Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Previews and Video Interview

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Written by BuckGB on August 11th, 2010

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Those are the two big differences off the bat, but Van Lierop promises that we'll see more as the game's story is unveiled. "For us, it's about finding our own unique voice," he said. "And we think that the core fantasy of the Space Marine in particular -- ironically, you might not expect it, because it's another space marine -- but he is a very different Space Marine."

The game revolves around an Ork invasion of an Imperial Forge World, and a Space Marine named Captain Titus is tasked with repelling the invasion as best he can. While Van Lierop told me that most of the game's assets come directly from the tabletop game ("You'll get to experience the fiction firsthand"), Captain Titus is a Relic invention, and Van Lierop said that "he's going to be our franchise hero. There's a whole cast of other characters that we're fleshing out that we'd like to explore in other games and other media as much as possible. So it's really a big play for us."

Our day goes from bad to worse when it's revealed that an Ork warboss has managed to get his hands on some nifty experimental weaponry. Keen to shut him down, we head to the Undercity, the zone's sewer system, in search of action. If the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have taught us anything, it's that drains provide ample places to hide, and we're quickly pounced on by Orks who spew out of access hatches like rats. Fellow Space Marines yell encouragement such as "No Ork can stand against you, brother!" as we mow our way through the green roadblock. Lone Orks sneak around, heard but unseen, their long, inky shadows dancing gracefully against slimy, dimly lit walls and helping to heighten the suspense. Orks carrying crude axes aren't much good for ammunition replenishment, and while your trusty bolt pistol will provide you with unlimited ammo, powering anything bigger will require resources from elsewhere. Chests scattered throughout levels give you a chance to refill your collection.

While locating a fallen comrade we're introduced to one of the game's more powerful weapons: the heavy bolter. Shortly after picking up the weapon, it becomes evident what happened to our buddy, as waves of Orks are warped into the room. Our guide fires in short, controlled bursts, forced to manage both the weapon's propensity to overheat and the limited number of rounds in the magazine. We were told that the final game will feature around 15 weapons, with the more exotic devices like lascannons and thunder hammers being doled out at specific intervals as part of set-piece battles. A weapon upgrade system running in the background tracks each item's usage, and though it appears you won't be able to choose specific abilities from a tech tree, each weapon has a unique upgrade path adding modifiers, upgrades, and alternative fire modes. You will be able to carry only a set number of weapons with you at any time, but you continue to earn upgrade points while the items are used. Our demonstration included a look at an upgraded plasma gun that, when the fire button was held, unleashed a mighty volley of power, obliterating the target.

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