Warhammer: Mark of Chaos
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| Warhammer: Mark of Chaos | |
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| Developer(s) | Black Hole Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Deep Silver, Namco |
| Version | 1.72 |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Xbox 360 |
| Release date | NA November 14, 2006 (Win) AU November 23, 2006 (Win) EU November 24, 2006 (Win) 2008 Xbox 360 2008 Battlemarch expansion PC |
| Genre(s) | Real-time tactics (RTT) |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: M OFLC: M PEGI: 16+ |
| Media | 6x CD or 1x DVD |
| System requirements | Windows 2000/XP - 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent AMD Athlon - 512 MB RAM - 3GB HD Space - 128 MB NVidia GeForce 6800/128 MB ATi Radeon 9200 |
| Input methods | Keyboard and Mouse, Gamepad |
Warhammer: Mark of Chaos (MoC) is a real-time tactics wargame set in the Warhammer universe. It was produced by Namco, developed by Black Hole Entertainment and distributed by Deep Silver. Though not a sequel or related to these, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos is the third real-time tactics title based on the Warhammer Fantasy Battle tabletop game rules following Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat (1995) and Warhammer: Dark Omen (1998) by Mindscape.
The game, according to the developers, is a game "focusing on the armies and battles while de-emphasizing the tedious aspects of base and resource management". Set in the Warhammer Old World, the player can command one of 4 armies from the tabletop game.
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[edit] Gameplay
The gameplay is primarily focused on battlefield tactics, thus not featuring RTS gameplay aspects like base-building, resource harvesting or in-battle unit production. Instead, the gameplay is intended to be focused on high fantasy/late medieval battles. Its gameplay is superficially similar to its predecessors and the Total War games, however the basic game play model is significantly more simplified, and battles are more similar to real-time strategy games like Warcraft III than other real-time tactics titles.
The objective for each battle is defeat of the enemy army by either completely destroying it or causing the remaining units to flee off the battlefield. Battles are fought on a variety of landscapes and settings, with specific terrain types granting bonuses or penalties to units.[1] Units also have morale, and will break and flee if they suffer enough damage or get hit by specific types of weaponry,[2] and stamina, which will cause them to lose defense and speed when sufficiently drained.[3]
The basic troop type present in the game is a "unit" which is anything from 1 to 60 "models" depending on the type of unit.[2] The control system is similar to the Total War and Dawn of War in that each unit is given orders as a single entity. As well as standard orders you are also able to arrange your units into a number of formations, with each formation conferring advantages against specific kinds of attacks.[2] Units will also gain experience over the course of a battle or campaign and will gain improved statistics and more models.
In addition to standard units there are special "Hero" units; unique individuals considerably more powerful than the average man or creature. In addition to being able to use and learn new abilities, they can also be equipped with additional weapons, armour or potions that grant the hero with both offensive and defensive skills and bonuses. Heroes also gain experience from fighting, and by gaining levels the player is able to unlock various skills that supplement its combat abilities.[4] They can be attached to standard units, giving the unit a morale boost and increasing its fighting capability through the use of skills. Hero units can also initiate or be challenged to duels, where they fight the opposing army's hero uninterrupted until one slays the other, resulting in a morale penalty for the losing side. This is for the most part fully automated, however the player is also free to activate any duel specific skills the hero has during the course of the duel.
[edit] Single Player
There are 2 single player campaigns, each separated into 4 chapters, one following the Empire and Elven Forces and the other the Hordes of Chaos and Skaven forces.
The majority of the single campaign is a number of different battle scenarios, in which your pre-selected force will combat a number of enemy forces. Winning the scenario will award the player gold. Between battles the game switches to a map of the area, with the location of their army denoted by a figure of their champion. The player is then able to select their army and move to another location. This will bring up a force selection screen, and the player will then have to select a limited number of troops and heroes to play the next scenario with. Although the campaign is for the most part linear, there are also optional side quests, which although mostly unreleated to the story will usually result in the heroes acquiring additional gold, troops or equipment that can be used in the campaign. As well as traditional large scale battles there are also Duel scenarios in which a hero character of your choice will enter straight into a duel with an enemy champion, with victory of either champion immediately ending the scenario.
