Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

 PC
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release Date: Sep 20, 2004
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 458 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 401 out of 458
  2. Mixed: 44 out of 458
  3. Negative: 13 out of 458
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  1. Keron_Heruman
    Aug 25, 2023
    8
    Very solid RTS. The genre improves with new units and mechanics from the warhammer universe, A lot of factions and options to choose
  2. VLG
    Aug 23, 2023
    8
    A lot of fun for a while, i remember being surprised by all the options available.
  3. supzero
    Mar 3, 2023
    10
    One of the best (if not the best) game I ever played. Got clever design features which make the game really nervous at all stage, where numerous RTS you might stay in your base until you have a big army. Best translation of Warhammer ever. Epic animations who make want to watch replays on and on. 9 factions in total with the extensions. Great in multiplayer or in Skirmish vs IAOne of the best (if not the best) game I ever played. Got clever design features which make the game really nervous at all stage, where numerous RTS you might stay in your base until you have a big army. Best translation of Warhammer ever. Epic animations who make want to watch replays on and on. 9 factions in total with the extensions. Great in multiplayer or in Skirmish vs IA (especially… Expand… Expand
  4. nastyjes
    Jan 23, 2023
    8
    Blood for the blood god. Skulls for the skull throne .
  5. LT_Gruber
    Dec 19, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Absolute epic game, and the foundation for perfection.

    What can I say about Warhammer 40 000: Dawn of War? Well, only that it is one of the best games I have ever played. The lore, tabletop games and comics for the Warhammer 40 000 universe exist for a while now, but so far, we only got some Excellent “Warhammer” games like Dark Omen and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos.

    When the first Warhammer 40 000 game came out, I shat my pants. Finally, a worthy game in the Warhammer 40 000 universe. I could not wait to play it and it did not disappoint. The intro movie starts playing and I was like: “Oh yeah, this is gonna be goood”. And it was.

    The story is as classic as always. You are on Tartarus, which is under attack by vile Orks. You need to wipe them out and secure the planet. The Ork Warboss escapes and you hunt his ass for a few missions. On your pursuit, you discover the presence of Eldar and Chaos aliens in the vicinity and your purge-o-meter is going off the charts.

    The campaign exists of many missions in which you finally kill the Ork warboss from the beginning of the game, attack Eldar settlements and stop Chaos from corrupting the galaxy, like they always try to do. Your glorious conquests in name of the emperor strengthen your Arsenal over time and new units are unlocked in some missions like the Dreadnought and the Predator tank. The game gets harder with every mission and the tension rises.

    The way to win a mission is either by capturing strategic points on the map or by destroying the base of the enemy. The strategic points offer you requisition to purchase more troops and buildings. The more points you have secured, the more dough you get. Of course, the enemy can steal and reclaim those strategic points too. The action is intense and every mission feels like a glorious conquest, it is just epic.

    The game mechanics are easy to understand and work perfectly. You build your base, conquer strategic point, gather some troops and go to war, its that simple.

    The graphics in Warhammer 40 000: Dawn of War are still beautiful. They may be a little outdated for todays standards, but when looking back, the effects of the gunfire, the explosions, the craters, the lasers, it is all still very nice to look at. The animations are smooth and the little kill moves some units perform on slain foes gives that Warhammer 40 000 vibe.

    The sound design is also excellent. Explosions from blowing up buildings and vehicles feel rewarding and the grunts of dying foes let you feel invincible sometimes. The voice acting for the story and the units is also really good.

    Warhammer 40 000: Dawn of War offers excellent multiplayer in which you battle for domination of the map and trying to win an annihilation or strategic victory. Its also fun to play with friends.

    Although the game is a simple concept, in which you do much of the same, it works and it never bores. The satisfaction you get when you build your base from scratch, train your units and go to war in which sometimes, the struggle is real, is even better than games like Command & Conquer.

    Warhammer 40 000: Dawn of War feels and plays in true Warhammer 40 000 style and the expansions that this game produced is a true compliment to its legacy.

