Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3

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Average Score

Total Reviews: 65

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Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 65

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 65

A summary of the critical opinion for this game will be provided after release or a minimum of 15 reviews have been aggregated.

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Critic Reviews for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3

Reviews

High Score - 100/100

Low Score - 55/100

Bronze TIER

50% of scored reviews fell within the range of 80 to 86 / 100

Leif Johnson (PC Gamer)

78/100

“Dawn of War 3 has overly dominant elites, and a merely serviceable campaign, but it captures the power of mass battles well.”

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Luke Plunkett (Kotaku)

Recommended

“As an experiment in how far the boundaries of what constitutes an RTS can be pushed, I admire Dawn of War III for what it’s tried. It may not have entirely pulled it off, but there aren’t many games that play like this (WarCraft 3 fans, this one’s for you), and there aren’t many trying such interesting things with the way their factions are designed.”

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Rob Gordon (Game Rant)

4/5 stars

“Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 mixes together some of the best pieces of the previous two games into a frantic strategy experience, albeit one that could do with more variety.”

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**Read all 65 critic reviews on the desktop version of VSG.

Read the Reviews (65 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
3DNews	Алексей Апанасевич	6 / 10	04-21-2017	Neither strategic nor hero-oriented components of Dawn of War III are able to compete with the previous games of the series. Single story campaign for all three factions at once is chaotic, unsurprising and absolutely unable to give you any challenge. Missions are boring and monotonous. Multiplayer feels a bit better, but MOBA elements instead of complex base and army management do not fit this game well.	Read review
Ars Technica	Steven Strom	Recommended	04-20-2017	At its best, Dawn of War 3 is a fast-paced mutation of some of the series' best ideas. At its worst, it can't seem to decide what kind of game it wants you to be playing. Try it.	Read review
AusGamers	Kosta Andreadis	8 / 10	04-26-2017	And just like the action-RPG direction of the second outing, Dawn of War III once again has made us eagerly anticipate what's next for the series.	Read review
Cerealkillerz	Gabriel Bogdan	8 / 10	05-01-2017	Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War 3 presents itself as a RTS/MOBA hybrid that doesn't offer much besides an extensive campaign to please Warhammer Fans. Especially in terms of fractions and multiplayer it lacks of replay value. If you're new to the series you'll still get a perfect entry point to the world of Dawn of War.	Read review
CGMagazine	Cody Orme	8 / 10	04-26-2017	Surely, the Inquisitor's eye will be ever scrutinizing of this one, but I think the franchise has been spared the order of Exterminatus for now.	Read review
COGconnected	Patrick Anderson	75 / 100	05-05-2017	Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III is an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding RTS experience. Not everyone will be enamoured with its MOBA-flavoured gameplay, but there is no denying it makes for some frenetic and action-packed battle goodness much of the time.	Read review
Critical Hit	Daniel Hallinan	8 / 10	04-28-2017	Dawn of War III is a solid entry into the series, the campaign is a refreshing and well-built return to form. I've had as much, if not more fun in multiplayer than I've had in the previous games. All that remains now is to wait for the inevitable expansions, desperately hoping they bring your favourite faction back (c'mon Tau and Necrons!)	Read review
DarkZero	Dominic Sheard	8 / 10	05-08-2017	Dawn of War III brings with it a campaign that starts off on the slow end, but eventually warms up to be an enjoyable, if fairly standard, single player mode.	Read review
