by Brokain on Nov 24, 2006
It’s been a long time since Warhammer Fantasy fans have had any sort of PC game to sate themselves with (as nice as Shadow of the Horned Rat was…), but with the recent release of “Mark of Chaos” by Bandai; players finally have something they can amuse themselves with. Let me continue by saying this article is meant as a review for a game that Warhammer Online fans might be interested, and not as a Warhammer Online specific article.
The first thing that Mark of Chaos brings to the table is the Skaven. My favorite army of fierce Ratmen is brought to life as one of the four “fully” playable factions in the game (I will touch on “fully” later on). As a fan of the Skaven it’s good to see one of Warhammer’s darker races brought to life in such a medium, and I have to say they look stunning in-game.
This brings me to the graphics of Mark of Chaos; spectacular! With so many new games getting released it’s rare to see a game that really sticks out and has some over the top graphical enhancements to it, and MoC has it in several different forms. All of the in game units have different models within the unit that will sometimes be repeated (considering you can have over forty man units) but the unit itself has a cohesiveness that sticks out when you take a look at the eagles-eye view of the battlefield. This is where the graphics of Mark of Chaos excels; it looks like you’re playing the miniatures game with Golden Demon quality models!
For those of you who are looking to pick up Mark of Chaos there are some rather deceptive things that need to be looked at. While there have been pictures thrown up of Greenskins & Dwarves they are in the game only as mercenaries for the other four armies presented; Skaven, Chaos, Empire, & High Elves. This means you can make a Greenskin force but it will not have nearly the same selections as an army of Chaos or Skaven. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but something that should be known if you are a fan of the Greenskins or Stunties. I for one am impressed by the fact that there are so many options for each of the four main armies in the game (High Elves have a ridiculous number of character choices). Also an item of consideration is the fact that much like the 40k equivalent strategy game Dawn of War, Mark of Chaos only has two different single player campaigns; one for Chaos and one for Empire.
The gameplay is probably best described as Warhammer Fantasy Battles on a computer. Aside from the fact the game plays real time there are very few differences to the tabletop game and this rendition, with some things veteran players will notice right off the bat. On my first run through the single player campaign I was amazed when my hero running around with his unit of warriors met up with another Chaos lord with a unit of warriors, and both heroes left their units to engage in a one on one duel. The dueling is probably one of the most recognizably Warhammer things in my mind as two powerhouses take each other on, the game creating an imaginary circle that no others can enter. Clearly Warhammer needs more Thunderdome related moments and Mark of Chaos provides them all the time!
The controls and overview from the game are pretty standard of any RTS game and seems to mimic Warcraft and Dawn of War in respects to UI and in-game controls. The cursor does have a nice option to change symbols depending on what order is being given to a specific unit; a very nice reminder when the battle gets intense. Also for computer with a little less processing power, the easy to use “roller ball zoom” feature is still there to allow for close inspection or wide views when the computer gets bogged down with too many processes.
Army composition is the next big thing in Mark of Chaos, and it’s treated much like a game of Warhammer where players can invest gold (or points) into building their army. Aside from units and heroes, players are given the options of purchasing magical gear and banners as well as increasing their units size or respective strengths and defenses. If you want a horde of rats that doesn’t seem to end, or a handful or tough and durable Chaos warriors, Mark of Chaos lets you tailor the type of army you want. My only concern with the system is that there will likely be “uber lists” that see the internet by the time you’re reading this article on what the best army to play online and the best composition to go with it is. Go check Google, I’m guessing it’s already there!
In terms of story and background; the game holds true to the Warhammer backstory and fits in well enough with the existing history. Even the Skaven fluff which I hold dear to my black little heart is quite well done and full of neat references that only a Skaven player or a Warhammer aficionado would be able to fully understand. The game also leaves a lot of doors open with the possible inclusion of other races as time goes on and the game gains popularity.
Overall; Mark of Chaos is an enjoyable game but it might have come at too late a time. With Warhammer getting a lot of publicity through other mediums one can only hope that this gem doesn’t get lost in the clutter or reviewed simply as a “Dawn of War ripoff”. I for one would like to see some expansions to this game, as there are tons of new avenues and races to be explored in the RTS medium. Besides, our own Ralph’ and I need to get in a game of Skaven VS. Tomb Kings to find out who is the best player out there!
-Ratboy Away!