Warhammer: Soulstorm

Ordinarily, I would not like Warhammer. I was never fond of the figurines, the concept and the whole pen and paper gig. Of course, that also meant discounting whatever universe it was that the community churned up. And then I encountered Soulstorm.

Now, that didn't quite get me to make a full 180 on my perceptions of the Warhammer universe. However, I really did like the game and it provided an interesting introduction to the dynamics of Warhammer. Naturally, I would like no faction more than the Sisters of Battle.

As a game, I loved it for its variety and balance. Some units may be more powerful than others, but even juggernaut-like units could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers of lesser units. I do not think the storytelling was quite on par with Starcraft, unfortunately. Even after climatic battles, the cutscenes seemed to lack the oomph that Starcraft captured so artfully. Then again, it's hard to fault them given the sheer amount of content they had, with tales interwoven between the factions. I like stories told from the perspective of the various combatants.

Overall, I think it's a good enough game (and a nice introduction to the Warhammer universe) but it lacked one key element: Veterancy. Granted, it may be hard to balance, but it would be nice if units could get stronger the more they fight. That'd reward players for not squandering their units...