Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is the RTS videogame adaptation of Games Workshop’s classic tabletop game, pitting the Chaos, Imperium, Eldar, and Orks against each other in visceral space-battles. Developed with Unreal Engine 4, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada offers deep management of every ship composing the player’s fleet, both during and between battles. From the fastest frigates to the gigantic, miles-long battleships, the player will customize all aspects of his ships: weaponry, defense and support sub-systems, but also crew, captains, and more… each customization affecting the very performances of the ship and the special abilities available during battle.
From battle to battle, the admirals and crew of surviving ships will gain experience and promotions, improving the battle-readiness of the ships for future, bigger and more dangerous battles. Additionally an extensive multiplayer mode with persistent fleets where up to 4 players can battle simultaneously, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada also features a big story campaign, taking place during the 12th Black Crusade and putting players in the middle of the Gothic War that raged between the Imperium and Abaddon the Despoiler. Players will be at the centre of every fight, commanding fleets of gigantic ships as the Chaos unleash a sequential chain of surprise attacks on Imperium worlds – the start of 20 years of warring in the sector.
At once gorgeous, accessible, true to the lore and entirely engrossing, there hasn’t been as emphatic a tribute to the universe of Warhammer 40,000 since Dawn of War. Warhammer fans will love it and space RTS bods will enjoy its complexity and depth of tactics. Battlefleet Gothic is a game the God-Emperor Himself would be proud of.
Battlefleet Gothic Armada is a superb example of a perfect RTS with a unique gothic universe, some technical issues with the graphics card are the worst aspect of this great game.
Slight frustrations aside, I’ve really enjoyed Battlefleet Gothic: Armada. It’s a fantastic micromanagement heavy “naval” skirmish game that drips with the Warhammer 40k flavor. It’s always great to see a genuinely good Warhammer game, particularly a 40k one, that’s not something of a throwaway these days.
The developers of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada openly wanted to create a videogame with a feeling as close as possible to the original board game, and to that extent, their goal is achieved. The single player campaign feesl a little bit repetitive from time to time, but overall, fans of strategy games and Warhammer 40.000 will be more than pleased.
Filled with grotesque Warhammer 40,000 aesthetics and complex tactical space battles as expected. The steep learning curve and the absence of three of the game's four races of the campaign at launch, however, makes us hope that Tindalos Interactive will continue to expand the game in the near future.
Battlefleet Gothic is a mixed bag. The slow pace hinders a game that should be all about letting you jump in to epic space battles but as you develop, leveling up ships and customising your fleet to what you want, it does prove itself to be a strong contender.
Battlefleet: Gothic Armada is a competent if slightly laborious first foray into the realms of Warhammer 40,000’s space battles, but there is potential here. As Dawn of War II changed almost all the elements of its precursor for the better, it will be interesting to see what Tindalos would do next were it to return to this franchise.
January 25, 2018
Focus Home Interactive announces Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2. Watch video
