Campaign modes for real-time strategy titles are often a passing thought. Many gamers don’t even bother with the mode, because we have come to expect the story to act as a glorified tutorial. Let’s get one thing straight, Dawn of War II’s campaign is by no means a tutorial. For better or for worse the mode stands entirely on its own. You’ll notice that the term "single-player" mode was avoided. That’s because it would be misleading to call the story mode a single-player feature, as players can complete it with a friend thanks to the implementation of co-op.

First and foremost, the campaign only covers the plight of the Space Marines as they attempt to rid their world of the ravenous Tyranid swarms. There is also the issue of all your units being heroes, tough as nails heroes that can take on a parade of enemy forces before needing to fall back. As the campaign progresses, your named units become more powerful at the end of each level due to the incorporation of RPG elements, including gear drops, experience, traits, and leveling. That leads us to the next shiny aspect of the title, the actual story.

The same basic mechanics exist for both the campaign and multiplayer: cover, low resource management, few units, and no base building. While the multiplayer can be hit or miss, the campaign is an innovative success for storytelling in a RTS title. By throwing some accepted RTS mechanics to the wind, the developer was able to get down and dirty with a small collection of units, creating the strongest connection to characters one has experienced in a RTS campaign. The character development in DoW2’s units may not be on the level of Kerrigan or Raynor, but the ingenious design behind the mode gives players an unprecedented level of attachment to the hero squads, if only for their diversity and integral part in a successful mission.

Another distinction between DoW2 and the rest of the RTS genre is that the end of the story does not mark the end of the campaign mode. Relic built in a non-linear mission selection system that enables players to extend the initial story mode via side missions, or continue to decimate the opposition after the completion of the main story mode. Through the creative recycling of maps, the universe’s backdrop of constant all-out warfare, the extra story, various map tile sets, and voice acting, Relic extends the RPG side of the title through a limitless rotation of enjoyable defense missions. The units are capped at level 20, putting some closure on the mode, but that hasn’t stopped me from laying waste to hungry Tyranids or Waaghing Orks.

If there is one thing that Relic should be given credit for, it would be shaking up the RTS genre. THQ’s premiere RTS developer has striven to iterate each and every one of their titles. The small steps allow the company’s games to come off as fresh and innovative, without alienating the core RTS audience. The line is fine, but the company has danced it once again with Dawn of War II. Players may be torn on the multiplayer, but the single-player campaign makes the title a must-have for any RTS fan. This reviewer can’t wait for the first of many expansions to be announced.