Conclusion:

Warhammer: Soulstorm brings something new to the table and if you have all the previous games to be able to unlock all the races then this is one complete game that will provide entertainment for a long time, be it online or in singleplayer. Warhammer: Dawn of War, while certainly an old game is by no means a dying game and Soulstorm is definitely worth trying out. Some games just have what it takes to withstand the test of time, while others fail miserably at this. I`d have wished to see more from Soulstorm, but the fact is that it is still a very good game on its own. Besides, I have high hopes for Warhammer: Dawn of War 2

Gameplay: 85

Gameplay wise, it is exactly like the original. The not so new addition of the world map brings a welcome variety to the mix, but I would have enjoyed more missions like in the original Dawn of War. The fast paced action and the fact that you have to manage every squad makes it quite challenging at times. There is the old auto-manage option that provides help, but I felt more confident in my abilities to manage them. Even though there are 9 races, the game is pretty balanced and there is no clearly superior race. There are races better at start, like the Dark Eldar, and races that usually dominate in end game, like the Necron, but it all comes down to skill. This is a welcome change from the usual "mass a huge number" of units that other games provide. Remember to guard your resources...

Graphics: 78

The game is old and the engine is still the same so don`t expect too much from the graphics department. Nonetheless, once a combat starts, the graphical effects are quite impressive. The option of zooming at grass level has remained so you can enjoy the combat from that chaotic but "oh so good looking" level as well. The spells of the Dark Eldar and the powers of the Sisters of Battle bring new graphical effects to Warhammer, and this is always a good thing. The Necron Lords` transformation looks as cool as ever...

Sound: 83

The sound is excellent, and if you`re playing the Sisters of Battle then their chanting will draw your attention. Especially their artillery unit that consists of a sister playing the organ and shooting missiles amused me. Other than this, the music is just right, never peaceful and always prepared to change at the first sign of danger. If you zoom into a combat scene, the noise of chainsaws and lasers proves to be more than satisfying.

Multiplayer: 89

The multiplayer mode has always been a strong point for the Warhammer series. Soulstorm is, of course, no exception, and the numerous races provide a high replay-ability value. A large number of maps are available but, as usual, only a few are played online. There are still certain bugs concerning the two new races in multiplayer so it would be better to wait for a patch before trying it online.

Hardware: 90

Since the original Warhammer is a 4 year old game and Soulstorm uses the same engine, it`s not surprising that performance is not an issue for any modern computer. If, however, you decide to max the details, and especially the number of corpses that remain after every combat, your frame rate will decrease slowly but steadily. Other than this, the game is playable on just about any computer if you lower the details enough.