Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm
Score: 90% ESRB: Mature Publisher: THQ Developer: Relic Entertainment Media: DVD/1 Players: 1; 1 - 8 (Online) Genre: Real-Time Strategy/ Online
Graphics & Sound: Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War: Soulstorm is a stand-alone expansion for Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War. As with the previous expansion, Dark Crusade, you don't have to own the original to enjoy the expansion; the only limitation is that you can't use all of the races in multiplayer games. Though a competent expansion, Soulstorm is probably something only fans of the series will enjoy. After four years, Dawn of War's visuals are beginning to feel a little out-of-date, though they still hold up well enough. Like its predecessors, Soulstorm does an excellent job at building a dreary, war-torn environment. Since each of the new races is essentially a cousin of already existing races, they integrate with the original races and don't feel at all out place. At the same time, each as its own style. The Dark Eldar have a black leather, whips n' chains look while the Sisters of Battle's units, which include pipe-organ tanks and a giant angel, also make them one of the game's more eccentric factions. The game's orchestral score is kept low-key throughout much of the game, but swells in at just the right time and helps to give battles that little something extra. Voicework is still a bit overdramatic, but in the absence of any real story, they help give each faction personality - especially the Sisters of Battle.
Gameplay: The Risk-like single-player campaign introduced in Dark Crusade has been beefed up in Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War: Soulstorm. Rather than fighting over one planet, you are instead trying to take over an entire solar system, though the number of locations doesn't increase too much. You begin with a stronghold on one of the three worlds that make up the Kaurava system. Each turn you can attack a territory that, when conquered, grants a bonus to its controlling faction. Sometimes these bonuses are simply resource increases, though some offer larger strategic abilities. Victory also brings with it requisition points which can be spent on increasing your defenses or bolstering your attack forces. You'll also earn new gear to outfit your commander with, granting stat boosts and new on-field abilities. This is easily the best way to implement some sort of open-world gameplay into a RTS, though Soulstorm doesn't push the idea very far. Other than expansion, there's no motivating drive to keep you interested. The only thing that ties the entire story together is a story about an anomaly that gets the attention of the nine races. Stronghold battles are some of the game's most exciting parts. These are the only battles where you feel like you have a good reason for your attack; if you win the battle, you'll kick the opposing faction out of the system and gain their racial ability. For instance, wiping out the Eldar will grant you use of their warp gates, which allow access to nearly any planet in the system.
Difficulty: Single-player games are challenging, though not overly hard. Compared to Dark Crusade, the A.I. feels like it has been ratcheted up a little. Computer opponents are aggressive even while playing on Easy, although they seem to favor certain tactics over others. One of the most common tactics I came across was a simple baiting trick where the A.I. would send a squad and try to coax my patrolling units into chasing them into a bigger army waiting just beyond the Fog of War line. Once I found a way around this move, the A.I. opted to take up defensive positions and just wait. At this point, it really just became a matter of making the right tactical decisions, which was the usual reason for my having to repeat battles.
Game Mechanics: Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War: Soulstorm introduces two new races to the already overcrowded roster of seven races. Although one of the weaker races in the game, the Dark Eldar are built for speedy, run n' gun attacks. They also possess special abilities that can affect the entire battlefield, such as Screams of the Damned, which lowers morale. The new abilities are fueled by a new resource, soul essence. Although another resource may sound like an unnecessary headache, it doesn't alter gameplay in any significant way. Essence isn't hard to come by and there are even a few tricks that can be used to ensure a constant supply. The Sisters of Battle are an all-female version of the Space Marines who help fill the Warhammer Universe's militant, religious zealot quota. The Sisters' strength is their infantry units, which can be upgraded with weapons that can quickly wear down vehicles and buildings over time and healing abilities. Similar to the Dark Eldar, the Sisters' also introduce a new resource, faith, which grants access to more powerful units, such as the aforementioned angel. The remaining seven races also receive a few tweaks to help balance the game out. The most notable of the additions are air units, which are a first for the series. Air units act just like ground units and aren't integrated into the game all that well. Their only advantage is the ability to travel over any type of terrain, but they are easily shot down - making them more useful for quick strikes or as support for more powerful ground units. As far as expansions go, Soulstorm feels more like a great series sendoff for fans rather than something that will pull new fans into the game. Though the gameplay might feel a little stale and doesn't quite stand up to recent genre entries, Soulstorm should delight long time fans looking for a new reason to jump back into the Warhammer universe.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Minimum System Requirements: Windows XP/2000; Pentium 4 2.0 GHz Processor; 64 MB VRAM; 3.5 GB HD Space; 512 MB RAM; DirectX 9.0c; Broadband connection for Multiplayer ** Warhammer: Dawn of War and expansions required to use additional factions   Test System: Windows XP; Pentium 4 1.8 GHz Processor; Radeon 9250 256 MB; 40 GB HD; 640 MB RAM; DirectX 9.0c; Cable Internet Connection Warhammer: Dawn of War and expansions
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