Destructoid	Chris Carter	7.5 / 10	04-20-2017	Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III takes a few steps back in time to make one step forward. It hearkens back to a lot of older design choices from the first game, and attempts to build upon other RTS conventions in the process. Not everything works (especially the strict adherence to the core conceit), but it's still very much both a Warhammer and a Dawn of War joint.	Read review
Digiato	Shayan Karami	82 / 100	11-22-2017	Mixing the two genres of strategic and role playing has really paid off for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 and surely we would see games in future taking notes from this. Sadly problems like lack of content and a less fun single player mode prevents this installment to be a flawless game.	Read review
Digitally Downloaded	Ginny W.	3.5 / 5 stars	05-10-2017	There's a lot to love about Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War III, especially if you consider yourself an RTS veteran and a fan of the franchise. If you're neither of those things, then you're probably going to find yourself very overwhelmed.	Read review
Eurogamer	Chris Tapsell	Recommended	04-28-2017	Dawn of War finally returns with a fascinating, if imperfect, twist on the modern RTS.	Read review
Fextralife	Castielle	7.4 / 10	05-21-2017	For a game whose namesake implies a certain standard of tactics and strategy in an RTS, Dawn of War III is a bit of a bait and switch. While Dawn of War III on its own is a good game, you have to be completely objective in order to see that and many long time fans of the series won't. It remains to be seen if this iconic branch of the Warhammer 40,000 franchise is heading in a new direction entirely or if this was just a bad judgment call, but I believe many players will be skeptical of a future release and Relic may not be able to rely on their brand alone to sell their next installment, should one ever be developed.	Read review
Game Debate	Stuart Thomas	5.5 / 10	05-14-2017	With the world awash in new Warhammer games, there's nothing about this latest iteration of what was once the Warhammer 40,000 flagship videogame franchise that we will remember next year.	Read review
Game Informer	Daniel Tack	7.8 / 10	05-03-2017	While the campaign can feel like a lifeless chore, the multiplayer options offer interesting tweaks on classic genre staples	Read review
Game Rant	Rob Gordon	4 / 5 stars	05-01-2017	Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 mixes together some of the best pieces of the previous two games into a frantic strategy experience, albeit one that could do with more variety.	Read review
Game Revolution	necrowolf	3.5 / 5 stars	04-25-2017	Some of the game's flaws are significant, including the frustrating meta-game UI and problematic Skulls system. Thankfully, the highly functional gameplay goes a long way toward leading to a positive experience. So, I declare Dawn of War III cleared of all charges of sedition and heresy, but sentence it to a punishment of several lashings for wasting this Inquisitor's time at key points during the interrogation.	Read review
Gameblog	Camille Allard	8 / 10	04-20-2017	Dawn of War III is a beautiful marriage between a successful technique and a very pleasant gameplay. A true festival of pyrotechnics effect, it's one of more beautiful game in the strategy category. Nevertheless, the game is not without fault, and we regret the cruel lack of content in multiplayer (only one mode). But Relic has achieved its goal and the game is good mix betwin nostalgy and evolution	Read review
GameCrate	Christopher Atwood	8.3 / 10	04-28-2017	Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III is a fast-paced RTS that delivers a good blend of the old and the new to make it a lot of fun for both newcomers and veterans alike. With powerful hero units to break the mold and addictive combat to fill in the cracks, Dawn of War III manages to deliver an RTS experience that lives up to the Warhammer 40K legacy.	Read review
GameGrin	The_Apothecary	6.5 / 10	05-24-2017	A fairly solid attempt, the changes to multiplayer bring out a large mix of good and bad responses from me. In the end I believe that they have pushed away from the original DoWs a bit too much. They still need to return to their roots! I am sure they will do it eventually.	Read review
GameMAG	Vadimeys	7 / 10	06-04-2017	Dawn of War III will be interesting to fans of multiplayer and Warhammer 40,000 universe. As for the story campaign, it seems that Relic Entertainment had simply not enough time and budget to bring their offspring to mind.	Read review
