Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade

 PC
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release Date: Oct 9, 2006
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 410 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 359 out of 410
  2. Mixed: 38 out of 410
  3. Negative: 13 out of 410
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  1. Renat20
    May 6, 2023
    9
    This was my first Warhammer game. I like it. The animations are very good and detailed even tho it is a strategy game. You zoom in and see how good they are. Soundtrack adds to the atmosphere of the game. The campaign has some interesting mechanics.
  2. nastyjes
    Jan 23, 2023
    8
    XXL version of the original game .
  3. LT_Gruber
    Dec 20, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Another excellent expansion of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War.

    The Dawn of War series kept amazing me back in the day, and Warhammer 40, 000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade did not disappoint. Yet again, it got a completely new way of playing with some fresh ideas, new races and, in this case, more freedom to play and a break from the linear path from the previous installments. This one is also standalone and does not require the original Warhammer 40, 000: Dawn of War game.

    In Dark Crusade, your objective is simple: Conquer the planet Kronus and take full control of its resources. You are not the only one that wants this and all available factions in the game have set up a base of operations from where they will expand their influence over the planet. You need to conquer all the territories and strongholds of the enemy and claim your place as ruler of Kronus.

    Although the core game play on the battlefield is the same as the other games, now you can choose which territory you want to attack in every order you like. You can make one attack/conquest per turn and sometimes need to defend your claimed territories against a counterattack from the enemy.

    You can fight every scenario yourself or use auto resolve to calculate the outcome of the battle. This could come in handy when defending against a desperate little territory that you just do not have the time for.

    Each faction has a unique ending when conquering all of Kronus. Every other faction, which is off course kicked off the planet, all have a different reaction and cut scene.

    Warhammer 40, 000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade includes the Imperial Guard from Winter Assault and adds two more playable races. Those are the Necrons, which the Eldar failed to stop in Dawn of War: Winter Assault, and my personal favorite: The Tau Empire.

    The new approach of “just conquering a planet” and doing this in every order you like, is yet again, a fresh new idea. It gives you a break from the linear story missions from the previous games and laid the foundation to the last expansion of Dawn of War, and the absolute best one, in my opinion: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm.

    In terms of graphics and sound, nothing changed from the earlier games. This is fine however, the focus was mainly on the new factions, units and way of playing. I do like the detail in the world map tough.

    The action, tension and adrenaline rush I got from the previous games is back in full in this game and, it is even more present with the added objective of conquering, defending and managing your territories.

    Warhammer 40, 000: Dawn of War – Dark Crusade is an excellent game and although I like Soul Storm more, purely because it has two more factions, it will always be one of my favorite Dawn of War games, along with Winter Assault.

    Definitely recommend this gem.    … Expand
  4. Chowjust
    Dec 5, 2022
    8
    A very solid sequel the the first Dawn of War. While there's no campaign, there is a map-conquest mode where you choose a race and fight other races for control. You can upgrade your hero and it's actually not bad and still holds up in 2022.
  5. denisc205
    Jun 28, 2022
    10
    Всё потому что это Warhammer Warhammer WarhammerДа здравствует Великий пират
  6. ShodanSpectre
    Feb 12, 2021
    10
    In terms of gameplay - the best DoW game out there, and I've played all of the original series.
    The armies are more distinct, assymetric, yet - better balanced, than in Soulstorm which came out later.
    For example - DoW: DC doesn't have flying units across the board, but some factions, most notably the Eldar - have units which can "hop" some distance through the air. This really gives    In terms of gameplay - the best DoW game out there, and I've played all of the original series.
    The armies are more distinct, assymetric, yet - better balanced, than in Soulstorm which came out later.
    For example - DoW: DC doesn't have flying units across the board, but some factions, most notably the Eldar - have units which can "hop" some distance through the air. This really gives them an advantage and makes then the most mobile race, prioritizing stealth and speed over everything else.
    In SoulStorm - each race (except Necrons, I think) - gets an air unit, which is poorly implemented both visually (it gets repaied by ground units while in the air), and tactically (Soulstorm doesn't _really_ support air-air or air-ground combat, the air units are just awkward there)

    Also, the campaign - each race's HQ area has a unique gameplay to beat. With Necrons - you gotta plant a bomb with your main commander and escape in time. With Eldar - you fight them as well as Orks as well as Chaos which the Eldars control, until you finally find and destroy their main base. With Chaos - you gotta destroy the Warp Gate.
    OTOH, in Soulstorm - EVERY HQ battle is about destroying their main building. Simple as that. Except against Dark Eldar, where you gotta destroy their mobile superunit.

