Risen vs Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic)
Risen is an action-RPG open-world game from Piranha Bytes (2009) while Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) is a strategy game from Relic Entertainment (2007).
Quick answer: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) rates higher, 8.1 to 7.3 on the GamingPickz Score.
What each one is
Risen is filed under Action-RPG and Open-World. In contrast, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) under Strategy.
Delve into a gritty, raw and atmospheric fantasy world in which every action has a consequence. In the epic world of Risen, filled with mysterious earthquakes, fearsome monsters and unimaginable treasures, forge your path with the sword, learn the art of staff fighting or become a powerful mage.
All of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War in one glorious package. Play the genre-defining classic real time strategy game in all its blood-soaked glory, including four complete campaigns and nine full-fledged factions.
At a glance
| Risen | Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.3/10 | 8.1/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (89%, 10,815) | Overwhelmingly Positive (95%, 11,931) |
| Critic aggregate | 77/100 | 86/100 |
| Price | $14.99 | $14.99 |
| Install size | 5 GB | — |
| Steam Deck | playable | unsupported |
| Released | 2009 | 2007 |
| Developer | Piranha Bytes | Relic Entertainment |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Risen vs Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic), point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
RisenAction-RPG open-world gameWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic)Strategy gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
RisenRPG, Open World, GothicWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic)Strategy, RTS, Warhammer 40KThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
RisenScore 7.3 · 89% on Steam · 77 criticWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) ✓Score 8.1 · 95% on Steam · 86 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Risen10,815 reviews · 1 add-on · 5 GBWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic)11,931 reviewsReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Risen$14.99Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic)$14.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Risen ✓PlayableWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic)UnsupportedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 1 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueRisen and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
- Xbox
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) (GamingPickz Score 8.1)
- Better on a Steam Deck: Risen (playable)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
FantasySingleplayerActionStory RichGreat SoundtrackClassic
Where they differ
RPGOpen WorldGothicAdventureAtmosphericThird Person
StrategyRTSWarhammer 40KBase-BuildingSci-fiMultiplayer
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Risen is demanding, for players who want a challenge. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Risen and 0 for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic). A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Risen and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) in scope?
Risen has drawn 10,815 Steam reviews, ships 1 add-on and installs in 5 GB. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) has drawn 11,931 Steam reviews.
Is Risen or Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) rates higher (8.1 to 7.3). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Risen or Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic)?
Risen is cheaper right now at $14.99, against $14.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get Risen or Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic)?
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition (Classic) rates higher, 8.1 to 7.3 on the GamingPickz Score. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.