Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm

Soulstorm does many things differently than many of the other RTS games that have been released in the last ten years, and it does all of them amazingly well.

In adding to the weight of maps and playable factions, as a collection, Dawn of War with Soulstorm alongside it sets itself apart from a lot of the more youthful games out there. [Apr 2008, p.66]

Soulstorm, like its predecessors, does a great job of providing an intense, war-torn, battlefield for you to play with. But the most important thing is that the game is great fun, and will surely touch the soul of every RTS geek who's ever dreamt of being a Space Marine.

The third installment of Dawn of War is motivating due to upgradable heroes and battles to conquer fortresses, which add to the standard missions. The missions, which can last up to two hours, are demanding. Quite often you will fight at several fronts at once while being pressed for time.

Soulstorm gives you another kick at the Warhammer cat, proving that the series may indeed have nine lives.

Soulstorm is a good addition which expands the lifetime of Dawn of War. The expansion is standalone and still all races are playable in single player. This makes the game very attractive for players who haven't gotten the original game. When it comes to graphics and gameplay, not many things have changed. But the huge possibilities in skirmish and multiplayer compensate for it.

Great stuff. Now how about a proper sequel? [Apr 2008, p.125]

While it's getting long in the tooth, the Dawn of War series is nicely expanded with Soulstorm.

It's a solid addition, if not the best expansion in the series overall, and while I'm enjoying it, it really is just more of the same, and I can't help but feel like it could have been a little better.

Soulstrorm delivers two new factions that are great additions to the Dawn of War conflict.

In a genre that’s looking for new ideas, this would be a nice achievement for a brand new franchise. That Relic has managed to surprise us this late in the Warhammer day is all the more remarkable. [May 2008, p.59]

In terms of what it brings to the table, it’s a bunch of the same ole, same ole, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing since the series was very good to begin with.

With 29 new multiplayer-maps, two new races and an already a bit aged AI Dawn of War: Soulstorm sadly fails to become, what many RTS-fans were hoping for: A great game. Fans of Warhammer 40.000 and the other Dawn of War-Games shouldn't miss this Stand-Alone-Expansion anyway, because it still packs the same great atmosphere, which made its predecessors famous. [May 2008]

I love the game, I really do, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's still playing Dawn of War. If you're not you may want to wait for the full sequel to the game, which is already in the early stages of development.

Despite providing the thrilling and series-established RTS gameplay, Soulstorm seems recycled and worn out. Dawn of War fans or RTS players will feel deja vu when playing this game the first time.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend Soulstorm for players new to the series, as mastering the interactions between nine different races is a serious endeavor, but you're getting a lot of game for $40. [May 2008, p.62]