<s>
Warhammer	B-Application
40,000	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dawn	I-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
a	O
real-time	O
strategy-tactical	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Relic	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
THQ	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
based	O
on	O
the	O
fictional	O
Warhammer	O
40,000	O
universe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
Warhammer	B-Language
40,000	I-Language
:	I-Language
Dawn	I-Language
of	I-Language
War	I-Language
video	O
game	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
on	O
February	O
19	O
,	O
2009	O
and	O
in	O
Europe	O
on	O
February	O
20	O
,	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
April	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
markedly	O
different	O
from	O
that	O
of	O
Dawn	B-Language
of	I-Language
War	I-Language
and	O
its	O
expansions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jonny	O
Ebbert	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
lead	O
designer	O
,	O
describes	O
the	O
feel	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
by	O
saying	O
that	O
it	O
"	O
takes	O
everything	O
that	O
was	O
great	O
about	O
the	O
original	O
and	O
combines	O
it	O
with	O
the	O
best	O
that	O
Company	B-Application
of	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
had	O
to	O
offer.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
differences	O
between	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
its	O
predecessors	O
include	O
improved	O
unit	O
AI	B-Application
(	O
squads	O
under	O
fire	O
seek	O
cover	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
)	O
,	O
more	O
realistically	O
sized	O
vehicles	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
improved	O
physics	O
engine	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
is	O
easy	O
to	O
manipulate	O
,	O
by	O
means	O
such	O
as	O
placing	O
suppression	O
squads	O
which	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
will	O
instantly	O
know	O
have	O
been	O
placed	O
and	O
avoid	O
,	O
thus	O
allowing	O
to	O
funnel	O
the	O
army	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
needs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
game	O
also	O
includes	O
a	O
fall	O
back	O
command	O
which	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
will	O
use	O
somewhat	O
liberally	O
,	O
making	O
the	O
squad	O
or	O
command	O
unit	O
fall	O
back	O
at	O
a	O
higher	O
speed	O
and	O
become	O
resistant	O
to	O
range	O
damage	O
while	O
being	O
more	O
vulnerable	O
to	O
melee	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
-	I-Application
Live	I-Application
game	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
uses	O
the	O
Achievements	O
system	O
from	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
,	O
and	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
widely	O
released	O
,	O
PC-exclusive	O
game	O
to	O
use	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
requires	O
authentication	O
via	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
17	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
an	O
optional	O
update	O
was	O
released	O
that	O
removes	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
Live	I-Application
and	O
the	O
defunct	O
GameSpy	O
multiplayer	O
servers	O
for	O
Steam	B-Application
solutions	O
,	O
including	O
Steam	B-Application
Cloud	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
features	O
a	O
non-linear	O
interplanetary	O
campaign	O
,	O
playable	O
as	O
the	O
Space	O
Marines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
notable	O
departures	O
is	O
that	O
there	O
are	O
no	O
base-building	O
elements	O
,	O
unlike	O
in	O
previous	O
Dawn	B-Language
of	I-Language
War	I-Language
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
includes	O
a	O
skirmish	O
game	O
as	O
well	O
,	O
playable	O
either	O
as	O
single-player	O
or	O
multiplayer	O
,	O
and	O
uses	O
the	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
-	I-Application
Live	I-Application
online	O
gaming	O
service	O
for	O
multiplayer	O
games	O
and	O
matchmaking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
most	O
contemporary	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
Dawn	B-Language
of	I-Language
War	I-Language
,	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
unit	O
and	O
research	O
production	O
in	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
done	O
from	O
an	O
army	O
's	O
headquarters	O
building	O
,	O
and	O
unit	O
upgrades	O
are	O
performed	O
on	O
the	O
field	O
of	O
battle	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
focus	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
on	O
frontline	O
combat	O
and	O
unit-based	O
tactics	O
rather	O
than	O
the	O
more	O
traditional	O
base-building	O
style	O
popularized	O
in	O
titles	O
like	O
Command	B-Application
&	I-Application
Conquer	I-Application
and	O
the	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
14	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
Relic	O
released	O
a	O
new	O
game	O
mode	O
for	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
called	O
"	O
The	O
Last	O
Stand	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
take	O
control	O
of	O
either	O
a	O
Space	O
Marine	O
Captain	O
,	O
an	O
Eldar	O
Farseer	O
or	O
an	O
Ork	O
Mekboy	O
,	O
and	O
co-operate	O
with	O
two	O
other	O
players	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
take	O
on	O
waves	O
of	O
AI	B-Application
controlled	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
heavy	O
losses	O
suffered	O
in	O
the	B-Application
Kaurava	I-Application
campaign	I-Application
,	O
the	O
Blood	O
Ravens	O
Space	O
Marine	O
chapter	O
have	O
returned	O
to	O
their	O
home	O
system	O
,	O
Sub-Sector	O
Aurelia	O
,	O
to	O
rebuild	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
19	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
Relic	O
announced	O
that	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
had	O
gone	O
gold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
released	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
for	O
beta	O
testing	O
on	O
January	O
21	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
scheduled	O
to	O
run	O
until	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
date	O
of	O
February	O
19	O
,	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
purchasers	O
of	O
the	O
Soulstorm	B-Application
expansion	O
pack	O
to	O
Dawn	B-Language
of	I-Language
War	I-Language
were	O
allowed	O
to	O
take	O
part	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
phase	O
of	O
the	O
beta	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
beta	O
was	O
downloadable	O
via	O
Valve	O
's	O
Steam	B-Application
online	O
distribution	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
uses	O
an	O
updated	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Essence	B-Application
Engine	I-Application
,	O
Essence	B-Application
Engine	I-Application
2.0	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Essence	B-Application
Engine	I-Application
1.0	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
power	O
Relic	O
's	O
World	O
War	O
II	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
game	O
Company	B-Application
of	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
and	O
its	O
two	O
expansion	O
packs	O
Company	B-Application
of	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
:	I-Application
Opposing	I-Application
Fronts	I-Application
and	O
Company	B-Application
of	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
:	I-Application
Tales	I-Application
of	I-Application
Valor	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
has	O
received	O
a	O
highly	O
positive	O
reception	O
,	O
scoring	O
an	O
average	O
of	O
85%	O
on	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
Retribution	O
no	O
longer	O
uses	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
Live	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
announced	O
on	O
September	O
15	O
.	O
</s>