Gameplanet	Leo Rae-Brown	8 / 10	04-21-2017	Dawn of War III is a Storm Shield-solid title carrying a few minor irritations. It can't possibly leave the blast crater its predecessors did, but it's still an absorbing, invigorating, chaotic RTS with the firepower to impress.	Read review
GameSkinny	Ty Arthur	8 / 10	04-24-2017	The factions may be familiar, but the rest of the experience has been significantly changed in this latest battle between the Imperium and filthy Xenos scum.	Read review
GameSpew	Jamie Parry-Bruce	8 / 10	05-02-2017	Dawn of War 3 is a well-crafted RTS that eschews some of the tired old tropes for a faster pace and a tighter experience.	Read review
GameSpot	Daniel Starkey	8 / 10	04-20-2017	Dawn of War III mashes micromanagement and big-scale strategy together in a system that's messy but exhilarating.	Read review
GameWatcher	Michael Brown	8.5 / 10	04-20-2017	A solid third entry for the franchise that executes its mechanics very well. Sadly the lack of multiplayer modes at launch is disappointing but a great game that should please many.	Read review
GameZone	Atle Williatham	6.5 / 10	05-22-2017	Relic's attempt to bring back the much beloved Dawn of War franchise at times shows glimpses of being a great game, but it removed everything that made it Dawn of War and is now just a run-of-the-mill twitchy RTS game.	Read review
Gaming Nexus	Aidan Kelly	7.4 / 10	05-08-2017	Dawn of War III is a great platform with which players can delve into the Warhammer 40K universe. Even though typical and heroic unit types from the universe make an appearance it's difficult to care or become attached to a unit. It's a great addition to the genre, but the staggered rhythm and extreme micromanagement responsibilities do enough to consistently break immersion The multiplayer holds its own, as players forge 3v3 alliances to spill the blood of their enemies. The number of different units and the means with which players can customize their armies with doctrines and elites lends great variety to campaigns and online battles, but the game trips and falls when trying to deliver its narrative.	Read review
GamingBolt	Ravi Sinha	9 / 10	04-20-2017	Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 3 is a masterful product that blends familiar but fun gameplay with a new story and challenges. It's the perfect fit for both hardcore Warhammer fans and casual RTS players.	Read review
GamingTrend	Mike Pearce	75 / 100	04-27-2017	Dawn of War III is the best looking RTS out there. It boasts graphics, art, and animations that are unparalleled within the genre. Its battles are beautifully crafted, wildly entertaining, smooth, and polished. However, the single-player experience suffers from predictable flatness and a drawn out tutorial phase, while multiplayer content is in need of additional content.	Read review
God is a Geek	Dale Emasiri	10 / 10	04-20-2017	Veterans of the original Dawn of War will take to this game like stepping into their old Power Armour. Exhilarating, over-the-top spectacle, and meeting expectations like only Dawn of War can.	Read review
Hardcore Gamer	Kevin Dunsmore	4.5 / 5 stars	04-20-2017	A new Dawn of War has risen, and it's an exciting return from a long dormant franchise.	Read review
IBTimes UK	Jake Tucker	3.5 / 5 stars	04-29-2017	Its flaws are legion, but I can't begrudge the game when it's so much fun to play. The single player is shallow nonsense, but the game pulls it back in multiplayer, and Warhammer fans will struggle not to smile when everything whirrs into explosive motion.	Read review
IGN	Dan Stapleton	7.6 / 10	04-27-2017	Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 3 is flashy and loaded with complex, micromanagement-heavy warfare. Its single-player campaign is long and challenging, but feels uninspired because it rarely makes creative use of the three factions' abilities. In multiplayer it's even more demanding and intimidatingly chaotic, but with only one mode and not a lot of maps, it seems limited. Relic deserves credit for not simply remaking the same game with prettier graphics, but this hybrid approach doesn't feel as strong as Dawn of War 2's memorable tactical focus.	Read review
IGN Italy	Claudio Chianese	8.9 / 10	04-20-2017	Maybe, Dawn of War 3 isn't the greatest entry in the saga, but it's damn close. A great RTS in its own rights, it lacks a bit of content and some gameplay adjustments to truly climb above its storied predecessors.	Read review
