Winter Assualt is an addon for the 2004 Game Of The Year - ‘Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War’.

Taking the original design and tweaking it a little, Winter Assault is a good addition to an already great game. It doesn’t break any ground, but it does offer a lot more depth. The single player campaign has a good story, and, unlike in the original game, allows you to play both sides in the battle. The addition of the Imperial Guard as a playable faction gives more flexibility to the game, allowing for defensive play-styles - if you can get to grips with a side that at first (not once you progress in the tech tree) feels very underpowered.

The single player story takes place on Lorn V. A ship / weapon has crashed on the planet, and, because of its power, the Oks, Chaos, and the Eldar want it. You are tasked, as the Imperial Guard, to make sure that you recover it before any of them get to it. Yes, its a typical RTS story, but if you wanted in depth plots you probably wouldn’t be playing an RTS. The story does have some flexibility in it, and it is enjoyable enough. Being able to play more than just one side is a welcome addition.

As the single player campaign progresses, players get to choose which side they play - you can even swap sides during missions. If you would rather the Eldar get to the device before the Imperial Guard do, its your choice. This is a nice concept, and something more games should do.

Graphically, little has changed from the original Dawn of War, the graphics are still good, with lots of nice detail on the units, and some of the maps are interestingly designed and nice to look at. Sound wise, the voice-overs are much improved, and the music is well done also.

The new faction, the Imperial Guard feel very strange at first - they are just normal cannon-fodder humans, and are very weak and prone to getting their morale broken. They are easier to play in terms of having a more streamlined tech-tree, however, and they can garrison the majority of their buildings. They also get some very strong vehicles.

If you are accustomed to playing some of the other races from the original Dawn of War, then you may find at first you don’t like the Imperial Guard. They require a different strategy, but once you get used to them you may like them. Newcomers to the game, especially if you play defensively, should also like them.

The Imperial Guard isn’t the only addition - the old factions have not been neglected, and each get a new unit. The Orcs get Mega Armoured Nobz - melee specialist units with a bit more power than the standard Orc units. The Eldar gained Fire Dragons, which are powerful and have a lot of staying power, and the Space Marines gained a special Chaplain unit.

All in all, this is a great addon that solved a lot of percieved issues with the original Dawn of War. It has a solid single-player campaign, and adds a new lease of life to the multi-player game.

Fans of the original should definitely buy it, as should newcomers on the lookout for a strategy game to play.

Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Single Player:9/10
Multi Player:9/10
Longevity:9/10
Overall:9/10