Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Winter Assault

 PC
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release Date: Sep 21, 2005
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 175 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 136 out of 175
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 175
  3. Negative: 7 out of 175
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  1. Parvarteshwar
    Aug 16, 2011
    8
    I rated the original Dawn of War at 9 so I am rating this one at 8. Everything from the Original is here and all the content is as enjoyable as ever but it doesn't add as much as I expected. The new faction does present new challenges and is very enjoyable to master but outside of the campaign the Imperial Guard is absolutely worthless. In multiplayer it is effective if picked against theI rated the original Dawn of War at 9 so I am rating this one at 8. Everything from the Original is here and all the content is as enjoyable as ever but it doesn't add as much as I expected. The new faction does present new challenges and is very enjoyable to master but outside of the campaign the Imperial Guard is absolutely worthless. In multiplayer it is effective if picked against the Eldar but since no one plays the Eldar in multiplayer the IG's only purpose is as a plot device. All-in-all get the Complete Collection of the Dawn of War series and play through the Winter Assault campaign but don't bother getting it as a stand-alone expansion.… Expand
  2. Kelu
    Dec 25, 2011
    9
    An expansion that's better than the original game! The campaign is engaging and boasts some of the most memorable 40k characters - warboss Gorgutz, general Sturnn and Farseer Taldeer.
  3. Benyo
    Sep 19, 2005
    10
    Awesome game with stunning actions of destruction.
  4. Dantheman
    Sep 22, 2005
    2
    They really killed this game with the add-on... Dont buy it if you like the original as they have changed build orders and unit caps and loads of other stuff... rubbish real rubbish and the imp guard suck - no one would use them in their right mind!
  5. DanielR.
    Sep 23, 2005
    10
    The best modern RTS gets even better with a new race, more units, better balance and a new single player campaign!
  6. MakA.
    Mar 13, 2006
    5
    one would expect dow to follow the rules of warhammer 40k. then again, most wouldn't even touch it if was that way. most units would have one wound point and leaders and specials would have a max of three or four. it's a let down compared to the other 40k titles that have been out on the market.
  7. CraigN.
    Mar 3, 2006
    9
    Good game with decent graphics and some good cut scenes.
  8. Doc
    Oct 4, 2005
    4
    How initially disappointing! I have totally enjoyed playing single player DOW ( I never play online...and have "dial up" ) On buying the game, I found I can't play it or get it installed without downloading the online available patches v1.1-1.4........so until then its useless to me....I give it some points because I'm sure it will be fun ONCE I finally figure out how to get How initially disappointing! I have totally enjoyed playing single player DOW ( I never play online...and have "dial up" ) On buying the game, I found I can't play it or get it installed without downloading the online available patches v1.1-1.4........so until then its useless to me....I give it some points because I'm sure it will be fun ONCE I finally figure out how to get these patches downloaded before I'm kicked offline.... sighhhh....… Expand
  9. FIG
    Oct 9, 2005
    10
    The best RTS of 2004 gets even better. If you haven't tried this, you are simply missing out. Relic is the next Blizzard.
  10. TonyG.
    Sep 23, 2005
    9
    Outstanding! THQ makes Dawn of War even more fun. The Imperial Guard is a great addition to the already very entertaining set of available armies. A lot of the hype calls them a "turtling" race, but don't be fooled--the Imperial Guard can be vicious on the offense too. The whole premise for the Imperial Guard guard army is different from that of the other races. Your troops Outstanding! THQ makes Dawn of War even more fun. The Imperial Guard is a great addition to the already very entertaining set of available armies. A lot of the hype calls them a "turtling" race, but don't be fooled--the Imperial Guard can be vicious on the offense too. The whole premise for the Imperial Guard guard army is different from that of the other races. Your troops aren't walking around in power armor like the elite fighters of the Space Marines Instead, they're weak, scared guys with small guns and no armor. Sounds dumb? No way. The Guard army is build around it's command structure. Without proper command, your force is doomed to die a thousand deaths. But when you start utilizing your officers, your once weak fighting force becomes a fighting machine. Not only that, but the variety of Guard commanders available and the abilities they endow upon the rank and file are a blast! By far, my favorite is the Commisar's "Execute" ability. Let's say you're troops are dug in, taking heavy fire and not dishing out enough (a common problem with the Guard). Not only that, but they're morale keeps breaking. Well, solve it with some positive mental motivation: the Commisar will summarily execute a member of his squad. After a pithy comment and a charming animation, you're one squad member short, but all surrounding infantry units are so inspired that they will double their rate of fire for several seconds! And let's not leave out the true power of the Guard: vehicles. The Imperial vehicles are all extremely