Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition Preview: Revisiting a grimdark cult classic, and it doesn't disappoint

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is an RTS (real-time strategy) developed and published by Relic Entertainment. Imagine playing AOE, but it's set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, which is the crux of things.

You have Chaos forces to deal with, undead that embrace technology, an alliance of aliens that want to create harmony, and a race of fungi that make things real through the power of imagination.

---

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition: Final impressions and gameplay

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition has its cinematic moments (Image via Relic Entertainment)

Before I begin, I would like to personally thank Relic Entertainment for breathing new life into this masterpiece. I know for a fact that there are many other Warhammer games out there set in the 41st millennium: Space Marine 2, Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters, Darktide, and Rogue Trader, to name a few, but Dawn of War was the defining moment for many, including myself.

Back in 2008, when I first discovered this marvelous fandom, I was so invested that I would go to Wikipedia to read about it. I couldn't afford to buy Dawn of War back then, and I ended up pirating it, but I'm glad I did. Fast forward nearly two decades, and I've been purchasing Warhammer games like it's no one's business; fantasy and 40k.

What I'm trying to say is that my review of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is not me trying to convince you that it's great, but me having a fanboy moment. This was my gateway into the fandom, and I hope it continues to do just that for many newcomers with the Definitive Edition. That said, let's dive into my review of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition.

---

By the time I first played Dawn of War, there were already three expansions: Winter Assault, Dark Crusade, and Soulstorm in 2008. All three of them are part of the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition at launch. You're free to choose whichever you feel, but my pick would of course be the iconic Dawn of War campaign, where you play as the Blood Ravens.

If you want a riveting storyline with some twists and turns, and a lot of tactical thinking, the original campaign is truly worth investing time in. However, if you'd like a more unconventional campaign, Winter Assault is great. Depending on what you choose, "Order" or "Disorder," you'll get to command the Imperial Guard and Eldar or Chaos Space Marines and Orks.

For the Emperor! (Image via Relic Entertainment)

As for Dark Crusade and Soulstorm, you get to pick a faction and go on a galaxy-wide campaign to bring others to their knees. It's more of an open-ended scenario, where you get to pick and choose your objectives when it comes to fighting other factions. Speaking of factions, there are a total of nine to choose from, each having its signature roster of units and their respective abilities. Here is the list:

• Space Marines
• Eldar
• Orks
• Chaos Space Marines
• Imperial Guard
• Necrons
• Tau
• Dark Eldar
• Sisters of Battle

If you ask me, Space Marines, Tau, and Sisters of Battle (nuns with guns) are my all-time favorites. Many would brand me a heretic for choosing the Tau, but they are a pretty cool race. Considering they've been around for just about 6,000 years and can hold their own, credit has to be given where due.

The Imperial Guard doesn't fare all that well against Chaos Space Marines (Image via Relic Entertainment)

Getting into the nitty-gritty details of gameplay, it plays a lot like the original, but with more added bells and whistles. Everything has been enhanced, and while it's not Total War: Warhammer quality, it's a 20-year-old game that's still functional and delivers everything it promises. That alone is worth a lot.

To be fair, if you've played AOE or AOM, this will feel like home, but set in the grimdark of the 41st millennium, where war is the only constant and consistent part of life. Once you pick up a faction, learning the others will be a cakewalk. Just remember to collect "Skulls for the Skull Throne" when playing as Chaos, and you should be fine.

---

Performance and sound

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition, provided by Relic Entertainment, was played on a system having the following configuration:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
• GPU: RTX 3070 8GB
• RAM: 32 GB

There's nothing to say about performance as the game works as smoothly as possible. Loading times are short, there is no evident lag or stutter, and everything functions as intended, even when the map is chockablock full of units.

Coming to the sound, to hear the cries of Space Marines crash into a line of enemy units is satisfying. The sounds of gunfire, war cries, and everything in between took me back to 2008, when I would rush back from school to play the game. Sheer bliss.

---

In Conclusion

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is one for the ages (Image via Relic Entertainment)

In conclusion, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is not a game you want to play to experience the best of the 41st millennium. It's not up there with other modern titles, but it is the one that helped start the trend and spread the influence of the Imperium of Man far and wide.

In that regard, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition does exactly what it sets out to do, which is create a sense of nostalgia and hopefully help others find their way into the fandom.

With nine factions to choose from, numerous skirmish maps to try out, and the overall conquest of galaxies, there's more than enough to keep you busy for dozens of hours in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition. If you're a newcomer to the fandom, this is, in many ways, the best place to start.

---

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition

Sportskeeda's review of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition (Image via Relic Entertainment | Sportskeeda)

Reviewed on: PC (Review code provided by Relic Entertainment)

Platform: Microsoft Windows

Developer: Relic Entertainment

Publisher: Relic Entertainment

Release: August 14, 2025