    DoW: DC also has many non-HQ areas which give certain perks which are hugely valuable.

    The earlier DoW games have more linear campaign, and less playable races. They aren't bad but offer less in terms of gameplay.

    The DoW-2 games shift from RTS to something ARPG-style, no more base building. So can't really compare.

    DoW:DC probably has the highest replayability factor among the DoW series as playing each race is offers a hugely different, and in 1 playthrough you'll probably only ever step foot on half of the maps, and beat half of the 6 opponents.

    The AI in DoW:DC seems to be some of the best AI I've seen in RTS. It's not dumb nor particularly predictable except for very edge-case situations.

    And unlike many games where the AI kinda sits there and waits for you to come to them - the 6 AI factions actively fight each other, too! It's not a one-way progression, it's totally possible to beat 3 out of 6 enemies but lose the campaign because one of the remaining 3 has beaten the other 2, but became stronger than you are.

    The AI can and will attack your hard-earned territories. You might lose some of them during the course of the game. It will even force you to pull back and defend your HQ instead of pushing forward - in huge contrast to many RTS where the player's expansion is a one-directional path to domination.

    Overall, for the non-linear gameplay, dynamic in-map and global progression (where the AI can take initiative and come knocking on YOUR HQ's door when you're happily having victory after victory on the other side of the planet, or even within map), the uniquely non-symmetric but still very balanced factions, 7 of them - makes me give this game an overall 10/10 score - which I haven't given to many games at all.

    There's mods for DC to add more units from the lore. I've played those a bit but they aren't nearly as polished, nor balanced, as the vanilla game with the just right variety of units to be fun but not overwhelming.    … Expand
  7. Kytaanax
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    Spent countless hours playing this game with my brother. Best game, and still is, very much playable even today.
  8. ZetMoriz_
    Apr 11, 2020
    10
    Скажу кратко. Dark Crusade такой же шедевр как и Warcraft 3, меня никто в жизни не переубедит, что это не так.
  9. otherxy
    Feb 1, 2020
    10
    i still love the game to death! over 1000 hours played wish there was more game like this
  10. KilledShinigami
    Nov 15, 2019
    10
    My favourite expansion for the original Dawn of War. It adds several new races and mechanics and has a brand new campaign based on the conquering of the planets part by part. The last thing as actually a downgrade compared to the original and Winter Assault expansion as it's not a well-written story but just a series of levels poorly connected to each other. What it lacks in storytellingMy favourite expansion for the original Dawn of War. It adds several new races and mechanics and has a brand new campaign based on the conquering of the planets part by part. The last thing as actually a downgrade compared to the original and Winter Assault expansion as it's not a well-written story but just a series of levels poorly connected to each other. What it lacks in storytelling is totally compensated by the great gameplay with diverse factions and applicable tactics.… Expand
  11. Kolert
    Oct 4, 2019
    10
    Даже сегодня - в игру можно играть и наслаждаться. Просто великолепный, проработанный лор. За Императора!
  12. COTOR
    Jul 24, 2019
    10
    The most epic game ever made and BEST game in Warhammer 40000 series
    Must play!
  13. Imnuktam
    May 9, 2017
    10
    This and soulstorm are still to this day the best Warhammer games that have been made. The main difference between the 2 are that in the DC campaign mode all your buildings stay built when you defend.

    Grab a good mod like Titanium and this game will destroy DOW II and DOW III. With titanium you have just about every unit that is in the codex. I think IG has about 25+ different tanks,    This and soulstorm are still to this day the best Warhammer games that have been made. The main difference between the 2 are that in the DC campaign mode all your buildings stay built when you defend.