useful: The Chimaera transport can carry three squads AND allow them to shoot out the window. The Leman Russ is a great frontline addition. And the Baneblade... As for Imperial buildings, most of them allow units to garrison inside, which makes for an interesting new twist to base defense. Builder units are also curiously strong in combat and fast in repair, making them perfect for fixing defenses under fire. THQ has also modified the other races' abilities. Chaos Space Marines, for example, only have access to Heavy Bolters now. But they do have immediate beginning-game access to the jump-pack Raptors, and the new Khorne Berserkers are brutally strong in combat (don't send your hero into the middle of these guys thinking that he'll knock them around--you'll be sadly surprised). Last but not least, we have a whole new campaign. It's much more in-depth than the shockingly short original, but I haven't completed it yet so I withhold commentary. As for downsides, the game still shows frustrating glitches in command recognition (like the original) Maybe it's only my PC, but units will occasionally just not listen, or will even do the wrong thing. Of course it could be my mistakes too, but as an RTS veteran, I'm fairly familiar with how frequently I screw up commands. And in Dawn of War, it just happens a lot more often than in any other RTS that I've played. Is it game-stopping? No way. It's just occasionally frustrating. And if you are a sucker for realism, just chalk it up to the chaos of a true battlefield simulation. Also, one more possible downside for some players will be the changes in the original races. I don't need to visit the Relic discussion boards to know just how angry Chaos players will be. But I, for one, love the changes. I always felt that Chaos was far too similar to Space Marines, and THQ really goes out of it's way to make them distinct. Besides, we all know the countdown timer on the next patch arrival has already started.... Overall, this is a spectacular game. If you liked Dawn of War, buy Winter Assautl.… Expand
  11. FaustJ.
    Sep 30, 2005
    10
    Excelent!!! A must have Winter Assault takes the game to a new level with a playable race and rejuvinates the existing ones with some great changes.
  12. CraigE.
    Dec 18, 2006
    10
    Still at its brilliant best - infinite replayability - tactics differ from race to race and map tp map.
  13. BlakeG.
    Oct 24, 2005
    10
    The balance in the multiplayer game is excellent. Before I got too busy with SMT: Digital Devil Saga 1 and now 2 I took an account to the top 10 playing RANDOM - playing all 5 races and never feeling like I had either an unfair disadvantage or an easy win just because of the race I drew. And an entire new race for an expansion? Awesome.
  14. ByronC.
    Oct 27, 2005
    10
    Never before has an expansion taken the original and shaken things up ike Winter Assault has. The feeling one gets when first playing WA is like a breath of fresh air. I find myself trying so many different things that I previously thought impossible before the expansion, and the addition of an entirely new and completely different race can be nothing but good for the players. WA is a Never before has an expansion taken the original and shaken things up ike Winter Assault has. The feeling one gets when first playing WA is like a breath of fresh air. I find myself trying so many different things that I previously thought impossible before the expansion, and the addition of an entirely new and completely different race can be nothing but good for the players. WA is a must have for all DoW players.… Expand
  15. Fuzzi99
    Dec 28, 2010
    9
    This game is the best expansion for Dawn of War, it lets you play as the imperial guard in multiplayer and skirmish mode instead of only certain levels of the campaign, it also has a story to the campaign (even if you can play as either good or bad)
  16. faceless-1
    Sep 9, 2012
    10
    This expansion is really awesome. The campaign is really good with many funny dialogs of main characters. New race and many new units + better balance of multiplayer makes this a must buy for everyone who liked Dawn of war.
  17. MichMart
    Mar 5, 2014
    7
    The Imperial Army is for me a nice friend and enemy. It's large, has good tanks, rocket launcher etc. and the soldiers are humans, who try to fight against demons, "gods" etc.
  18. Chowjust
    Dec 5, 2022
    8
    A decent expansion to the first game. Recommend if you enjoyed the first one!
  19. Kotofon
    Jun 6, 2020
    8
    Дополнение вводит в существующий игровой процесс Dawn of War совершенно новых бойцов и новые стратегии. Имперская Гвардия получает новое снаряжение, в том числе тяжелые доспехи, новые боевые подразделения, а также разнообразные тактические приемы нападения и защиты. Новые способности делают эту армию поистине смертоносной.
    Winter Assault предлагает на выбор две кампании: за Порядок или за    Дополнение вводит в существующий игровой процесс Dawn of War совершенно новых бойцов и новые стратегии. Имперская Гвардия получает новое снаряжение, в том числе тяжелые доспехи, новые боевые подразделения, а также разнообразные тактические приемы нападения и защиты. Новые способности делают эту армию поистине смертоносной.
    Winter Assault предлагает на выбор две кампании: за Порядок или за Хаос. Играя за Порядок, вы управляете Эльдаром и Имперской Гвардией, которые сражаются за Империум. В игре за Хаос вы командуете Орками и Космодесантом Хаоса, стремящимися сокрушить любое сопротивление царству хаоса.    … Expand
  20. nw2010
    Jun 7, 2020
    7
    Similar to my review of the original:

