the next Expansion to one of our RTS faves.

The Warhammer franchise has had a few very successful years on the PC and is looking destined to have a similarly great one this year. The success is largely as a result of Relic’s Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War, a gritty, bloody, very good Real-Time Strategy which threw you head first into the universe of Warhammer 40K. Since the original game was released there have been two expansion packs (Winter Assault and Dark Crusade) which have added new races and changed the way the campaign works. Soon, the third expansion is due to land; Soulstorm.

Soulstorm looks set to take Dawn of War and crank up the intensity another notch with the introduction of two new races and a third dimension of gameplay. We have The Sisters of Battle and the Dark Eldar. The Sisters of Battle have a unique resource in the shape of ‘Faith’ which can be used to gain excellent abilities such as raising the dead as ghosts. Their ultimate unit is the Living Saint, an angel brought down to wreak havoc on the battlefield, and to fly. This is where the new dimension of gameplay comes in as rather than just fighting on the ground you now fight in the air too.

"Not the whip!"

The Dark Eldar take a different approach and require ‘Souls’ to complete their dirty work which you can send your worker units to the battlefield to scavenge, or build a Torture Chamber to harvest them quickly. The units take on a very dark look and their naming follows suit with the Tortured Slave being the basic constructor unit. With cries of “No, not the whip!” you really get a sense of evil and doom with the Dark Eldar. The Dark Eldar units focus on power, speed and agility, on the downside however they are fairly fragile in battle.

A unique bonus for the Dark Eldar in Soulstorm is that while building structures you do not need to keep a Tortured Slave working on the construction allowing you to quickly move him on to building another structure. In this way you can be sure to build up a good sized base within a short space of time with only a handful of Slaves. Their units also receive an advantage in cover as unlike other races they can move at normal speed while maintaining all the defensive bonuses cover provides. The Dark Eldar command unit, the Archon, is able to call upon Incubii who act as loyal defenders of their commander. The Archon also possesses the ‘Animus Vitae’ ability which allows them to lock an enemy in place while stealing its health, a deadly manoeuvre.

"I've conquered worlds!"

If the new flying units and new races in Soulstorm don’t get you excited then a massive new campaign structure should. Following on from the style of the Dark Crusade expansion, Soulstorm allows you to conquer an entire galaxy with seven planets on your path to conquest and 31 total territories to dominate. While the new flying units add a new dimension to the gameplay, the core gameplay mechanics of the Dawn of War franchise remain so any veterans will be able to pick up Soulstorm, and after a couple of hours getting used to the new races and units get right into the action.

While some Warhammer die-hards may still be clamouring for Tyranids to make their appearance in the Dawn of War games, the forthcoming Soulstorm Expansion is shaping up to provide more than enough gameplay and excitement to keep you busy for a long time.

Preview by: Chris "Evo" Evans
Preview Published: 25.01.08