Be warned, This game resembles little of its predecessor.
The gameplay has somewhat adopted more of a Company of Heroes approach, one of Relic's most successful games but that is not to say that they are the same game. Anyone familiar with the Warhammer 40k tabletop game will feel right at home as the similarities between DOW 2 and the tabletop are uncanny (besides from the better effects).
The base building has been all but removed allowing the player to focus entirely on squad construction, strategy and combat. If this sounds disappointing to some fans of the first game be aware the gore and warlike nature that can be noted from the first DOW remains in the second. Squad recruitment still exists as well as tier research but this is the extent of base deployment DOW 2 offers.
With Relic taking a different approach, DOW 2 tries to focus more on the management of your forces rather than resources. Resources still play a vital role as you are limited to only a modest amount of requisition and resources. It is up to the player to decide on what to allocate such funding to as it can be exhausted quickly. As the player only has to worry about their troops one could make the assumption that the game can be underwhelming. However within 30 seconds of a skirmish's commencement it is likely combat has already ensued, which engages the player until one side emerges as the victor.
Furthermore resources don't even exist in singleplayer as you choose your team before you deploy for a mission. Most missions only last between 10 - 15 minutes and the player cannot save during a mission. This method makes battles far more intense. Your squads in the campaign also gradually gain levels and can be equipped with upgrades such as armour, weapons and accessories. In this sense the single player has an RPG component to it. The enjoyable yet iterating campaign lasts for over 10 hours but can last much longer as new missions always appear at the end of each day. If the player is willing to continue to play the optional missions there can be some worthwhile rewards such as finding long lost Blood Raven relics, powerful items that have a significant influence in combat and is a worthwhile aid.
The real excitement however lies in the multiplayer. The true RTS aspect of the game emerges with fantastic gameplay and replayability. There are four races including the zealous Space Marines, the warlike Orks, the mysterious Eldar and the life sucking Tyranids.
Each race has the choice of three force commanders which differ from the assault equipped Force Commander to the teleporting Warp Spider Exarch to even the stealthy and lethal Lictor Alpha. Commanders add another layer of complexity and sophistication to the multiplayer ensuring that rarely two matches are ever the same and encourages the player to adapt to a multitude of situations. All the races are rather well balanced however some commanders can be far too dominating in contrast to some of the other commanders (e.g Force Commander). However any combination and strategy can be toppled as battles are constantly changing.
Multiplayer has two game modes, Victory Point and Annihilation. Victory Point is the more popular of the two as it plays to the game strengths demanding players who are both aggressive and defensive in order to gain victory. Matches only increase in intensity until the expensive but rewarding elite units emerge late-game. In conjunction with special abilities, the warzone turns apocalyptic as avatars march through enemy lines and orbital bombardments disintegrate the once intimidating opposing army. It's during these moments one forgets that they are only really controlling a handful of units at any one time and proves it's more than enough to captivate the player.
Dawn of War 2 does not obsolesce The original Dawn of War. Rather it embarks in a new direction, transforming the core gameplay during the process. DOW 2 demands more logistical strategy than resource management than other RTS and most of the time works towards the game's favour. Despite how risky Relic's ploy was, DOW 2 definitely deserves having a look into and will provide hours of enjoyment in both single player and the competitive multiplayer.