Retreading hallowed ground

Image credit: Deep Silver / King Art

I may have set my expectations for Dawn of War 4 too high, but it's a series that, to my mind, never retreads the same ground. It's therefore been disappointing to feel, having played it across two its campaigns that this long-awaited sequel may have taken too few risks - or been too reverent of the games that came before.

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Back in the hands of Relic Entertainment, the original Dawn of War was closest to a traditional RTS game. Yet its use of cover mechanics, unit customisation, and onscreen violence felt distinctly new compared to other games I was playing at the time.…