Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II

… and the standalone expansions

Web: http://store.steampowered.com/app/15620/

Price: (original game) £14.99/$19.99/EUR19.99

The game's epic structures and landscape create a perfect backdrop for its large battles.

Warhammer and real-time strategy (RTS) game fans alike have a lot to be excited about with the simultaneous release of three games: Dawn of War II and the Retribution and Chaos Rising standalone expansions.

Some very satisfying campaign modes, each tailored to the different races of the world, give many hours of gameplay before even venturing into the multiplayer realm. The game mixes up traditional RTS elements by introducing role-playing game (RPG)-style leveling and character upgrades to specific special units, as well as item drops from battles for further customization, keeping the game fresh and interesting. Similarly, the use of items' cover mechanics keep the gameplay varied and more tactical than the conventional base-rushing and victory-through-number styles one might be accustomed to in such games. The expansions add a lot of different content, ranging from game modes to new story campaigns, and deserve to be standalone games.

Although the games were released on other platforms a while back, they hold up extremely well and are a worthy addition to the Linux roster. Chaos Rising sells for £14.99 ($19.99/EUR19.99), like the original game, whereas Retribution is £19.99 ($29.99/EUR29.99), although all three are available in a bundle at a lower price.

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