Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance

Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance
Developer(s)	Eutechnyx
Publisher(s)	Eutechnyx
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer

Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance is a Lane-based real-time strategy game developed and published by Eutechnyx. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Android and iOS. Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance was set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, it follows the Dark Angels, commanded by Grand Master Belial, and the Bad Moons, commanded by Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka on the planet Piscina IV. Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance was released on; 3 April 2014 (Steam), 23 April 2014 (Google Play) and 1 May 2014 (iOS).

Gameplay

In-game screenshot of a skirmish match

Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance is a lane based strategy game, where the players must place 5 buildings on their side of the map, in order to produce resources and to produce units (called 'cards'). The player must then capture 3 enemy lanes, by killing enemy units and destroying the enemy buildings at the end of each lane. Between levels, the player has the option to upgrade units, giving units access to new weapons and abilities - however, by upgrading units, their costs also increase. Both the Dark Angels and the Bad Moons have their own campaigns and are playable in skirmish and multiplayer matches.

Each faction has 2 resources. The Dark Angels have their redemption resource and resolve resource. The redemption resource is used to produce basic units, such as; Tactical Space Marines, Assault Marines and Devastators. Whilst resolve is used to produce; Dreadnaughts and Ravenwings, it is also used to use unique in-battle abilities. Whilst the Orks produce teef, the standard resource for all ork units and the Ork faction also makes use of the 'warp' resource, which is used to grant special abilities from the Weirdboy Tower.

Units

The Dark Angel units consist of:

• 3rd company Tactical Space Marine: standard ranged unit, upgradable with abilities such as fragmentation grenades
• 3rd company Devastator Space Marine: heavy ranged unit, upgradable with weapons such as a plasma gun and can be effective against heavier units such as; vehicles
• 3rd company Assault Marine: close quarter combat unit, equipable with many abilities such as the ability to switch lanes
• Ravenwing: bike vehicle, a fast moving ranged vehicle
• 3rd company Dreadnought: heavy close quarter and ranged vehicle
• Deathwing Terminator: superheavy close quarter and ranged infantry

The Ork units consist of:

• Slugga boys: standard close quarter combat unit
• Gretchins: weak ranged units, cheap and quick to produce, strong in numbers
• Squigs: armed with explosives, detonates on impact, dealing great damage
• Stormboyz: close quarter combat unit, strapped with rokkit pack to jump into battle
• Nobz: heavy unit, useful at close quarter and ranged combat, more powerful than standard Slugga
• Trukk: ranged vehicle, needs to be manned by 2 Orks, one to drive and one to shoot

Buildings

Each faction must build buildings on their side of each lane in-order to produce units and collect resources. The Dark Angels building consist of:

• Comms: produces redemption
• Drop pod: produces the Tactical Space Marine and can produce the resolve resource
• Stormraven: produces Assault Marines and can act as turrets to protect lanes
• Rhino: produces Devastator units

The Ork buildings consist of:

• Camp: produces teef
• Warboss hut: produces Gretchin, Sluggas and Squigs
• Mek shop: produces Nobz, Stormboyz and Trukks, along with research
• Weirdboy tower: grants unique in-battle abilities and research and produces wrap

Setting

The game is set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a dystopian vision of the future. Humanity has forged a galaxy-spanning empire, The Imperium, with the Immortal Emperor as humanity's leader and a living god. The Imperium is in a state of constant war with the Orks along with other alien races (often referred to as xenos) and their arch enemy, the forces of Chaos. Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance takes place on Piscina IV as Grand Master Belial and Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka fight for control of the planet.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	33% (based on 6 reviews, Microsoft Windows)

Review scores

Publication	Score
Eurogamer	3/10 (Microsoft Windows)
Game Informer	3/10 (Microsoft Windows)
AppSpy	3/5 (iOS)
Pocket Gamer	5/10 (Android)

Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance received generally negative reviews from critics on the Microsoft Windows version, picking up on poor AI, repetitive gameplay and its similarity to Eutechnyx's previous title Ninja Cats vs Samurai Dogs. The mobile versions received slightly more favorable reviews.

Eurogamer described the Microsoft Windows version as having a "complete lack of AI" as units are "compelled to keep moving forwards, even if that means walking right past an enemy in a shuffling conga line" and that the game is really "about watching construction bars fill up and health bars go down, over and over again". Eurogamer summarized by saying Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance is a "small and fussy" game that "takes its gameplay pretty much wholesale from Eutechnyx's own 2013 iOS game Ninja Cats vs Samurai Dogs".

AppSpy stated that Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance was "repetitive, but engaging enough tower defence game, that makes fair use of its 40K licence", praising the game for its "huge range of technology trees" however said that "some long winded tutorials in place to ensure you are never unaware of a unit’s abilities". The review summarises saying that the game has "intuitive controls may be undermined on small screens, but complexity and flexibility they allow make it a fair compromise" however goes on to say "there's no ignoring the fact that this is a reskin of the developer's previous game".

Pocket Gamer starts by stating if the reader is "expecting an accurate digital conversion or even a loving tribute" to the Warhammer 40,000 franchise then "you're out of luck" and if "you're not bothered about the franchise and are just after a satisfyingly meaty strategy game" then "you're out of luck as well". The reviewer picks up on the variation in gameplay with abilities such as "the commander abilities that help inspire surrounding troops, or the melee class's ability to rocket over to another lane" however states that gameplay is still "somewhat constrained by the compact nature of the battles". Ultimately, Pocket Gamer summarised saying that Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance is a game "that's a bit of a grind to play for more than an hour or so".