Worse than its predecessors, only better cinematics, gameplay as worsened, plot holes as big as a mall car parking
This aside i tried all three (well, two and a half) and the first one was okay, the second so and so; this one is totally under its predecessors on all aspects.
As i said, i am an old player and im accustomed to WH40K fictional world, i think that plot and its plausibility are really important in order to appeal to those that like games' workshop products.
********* spoilers ahead********
First of all, I am sure to have killed Martellus (ahaha what a lame name for as Techmarine, only second worst after Torquus Simiae) as a traitor and heretic, and Spy guy was also present to the execution inside his predator. The plot around histreason is really inconsistent.
Then, what has been of the protagonist of the first two Retribution? He became captain instead of Thule, now what?
Last, this is a major incongruity with WH40K fictional world. Blood Ravens are a chapter best "blessed" with Psycher of all Astartes. It is also rumored that they are a splinter, loyalist group from Magnus the Red's Thousands Sons that managed to flee before the Prospero purge by the hands of the Space Wolves. Game developer know it well because Kyla is both Chief librarian AND Chapter Master, and the default greet by the chapter (remember Diomedes in the second expansion?) "Knowledge is power, guard it well" is correct, as it is very similar to the Son's "Knowledge is power"; so, nothing bad if a chapter as such goes astray and goes along with Chaos. But... Nurgle? Okay okay that particular demon was passing by and convinced Kyla all alone in a drifting Space Hulk. But... leaving Nurgle for... KHORNE?! A psycher, Grandmaster of a supposed Thousand's Sons successor Chapter... with Khorne?! No way Jose. I guess and can understand game designers wanted a big big daemon with big big horns and lots lots lots of bloodletters and such, but still... Khorne. Come on. There's people out here that love the franchise and feels really let down by slips like this: nonsenses like these are shows of carelessness.
*********** END OF SPOILERS **************
Okay, back to the game. I dont particularly like RTSs. This one in particular feels tedious: a big map to explore, with determined paths, and sorts of ambush/strolling by patrols. Not the most mind challenging thing in gaming industry, but this in particular is really boring. Zig-zagging around and taking down enemies gets boring after a while. There was a good thing in the previous instalments, you got lots of looted gear: that gave the game a feeling of my first games in D&D where i had tons of broadsword +1 and couldnt resolve to sell anything. Also, you earned a lot of XP, and these varied with the speed or the bloodshed you made in the game. All this ground level fun had been wiped out: instead of a lots of loot, you get a tenth, but the same random and not really remarkable (the +1 longswords from before).
Now you can swap your heroes for a squad, instead of having them leading a squad. This can mean to play with 4 overpowered heroes, which is so lame: i like the "sergeant of a squad" much better, they looked more like an army.
Finally, dialogues, the few that there are, are dull and insignificant. In the whole, the campaign manages to be both too short and too boring. Maybe it's not my genre, and there is someone out there that likes games like this. But i feel that it's nothing brilliant even for a RTS lover.