When reviews drop for highly anticipated titles, the resulting scores don't always tell the whole story. Among badly reviewed turn-based games that are actually pretty good, Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War stands out as a prime example of a title that improved dramatically over time.
Quick Facts
- Game: Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War
- Metacritic Score: 71
- Genre: Turn-based 4X strategy game
- Original Release Year: 2018
- Platforms: PC, Linux
From Rough Launch to Proven Strategy Game
Adapting the massive lore of Warhammer 40,000 into a video game usually points toward miniature-focused tabletop adaptations. Instead, Relics of War opted for a Civilization-like turn-based strategy formula. It stripped out political diplomacy in favor of direct combat, unit gunfights, and technology research.
In practice, however, the game felt a bit lacking when it first launched. Reviewers handed it a 71 on Metacritic primarily because of performance issues and a sparse roster of playable factions.
Why Gladius Is Worth Playing Now
Time has treated Relics of War kindly. The technical performance hurdles that plagued its debut have been thoroughly ironed out, and subsequent post-launch downloadable content expanded the meager faction lineup.
For players searching for underrated turn-based strategy games on PC, Gladius delivers a streamlined 4X experience without administrative bloat. Ongoing updates and persistent DLC support mean the game has continued to evolve long past its initial release window.