On the map the player can also access towns and encampants, which serve as the replacement for bases found in other strategy and tactic games. The player can use the gold acquired in previous battles to purchase replacements, new or improved units, upgrades such as better armour or attack power for their existing units and also wargear and items for their hero units. Conversations between characters will also occur at certain points on the map, advancing the story.
In addition to the campaign, the multiplayer modes can also be played as single player skirmish battles.
[edit] Multiplayer
The game allows for up to 4 players to battle using either a LAN or over the internet. Multiplayer battles are played in much the same way as the single player. The game includes four different game modes, including normal battles, siege battles where one team has to defend a stronghold from the opposing army, and a reinforcements mode, where capturing strategic points on the map awards points that enable players to buy new units during the battle.
Prior to the battle, each player is has a certain amount of points with which to select an army, which is chosen by the host of the game prior to army selection. The points can be used in a variety of different ways, either buying new units, upgrading units or buying additional equipment or skills for your hero units. This enables a player to outfit an army in a variety of styles suitable for their playing style.[5] Although the player is free to choose any configuration, there are also example army configurations for each of the 12 factions featured in game. In a tribute to the tabletop game, players are also able to customise their army's colours and banners. In addition, there is also a comprehensive model editor where players can change the look of individual models using a variety of heads, limbs, armour and weaponry sets. These army configurations can then be saved for use later.
[edit] Setting
The setting of Mark of Chaos is the Old World of the Warhammer Fantasy universe, one year after the Great War against Chaos. In the aftermath of the war, the chaos warbands scattered, some returning to their homelands in the north, some staying and raiding the farms and villages in the northern fringes of the Empire. The Empire, already pushed to the brink of collapse as a result of the war, is undermanned and struggles to protect the isolated farms and villages. If the tribes of chaos were once again to reuinite, the Empire would most likely fall.[6] The game has 2 campaigns that follow the story from both the Empire and Chaos perspectives, with each campaign having a different progression of events.
[edit] Races
The game features four different playable races from the Warhammer game, and the units available to each race are taken straight from the tabletop wargame. All the races are visually distinctive, and have their own unique units, although there is a lot of crossover between factions and each type of unit will usually have an equivalent unit in another race. Within in each race there are also 3 different factions, which are available to be used in multiplayer games. However beyond cosmetic differences, and the selection of troops there is minimal difference between the 3 factions.
The Empire is a vast human empire which resembles medieval Germany in its looks and organisation. Their forces are primarily human soldiers of various specialties. In addition they are, along with the Dwarves, one of the only races who have developed black powder weaponry, and have access to handguns, cannons, and other gunpowder based siege weapons. The 3 playable factions are the Ostermark, Nuln and Talabecland armies. [7]
The High Elves are an ancient and elegant race. In addition to their normal ranks of elven spearmen and archers, they have a considerable number of elite troops, and an above average number of magical specialists. The 3 playable factions are the Ellyrian, Shadowlands and Saphery kingdoms.[8]
The Hordes of Chaos are Humans from the Northlands, corrupted by the gods of Chaos by their ambition, lust or the other base instincts and emotions of humanity. In addition to human warriors and Marauders they also have access to supernatural creatures such as Daemons and Spawns of Chaos. The 3 playable factions are the cults of the chaos gods Nurgle, Khorne and the pantheon Chaos Undivided.[9]
The Skaven are a race of subterranean man sized rats. Though as individuals they are weaker than members of the other races, they compensate through vastly superior numbers. In addition they utilise a mineral called warpstone to mutate members of their race to create giant rats and rat ogres. The 3 playable factions are the Eshin, Skryre and Warlord clans.[10]
In addition to the four playable races there are also additional races that serve as both additional enemies in the single player campaigns and also as mercenary "Dogs of War" units available at certain points in the single player campaign, and also as additional choices in multiplayer games. The available mercenary races are Greenskins and Dwarves. The Vampire Counts are also present in the single player campaign, however are not available to be used by the player.