IGN Spain	Carlos G. Gurpegui	8.5 / 10	04-20-2017	Relic gets to mix the past two games of the franchise in an intense game but fails to create an intense campaign. The multiplayer will give tons of fun to the players.	Read review
Impulsegamer	Chris O'Connor	4.1 / 5 stars	05-08-2017	Possibly not for the purists but a bit of fun.	Read review
Kotaku	Luke Plunkett	Recommended	04-27-2017	As an experiment in how far the boundaries of what constitutes an RTS can be pushed, I admire Dawn of War III for what it's tried. It may not have entirely pulled it off, but there aren't many games that play like this (WarCraft 3 fans, this one's for you), and there aren't many trying such interesting things with the way their factions are designed.	Read review
Leadergamer	Kaan Gezer	8 / 10	04-27-2017	Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III is one of the best modern RTS games today. It's well-made, good looking game and refreshing for its series.	Read review
LevelUp	Luis Sánchez	8.5 / 10	05-04-2017	Action oriented and a lot of fun, Dawn of War III is an excellent combination of the best elements in the franchise: epic scale combat with an intense micromanagement of unit.	Read review
Metro GameCentral	GameCentral	8 / 10	04-21-2017	The story campaign is a bit of a chore, but the multiplayer is an exciting mix of RTS and MOBA – and may just be the next big thing in strategy gaming.	Read review
MMOGames	Psyche	6.5 / 10	05-02-2017	Overall, Dawn of War 3 is fun. As usual the multiplayer is where players will likely spend most of their time. I don't think it completely lives up to the previous games in the series, as Dawn of War 1 did larger scale strategy better, and Dawn of War 2 had a much more thrilling campaign. However, it is definitely refreshing to get back into the 40k universe in a way that feels mostly familiar.	Read review
New Game Network	Tim Reid	66 / 100	05-02-2017	Dawn of War III is a surprisingly inconsistent RTS with a disappointing campaign, coming from one of the most consistent development teams in the genre. The steep initial learning curve, muscle memory and furious multitasking required to fully enjoy the game's multiplayer will likely alienate many series fans, but there are enough good ideas here that you can at least see what Relic were going for with this flawed but occasionally exciting sequel.	Read review
Nexus	Douw Pretorious	7 / 10	05-15-2017	At the end of it all, Dawn of War 3 feels like a hybrid of the first two games in the series but between the wrong mix of mechanics and the lack of real graphical progress between iterations it hasn’t managed to live up to the standards set by the previous games.	Read review
Oyungezer Online	Eser Güven	7.8 / 10	05-03-2017	Dawn of War 3 is a quality game if you aproach it with no prejudice but it's not rich in terms of content. It's wise to wait for a sale if you are not a fan of the series.	Read review
Pardis Game	Ali Rajabi	8 / 10	05-11-2017	In the end Dawn of War III is a proper 8th generation strategic package, although its affords to bring back the original RTS experience from the original DoW were not entirely useful. Its combat is satisfying and dynamic but unfortunately because of its small issues and wrong decisions of the dev's, DoW III didn't become what it was supposed to, a perfect RTS experience	Read review
PC Gamer	Leif Johnson	78 / 100	04-28-2017	Dawn of War 3 has overly dominant elites, and a merely serviceable campaign, but it captures the power of mass battles well.	Read review
PC Invasion	Peter Parrish	7 / 10	04-20-2017	Relic reinvent Dawn of War once again, retaining many RTS staples and borrowing a little from their MOBA genre-cousins. It's not a flawless mix, and the multiplayer contents are a bit lean; but distinctive factions, a solid campaign, and largely compatible mechanics give Dawn of War 3 a strong base of operations.	Read review
Polygon	Colin Campbell	8 / 10	04-20-2017	Dawn of War 3 isn't evolutionary, but it is ferociously competent	Read review
PowerUp!	Luke Clarke	8.5 / 10	05-03-2017	Over all DoW3 is a really solid entry into the RTS genre and probably will end up being the best game of its series.	Read review
Rock, Paper, Shotgun	Fraser Brown	Recommended	04-20-2017	While decent RTS campaigns increasingly feel like my white whale, I can usually depend on Relic for something better.	Read review
