Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Retribution is the second standalone expansion for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, a real-time strategy game for PC. It was developed by Relic Entertainment.

Plot

The action of Retribution takes place ten years after the events of Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising. Defeating the Black Legion and a demon called Ulkair did not stop the fighting, though. The Aurelia sector is still being regularly attacked by Tyranids, pillaged by Orks, and torn apart by an internal conflict within the Blood Ravens’ ranks. The Eldar also become involved in his mess, drawn to this part of the galaxy by the rumors about an ancient artifact lost ages ago. The situation was supposed to be calmed down by the arrival of numerous Imperial Guard units but their progress turned out to be faint and their successes rare. Eventually, the Empire lost its patience and started preparations for Exterminatus, the final solution that will obliterate all life in Aurelia sector. A race against time begins. The only thing that can persuade the Inquisition into abandoning their plans for mass extermination is to stop the Chaos-tainted Grand Master Kyras.

Gameplay

The player learns the subsequent plot themes from several perspectives since the new single player campaigns let us assume control over all races that so far appeared in the game (Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines, Tyranids, Eldar, Orks) as well as a completely new one – the Imperial Guard. Each nation has its own characteristic traits and different combat style. Ork warriors are huge, brutal, green-skinned monsters. They like to fight hand-to-hand, although they don’t shy away from flamethrowers and experimental armaments. Tyranids, in turn, bear a stronger resemblance to merciless and deadly animals rather than sentient lifeforms. They attack in numerous groups, usually in melee. They are modeled after an insect colony—as creatures devoid of their own consciousness, they will do everything to realize a given goal. The nation of Eldar is highly developed in terms and culture and technology. Though they have many kinds of melee weapons at their disposal, there are also numerous long-range units in their armies’ ranks.

Retribution is characterized by several changes in the gameplay mechanics. Contrary to its predecessors, we can gather raw materials and spend them on training auxiliary units directly on the battlefield. If a given mission’s condition allow it, we can also construct vehicles that provide support for fighting units. Moreover, Retribution introduces new abilities for heroes, including powerful area-of-effect attacks. Thanks to the option of military training, the developers could also implement damage bonuses available only to particularly numerous groups of warriors.

Dawn of War II: Retribution for PC offers more than single player novelties. The expansion introduces new elements to the multiplayer mode, as well. These include both previously unavailable units as well as maps.

Last updated on May 17, 2016