The single-player campaign, often the lynchpin of real-time strategy titles, is shaping up to be a significant strength for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4. After playing through two of the game's four planned campaigns – the Orks and Adeptus Mechanicus – alongside a short prologue featuring the Astra Militarum, initial impressions suggest the game is on track to deliver a compelling experience that avoids the pitfalls of its predecessor.
Orks: Brutes and Cunning
The Ork campaign serves as a strong introductory experience, largely due to the faction's straightforward nature. Their units and buildings are the most economical, allowing for rapid army recruitment. However, success requires more than just brute force; the campaign narrative emphasizes the Orks' blend of ruthlessness and cunning. Players are encouraged to scout enemy forces and tailor their unit composition and wargear upgrades accordingly. This adaptability mirrors the tabletop game, allowing for strategic depth in customizing units to counter specific threats.
The Ork campaign narrative presents a conflict between native Greenskins and invading spacefaring Orks, led by a familiar character for series veterans. A standout mission involves a race to destroy an Adeptus Mechanicus base, where both Ork factions compete. This mission, featuring a MOBA-like lane structure, allows for large-scale battles, base building, and strategic use of chokepoints and elevated positions. The UI tracks progress, but direct observation of the opposing Ork force's advance also serves as a motivator. Interactions between the two Ork factions on linked sections of the map introduce elements of betrayal and strategic maneuvering.
Players choose to align with either the native Orks or the invaders for the remainder of the campaign, leading to unique missions and commander units while sharing some maps and objectives. This design choice encourages replayability. The game faithfully adapts elements from the tabletop game, including the wargear system and stratagems, which are activated using command points earned through combat and objective control. Stratagems, such as summoning explosive Squigs or calling down artillery strikes, are presented as powerful tools capable of turning the tide of battle.
Visually, the Orks are depicted with exaggerated animations and colorful designs that evoke the tabletop aesthetic. While occasional animation glitches were noted, the overall physicality of combat encounters feels tangible and tactile, with a promise of further polish before release.
Adeptus Mechanicus: Precision and Networked Power
Transitioning to the Adeptus Mechanicus campaign offers a distinct tonal shift. This faction, making its debut in the Dawn of War series, presents a high-tech, precise approach compared to the Orks' raw aggression. The campaign structure mirrors the Orks', with a rivalry leading to a choice between two paths with different commanders, ensuring unique narrative and gameplay experiences.
The Adeptus Mechanicus excel in ranged combat, but they also possess stealthy melee units effective at disrupting enemy formations. A significant gameplay element making a return is the cover system. Unlike in Dawn of War 3, where cover was often situational and ineffective, Dawn of War 4 features strategically placed barricades that offer protection to ranged units. These can be destroyed and are vulnerable to melee assaults and flanking maneuvers.
The Adeptus Mechanicus can also construct Emanatus Field Generators, advanced cover that absorbs melee damage and shields garrisoned units from ranged attacks with 360-degree coverage. These defensive structures, along with other elements like the Void Shield, which prevents ranged attacks from entering a protected area, significantly impact battlefield tactics.
Their gameplay is characterized by a slower, more deliberate pace than the Orks. The faction's efficiency is tied to the Noosphere Network, which links buildings, turrets, and field generators to provide buffs. Expanding this network across the map offers significant advantages, but also creates vulnerabilities, as the relays can be targeted by enemies. This creates a strategic tension between expansion and defense. The campaign culminates in access to powerful late-game units and upgrades, fueled by the network's reach.
The Adeptus Mechanicus command roster includes impressive units like the Knight, a colossal war machine, and potent stratagems that can devastate enemy forces.
A Rich Landscape for Strategy Fans
Fans of the Dawn of War series, and strategy games in general, have reason to be optimistic. The developers have focused on creating engaging campaigns that offer variety and narrative depth. The return of effective cover mechanics and the introduction of faction-specific strategic layers, such as the Ork's adaptable wargear and the Adeptus Mechanicus' Noosphere Network, contribute to a promising tactical experience.
Despite the upcoming release of Total War: Warhammer 40,000, the developers of Dawn of War 4 do not see it as direct competition. They highlight the fundamental differences in gameplay: Dawn of War 4 offers a more traditional RTS experience with linear campaigns and storytelling, while Total War: Warhammer 40,000 is a grand strategy game with large-scale tactical battles and sandbox campaigns. Both titles cater to different aspects of the strategy genre, suggesting ample room for both to succeed. For fans of Warhammer 40,000, this period marks a strong influx of new gaming content.