Dawn Of War II - Second Look Preview

Seeing Dawn of War II for the first time back in May certainly left a huge impression on us here at TVG. Due for release on PC in the first quarter of 2009, Relic Entertainment's continuing obsession to deliver the next stage in the evolution of the RTS genre left us picking our jaws from the ground. Three months on, and with the Tyranids and the Eldar confirmed in the race rostrum, we got our second chance at the Leipzig Game Convention to see what is shaping up to be the biggest RTS title of next year...

Day Of The Tyranids

This time around, the Orks took a back seat to the action, with the Space Marines instead taking on the newly confirmed forces of the Tyranids. The development of Dawn of War II has now meant that the one race left out of the original Dawn of War and its spin-offs, finally arrives as a very nasty foe. The war against the insect-like hives forms the backbone of the campaign's storyline, with the heavily armoured Space Marines holding the increasingly invasive creatures back - we're assuming the rest of the galaxy is running away, screaming 'The Tyranids are coming!'

Setting the demo on the infested planet of Typhon Primaris, a radically different map from the gothic citadels of the Imperium that Relic showed off in the spring thanks to its organic settings, proved one of the key elements that will set the game apart from its rivals: a strong meta-campaign. Key to Relic's relentless stride towards hand-crafting the next stage in the evolution of the RTS genre is the strength of its campaign and story arc, something very much demonstrated by the demo mission chosen by Game Lead, Jonny Ebbert. Multiple missions are available on every planet, and it's up to players to decide which one to attempt - it's impossible to take part in them all. Such decisions affect how the game plays out, with gamers gaining certain attributes and units according to which they choose.

In this case, the Space Marines were sent to the planet to collect a toxin sample so it can be used to revive Captain Thule, the hero character from Dawn of War: Dark Crusade.

Arriving on the planet, a veritable swampland, the Space Marines not only had to contend with the Tyranid warrior units, but the four stages of planetary infiltration used by the invasive species. Each of the stages represent the level of the Tyranid invasion in an area, beginning with spores (no, not cute creatures from Mr Wright), then spore mines, tentacles, and finally, brood nests. These stages provide the answer to the species' lack of structures and resources, which according to some reports was the reason why they didn't make it in the original Dawn of War or its three expansions.

The hive mind of the Tyranids forms a distinctive element of the species' tactics in the game, with the generic drones plugged into larger warriors, which are in turn plugged directly into the hive mind. An obvious advantage for the Tyranids is that attacks and ambushes can be well coordinated; the downside (for them) is that their tactics fall to bits when once the larger warriors are killed. With their bridge to the hive mind gone, the grunt warriors are left with little choice but to founder an attack...their demise followed quite soon after. The fact that 'line of sight' plays an important part in the development of strategies and tactics also means that Space Marines can form ambushes of their own.

Controlling the Tyranids' hive mind on a planetary level are a series of Hive bosses, and their destruction is vital if the Space Marines are to succeed in driving the aggressors off a planet. In the case of Typhon Primaris, this meant calling down the recovering Captain Thule to the surface, placed within a Dreadnaught suit, and unleashing all the power the special unit had to offer.

The Dawn Of War Is Coming.

The expansive ability tree, unique to each squad of Space Marines is another area where Dawn of War II is trying to push the boundaries of the genre. Tickling the chin of the RPG genre, the abilities of the Space Marines feel much more progressive than in the past, with four separate categories (Health, Range, Melee, and Energy) open for change through loot.

It's also worth pointing out that gamers will be able to recover from their mistakes on the battlefield. When the squad sergeants fall, they can be revived to continue the mission. Once the last sergeant is killed though, the mission is aborted. Dawn of War II will be a little more forgiving however as it's still possible to complete the campaign, with the added bonus of retaining all XP and items earned to that point.

What's more, loot and special items recovered through the heat of battle also have persistent effects of the rest of the campaign. In the case of getting the toxin sample to revive Captain Thule, the Space Marines' apocatharies can also develop weapons that are more efficient against the Tyranids. Of course, the weapon upgrades wouldn't be available if you hadn't have taken up the mission to save Thule...

Whilst the campaign itself focuses entirely on the war from the Space Marines perspective, the multiplayer modes, which Relic are keeping quiet on for now, will allow players to control all four factions Dawn of War II has to offer. That said, the promise of a wholly co-op enabled campaign is already raising our anticipation for what Relic has to offer come next year.

Dawn of War II, like its predecessors, certainly doesn't fall into the usual 'traditional' RTS structure, with Relic proving their undoubted ambition to deliver a genre-defining title in early 2009. THQ isn't quite ready to let us mere mortals get to grips with the game yet, and Relic aren't even willing to talk about the multiplayer, but even so, we have to pose the question: could Dawn of War II actually be the best RTS ever made?