    It is an all-time classic and an important part of my gaming history. Definitely recommend this masterpiece to everyone.    … Expand
  6. Chowjust
    Dec 5, 2022
    9
    Easily takes a spot as one of the best RTS games made. Top notch setting and game-play. Do yourself a favour and just play it.
  7. denisc205
    Jun 28, 2022
    10
    Всё потому что это Warhammer Warhammer WarhammerДа здравствует Великий пират
  8. Gorbunov2004
    Oct 15, 2021
    10
    Игра просто топ, как раз из за неё подсел на вселенную WARHAMMER 40,000. В этой игре все отлично то можно добавить еще больше анимаций добивания, и сделать орков более индивидуальней просто они все почти одинаковы и это очень сильно бросается в глаза.Игра просто топ, как раз из за неё подсел на вселенную WARHAMMER 40,000. В этой игре все отлично то можно добавить еще больше анимаций добивания, и сделать орков более индивидуальней просто они все почти одинаковы и это очень сильно бросается в глаза.
  9. dlcatalin
    Mar 6, 2021
    8
    MEh ...very cheesy ...and annoying dialogue. But playable and fun, finished it.
  10. Skyware
    Feb 13, 2020
    8
    Dawn of war- это прекрасная игра которая положила начало целой франшизе!
    Именно это игра привела сотни людей в Warhammer, а также возродила ненадолго жанр RTS в глазах людей.Отличный геймплей и сюжет сделали эту игру!
  11. KilledShinigami
    Nov 15, 2019
    9
    I still remember how amazed I was when I played Dawn of War for the first time. Crucial game for the evolution of the RTS genre. It lacks variety found in later add-ons but it is still an awesome introduction to the world of Warhammer 40 000.
  12. Sandro86
    May 3, 2019
    8
    Guess my love with warhammer 40000 universe started with this game. Really good RTS game.
  13. Lenkors_Wood
    Nov 10, 2018
    10
    the first part of the series "Dawn of war" and in my opinion the best, this part was for me the first of the series 40K. For Players unfamiliar with the books or the desktop version of the game, showed something really interesting and powerful, the game is not just delayed for a good 30 hours of passing the company and online battles, but also gave impetus to dive into the lore of thethe first part of the series "Dawn of war" and in my opinion the best, this part was for me the first of the series 40K. For Players unfamiliar with the books or the desktop version of the game, showed something really interesting and powerful, the game is not just delayed for a good 30 hours of passing the company and online battles, but also gave impetus to dive into the lore of the universe Warhammer 40k… Expand
  14. iddqd4
    Feb 12, 2018
    8
    Мрачные и суровые космодесантники, орды орков, хаоса и эльдаров, красивые спецэффекты, мир вечной войны во всей красе.
  15. Mitya64
    Jan 14, 2018
    9
    Игра шедевр, но мало фракций и русского языка нет. А так шедевр
  16. Terrorblade6495
    Apr 21, 2017
    10
    Biggest RTS game of this year, epic game!!! a lot of fun if you are going to play this game with your friends. Such a good comeback to this dark, bloody and gore world. FOR THE EMPERORRRR!!!
  17. stefanstevic199
    Aug 30, 2015
    10
    Fantastic game and campaign story ingame, make video game warhammer 40 000 with cards for pc, that will be cool... Dawn of War Warhammer 40 000 is best game ever for me all expansions and patches are great
  18. Zafeer
    Jul 7, 2015
    9
    Solid and balanced game play. Great campaign. Tons of 40k flavour. Only four races though so not a lot of options for multiplayer unless you buy the expansions. It also would've been nice to see a branch of the campaign focus on something other that space marines.
  19. Nepharos
    Feb 2, 2015
    10
    Absolutely a Warhammer fan.
    I've always loved the style of Warhammer Fantasy, painting Wood Elves, High Elves, and other races...
    So when I got this game, I didn't really know what to expect. Eventually it became the game I played for hours and hours on, including all expansions. Playing Single Player campaign, Skirmish and multiplayer skirmishes with friends! Creating many, many army    Absolutely a Warhammer fan.
    I've always loved the style of Warhammer Fantasy, painting Wood Elves, High Elves, and other races...
    So when I got this game, I didn't really know what to expect.
    Eventually it became the game I played for hours and hours on, including all expansions.
    Playing Single Player campaign, Skirmish and multiplayer skirmishes with friends!
    Creating many, many army skins.

    Story
    The story was really fun to play, it uses the great lore Games Workshop created around the Space Marines. Playing with the Blood Raven chapter -I had never seen this chapter in the store- was a delight.
    For the time the cinematics where great and the battle against Chaos was immersive and tense.

    Graphics
    As I noted in the paragraph above, the cinematic graphics where great for that time!
    So where the ingame graphics and animations.
    I truly loved the little animations added to combat, that Space Marine sticking it's chainsaw up into an Orcs face and ripping it appart. The Bloodseeker bashing enemies with it's great axe and cast them aside if it's nothing, etc.

    Gameplay
    This is a squad based RTS, which makes it easy to command your troops and keep a great overview of your army.
    Furthermore I loved the unique resource gain, capturing points and needing to hold them.
    There always was that tense moment when you have a relic and need to keep it!

    Another plus is the easy design on the user interface, very clear and consistent throughout the game and it's expansions.

    Conclusion
    I have played this game for so many hours, with and without friends.
    Playing all races, creating army skins and fighting against every possible threat with that army.
    It was so much fun, for me this is one of the best games ever.

