Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is a famous RTS from Relic Entertainment, created based on the tabletop game Warhammer 40,000 (Games Workshop). In 2004, the game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War was published by THQ Canada, and from 2005 to 2008, three more expansions were released: Dark Crusade, Winter Assault, and Soulstorm.
In the original project, players are invited to embark on a campaign for the Blood Ravens, the most famous Space Marines in the galaxy. Over the course of 11 missions, players will fight against terrifying Orks, Chaos warriors, and Eldar, representatives of an ancient race.
The plot of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War takes us to the planet Tartarus, where all the events unfold. A cornerstone of this narrative is the mysterious and powerful artifact – the Maledictum, for control of which a fierce struggle ensues. Gabriel Angelos, the commander of the Space Marines, leads a bloody war against the hordes of Orks, but, as it turns out later, all was in vain. Gabriel is betrayed by his fellow librarian, who desires to become the sole possessor of the Maledictum.
As a result, the ancient artifact falls into the hands of the forces of Chaos, and its master becomes a Daemon Prince. Resisting the Chaos army is very difficult, and scattered squads of Space Marines unite with the Eldar to achieve a common goal – the capture of the artifact and the destruction of the enemy. During bloody battles, the Daemon Prince is defeated, and the Maledictum comes into the hands of Gabriel. In the end, he faces a difficult choice – to destroy the artifact, as required by the Supreme Inquisitor Tot, or to give the Maledictum to the Eldar.
The game features 4 main races: Space Marines, Orks, Chaos forces, and Eldar. The Space Marines, in their essence, are genetically modified humans with special abilities and incredible strength. They are the main striking power of the Imperium. Orks are strong green-skinned warriors who live for battle and in battle. The forces of Chaos in the game are represented by the so-called Alpha Legion. These are renegades who have rejected the ideals of the Space Marines. The Eldar, on the other hand, are an ancient race with an unimaginable technological level, achieved over many thousands of years.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War received high praise both abroad and in Russia. Critics noted the presence of good balance and high-quality development of the game world. The only thing that somewhat tarnished the situation and statistics (average rating of 9 out of 10) was the rather short single-player campaign. On the other hand, the stunning multiplayer more than compensates for this.