    Grab a good mod like Titanium and this game will destroy DOW II and DOW III. With titanium you have just about every unit that is in the codex. I think IG has about 25+ different tanks, and that is just their tanks. Each faction has more units available than all 3 of the pathetic factions combined from DOW III. Save your money and don't buy DOW III, just download the mods for this and enjoy.    … Expand
  14. destinyfan1
    May 1, 2017
    9
    Best dlc for a down of war game ever it brought a new awesome faction great extra missions and improved the game even more if you don't like this dlc there's something wrong with you
  15. Mistforged
    Apr 8, 2016
    10
    Such a fun game. Never been a fan of thes etypes of games (i normally play MMO's and FPS games) but being a slight warhammer fan and finding almost no faults with this game i ahve to give it 10/10.
    My only critisicm would be that i was sad to find no expansion to this game, outside of its none official Titanium wars add on which i thoroughly reccomend.
  16. ImperialCast
    Dec 19, 2015
    10
    This game absorbed me for almost 100 hours. I loved the new addition of the Risk style campaign map, though I found the Necrons basically swept across the map killing everyone and losing zero battles. But that is the only complaint I have. The Necrons are very over-powered, but it was pretty awesome to watch my guardsmen wipe their stupid base once and for all, and their strength reallyThis game absorbed me for almost 100 hours. I loved the new addition of the Risk style campaign map, though I found the Necrons basically swept across the map killing everyone and losing zero battles. But that is the only complaint I have. The Necrons are very over-powered, but it was pretty awesome to watch my guardsmen wipe their stupid base once and for all, and their strength really felt true to the lore and canon of Warhammer 40,000. The skirmish mode is great, I found that the AI is pretty challenging and always kept me on the defensive on hard. I did not get a chance to play multiplayer. The Army Painter is also great, making a return from DoW and Winter Assault. Making endless different Imperial Guard regiments was very fun.
    Overall, this game deserves a ten. It has balancing issues, yes, but if you're looking for an authentic Warhammer 40k experience, with space marines mowing down orks and guardsmen desperately holding their base, this is where to go.    … Expand
  17. Dhelio
    Oct 29, 2014
    9
    For the Emperor!

    Dark Crusade (DC from now on) is a RTS game set in the Warhammer 40K universe, and that much you knew. What you probably didn't knew is that this game is awesome! The sheer number of different units makes the game varied and interesting, with dozens upon dozens of models. The units emanate charisma from every angle, faithful to the boardgame ones. The story is    For the Emperor!

    Dark Crusade (DC from now on) is a RTS game set in the Warhammer 40K universe, and that much you knew. What you probably didn't knew is that this game is awesome! The sheer number of different units makes the game varied and interesting, with dozens upon dozens of models. The units emanate charisma from every angle, faithful to the boardgame ones. The story is interesting enough, and the main campaign can hook you up for days.

    The balancing is superb, with no unit feeling overpowered or useless. It has not a resource gathering mechanic -well, it does, but revolves around the capturing and holding of key points rather than trees, iron and the like. A smart move, since the combat for key points is the heart of the boardgame.

    Visually it's okay, but it has aged - and it shows. The gripes I have with the graphics are about some special effects, with a few ingenuities regarding monitor resolution, resolved by mods. Because it's open to mods!

    Overall a great game, and a must for every RTS appassionate.    … Expand
  18. TIE_Breaker
    Aug 22, 2014
    9
    It's a standalone DLC for the real game that surpasses its base in every way, though you should still buy the original and maybe Winter Assault for the extra multiplayer races.

    An RTS made by Relic, it deviates from other games in the genre by having units grouped into squads beforehand. As much as I hate Warhammer, this game was just excellent in general, especially with the    It's a standalone DLC for the real game that surpasses its base in every way, though you should still buy the original and maybe Winter Assault for the extra multiplayer races.

    An RTS made by Relic, it deviates from other games in the genre by having units grouped into squads beforehand. As much as I hate Warhammer, this game was just excellent in general, especially with the territorial conquest in single player.

    I'd recommend getting the game on Steam so that you can still play online MP (moved from GameSpy to Steamworks) or just buy the Amazon DRM-Free copy and check the game's forums. There's a pinned article from SEGA with a link to a website where they accept box codes and give Steam keys out to retail owners.    … Expand
  19. readock
    Apr 27, 2014
    10
    Really the best Warhammer 40k strategy game. I just like the necrons and the gameplay (espacially the multiplayer). If you like Strategy games this is a must have ...
  20. wowwow124
    Jan 18, 2014
    9
    this is not just one of the best rts games ever made it is also one of the best all time games ever made.
    this is a must buy for warhammer 40k fans and rts fans
  21. AggelosMw
    Dec 27, 2013
    10
    what can i say about this game? it happened to be the first game i played on pc and it is really hard to describe it... it.... MAN THIS GAME WAS F*CKING AWESOME!
  22. Ndi
    May 14, 2013
    9
    Probably the best DOW ever, rivaled by only the original. Excellent replayability, interesting races, and a good overall campaign and story. Last good one before adding insanely detached races like sisters of whatthatwas and ruining the experience with DOW2.

