A great addition to the 4X offer. There are only four factions, but each of them is well thought out and offers a unique playing experience.

Gladius – Relics of War is a 4X game that relies only on one of those X: eXtermination. The combat is the most polished and deep aspect of the game, offering a war experience that fits so well the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Proxy Studios has done subtraction work from the 4x genre and, for every element of this vein that has been eliminated, greater depth to the strategic components has been infused. Some technical limits are still there, but W40k Gladius - Relics of War remains a great game.

Warhammer 40,000 Gladius - Relics of War is s good 4X in the Warhammer universe.

Gladius’s attention to combat goes beyond most 4X games, and it works. In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.

Too many strategy games mistake detail for design, activity for gameplay. Gladius knows better.

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War is a solid 4X, with some minor defects, but it is a real pleasure fighting with Necrons, Orks, Space Marines and Astra Militarum.

Warhammer is the sort of universe that fits well with 4X games, and I wish there were more of it. Even if I never played the board game version, I was still able to enjoy it. And let’s not forget that it’s well optimized and has low system requirements, so it should be ideal to play on slower hardware, such as laptops, for example.

While it didn’t wow me as a competitor to Endless Legend or Civ 6 in the 4X race, there’s a lot of action-saturated, tactically-driven fun to be had when you look at Gladius - Relics of war for what it truly is: a really well-done, turn-based 40K wargame. It’s one of the best turn-based 40K games I’ve played through that lens.

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War is a quite enjoyable 4X strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, featuring four unique factions, each with its unique campaign, randomly generated maps and an engaging multiplayer mode. With an experience that's focused on war, however, the game can get a bit repetitive after a while, as diplomatic options might have made both single and multiplayer more varied.

Quotation forthcoming.

Warhammer 40K meets Civilization, but focuses solely on warfare. Only for 40K fans who prefer gameplay to story.

If many strategy lovers may find in Gladius Relics of War an interesting 4X, action-oriented game, the lake of depth in the management system, or the absence of any kind of diplomacy is a low. But somehow that fits with what Warhammer is.

A pretty and novel use of the 40K license, brought down by uninspired design and plain bad game balance.

As the first 4X on the Warhammer universe 40,000 Gladius - Relics of War could have aspired to somewhat higher goals.

Relics of War may not play like other 4X games that you’re used to, but it treads a perfectly acceptable path of its own that fills the stomach, albeit not quite to satisfaction.

Relics of War made me realize how much I need a Civilization game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Gladius is not there yet, but it is on the right path. It ditches trade, diplomacy, religion and cultural development and focuses on the military side of things, which of course is in line with the setting. I did miss other strategic layers a bit, but the game’s main problem is that it offers merely four factions. Other than that it’s very decent. [10/2018, p.86]

Performance issues, counterintuitive visual design, and lackluster sound are prevalent concerns. It makes for a strategy game that is so close to succeeding but falls short of something special. After spending roughly 30 hours with Gladius and getting familiar with each of the factions, I'm comfortable recommending the game to fans of the genre who are desperate for something new or for those looking for a 4X game they can enjoy at a more relaxed pace. What's more relaxing than smashing Space Marine skulls on a Saturday morning with a maxed-out Warboss? Waaaaaghhh!

A plodding and predictable 4X strategy game that's relaxing in its own way, but rarely challenging.

Under-cooked is actually a really good way to describe Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War. It’s got all these good ideas, but they’re not combined in the right way. There are loads of bugs.

Sticking to the established 4X formula helps to make Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War enjoyable, but also keeps it from greatness. For fans, there is fun to be had in growing an army of Terminators, Assault Space Marines, and Predator tanks to crush your enemies with. But, after all the toys are smashed and the maps explored, there is sadly little else left to do.

In the dark future, there is only war, but this is not enough for a proper 4X strategy game.

A combat-focused 4X is a great idea, but Gladius puts too many frustrations in the way of enjoyment. [Issue#333, p.73]

An interesting premise ultimately let down by poor execution and a lack of depth seen in most every other game in the genre.