A new video for Dawn of War 4 shows a lot of gameplay in one go for the first time—from an entire multiplayer match.
Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 4is set to release on September 17. We’ve seen gameplay footage before, but never really in one continuous clip. That has now changed, much to the Emperor’s delight. The developer, King Art, has released a new video,in which you get to see a full 15 minutes of gameplay!
The new videoalso focuses entirely on multiplayer, which hasn’t been the focus of coverage so far. In the video, Creative Director Jan Theysen faces off against his Senior Game Designer Elliott Verbiest.
While Jan Theysen commands the good old Space Marines, Elliott Verbiest throws himself into battle with the Orks. A classic showdown that hopefully showcases the strengths and weaknesses of both factions in multiplayer:
What’s Exciting About the Battle
If you don’t want any spoilers, feel free to watch the video above first and find out which of the developers is better at their own game. After that, you can continue reading here.
According to the developers, the battle takes place on a small map. It consists of a total of nine power nodes that are the focus of the battle. The nodes are primarily relevant for resources. To win the match, you must destroy all of your opponents’ headquarters.
A few details are particularly interesting as the match progresses. As expected, the Orcs must rely on numerical superiority to prevail against the powerful Space Marines. In one-on-one combat, the Orcs are too weak. However, they’re supposed to become increasingly powerful as the match progresses. That’s why Verbiest gives the Space Marines a bit of leeway at the start and focuses on strengthening his defenses.
This is aided by the fact that, with the Orks, all infantry units can construct buildings, and these are quite inexpensive. As a result, the Orks spread across the map relatively quickly and can set up small bases almost anywhere on the fly.
The Space Marines are also good at defending, as they simply send some buildings from orbit down to the planet’s surface. The Space Marines can also train units as reserves and then instantly deploy them right into the thick of battle using Drop Pots. Theysen uses this tactic several times to counter particularly powerful Ork attacks.
In the end, the Orks fail to stage a comeback from their weakened position, which was evident from the start. The Space Marines eventually tighten the noose and reduce their bases to rubble and ashes. It doesn’t even help that the Orks were able to unexpectedly set up a second headquarters.
What Fans Are Saying About the Gameplay
Aside from the excitement of finally seeing so much gameplay in one go, viewers in the comments are mainly discussing two things:
- Many are pleased with the style of the video, as the developers come across as very authentic in it and not as staged as in some other videos, particularly those from major publishers.
- A major point of criticism regarding what was shown relates to the fallen soldiers. Some find it a shame that the corpses of troops don’t pile up during a match the way they did in previous games.
Of course, there’s plenty of other feedback as well—on individual mechanics, the graphics, or the overall feel of Dawn of War 4. Some, for example, feel that the Orks seem too weak in gameplay. However, this could simply be because Jan Theysen had the Space Marines under such excellent control. So based solely on what we’ve seen, we can’t yet realistically assess the balance.
