An awesome example of how real-time strategy can produce some of the best games around.
Dawn of War gets rid of all that and produces a refreshing outing into the world of RTS. Scrapping the usual "get money to build stuff" convention, the game sees you capturing a number of key locations on the map to increase the support you can receive. Sure, in essence it's the same system, but the new approach is just one of many innovations which make the game so appealing. Rather than secure the mundane necessity of getting gold/money/resources you instead have to capture locations on the map, with each player having one or two right next to their base to ensure you have enough to get going.
Capturing a point increases your requisition score, which means you are allowed more support from your superiors. Just starting out with a single captured location will see you with low requisition, building basic structures and fighting with smaller units. Fight on and gain a strong foothold on the map however, and soon you'll be building complex fortifications backed up by tanks and specialised units.
Then there's the fighting itself. Aside from the usual buildings and defenses, there are four armies to choose from (five if you have the expansion pack, with another two arriving this september) ranging from mysterious Eldar, who specialise in intricate weaponry and tactics, to the Orks - who basically throw themselves at you until you run out of things to throw back.
The forces to choose from are very diverse, allowing you to play in a completely different style depending on the race you choose to battle with. And then the battle itself is really something to behold. Gone is the command and conquer style of two lines of forces standing opposite each other exchanging bullets. Your troops move in squads, engaging the enemy ferociously, with one-on-one battles occuring all over the place. There's no generic exchange of blows either. Zoom in and you'll see your men fight their opponants with close-quarters moves, blocking and parrying to ensure victory. All very impressive.
As far as the content goes, it's all pretty standard. You have your story-driven campaign mode which should last you around 10 hours or so. Then you have your skirmish mode, which allows you to choose a battlefield, your team mates and your opponants and head straight in for a miniature war of your own creation. Of course, you can always replace your opponants with human counterparts, should you decide to take it online.
Downsides? Well, there aren't many. The only real issue i've had with the game is one of balance. For example, the Orks are very capable of attacking and winning within a few minutes, whereas armies like the eldar only really gain strength after a good fifteen minutes of building up stronger forces with more complex units. This makes rushing your enemy very easy, and infuriating for those who wish to play as the races who take a bit longer to build up strength.
On the whole however, this game is as solid as an RTS can get. I'd recommend it to anyone, whether you dig the tabletop equivalent or not. A must for any RTS fan.