[edit] The Empire Campaign
The Empire campaign follows primarily the progress of the armies of a young Ostermark captain by the name of Stefan Von Kessel, whose father and grandfather were both convicted of Chaos worship during his infancy. Stefan was thus branded and his family stripped of their titles, and so he is determined to prove his loyalty to the Empire. In the penultimate chapter of the campaign it is revealed that Von Kessel's father was framed by the Elector Count Otto Gruber, who was in fact a worshipper of the Chaos god Nurgle. The campaign concludes with the death of Gruber and the defense of the city of Talabheim from a vast Chaos horde led by the Daemonic Prince Thorgar. The campaign ends in a victory for the allied forces. In the aftermath Von Kessal's family name was cleared and Stefan himself elevated to the status of an Elector Count.
[edit] The Hordes of Chaos Campaign
The Chaos campaign follows the progress Thorgar the Blooded One, a Chaos champion who fought alongside the warlord Asavar Kul in the Great War. Now he is looking to build his forces to launch another attack on The Empire. During this time he is guided by a sorcerer by the name of Sudobaal, who instructs Thorgar to lead his men to a Chaos shrine. After enduring a series of trials Thorgar obtains the favour and patronage of one of the chaos pantheon; either Nurgle or Khorne, depending on the player's choice. Sudobaal then instructs Thorgar to locate an elven mage who knows the location of the body of the defeated Chaos warlord Asavar Kul. During this time he allies with Kasquit, a skaven warlock engineer of clan Skryre. Having angered the skaven council, Kasquit quickly accepts the alliance in order to receive Thorgar's protection, and agrees to help Thorgar locate the mage. The campaign concludes with Thorgar's elevation to daemonhood, and his subsequent destruction of the city of Talabheim.
[edit] Development
Development of the game was given to Black Hole Entertainment, who were hired by Namco after being impressed by their work on the real time strategy title Armies of Exigo.[11]
[edit] Release
The game was released in the USA on the 14th November 2006, with subsequent releases in Australia and Europe on the 23rd and 24th November 2006, published by Namco Bandai in the USA and by Deep Silver in Australia and Europe.[12] Two different versions of the game were released, one with the packaging depicting an Empire Warrior Priest and the other depicting a Chaos Champion. Other than the cosmetic differences there was no difference between the two versions of the game.
At the same time, a special Collector's Edition was released. In addition to the game and manual found in the regular edition, the collector's set also included the official soundtrack on audio CD, The official novelisation written by Anthony Reynolds, an art book, posters and several Warhammer themed ornaments.
An Xbox 360 version is to be released under the name Warhammer: Battle March, and will include a new campaign and Dark Elves and Orcs and Goblins as new playable races. The additional content will also be released for the PC as an expansion pack for Mark of Chaos. Both games are planned for release in 2008. [13]
[edit] Soundtrack
The game features an orchestral soundtrack composed entirely by award winning composer Jeremy Soule, who is most famous for his work on Supreme Commander, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Icewind Dale, and the Guild Wars series of video games. The entire soundtrack is included in Audio CD format in the Collectors Edition box set. The CD is not sold separately, however it is available for download direct from Soule's website.[14]
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[edit] Reception
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The game was received with mixed and extremely varying reviews. Reviewers generally praised its distinctive and varied visuals, with the character models and the special effects earning high praise from the majority of reviews, but also criticised the rather basic combat animations and a shallowness of tactical depth for a game focusing purely on battlefield operations.
