Adeptus Titanicus: Dominus- Video Game Preview

Adeptus Titanicus: Dominus
Genre: Third-Person Shooter	Platform: PC Exclusive	Allegiance(company): Membraine Studios, Games Workshop
Year: 2018
Synopsis: Membraine Studios brings to life an old tabletop as 4th Edition EPIC makes a splash with the release of Dominus.  Set in the 41st Millennium, war is the only thing that the myriad races of the universe know.  Peace is an illusion at best, especially when mechanical gods stride battlefields.  Dominus puts you in command of a battlegroup of the biggest behemoths in the Warhammer 40,000 universe of Games Workshop. While still in the early stages, this is a game with much promise. DISCLAIMER: THIS PREVIEW IS FOR EARLY ACCESS AND IS NOT INDICITIVE OF THE FINAL PRODUCT.

Game Scores:
Plot	N/A	Visual	6/10
Characters	N/A	Audio	9/10
Replay Value	8/10	Gameplay	8/10
Overall (not an average)                               8.0       First shown at Warhammer Fest in 2016, Adeptus Titanicus: Dominus drew early attention for being a game that would appeal to the fanbase of the “super-heavies” of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  Taking command of Titans, bipedal gods of the battlefield, is now one step closer to reality.  Unlike a Princeps buried in the Manifold, you’re in front of the screen with a keyboard and guiding war engines to do battle on an apocalyptic scale.      You’re a Legate, commander of a battle group of Titans.  How you’re going to accomplish your mission, and with what force disposition, is completely up to you.  Will you be an aggressive leader who uses pack tactics and cunning, or a brutal battering ram with fewer engines that pack the most devastating of punches?  Immediately obvious, even at the early stages, is that this game will allow you to fight in your own style.  Players will be faced with tactical decisions early on that they’ll need to tailor to themselves and their enemies based on how they want to fight their wars. Players will be able to pick from three Titan types, all corresponding to the Warhammer 40,000 lore.  The agile and nimble Warhound doesn’t hit hard, but it’s fast and capable of securing objectives quickly while still harassing their larger cousins.  The Reaver is a Battle Titan with heavier guns and can go toe-to-toe with any enemy in the game, offering a balance of grabbing objectives and holding the line.  Finally, the Warlord is the king of the Titans.  It bears the heaviest armaments, the most guns, and can crush anything before it, at the cost of speed.  Each of these Titans also bear their own unique weapons and several loadouts to choose from, giving you plenty of versatility. Once you get into combat (currently only Skirmish and Multiplayer), the game really shines.  It offers a diverse tactical toolbox that lets cunning commanders find inventive and powerful ways to frustrate or obliterate their opponent.  From choice of movement speed to the use of cover and retained actions to set up devastating teamwork attacks, there are few ways you can’t bring war to the engines arrayed against you.  In Dominus, how you fight is just as important as what you bring to the fight.  This becomes even deadlier in the multiplayer mode.  This results in gameplay that is quite pleasing and offers a challenge. The visual aspects of the game match the Titans themselves perfectly.  These engines are created in such a seamless manner that they look real and match the actual Forge World produced engines perfectly.  Rougher around the edges in terms of graphics are the buildings and terrain.  They lack the sharp focus and clarity of the Titans themselves, which stands out considering that the bulk of what you’ll see is terrain.  However, this is nothing that cannot be fixed before or after the game’s main release.  Eclipsing the majesty of even the Titans in the visuals department is the game’s audio.  The main track is simply stunning and is as powerful as the music in Final Fantasy XV.  The game’s battle music is heroic and sets itself up for the pace you’d expect of battle with such large engines. The good visuals, gripping music, and fun of finding new and inventive ways to fight make replayability a big draw for Dominus.  No two games will ever be the same, and its adaptability and tactical toolbox make it a game with limitless options with which to wage war.  It’s definitely worth grabbing from Steam when it comes out, especially for fans of Warhammer 40,000 Titans.