Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War

If you like Warhammer 40K but at the same time Panzer General you will absolutely love this gem. Rites of War is a classic turn-based strategy game set in the grim dark future of the 40K universe. It puts you in command of the enigmatic Eldar as they battle humans and Tyranids on a contested planet. Built on the Panzer General II engine, it combines hex-based tactical gameplay with RPG-like unit progression and a story driven campaign. 👍 What It Does Well: Faithful 40K Atmosphere: The game does a solid job capturing the feel of the 40K universe, especially from the Eldars perspective—a rarity in games. Tactical Depth: Unit positioning, line-of-sight, and initiative play key roles, rewarding thoughtful planning. Progression and Customization: Units gain experience and can level up, with elite Eldar units even becoming Exarchs Multiple Campaigns: While the main story follows the Eldar, you can also play standalone scenarios as the Tyranids or Imperial forces. 👎 Where It Falls Short: Outdated Engine: The Panzer General II engine was already aging by 1999. While functional, it limits the game’s flexibility and visual appeal. Clunky Interface: The UI feels dated and unintuitive, especially by modern standards. Steep Learning Curve: The game throws a lot of mechanics at you quickly, and there's minimal hand-holding. 🎨 Presentation: Graphics: 2D, sprite-based visuals that are vibrant for the era but dated now.( Until someone makes a mod) Sound & Music: Atmospheric but repetitive—more functional than memorable. Narrative: The Eldar story is engaging for lore fans, but storytelling is mostly delivered through briefings and text. Who Should Play It: Warhammer 40K enthusiasts interested in the Eldar perspective. Fans of classic hex-based strategy games with RPG elements. Retro gamers looking to explore older 40K titles. Who Should Skip It: Players seeking modern visuals and streamlined interfaces. Thanks GOG for preservation program!

Beyond the beautiful graphics and the magnific 34-minute soundtrack (how I wish it was longer!), Rites of War is an excellent, engaging turn-based strategy game. The action takes place in hex maps; no resource gathering and no base building, though you will obtain Glory, Experience and Artifacts throughout the campaign. Glory is the currency to recruit new units into your army, Experience will earn them upgrades and traits, while Artifacts are powerful objects which grant different bonuses to the wielder. Scenarios have different objectives and win conditions, though most of them revolve around overpowering your foes with your troops. You'll want to study every map and watch the movement of your enemies, so you can avoid as many losses as possible, specially regarding your most experienced leaders. The AI has overwhelming numbers but it's easy to predict, so use this to your advantage! Warning, very addictive :)

I'm a big fan of WH40k in general and the Eldar in particular, in addition I did love Panzer General, so this game was just made for me. I'm a bit sad the storyline is very basic, but I nonetheless enjoyed the mission design, basic gameplay and overall look of the game. (Old 40k is so cartoony in a charming way) If you want some turn based 40k fun for inbetween, this game is a no-brainer P.S. Equip a Harlequin with a warp spider backpack and traverse a big map in 2 turns.

If you've played Panzer General, Panzer General 2, Panzer Corps, Order of Battle WW2, but you felt it didn't have enough space elves? Boy, have you come to the right place.

If you expect the latest of graphics, game play etc don't bother. If on the other hand, you want to slaughter Mon'Keigh and the Tyranid whilst getting a heavy dose of retro goodness, this absolutely is for you. I expect you already realised that, but I'm just reaffirming. Oh yeah this port by GoG, absolutely no issues/bugs for me. Great work, go for it.