CNET Networks Entertainment GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer | Metacritic | MP3.com | TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

xx Abbey, The
xx Aces of the Galaxy
80 Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
xx AirRivals
54 Alone in the Dark
51 Art of Murder: FBI Confidential
79 Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut Edition
xx Backyard Baseball '09
xx Baseball Mogul 2009
xx Beauty Factory
xx Beijing 2008
55 Belief & Betrayal
xx Blokus World Tour
xx Chaos Theory
xx Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The
xx Code of Honor: The French Foreign Legion
xx Combat Mission Shock Force - Marines
78 Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
xx Concerto Gate
xx Crazy Machines 2
xx Crimes of War
xx Cross City
xx Crusaders: Thy Kingdom Come
xx Cry of the Infected
xx Dancing with the Stars
74 Devil May Cry 4
71 Dracula: Origin
xx Dreamlords: The Reawakening
xx Europa Universalis III: In Nomine
74 Europa Universalis: Rome
76 Everyday Shooter
45 Fate of Hellas
xx Field Ops
xx FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage
93 Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor
xx Galactic Dream: Rage of War
xx Goin' Downtown
50 Golden Horde, The
53 Great War Nations: The Spartans
88 GRID
xx Gumboy Tournament
xx Happy Tree Friends False Alarm
56 Hard to be a God
xx Hope Springs Eternal
xx Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure, The
xx Incredible Hulk, The
72 Insecticide: Episode 1
32 Iron Man
77 Kung Fu Panda
79 LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
xx Limbo of the Lost
78 Lost Cases Of Sherlock Holmes, The
74 Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition
xx Mabinogi - Fantasy Life
xx Magic: The Gathering Online III
90 Mass Effect
xx Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice
69 Napoleon's Campaigns
xx Noitu Love 2: Devolution
xx NOMBZ: Night of a Million Billion Zombies
59 Obscure: The Aftermath
77 Out of the Park Baseball 9
69 Overclocked: A History of Violence
xx Panzer Command: Kharkov
78 Penny Arcade Adventures Epsiode One: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness
72 Political Machine 2008, The
xx Princess Bride Game, The
xx Requiem: Bloodymare
68 Riddle of the Tomb
xx Romance of The Three Kingdoms XI
68 Roogoo
85 Sam & Max Episode 205: What's New, Beelzebub?
xx Samurai Warriors 2
xx SBK-08 Superbike World Championship
xx Settlers: Rise of an Empire - The Eastern Realm, The
xx Shattered Suns
71 Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis
xx Ship Simulator 2008: New Horizons
xx Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific U-Boat Missions
67 SimCity Societies Destinations
58 Simon the Sorcerer 4: Chaos Happens
xx Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff, The
xx Sims 2: Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff, The
xx So Blonde
81 Spore Creature Creator
xx Stateshift
xx Strategic Command 2: Patton Drives East
45 Stronghold Crusader Extreme
xx Supernova 2: Spacewar
69 Supreme Ruler 2020
xx Tank Universal
xx Terrorist Takedown 2: U.S. Navy SEALs
xx Terrorist Takedown: Conflict in Mogadishu
78 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
xx Top Trumps: Doctor Who
xx TrackMania Nations Forever
85 TrackMania United Forever
66 Turok
xx Ubersoldier 2: The End of Hitler
67 UEFA Euro 2008
xx Urban Empires
xx WALL-E
52 Warriors Orochi
xx Windchaser
xx Women's Murder Club

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm pc Game Reviews
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm
Critic Score
Metascore: 73 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.8 out of 10
based on 33 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 74 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm is set in Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe – a dark, futuristic, fantasy setting where armies of technologically advanced warriors, fighting machines and hordes of implacable aliens wage constant war – and is played by millions worldwide. Soulstorm is a complete standalone title and features two all-new armies, including the malicious Dark Eldar, for an unprecedented total of nine playable races. In addition to new units across each of the seven existing races, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm incorporates air units for the first time and introduce multiplayer medals, adding a whole new level of depth to online battles. The revolutionary meta-game introduced in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Dark Crusade is further expanded to an interplanetary scale in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm, allowing players to battle across an entire star system. [THQ]

PUBLISHER: THQ
DEVELOPER: Relic
GENRE(S): Real-Time Strategy
PLAYERS: 8
ESRB RATING: M (Mature)
RELEASE DATE: March 4, 2008