    Not a 10, however, because it has some downsides: Cutscenes are lazy. Every time something interrups the speaker, you can hear the    Probably the best DOW ever, rivaled by only the original. Excellent replayability, interesting races, and a good overall campaign and story. Last good one before adding insanely detached races like sisters of whatthatwas and ruining the experience with DOW2.

    Not a 10, however, because it has some downsides: Cutscenes are lazy. Every time something interrups the speaker, you can hear the person finish the sentence and exhale, waiting for a second bfore he is "interrupted". Animations are poor in cutscenes, and they dulled the razor sharp units. Shackled creation of elite units, dulled damage. The low damage makes sharp painful combat be a long, dull, drawn out engagement, much like WC3.

    Also not a 10 because they are already slacking on the factions. Necrons are beautiful, but Tau is lazy, with many units being very similar in appearance. Too long range, overpowered when in AI hands that micromanages.

    But, with a nice, replayable, boss-fight campain it is one heck of a game. Too bad they didn't polish it a bit more. Better voice acting and cutscenes would have made this and incredible game. Also, they nerfed the Dreadnought. Pity.    … Expand
  23. PKO
    Mar 30, 2013
    10
    Benjamin S: Your review, I think, was logical up till the point that you reiterated that nine races was obscene and that the themes taken by the writers for some races were questionable. This made me realize you probably have never rolled a dice nor played the tabletop game of this wonderful game. There are in fact more races than nine in the tabletop form of the game, and the "balance" isBenjamin S: Your review, I think, was logical up till the point that you reiterated that nine races was obscene and that the themes taken by the writers for some races were questionable. This made me realize you probably have never rolled a dice nor played the tabletop game of this wonderful game. There are in fact more races than nine in the tabletop form of the game, and the "balance" is made by making each individual really good at something, but lacking in something else. For example, Eldar had tons of specialist troops that were really good at what they do (Dire Avengers absolutely pouring out shots like it was nothing),but were extremely fragile and somewhat expensive as far as points. If there were a universal "balance" of power, then I agree, gameplay would become pretty boring as the races seem to be intertwined. That's why the developers at the former company of THQ added more races with different attributes, which can clearly be seen in the Tau's overall godliness at shooting, the space marines being expensive but good at everything, the Eldar's speed, the Necron's toughness, and the imperial guard and ork's strength in numbers. Your criticism of the themes that the people at THQ had for their races also rings hollow when you dig into some of the tabletop game's lore. Orks are meant to be stupid, they're fungi made into a humanoid form. Necrons and Tau basically worship technology but their lore says why. Necrons made a pact with a god who appears as a metallic figure to immortalize their race as they were facing extinction, but the god turned them into soulless machines to do his bidding to pretty much annihilate anything. The Tau worship technology because they were deprived of it. Think of going to a third world country with an iphone, or even better think of Hernan Cortez being worshipped as a god by the Incas for his appearances, ships, and horses. I'm assuming the death theme has to do with the Chaos faction. That should really be a no brainer, there has to be a villainous character, so why not exemplify it into an entire race who, in the lore, attempted to kill the Imperial Guard's/Space Marine's god? Feminist's? The only feministic race I could think of in Dark Crusade would be Eldar, and yeah that's just because the founders of the table top game just made like that to fit their attributes of sneakiness and deception. So really, all your problems with the dev's as far as themes are honestly unfounded because they took most of the content from the tabletop game. Warhammer 40k deserved a game and got it, to go astray from the game now would just be utter stupidity.… Expand
  24. ActionBastard
    Jan 14, 2013
    8
    This is, by far, one of the most fun RTS games on the PC. The gameplay isn't balanced for competitive play, and the graphics are getting dated, but the great 40k lore and loads of interesting units more than make up for its shortcomings. If you can find a used copy somewhere, or it happens to be on sale on steam, grab this game ASAP.
  25. skyrimbestgame
    Dec 7, 2012
    9
    Dark Crusade is a rare triumph in PC strategy gaming. The 7 races are rich both in character and in fighting style, each with a substantial variety of different infantry and vehicular units, as well as an epic pantheon of heroes. The story mode is interesting and varied, and can be played through multiple times with different races and outcomes. Probably the most impressive element of thisDark Crusade is a rare triumph in PC strategy gaming. The 7 races are rich both in character and in fighting style, each with a substantial variety of different infantry and vehicular units, as well as an epic pantheon of heroes. The story mode is interesting and varied, and can be played through multiple times with different races and outcomes. Probably the most impressive element of this epic game, however, is the shockingly versatile camera, allowing for stunning cinematic battle scenes completely in real-time. The only downsides (and there are few) are the terrible difficulty customization, which changes enemy unit strength instead of their strategy, and the limited multiplayer options for those who don't own the core game. Overall, though, these really don't even put a dent in the overall experience. Buy this game and bring the grim darkness of the far future straight to your PC!… Expand
  26. onefatcow1
    Oct 10, 2012
    10
    After playing DoW: Retribution and loving it a friend told me this game was also pretty good, and quite frankly, this game exceeds Retribution, True, last stand is a great and fun game mode, but this game is so much more. While retribution's campaign is lackluster and feels like all you do is build a deathstar, this game rewards ingenuity, and each match feels like multiplayer. AnotherAfter playing DoW: Retribution and loving it a friend told me this game was also pretty good, and quite frankly, this game exceeds Retribution, True, last stand is a great and fun game mode, but this game is so much more. While retribution's campaign is lackluster and feels like all you do is build a deathstar, this game rewards ingenuity, and each match feels like multiplayer. Another great addition to campaign is AI's that fight back, something that was so lacking in retribution I was only able to complete a paltry 3 campaigns.
    In review: great game, good replay value, still has O.K. graphics despite being 6 years old    … Expand
  27. faceless-1
    Sep 9, 2012
    10
    This Expansion is really perfect. Adds 2 races, interesting changes in gameplay, massive campaign with good replay value and new units for old races. This addon is definitely worth a try for every RTS fan. For fans of DoW a must buy.
  28. Crymson84
    Apr 12, 2012
    10
    An excellent expansion, and a great standalone game in its own right. Dark Crusade provides a tremendous amount of content at a stellar price. The game gives one the choice of any of seven distinctive, well-balanced factions for use in a campaign on a Risk-style map. No two factions play alike; this, coupled with the fact that each faction's individual campaign is tailored to its backAn excellent expansion, and a great standalone game in its own right. Dark Crusade provides a tremendous amount of content at a stellar price. The game gives one the choice of any of seven distinctive, well-balanced factions for use in a campaign on a Risk-style map. No two factions play alike; this, coupled with the fact that each faction's individual campaign is tailored to its back story, makes successive playthroughs of the game feel like new experiences rather than stale repetitions. This gives the game immense replayability. Needless to say, the gameplay is a lot of fun as well, and the campaigns are structured such that the battles fought therein do not feel repetitive.

