In "Dawn of War II," a handful of brave Space Marine heroes saved subsector Aurelia from an invasion by the ravenous, all-consuming Tyranids. But no matter what the Blood Ravens chapter of the Space Marines tries to do for its home system, things only get worse.
The stand-alone "Dawn of War II: Retribution" takes place a decade later, and the entire system is still in the grip of war as the heroes of the first game and its expansion, "Chaos Rising," fight a civil war against Blood Ravens led by a corrupted chapter master, and as conflicts with the rowdy Orks, secretive Eldar, bloodthirsty Chaos Space Marines and remaining Tyranids rage on.
But all these groups face an immediate new threat: A vast fleet of the ships is on its way to wipe out all life in the region on behalf of the Emperor of Mankind.
"Retribution" plays much like the previous "Dawn of War II" chapters, with players in charge of small groups of powerful hero units gifted with unique abilities.
But while most heroes were accompanied by a small squad of soldiers that could be replaced for free at certain points on a map, this time around players can summon separate squads by spending resources. The heroes remain at the core of things, though, and they can still be upgraded with new abilities and better equipment between missions.
Where the previous games focused solely on the Blood Ravens in their single-player campaigns, "Retribution" offers six different factions with which to play through the main campaign. The Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines, Eldar, Orks and Tyranids are joined by the Imperial Guard, a plentiful force that relies on massed fire over individual brute strength.
There's really just one campaign to play through, but six different ways to do it. A mission for the Space Marines in which Chaos is the enemy will look much different to an Imperial Guard player, where the Tyranids will infest the same level. Each version of the campaign has its own set of heroes and units, each with a variety of powers and abilities to gain and master.
This level of variety is also present in the game's returning multiplayer mode, in which players choose one of three hero units to lead their troops into battle for control of various points on the map. Each player has a base structure that can be upgraded to produce more advanced units, and units may also be upgraded with various features, such as better armor or specialized weaponry, at a cost.
Also returning is the Last Stand mode, in which players team up to fend off incoming waves of enemies for as long as they can.
DAWN OF WAR II: RETRIBUTION
Publisher: THQ
System: PC
Price: $29.99
Age: Mature
Rating: 3 stars
PICKS AND PANS
The Tomb Raider Trilogy
Publisher: Square Enix
System: Sony PlayStation 3
Price: $39.99
Age: Teen
Rating: 3 stars
"The Tomb Raider Trilogy" collects the three most recent main-series games in the long-running franchise: "Tomb Raider: Legend," "Tomb Raider: Anniversary" and "Tomb Raider: Underworld." "Legend" and "Anniversary" are both several years old, but both games have been remastered in 720p for this collection. "Underworld" was released on the PS3 in 2008 and is unchanged.
There's little reason for anyone who owns these three games already to pick up the new collection, but those who don't will find three good action-adventure games to puzzle through as globe-trotting heroine Lara Croft visits lost cities, ancient ruins and underwater caverns, facing threats both mundane and mystical.
There are minor differences between the games, but in each Lara will possess a pair of pistols, among other weapons; a retractable grapple for swinging from, pulling on and climbing up objects in the environment; and the agility and strength to get around in rather inhospitable environments laden with traps, puzzles and other hazards.
The Fancy Pants Adventures
Publisher: Electronic Arts
System: Microsoft Xbox 360 (Xbox Live download), Sony PlayStation 3 (PlayStation Network download)
Price: $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points)
Age: Everyone
Rating: 3 stars
"The Fancy Pants Adventures" started out as (and remains) a free online game, with its stick-figure hero and his colorful pants running, jumping and climbing his way through numerous 2-D levels. Up to four players can team up in the new console version, a separate adventure from the Flash-based original.
The hero, Fancy Pants Man, is on a quest to save his sister from pirates. He is unarmed at the beginning but can run fast, jump far, climb high and slide into or bounce off enemies to damage them. Eventually he will find weapons, such as a pencil.
The hand-drawn and animated art provides much of the game's charm, and old-school platform-jumping challenge much of its fun. The levels are full of tricky jumps and hard-to-reach areas but the levels can all be replayed, so there's always the opportunity to try again if something is missed the first time through.
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