Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III

This real-time strategy game is incredibly deep and challenging, but its learning curve could keep many newcomers at bay. They say that war is hell, and that's rarely more true than in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, which has been raging for 30 years now and has set the stage for science-fantasy warfare. In Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, the epic interstellar war among Space Marines, Eldar, and Orks makes its return to the PC battlefield. Taking the reins of these powerful and diverse armies is no easy task, though. For starters, Dawn of War III takes for granted that players are already somewhat intimately familiar with the inner workings both of the Dawn of War series and Warhammer 40,000 as a whole. If you don't already know the difference between a Farseer and a Blood Raven, the game isn't going to spend a lot of time explaining it to you. It's not only the lore that you're expected to understand but also the various troop types and what they're capable of. Sure, the game breaks down some of the basics of the gameplay over the course of the single-player campaign, but it's still going to take a while for anyone new to the franchise to make heads or tails out of what they're up against and what's at their disposal. That's not to say the game isn't worth climbing its steep learning curve. In fact, if you're willing to tough it out, you'll earn a phenomenal real-time strategy experience.

For starters, Dawn of War III has a superb presentation. For fans of the popular tabletop game, this is as close as they'll get to having the game they love brought to life before their eyes, complete with carnage, explosions, and destruction. It's also a solid test of strategy and resource management. Whether you're trying to do a hard push to secure a map's resources points, charge forward with one of your faction's Elite troops, or play catchup after getting caught in an early ambush, there's a surprising balance to the game. It's rare to ever have a match where one side or the other feels like it's impossible to pull out a victory. And holding true to the game's tabletop roots, you can even customize the look of your army with new paint jobs and color schemes to make sure you stand out on the battlefield. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III is unquestionably a great extension of the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, tailor-made for veterans of the tabletop battlefield. Unfortunately, because it is tailor-made for 40K and real-time strategy veterans, newcomers will have to put in a lot of time, patience, and frustration before they feel at home in the elite club the game seems to cater to.