    Fans of Warhammer 40K will love this game. I suggest to anyone that they buy Platinum Edition (the original Dawn of War plus Winter Assault and Dark Crusade) so as to get the entire experience, but if you must choose only one of the series, Dark Crusade is your best bet. 10/10    … Expand
  29. Kelu
    Dec 25, 2011
    10
    I seldom give perfect scores, but Dark Crusade deserves one. It's campaign replayability value is incredible (the dialogues between army commanders shine) and there are good times to be had playing this game online with mates. A standalone expansion with 7 playable, pretty balanced races and it should be cheap as dirt right now. If you don't own it, just get it. I'm serious. All-around,I seldom give perfect scores, but Dark Crusade deserves one. It's campaign replayability value is incredible (the dialogues between army commanders shine) and there are good times to be had playing this game online with mates. A standalone expansion with 7 playable, pretty balanced races and it should be cheap as dirt right now. If you don't own it, just get it. I'm serious. All-around, it's the best DoW to date.… Expand
  30. LordOFlibertY
    Dec 19, 2011
    9
    Excellent strategy game for those who are bored with StarCraft. This is the best Dawn of War game in my opinion and exceeds Soulstorm and the Dawn of War II series. The gameplay is unique and refreshing to say the least and the graphics are pretty damn good for a 2006 title I recommend this game to anyone that enjoys the 40k universe or RTS in general.
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best PC Game of 2006
22
#22 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006
29
#29 Most Shared PC Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. IGN
    87
    The campaign mode is absolutely interesting and fits wonderfully within the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It's a great beginning to something that we're sure will be bigger and better in the future and provides a ton of gameplay hours and exciting moments.
    Read full review
  2. GamesRadar+
    90
    An enormous amount of top-drawer content for $29.99, and newcomers may rightly mistake it for a full blown sequel. Highly recommended.
    Read full review
  3. Yahoo!
    90
    By adding more stuff for you to admire and kill, and more places and ways to do it, Dark Crusade gives the already lively Warhammer RTS universe even more life, personality, blood, and meat. It's a gory, giddy delight, with more depth and gameplay than ever.
    Read full review
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