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90
Pelit (Finland)
Soulstorm should have introduced decent air forces, not just these handful of hovering tank-like units. Otherwise a fun expansion as always. [Apr 2008]
82
My Gamer
Soulstorm does many things differently than many of the other RTS games that have been released in the last ten years, and it does all of them amazingly well.
Read Full Review
81
PC Zone UK
In adding to the weight of maps and playable factions, as a collection, Dawn of War with Soulstorm alongside it sets itself apart from a lot of the more youthful games out there. [Apr 2008, p.66]
Read Full Review
80
VideoGamer
Soulstorm, like its predecessors, does a great job of providing an intense, war-torn, battlefield for you to play with. But the most important thing is that the game is great fun, and will surely touch the soul of every RTS geek who's ever dreamt of being a Space Marine.
Read Full Review
80
GameStar
The third installment of Dawn of War is motivating due to upgradable heroes and battles to conquer fortresses, which add to the standard missions. The missions, which can last up to two hours, are demanding. Quite often you will fight at several fronts at once while being pressed for time.
Read Full Review
80
Cheat Code Central
Soulstorm gives you another kick at the Warhammer cat, proving that the series may indeed have nine lives.
Read Full Review
80
Gamer.nl
Soulstorm is a good addition which expands the lifetime of Dawn of War. The expansion is standalone and still all races are playable in single player. This makes the game very attractive for players who haven't gotten the original game. When it comes to graphics and gameplay, not many things have changed. But the huge possibilities in skirmish and multiplayer compensate for it.
Read Full Review
80
games(TM)
Great stuff. Now how about a proper sequel? [Apr 2008, p.125]
80
GamingExcellence
Soulstrorm delivers two new factions that are great additions to the Dawn of War conflict
Read Full Review
80
Worth Playing
It's a solid addition, if not the best expansion in the series overall, and while I'm enjoying it, it really is just more of the same, and I can't help but feel like it could have been a little better.
Read Full Review
80
Armchair Empire
While it's getting long in the tooth, the Dawn of War series is nicely expanded with Soulstorm.
Read Full Review
78
GameZone
In terms of what it brings to the table, it’s a bunch of the same ole, same ole, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing since the series was very good to begin with.
Read Full Review
78
Gamers.at
With 29 new multiplayer-maps, two new races and an already a bit aged AI Dawn of War: Soulstorm sadly fails to become, what many RTS-fans were hoping for: A great game. Fans of Warhammer 40.000 and the other Dawn of War-Games shouldn't miss this Stand-Alone-Expansion anyway, because it still packs the same great atmosphere, which made its predecessors famous. [May 2008]
77
Game Over Online
I love the game, I really do, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's still playing Dawn of War. If you're not you may want to wait for the full sequel to the game, which is already in the early stages of development.
Read Full Review
75
PC Gamer
I wouldn't necessarily recommend Soulstorm for players new to the series, as mastering the interactions between nine different races is a serious endeavor, but you're getting a lot of game for $40. [May 2008, p.62]
75
GamerNode
Despite providing the thrilling and series-established RTS gameplay, Soulstorm seems recycled and worn out. Dawn of War fans or RTS players will feel deja vu when playing this game the first time.
Read Full Review
75
PALGN
As solid and reliable as Soulstorm is, it's a largely uninspired attempt to wring a few more bucks out of the series. If it's 'more of the same' that you're after, then go right ahead.
Read Full Review
74
Gaming Nexus
There’s nothing new under the Dawn of War sun. Soulstorm is just a repeat of the Dark Crusade expansion, with two different factions thrown into the mix. It might be worth a look for those who absolutely have to complete the series, but most will get just as much mileage from the previous expansion.
Read Full Review
73
Computer Games Online RO
Considering the official announcement for Dawn of War 2, Soulstorm can be considered the epilogue for this Warhammer 40.000 generation, and I can’t escape the feeling that the producers wanted to squeeze the last cents with minimum efforts, especially because it's only a half stand-alone expansion which only allows the two new races to be played online, the earlier version being required if you want to play all factions.
Read Full Review
71
FiringSquad
Dark Crusade had done everything already, but the two new races and better campaign are a decent addition when the price gets down to a decent level, that is.
Read Full Review
71
PC Gamer UK
Fun, but not progress. [Apr 2008, p.64]
70
GamePro
Soulstorm is certainly not a bad expansion pack, but time has certainly conspired against it. Being released almost four years after the base game much of the game is showing its legs, especially in the graphics department.
Read Full Review
70
IGN
The main issue here is just that everything feels so familiar. While the game still plays quite well and Warhammer 40K fans will surely appreciate all the unit designs for the Sisters of Battle and Dark Eldar, too little has been done to enliven the experience.
Read Full Review
70
GameTap
Even though it's not as good as previous installments, and is generally more of the same, the fundamental gameplay underneath is still quite amazing, even today (the gameplay excuses its 2004-era visuals).
Read Full Review
70
PC Format
A robust addition to a titan of real-time strategy that plays well on PCs. But it's past time for Dawn of War 2 now. [May 2008, p.108]
70
GamingTrend
Right now, the game feels dated. It still has the formula that made the game popular in the first place, but that formula is just starting to show its wrinkles.
Read Full Review
65
GameSpot
Soulstorm caps off the long-running Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series with recycled gameplay.
Read Full Review
60
Play (Poland)
I'm truly sorry to watch such a fine franchise brought to the brink of destruction by ruthless exploitation. Two races - all that's truly new here - are a weak excuse for selling a full priced game with tired graphics, boring single player campaign and imbalanced units. [May 2008]
60
AceGamez
Soulstorm doesn't offer an awful lot of new content, aside for the new maps for skirmishes and multiplayer. The multiplayer is still the highlight of this series and tactically decimating your opponent or friends is a source of endless enjoyment, but the single player in this expansion fails to inspire; there needed to be more involvement with the running of your territories (see the Total War series) for a map-based campaign to work and be really engaging.
Read Full Review
60
G4 TV
Soulstorm is not only a ridiculously long title but a ridiculously very solid package of content. It’s a killer bundle for RTS fans that aren’t too picky about graphics. The problem is that fans of the series, who have already purchased the earlier expansions, are really only getting two new factions and a handful of units.
Read Full Review
60
EuroGamer
Soulstorm is a stopgap game. It really feels like the last breath of the series. And that's a real shame.
Read Full Review
60
GameSpy
It shows flashes of its former brilliance through two new races that are full of personality and are a lot of fun to play with, but falls flat through a lackluster single-player campaign, mediocre (at best) new air units and two devastating bugs that will kill the multiplayer scene until Relic issues an eventual patch.
Read Full Review
58
1UP
At this point, three expansions and three years after the original game, the factions in Dawn of War feel like the various menu items at Taco Bell: The order in which you pile on the beans, cheese, or lettuce doesn't make that big a difference.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 74 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Max D. gave it a6:
Make no mistake, this is a very solid game. This is mainly because it comes from a very solid foundation, though, and aside from two "new" samey-feeling races and some redundant and glitchy new units, Soulstorm offers nothing new, recycling the same campaign and multiplayer styles from Dark Crusade. The addition of some severely game-breaking bugs certainly doesn't help its case.

