Our goal has not been to translate the tabletop game into an RTS,' stresses Jay Wilson, lead designer on Dawn Of War. However, as Warhammer is a turn-based tabletop game, one wonders what sort of cuts will have to be made to b facilitate the change to real-time.

M As captivating as the setting is, it's the battles that Warhammer is famed for and of course they'll be a central to Dawn Of War. Even Sauron would be winking in fear were he ever to reappear there B - it's that grim. There is no place in the 40,000 universe for Star Trek's sentimental correctness, or Star Wars' black and white morality, Warhammer 40,000 is end-to-end violence with everything from assassination to genocide occurring in every corner, whether at the hand of the despotic Imperium, or by way of Chaos incursion. Dark Empireįor those unfamiliar with Warhammer 40,000 or had better things to do between the ages of 11 and 16 (like getting laid, for instance), the setting is not unlike how you'd imagine Middle-earth to be, were it transposed to the 41st century: Human, Orks (different spelling), Squats (dwarves), Eldar (elves) and even furry-toed Hobbitlike creatures all vie for power across a vast universe ruled over by an omnipresent ancient Emperor.

Relic, after years of indifference on the part of lesser developers, may finally do justice to what is one of the most uniquely stylish science-fiction realms ever conceived.

No, it's mainly because Relic, of Homeworld fame, is making it. I even found myself flicking though a copy of White Dwarf in the newsagent the other day, no longer in despair at the lengths some fans will go to to immerse themselves in Warhammer lore, but in new-found admiration of the artistry contained within.īut it isn't simply the fact that Dawn Of War is draped in Warhammer 40,000 finery that has reignited my interest. Habit duly kicked and therapy complete, I can honestly say that I am now very much looking forward to playing Dawn Of War. By reviewing last year's Warhammer-themed first-person shooter Fire Warrior (a critique of which can be found at if you can't be bothered to dig out the magazine), I have exorcised the lingering demons that have plagued me since early adolescence, when I found myself turning into a rabid and incoherent Warhammer fanatic. I'm finally starting to feel much better.

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