The single player campaigns received criticism for its linearity, and the storytelling especially when compared to the game's opening cinematic. The multiplayer support was also disparaged for its temperamental and glitch-prone account system and connection issues, although this was addressed and partly fixed in subsequent patches.
Despite the criticisms received however, the game received positively overall, obtaining an average score of 73 at Metacritic[19], and similarly an average score of 74% at Game Rankings with over 80% of reviews scoring 70% or better.[18]
[edit] Criticism
The game received criticism upon release, mainly centered on two things: the marketing of the game, and, related to this, the lack of faithfulness to the Warhammer tabletop original.
Before release, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos was claimed to feature "dynamic cooperative campaign mode and a full assortment of multiplayer modes for both casual and competitive gamers". However, the cooperative campaign was omitted from the released game, even though still marketed as featuring this (the developer's homepage still listed it as a feature as of July 2007). Mark of Chaos was marketed as of "epic" scale, with "thousands of characters battling on screen";[20] in reality, the game features hundreds rather than thousands of individual characters. Namco, the publisher, targeted the substantial tabletop game fan base by naming Mark of Chaos a faithful translation to computer game format[21], however, core elements of the tabletop game (e.g., formation movement rules, combat resolution systems, and unit overlap prohibitions) are missing, invalidating tabletop tactics.
Further common sources or criticism in reviews, discussion and technical support are that the game suffers from numerous bugs, instability and prohibitively long load screens: "the standard loading screen is preceded by its own loading screen, for meta-loading", as Game-Revolution put it in their review[22]. Also, the hero duels, one of the more distinctive features of the game, are often singled out as dull, repetitive or distracting[23].
[edit] References
- ^ Warhammer: Mark of Chaos - Features. Official Site. Retrieved on June 7, 2007.
- ^ a b c IGN Review Page 2. IGN. Retrieved on June 7, 2007.
- ^ Namco Bandai (November 2006). "Stamina". Warhammer: Mark of Chaos Game Manual: 23.
- ^ a b Gamespot Review Page 1. Gamespot. Retrieved on June 7, 2007.
- ^ Gamespot Review Page 2. Gamespot. Retrieved on June 9, 2007.
- ^ Reynolds, Anthony (2006), Warhammer: Mark Of Chaos, Black Library, ISBN 378 1 84416 396 0
- ^ Races - Empire. Namco Bandai. Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
- ^ Races - High Elves. Namco Bandai. Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
- ^ Races - Chaos. Namco Bandai. Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
- ^ Races - Skaven. Namco Bandai. Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
- ^ Developer Diary #1. Gamespot. Retrieved on June 9, 2007.
- ^ Warhammer: Mark of Chaos Information. Gamefaqs. Retrieved on June 7, 2007.
- ^ Namco To Bring Warhammer: Battle March To 360. Gamasutra. Retrieved on August 21, 2007.
- ^ Jeremy Soule's Soundtrack Catalogue. directsong.com. Retrieved on June 7, 2007.
- ^ Adams, Dan. Warhammer: Mark Of Chaos review at IGN page 3. IGN. Retrieved on 21 June 2007.
- ^ Lopez, Miguel. Warhammer: Mark of Chaos review at Gamespy. Gamespy. Retrieved on June 21, 2007.
- ^ Warhammer: Mark of Chaos review at PC Zone work=PC Zone. Retrieved on June 21, 2007.
- ^ a b Mark Of Chaos Reviews. Game Rankings. Retrieved on June 7, 2007.
- ^ Warhammer: Mark of Chaos (pc: 2006): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on June 7, 2007.
- ^ http://markofchaos.com/features.php
- ^ Deepsilver TV. Deepsilver. Retrieved on June 18, 2007.
- ^ Warhammer: Mark of Chaos review for the PC
- ^ Warhammer: Mark of Chaos PC Review. Retrieved on July 18, 2007.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- WH:MoC official game homepage - information, screenshots, forum
- Black Hole Entertainment's homepage
- Namco Games homepage
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