<s>
Warhammer	B-Application
:	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Omen	I-Application
is	O
a	O
fantasy	B-Application
real-time	B-Application
tactical	I-Application
wargame	O
based	O
upon	O
the	O
Warhammer	O
Fantasy	B-Application
Battle	O
table-top	O
game	O
and	O
figurines	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
1995	O
game	O
Warhammer	B-Application
:	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Horned	I-Application
Rat	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developed	O
by	O
Mindscape	O
,	O
in	O
conjunction	O
with	O
Games	O
Workshop	O
,	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Spring	O
1998	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
story	O
takes	O
place	O
within	O
the	O
Warhammer	O
Fantasy	B-Application
setting	O
,	O
and	O
focuses	O
on	O
the	O
efforts	O
of	O
a	O
mercenary	O
army	O
to	O
combat	O
a	O
threat	O
to	O
the	O
Old	O
World	O
by	O
a	O
vast	O
army	O
of	O
undead	O
forces	O
led	O
by	O
a	O
powerful	O
entity	O
that	O
has	O
recently	O
arisen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
game	O
features	O
similar	O
mechanics	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Horned	I-Application
Rat	I-Application
,	O
it	O
featured	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
improvements	O
including	O
greater	O
3D	O
generated	O
terrains	O
(	O
which	O
was	O
supported	O
through	O
the	O
first-generation	O
Voodoo	O
3dfx	O
3D	O
accelerator	O
card	O
effects	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
more	O
streamlined	O
interface	O
system	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
improved	O
army	O
management	O
system	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
more	O
focus	O
on	O
a	O
linear	O
storyline	O
that	O
offers	O
players	O
choices	O
of	O
how	O
to	O
proceed	O
at	O
various	O
intervals	O
,	O
affecting	O
what	O
units	O
and	O
magic	O
items	O
they	O
receive	O
,	O
and	O
what	O
battles	O
they	O
undertake	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
most	O
reviews	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
have	O
been	O
favourable	O
,	O
complimenting	O
the	O
improvements	O
made	O
over	O
its	B-Application
predecessor	I-Application
,	O
though	O
with	O
some	O
criticism	O
levied	O
against	O
its	O
difficulty	O
level	O
and	O
a	O
few	O
limitations	O
with	O
the	O
new	O
interface	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Horned	I-Application
Rat	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
focuses	O
on	O
players	O
taking	O
on	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
battles	O
that	O
incorporate	O
a	O
mixture	O
of	O
medieval	O
warfare	O
and	O
fantasy	B-Application
elements	O
,	O
while	O
employing	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
units	O
based	O
within	O
the	O
Warhammer	O
Fantasy	B-Application
setting	O
,	O
ranging	O
from	O
infantry	B-Protocol
,	O
cavalry	O
,	O
ranged	O
,	O
artillery	B-Application
,	O
wizards	O
,	O
and	O
specialised	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
the	O
gameplay	O
from	O
its	B-Application
predecessor	I-Application
remains	O
the	O
same	O
,	O
in	O
that	O
players	O
are	O
required	O
to	O
deploy	O
units	O
before	O
a	O
battle	O
,	O
and	O
must	O
win	O
by	O
killing/routing	O
all	O
enemy	O
units	O
,	O
while	O
losing	O
if	O
all	O
their	O
units	O
are	O
killed/routed	O
from	O
the	O
battlefield	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Compared	O
to	O
its	B-Application
predecessor	I-Application
,	O
Dark	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
features	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
upgrades	O
and	O
improvements	O
to	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
is	O
the	O
greater	O
incorporation	O
of	O
3d	O
terrains	O
,	O
which	O
as	O
a	O
direct	O
result	O
,	O
means	O
ranged	O
and	O
artillery	B-Application
units	O
are	O
affected	O
by	O
the	O
"	O
line-of-sight	O
"	O
rule	O
-	O
these	O
units	O
must	O
have	O
a	O
clear	O
visual	O
of	O
a	O
target	O
,	O
before	O
they	O
can	O
engage	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Horned	I-Application
Rat	I-Application
,	O
the	O
single-player	O
campaign	O
focuses	O
on	O
a	O
linear	O
path	O
that	O
features	O
choices	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
make	O
-	O
these	O
choices	O
determine	O
what	O
battles	O
the	O
player	O
encounters	O
,	O
what	O
units	O
they	O
can	O
take	O
on	O
into	O
their	O
army	O
,	O
and	O
what	O
items	O
they	O
can	O
pick	O
up	O
-	O
but	O
includes	O
an	O
improved	O
army	O
management	O
system	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
freely	O
reinforce	O
units	O
that	O
have	O
lost	O
soldiers	O
,	O
improve	O
their	O
armour	O
(	O
if	O
applicable	O
)	O
,	O
make	O
note	O
of	O
which	O
units	O
are	O
new	O
and	O
which	O
are	O
temporary	O
,	O
and	O
provide	O
better	O
control	O
over	O
the	O
arrangement	O
of	O
magic	O
items	O
for	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
major	O
inclusion	O
to	O
Dark	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
is	O
a	O
multiplayer	O
mode	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
can	O
compete	O
online	O
against	O
others	O
,	O
leading	O
armies	O
based	O
upon	O
the	O
factions	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
-	O
Imperial	O
,	O
Orcish	O
,	O
and	O
Undead	O
-	O
across	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
battlefields	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
story	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
few	O
years	O
after	O
helping	O
to	O
end	O
the	O
skaven	O
plot	O
in	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Horned	I-Application
Rat	I-Application
,	O
Morgan	O
Bernhardt	O
,	O
commander	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Grudgebringer	O
"	O
mercenaries	O
,	O
continues	O
to	O
take	O
on	O
work	O
for	O
those	O
who	O
have	O
the	O
gold	O
to	O
spare	O
with	O
the	O
Empire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
received	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
received	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
reviews	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Gamer	O
USs	O
Jason	O
Bates	O
found	O
Dark	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
to	O
be	O
"	O
definitely	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
better	O
strategy	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
market.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
,	O
Elliott	O
Chin	O
compared	O
Dark	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
favorably	O
to	O
Myth	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
,	O
and	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
an	O
excellent	O
3D	O
RTS	O
game	O
that	O
's	O
much	O
more	O
fun	O
than	O
its	O
predecessor.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Benjamin	O
E	O
.	O
Sones	O
of	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
Dark	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
is	O
not	O
perfect.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
he	O
praised	O
its	O
campaign	O
mode	O
as	O
superior	O
to	O
those	O
of	O
other	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
considered	O
its	O
interface	O
an	O
improvement	O
upon	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Horned	I-Application
Rat	I-Application
,	O
he	O
summarized	O
that	O
"	O
a	O
few	O
nagging	O
flaws	O
still	O
manage	O
to	O
drag	O
Dark	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
back	O
from	O
the	O
brink	O
of	O
greatness.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewing	O
Dark	B-Application
Omens	I-Application
PlayStation	B-Device
release	O
,	O
Boba	O
Fatt	O
of	O
GamePro	O
called	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
a	O
debacle	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
a	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
game	O
without	O
the	O
strategy	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
said	O
of	O
the	O
latter	O
console	O
version	O
,	O
"	O
Gameplay	O
in	O
Dark	B-Application
Omen	I-Application
is	O
an	O
exact	O
science	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
GameSpots	O
"	O
Best	O
Game	O
No	O
One	O
Played	O
"	O
award	O
in	O
its	O
Best	O
&	O
Worst	O
of	O
1998	O
Awards	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
Battlezone	B-Application
.	O
</s>