    - it's 16 years after release that I finally got round to playing this... - the in-game graphics have held up in a surprisingly okay way, although textures are of a low quality compared with today (as to be expected). - the sound and voice acting are good throughout, although some of the voices are a bit over-egged (still quite enjoyable). The    Similar to my review of the original:

    - it's 16 years after release that I finally got round to playing this...
    - the in-game graphics have held up in a surprisingly okay way, although textures are of a low quality compared with today (as to be expected).
    - the sound and voice acting are good throughout, although some of the voices are a bit over-egged (still quite enjoyable).

    The single player campaign this time introduced a new dynamic of controlling 2 races in each mission and allowing you to effectively play as the good and bad guys resulting in 4 different races you can complete the game with, although there is an understandably shorter story as a result.

    At first I wasn't a big fan of the Order campaign, probably because you start of as the Imperial Guard which is a bland group to play as. I also found that playing as 2 races in each mission felt a little confusing and didn't allow you to fully get to grips with each race.

    However, the disorder side of the campaign was thoroughly enjoyable - particularly the Orcs and I played through to complete the game with all 4 races.

    Overall, different to the original but equally good and fun even 16 years later.    … Expand
  21. KilledShinigami
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    Winter Assault was an amazing improvement to what was already a great game. The new stuff was added, a new race and most importantly a new interesting campaign that was fun to go through. Overal cool add-on!
  22. nastyjes
    Jan 23, 2023
    7
    Still pretty good. Especially if you love IG (me not) .
  23. LT_Gruber
    Dec 20, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of the many great expansions for Dawn of War.

    Warhammer 40, 000 Dawn of War: Winter Assault is the first masterpiece expansion of the series.

    In this game you can play a “good” and “bad” campaign in which you either play as the newly introduced Imperial Guard, or the vile forces of Chaos and the Ork horde.

    In the good campaign, the Imperial Guards are searching for a “Titan war machine” that is taken by the heretics of Chaos somewhere on a cold, freezing planet.
    Meanwhile, the Eldar are also present and try to avoid the awakening of one of the most dangerous foes of the universe, the Necrons. They are, of course, hindered and mistrusted by the patriotic Imperial Guard and the Space Marines, like usual.

    In the bad campaign, you defend the Titan war machine from the Imperial Guard with the Chaos Space Marines, and with the Orks, fulfill your own agenda (which mostly consists out of shoot and smash stuff).

    You play as the Imperial Guard this time, the main fighting force of the Imperium of Man. The Imperial guard is known for its low endurance, cowardliness and is overall hard to control and master.

    This innovative approach of playing is really challenging and fun. You use your commissars to keep your soldiers in line, need to upgrade your tech drastically and need to bring in you elite units like the Kasrkin and the Ogryns, as fast as possible.

    I really like the harsh culture, discipline, and emotion of the Imperial Guard, they are really well implemented. Soldiers whimper and cry when they are killed, the cut scenes and lore show commissars executing their own soldiers for being cowards and the zero-tolerance policy is just amazingly done. It really gives the feeling of a real, present-day army, in which not everyone is the fearless Space Marine that does not fear death. It also shows the struggle with keeping the morale high and the cause to fight for.

    The Imperial Guard can become really, really powerful when the right upgrades, leader attachments and combinations are made. A single squad of Guardsmen without any leader feels like cannon fodder, and in most cases, they are. The first time attacking an Orc Nob Squad with a single squad of Guardsmen got me thinking: “These poor souls don’t stand a chance”. But combine them with some cold-blooded commissars and back them up by some Sentinels and Kasrkin and they will become invincible. You really play in numbers, rather then strength.

    The multiplayer is also greatly improved in Winter Assault and is way more balanced than the first Dawn of War game. There are also new units for the Eldar, the Orks and the Chaos Empire. One for each faction.

    The sound and graphics did not change much from the first game, although the Imperial Guard units come with their own models and new animations. I liked the laser attacks from the Karskins and Sentinels, and the hail fire from the Ogryns. The icy and snowy planet environment is also really well done and gives you the feeling of fighting in Russia during WWII.

    The fresh style of playing, the careful strategic use of your units and resources made this game absolutely amazing.

    Warhammer 40, 000: Winter Assault is an amazing expansion of the main game and a real classic to this day.

    Definitely worth your time.    … Expand
  24. Naked_Snakee
    Apr 7, 2023
    7
    Just text (crutch) to save the game to the list. Such things. Maybe I'll do a review later.

Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best PC Game of 2005
56
#56 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. IGN
    85
    The Imperial Guard only add to the frantic gameplay in a positive way by allowing a slightly different style of play for the more defensively minded.
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  2. 1UP
    80
    Not since Blizzard unleashed "Brood Wars" on the "Starcraft" community has a developer put such a well-conceived effort into an expansion pack. Relic has rewarded the patience of its fans with an absolute must have add-on, and for any RTS fan that hasn't already picked up the original game...no more excuses.
    Read full review
  3. GameSpot
    83
    Winter Assault adds a new playable faction, new units to existing factions, a new single-player game, and some of tweaks and additions that should make most Dawn of War fans very happy, and might win a few converts, too.
    Read full review
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