    10/10!    … Expand
  20. kingthenoob
    Mar 18, 2013
    10
    This is the 2nd BEST rts game i´ve ever played( Company Of Heroes being my favorite). The whole game feels balanced and i have never seen a single bug in the time i´ve been playing it. The story is great, the skirmish is fantastic and with the other expansion packs you will never want to leave it. As it is an old game it is very cheap and easy to get hold of for less than 10 pounds. i amThis is the 2nd BEST rts game i´ve ever played( Company Of Heroes being my favorite). The whole game feels balanced and i have never seen a single bug in the time i´ve been playing it. The story is great, the skirmish is fantastic and with the other expansion packs you will never want to leave it. As it is an old game it is very cheap and easy to get hold of for less than 10 pounds. i am really recommending this for anyone how have played or like rts games.… Expand
  21. faceless-1
    Sep 9, 2012
    10
    As a fun of table Warhammer 40K i am really happy that Warhammer finally god great PC game. This is one of the best RTS games for sure. Esp. in multiplayer or Skirmish.
  22. totalmech
    Aug 5, 2012
    10
    There have been several attempts at making Warhammer 40.000 games. Some of them were a failure, others were ok. This one was perfect, both in setting and in gameplay.
  23. Skizapper
    Jun 16, 2012
    10
    I can't use any words that will do justice to this game. Great combat animations, great unit control, unique but balanced races (and a whole bunch of them with the expansions), epic battles, great maps, and overall a good story. Buy this one, and stay away from that piece of crap sequel.
  24. DonCanardo
    Jan 18, 2012
    10
    One of the best (if not the best) game I ever played. Got clever design features which make the game really nervous at all stage, where numerous RTS you might stay in your base until you have a big army. Best translation of Warhammer ever. Epic animations who make want to watch replays on and on. 9 factions in total with the extensions. Great in multiplayer or in Skirmish vs IA (especiallyOne of the best (if not the best) game I ever played. Got clever design features which make the game really nervous at all stage, where numerous RTS you might stay in your base until you have a big army. Best translation of Warhammer ever. Epic animations who make want to watch replays on and on. 9 factions in total with the extensions. Great in multiplayer or in Skirmish vs IA (especially with Dawn of Skirmish Mod). Best RTS game ever.… Expand
  25. Parvarteshwar
    Aug 16, 2011
    9
    This is an excellent strategy game. The units are varied and fairly well balanced between factions, the maps are enjoyable and action packed, and the campaign is deep and fulfilling (aside from the cliffhanger). All units are customizable which adds a huge level of depth and strategic planning and the placement of strategic points prevents the game from being a defensive stand-off. The AIThis is an excellent strategy game. The units are varied and fairly well balanced between factions, the maps are enjoyable and action packed, and the campaign is deep and fulfilling (aside from the cliffhanger). All units are customizable which adds a huge level of depth and strategic planning and the placement of strategic points prevents the game from being a defensive stand-off. The AI is challenging and the multiplayer is still active after 7 years which guarantees playability once you have mastered the AI. This is a must play both for strategy fans and table-top Warhammer enthusiasts.… Expand
  26. Fauz
    Sep 8, 2010
    10
    If you're a fan of the Warhammer 40k franchise, you'll enjoy this series of games by THQ. Dawn of War brings the tabletop miniatures game to life in 3D RTS with explosive action and gore.
  27. ArshadS
    Dec 9, 2009
    10
    Played this for 2 years every day until the expansions! Great game.
  28. markB.-E.
    Jul 5, 2009
    10
    the best RTS-game at the moment! Especially with the addons.
  29. KáriÍ.
    Feb 5, 2009
    10
    Really good game. Loved it but there is only one problem. This is just like warcraft 3. No changes. Except this happens in the future, I can see the game now in my mind on pc gamer. Warcraft 40k. Great game ,still.
  30. EvaH.
    Jan 4, 2009
    10
    One of the best games ever, only lacks more than one playable party in single player campaign. But hey, just get the expansion packs and you can play them all!
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Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best PC Game of 2004
14
#14 Most Discussed PC Game of 2004
11
#11 Most Shared PC Game of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 51 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 51
  3. Negative: 0 out of 51
  1. GameCritics
    75
    Everything that Dawn of War does it does exceptionally well. The only real problem is that everything it does has already been done a hundred times before.
    Read full review
  2. PALGN
    85
    The best real-time strategy for a long time. If you have been searching for a real-time strategy game your search is over, whether you are a Warhammer 40,000 fan or not.
    Read full review
  3. Gaming Target
    93
    A few minor camera flaws are easily overshadowed by the visceral combat experience that Dawn of War offers.
    Read full review
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