Sirus Gaming	John Matthew Fernandez	6 / 10	05-04-2017	Dawn of War 3 is confusing. It revives the old ideas of Dawn of War 1, but does it pretty badly. It completely removes the ideas from Dawn of War 2 because it is too uncontrollable for e-sports.	Read review
Slant Magazine	Aaron Riccio	3 / 5 stars	04-28-2017	It benefits nobody to see heroes so emotionally minimized in their single-minded pursuit of a powerful artifact.	Read review
SomHráč.sk	Ľubomír Samotný	70 / 100	05-20-2017	In its core, Dawn of War 3 is a really good RTS, but the attempt to change the series' formula drastically didn't really work out. Unlocking heroes is pointless and not even the multiplayer can save the game. Eight maps and only one multiplayer mode is just way too little.	Read review
SpazioGames	Daniele Spelta	8 / 10	04-20-2017	Warhammer: Dawn of War III is a new starting point, with many new features in the gameplay, but not everyone will appreciate the changes made by Relic. Surely, no one will love the few content.	Read review
Stevivor	Andrew Harrison	8.5 / 10	04-21-2017	Once again, Relic has done a great job at bringing Warhammer 40,000 to the digital world. Anybody who is into Games Workshop's biggest and best will love this, as will those into RTS titles. It may not be a substitute for the tabletop game, but it's a great play nonetheless.	Read review
TechRaptor	Alec Blouin	7.5 / 10	05-22-2017	A solid chapter in Dawn of War, the inclusion of minimal MOBA elements only serves to enrich multiplayer gameplay and deepen the strategy. Easy to learn, difficult to master, Dawn of War III is fun without sacrificing the tone of the game world, though maybe breaking a little of the lore. Barring some minor, strange aesthetic choices, this is a powerful foundation for the future of Dawn of War.	Read review
The Digital Fix	Steven McCullough	8 / 10	05-08-2017	Well presented and thumpingly over-the-top, Dawn Of War III combines elements from its two predecessors to mostly great effect. With a few more maps and modes, this could be a solid competitive title.	Read review
The Games Machine	Daniele Dolce	8.2 / 10	04-19-2017	The multiplayer offering is quite limited, but other than that Dawn of War III is a pretty solid RTS, with a challenging campaign and a well-balanced combat system. A must have for the fans of the series.	Read review
TheSixthAxis	Stefan L	8 / 10	04-20-2017	Where most game series can rest on their laurels, Dawn of War III is essentially the third reinvention of Relic's Warhammer 40,000 RTS. As the game captures a sense of grand scale, it loses some of the strategic nuance in changes to the cover system, and it's a disappointment that tried and tested multiplayer modes aren't included as well. That said, the campaign makes for an enjoyable and challenging romp through yet another crisis in the 40K universe, and while some gameplay elements have been simplified, the three deeply contrasting races offer plenty for players to sink their teeth into online.	Read review
USgamer	Mike Williams	4 / 5 stars	04-20-2017	After the pure RTS of Dawn of War and the RPG leanings of Dawn of War II, Relic Entertainment decides to settle in the middle ground with Dawn of War III. Base-building returns, heroes get an overhaul with Elite units, and combat becomes more aggressive and faster-paced. Dawn of War III is a game that pulls from its past, while taking some elements from modern day gaming to make something new in the franchise.	Read review
VG247	John Robertson	Recommended	04-20-2017	Classic RTS with little bit of MOBA brings the Dawn of War series up to date.	Read review
Wccftech	Chris Wray	8 / 10	04-21-2017	Dawn of War 3 may not be revolutionary, but it's certainly an improvement on the previous iteration. Bringing in the best of Dawn of War 2 to the RTS elements of the first, the game is only let down by a rather boring campaign that acts more as a tutorial for the excellent multiplayer.	Read review

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Game Info

Game Description / Storyline:

In Dawn of War III you will have no choice but to face your foes when a catastrophic weapon is found on the mysterious world of Acheron. With war raging and the planet under siege by the armies of greedy Ork warlord Gorgutz, ambitious Eldar seer Macha, and mighty Space Marine commander Gabriel Angelos, supremacy must ultimately be suspended for survival.

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