WARHAMMER 40,000: DAWN OF WAR II: RETRIBUTION

PLATFORMS: EXCLUSIVELY ON PC

GENRE: REAL-TIME STRATEGY

PC SYSTEM  REQUIREMENTS: OS: Windows XP/Vista
Processor: AMD Athlon 64x2 4400+ any Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 2 Gb
Hard Drive: 5.5 Gb free
Video Memory: 256 Mb
Video Card: nVidia GeForce 7800 GT / ATI Radeon x1900
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: 9.0c or 10

     The third entry to Dawn of War 2, Retribution, targets rabid fans that can't get enough of the franchise while also appealing to those who haven't tried it all.Despite its comparatively less exciting narrative, it still has a great set of missions, a lot of tactical options, multiplayer, and the same fun Dawn of War mechanics the franchise was founded on. 

    Even if the story isn't as engrossing, the gameplay is as addictive as ever. Retribution, like the Dawn of War 2 franchise in general, is a unique real-time strategy game, forcing the player to focus more on things like cover, unit facing, and general terrain layout more than just manufacturing an overwhelming force. And unlike so many other RTS games, Retribution pushes physics into the mix, making combat a wildly chaotic, violent experience compared to the predictability of something like StarCraft. It's not uncommon for explosions to blast craters in the ground and enemies to crash from the sky, knocking back your infantry. All the while your machine guns lay down suppressing fire while you micromanage small forces to overcome the odds. 

      Like the previous Dawn of War games, Retribution still gets a lot of its mileage from its role-playing aspects. After each mission, you gain experience for hero units as well as equippable wargear. The result is a system that increases player choice and tactics even further, allowing you to customize your heroes to your play style, and better tailor your forces to the missions ahead. For instance you might love to have a hero that compliments your ranged troops with buffs or a powerful gun, or have a heavy hitter that can soak up damage and rush into the fray, inspiring those around them. It keeps the hero units interesting, and serves as a reason to look forward to the briefing screen in-between missions. 

   Dawn of War 2 – Retribution is a great strategy game. It makes warfare into something violently beautiful, and pays homage to the nerdy lore that Warhammer fans like me can’t get enough of.