Someone E. gave it a0:
A terrible game. I feel so bitterly gyped. Do Not Get It! Unless you are a diehard warhammer 40k fan or u never played the game before. but i can very safely bet a lotta money you'll eventually come to hate it anyways.

R G gave it a5:
Not worth $40, by any stretch of the imagination. It is just 2 new armies, and some crappy "air units" which was a lame and pathetic attempt to add something new to the game. The single player campaign is the same as Dark Crusade, just with bottlenecks. The gameplay hasn't changed, but is still a fun game. Sure it may have more races than any other RTS, but DoW added races to make of for lack of true strategy and originality. If you are a fan of DoW this is a necessity as an addition to the DoW 40k universe. But in reality it is Iron Lore Entertainment and Relic Entertainment just milking the loyal fans for money with an overpriced expansion pack. Currently, there are free DoW mods out there that are more deserving of your hard earned cash.

[Anonymous] gave it a6:
Not as polished as the previous DOWs. e.g no movie to illustrate why your race came to the system etc.

Andy L. gave it a5:
Its an ok game. But I feel that it was somewhat rushed. Its like DC all over again just longer with two new races and some shotty at best air units thrown in. They could have done way better with this but sadly feel way short of the mark. I was really looking forward to this but after only like afew hours play I could already see that there was nothing much new to this game then DC. And its too long with no real goals or anything to look forward to after you get all you wargear except honor guard units. I was very surprised to see this considering how good DC was.

Mark K. gave it a10:
Its a great game and worth buying to me the multiplayer is fun to.

Mango P. gave it a10:
Starcraft? What's that? Dawn of War Soulstorm is where the real action is. THIS, by nature, is the definition of what a GAME truly is. This is an exceptional game and it keeps on giving. Its a french kiss from kate beckinsale, in a box full of flaming swords and holy fire. It's the one $40 purchase which you can make that will outlast just about any other game available anywhere. Worth buying just to play as the Badass Holy Seraphim Sisters of Battle, but you get 9 races total and more weapons than I could count. This is the judgment of the righteous. Stop reading and Buy this game. Right now.

Read more user comments...

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: World News | Fantasy Football | Amy Winehouse | Baseball | E3 | Batman | Firefox 3 | iPhone 3G

About CNET Networks | Jobs | Advertise

© 2008 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use