Warhammer: Dark Omen

Introduction

Warhammer: Dark Omen is a PC and PlayStation RTS from the golden PC days of 1998.

It was developed by Mindscape, published by Electronic Arts and based in the Warhammer universe. An undead menace has been awakened and threatens to end all life. As a commander of a mercenary force you have to lead various units of the allied races to victory over a campaign of missions.

Campaign overview

The story-based campaign features pre-battle cutscenes and dialogue, and tries to create characters and establish relationships between your general and the units and individuals under his command.

On the battlefield itself the game plays out similar to the combat in the Total War franchise. You select your squads from an army you repair and expand as the game progresses. You deploy your units on the mission-based maps and start the battle. Somewhere on other parts of the map are one or several opposing armies advancing towards you.

There are many different types of squads and hero units with special abilities or spells that joins the cause over the course of the campaign. Archers, siege weapons, riflemen and cavalry will all join your side and each has a unique, voiced squad leaders. You have to carefully select which units to apply to which situation in the combat.

Presentation

The game uses a 2D/3D hybrid engine with 2D sprite squads on a 3D landscape. Over the course of your crusade to stop the undead you will battle across a variety of terrain settings. Big green fields, small villages, snowy mountain passes, riverbeds, and blasted wastelands. There are weather effects as well as particle effects for explosions and magic.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer side of things plays similar to the tabletop game. You prepare your army by selecting squads and adding bonus traits by spending your budget of points. Its up to you whether to go for numbers or more powerful units. Once the match starts you take on your opponent in a battle that plays out like the single player.

System Requirements

Pentium 166 MHz

32 MB RAM

265 MB disk space