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Warhammer 40K: Mark of Chaos

Score: 86%
ESRB: Mature
Publisher: BANDAI NAMCO Games America, Inc.
Developer: Black Hole Entertainment
Media: CD/1
Players: 1 - 6 (Online)
Genre: Real-Time Strategy/ Online

Graphics & Sound:

After years of obscure popularity, the Warhammer license is finally hitting its stride in the video game world. With the popularity of the sci-fi based Warhammer 40K universe, it was only a matter of time before the fantasy based side made its way to the PC. The honor went to Black Hole Entertainment, resulting in Warhammer: Mark of Chaos.

Mark of Chaos does a great job of recreating the tabletop experience, right down to unit customization. All of the units are as detailed as the real-life miniatures. Your army’s colors can be edited by setting both primary and secondary colors; so while you may not be able to create the exact look you want, you can come pretty close.

On a more technical level, the game runs smooth and looks great – especially if your PC can handle the game running with everything maxed out. But, even with some reduced settings, it still looks great. At any given time, there are lots of soldiers on the battlefield with lots of pyrotechnics going off. Some of the animations are stiff, but otherwise look good. I also noticed a few framerate drops, though they could be attributed to my computer.

The game’s score is really good, as is the voice acting. While some characters sound stereotypical, it is something I have come to expect from the genre. The story isn’t all that good to begin with, so I just took it for what is was.


Gameplay:

The main campaign is split into two sides: Empire and Chaos. The Empire is made up mostly of humans, but has a few elf units. Chaos is home to orcs and the skaven, a rat-like race. Considering how deep the Warhammer mythos runs, I was expecting a better story. It does its job, but is otherwise bland. Each side of the campaign is lengthy, though extremely linear. Every once in a while, you can take on a side-quest for added experience or loot, but for the most part, you are on a straight path.

Towns and cities are scatted across the map. While in towns, you can recruit new solider types and buy new equipment, including battle standards or blessings from the local temple. You can also revive fallen heroes or replenish your ranks by recruiting new soldiers.

Before entering battle, you need to determine the composition of your army. There is a limited number of spots available, so you can’t bring everyone. This requires planning out your strategy in advance. You will also have to take into consideration how many of your veteran soldiers you’ll want to take along.

Hero units, which are some of the most powerful in the game, require additional tactical considerations. As they fight in battles, heroes gain experience that can be spent on upgrades. Depending on what type of hero you want, you can spend points on either dueling, fighting or command attributes. Duelists specialize in one-on-one combat while fighters are all around good combatants. Spending on command points opens up special abilities that your hero can bestow to any units he is attached to.

At the end of battles you earn spoils, which are used to replenish your lost troops as well as buy upgrades. Special equipment, like magical swords or armor, also drops during battles. In-game drops are tricky because only your hero can collect them and it usually isn’t a good idea to alter your strategy just to get that shiny new sword. If you fail to collect an item before the battle is over, you are out of luck.

Outside of the two campaigns, you can also participate in a number of online modes, including skirmishes and tournaments. In order to keep things balanced while online, you are limited to a certain point value for your army. The better the unit, the more expensive they are. Generally, the balance between units is pretty good and allows for more emphasis to be placed on strategy and tactics.

Battles can be short or long. How long depends on what type of game mode you are playing. Siege and reinforcement battles last the longest since you are constantly gaining new troops (provided you have enough capture points). Online games are fun when you can find them. There are still a few issues to overcome; though many were fixed with the most recent update. The community is still young, but it is there so it should be fun to see where it takes the game.


Difficulty:

Warhammer 40K: Mark of Chaos is a challenge, but not one that can’t be overcome by changing your army’s makeup or using smarter tactics. Battles use the same rock-paper-scissors model as other games. Some units don’t fare well against others, requiring diversity. Sure, an army consisting of swordsmen and cavalry looks cool, but a group of archers and spearmen will make quick work of them.

It also pays to be aware of what is happening on the battlefield. This is especially true when entering duels with other heroes. When in one-on-one combat, you are isolated from the rest of the battle and it is very easy to become so wrapped up with that fight that you forget you have an army to command.


Game Mechanics:

Warhammer: 40K: Mark of Chaos is more than just an RTS with a Warhammer theme. Several mechanics from the tabletop game have made their way into the PC adaptation.

While in battle, you’ll need to keep tabs on your army’s morale. If you can break an opponent’s formation, his soliders will panic and scatter. This is where the type of hero you’ve built comes into play. Combat-focused heroes are better when in the middle of a big battle. Duelists will usually hunt down opposing heroes and challenge them to a duel. Winning a duel against an enemy commander is a quick way to drop their morale. Finally, command-focused heroes focus more on granting special abilities and leading their army.

You’ll also pay a lot of attention to formations and getting the best possible angle of attack. This is easy to do; just click on the formation you want and your troops will align themselves.

Mark of Chaos has its flaws, but is a solid entry. It doesn’t quite rival Relic’s 40K offering, but it is still a good RTS that does a lot of things right. However, the game seems like it is built more for multiplayer, so if you are strictly looking for a single-player experience, you might be a little disappointed. Warhammer 40K: Mark of Chaos is a good start and with an expansion or two, it can only get better.


-Starscream, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ricky Tucker

Minimum System Requirements:



Windows 2000/XP; Direct X 9.0c; 2.4 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent AMD Athlon; 512 MB RAM; 3 GB Free HDD space; 128 MB VRAM; Internet connection (online gaming only)
 

Test System:



Windows XP; Direct X 9.0c; Intel Core Duo 1.60GHz; 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM; 160 GB HDD; 256MB VRAM; Cable Internet Connection (wireless)

Microsoft Xbox Eragon Sony PlayStation Portable EA Replay

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated