So close! Despite it is a fun game, Dawn of War II could have been the best RTS ever, but some key point were missed.
First things first. Dawn of War II is a good RTS that mix the universe of DOW using the company of Heroes game play (where cover it´s an important element of game play and you have fewer units to play with, than the average RTS game. The individual aspects of each unit really makes difference in the battle dynamic) with some action RPG mechanics (were you can evolve and improve your characters with new abilities and lots of loot). this mix made me give it an 8.
I liked the first version of Dawn of War, and for me, this sequel is the correct "grown up" approach that the game needed. If you , like me, thought that the first one was a cool game, but kind of "shallow" compared to recent games like Company of Heroes or World in conflict, then, you probably will agree with me in the rest if you play the game. It´s divided in too parts: the campaign and the skirmish mode were you can play with the AI or over the web.
The campaign you can play only with the space marines, and it is were the action RPG mechanics take place. You have a max of 6 different units/characters, including yourself. Until you´re evolving and collecting new itens along, it´s enough. But, when you´ve evolved all your fellas to the max level (20) and have still a lot of missions in the way, you started to feel frustrated. It´s worse when you realize that the missions are absolutely all the same, over and over again. Your objectives are all about defeating a particular Tyranid or Orc, or Eldar, otherwise, defending the cities you´ve already "conquered". If some points were made different the campaign level would be a lot better. Some suggestions:
1) Instead of play just with the space marines, they could have give you the option of playing with any of the 4 factions. This would have made the history less interesting, but, in essence, i buy a game to have fun PLAYING it.
2) You can´t save a game during the mission. I understand what they tried to do. You, me and, anyone who plays a game have something in common: We don´t like to loose. So, since you can´t save a mission in the middle, you´re forced to lose that mission and replay it again. This won´t bother me if each time you loose you have just to retry the mission, but no. Instead, you just don´t have a chance to replay that mission, and if it´s not enough, because you lose, you´re "gifted" with another 2 or 3 defensive mission all at once, and ALL of then you have 3 days to do. So, you have to stop going forward in the game to retake something that was already yours....I respect the fact that they try to make the player live all the aspects of the game, but it would been nice and much less frustrating if the game were less punitive with the losses, and, if they let you play the mission you failed again.
3) A consequence of the above, sometimes you have SO MANY defensive missions (were you´ve to defend a specific point that you´ve conquered before) that you HAVE to accomplish (each defensive mission has a 3 day evaluation. After that, you loose the point and don´t have the chance to retake it), that instead of been thrilled about what are going to happen next, you're praying to not loose again and became permanently stucked. it would be simpler and more satisfying if the defensive missions were made without the "tic-tac" counter.
Now, about the skirmish:
1) Each skirmish game you have to chose between 3 different heroes to play with along the battle. Each one have it´s strong points, and corresponding specific abilities. Why not gives the option to train the other two heroes in the battle with the other units? (of course, with a proportional cost for each). Since the game has 3 tech levels, and at the first level you already have picked a hero, it would be fair enough to have the chance of training another one in the Tech 2, and the last in the tech 3. Since the game dont have a big variety of unit types (the space marines, for example, have only 8 units, not counting the hero) it would add much more variety and replayability in the long time.
2) another unnecessary mistake: You can not reforce your squad at any time any more. If you´re in the middle of a battle in skirmish and loosing man (and in a battle it happens many times), then you have to go all the way back to your base and "refill" . Suggestion: They could make it like the campaign and give the resource and victory points (the last one not present in campaign) the ability to reinforce too, since you have conquered it. The skirmish battlers would be much more smooth and fun.
Well, that is all. This criticism it´s not because I dislike the game. Fortunately, it´s the other way around. As a I sad in first place: it´s a good game, really good one. It just have the potential to be awesome.