Thread: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

The latest game from THQ/Relic in the War40k universe. This time it's a third person action/shooter game. I don't have much experience with these since they appear to largely be a console thing (gamepads probably lend themselves well to it), but the demo is out and it's really fun. Even better... Hard mode is actually hard. I died several times.

You're a Space Marine (duh) from the Ultramarines chapter, who are more or less the baddest ass of the badasses, though fanboys will probably say their favorite chapter is the best. You run around and kill a whole bunch of Orks who are being Orks and attacking some random planet of the Imperium and killing shit. You know, Orky stuff.

Combat is very visceral. Left mouse fires your gun (demo gave me selection of bolt pistol, bolter, grenade launcher, and the Space Marine version of a sniper bolter), right mouse swings your weapon. You have a normal chainsword for most of it, but you get access to a power axe as well. Menu screens implied you also get access to a combat knife and thunder hammer. Mashing right button multiple times will chain together automatic combos, your usual "first couple pushes are slashes, last couple are flashy AOE attacks." Not exactly rocket science. You also get a button that stuns enemies (you can stun them after one, two, or three slashes for different kinds of stun.) Stunned enemies can be executed to recover health, but you can (and probably will) take damage while doing the execution animation, which was surprising and refreshing (I was expecting it to be invulnerability which would have made things comically easy.) Oh, and cutting things up generates fury which fills up a fury meter. When it's full, you can mash a button to activate Fury Mode which appears to supercharge your damage and give you very rapid health regeneration (it's not invulnerability.)

You also have two teammates who have no personality beyond "generic Space Marine" and who are apparently invulnerable. You meet some Guardsmen who apparently think you're a god. Then again, I think Space Marines are supposed to basically be minor gods compared to normal humans in the War40k universe, anyway.

Bolters sound like bolters. Chainswords sound like chainswords. Orks don't sound quite orky enough (they should sound like drunk Cockneys), but oh well. Saw plenty of Slugga Boyz, plenty of Shoota Boyz, and quite a few Tankbustaz. You also fight some Nobz, some Gretchin, and I think I saw a Shoota Boy with a Big Shoota at some point. Oh, there were some Squigs strapped with grenades that run around like suicide bombers, too. Oddly enough, Tankbustaz hurt like a motherfucker. I was under the impression the unit does piss-poor against infantry and is only worth squat against vehicles, but I could be wrong. Then again, I don't think three Space Marines can beat about 120 mixed Orks on their own, either (yes, you fight about 120 Orks in three continuous waves at one point.)

I suppose we'll find out if we fight anything besides Orks, but I'm guessing not. Too bad. I'd enjoy fighting Chaos, Eldar, and especially Tyranids.

Go pick up the demo. It's a fun use for about an hour. You get one normal mission and one mission that showcases the jetpack play. Yes, you find a jetpack. Yes, you get to play as an Assault Marine, and yes... it's as fun as it sounds.

You do fight chaos at some point in the game. Not sure about any of the other factions.

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Originally Posted by kibner

You do fight chaos at some point in the game. Not sure about any of the other factions.

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I'd rather get to play as Chaos. Still, if Space Marine does well I don't think it'd be too hard to make expansions that let you play as other factions.

I've heard it's a lot like Gears of War. That can't be a bad thing, though, right? Gears of War games are supposed to be really good.

It is closer to devil may cry, ninja gaiden, and God of war than anything else. Really well done combat; I highly suggest grabbing the demo.

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Originally Posted by kibner

It is closer to devil may cry, ninja gaiden, and God of war than anything else. Really well done combat; I highly suggest grabbing the demo.

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I expect it'll get stamped with the "Like Gears of War BUT" stamp if Yahtzee reviews it. Seems like a game he'd review, too... it's way too easy to bash Spehss Muhreens for their archetypal behavior... but then again, they fuckin invented it just about.

I pre-ordered already. If you pre-order through Steam you get a free Steam copy of Darksiders (which is a Like God of War BUT game that Yahtzee reviewed) and you apparently get a Blood Ravens skin pack, so you can be Blood Ravens instead of Ultramarines if you want.

There are other packs available when pre-ordered from different retailers. Space Wolves are one, two different "traitor legions" (read: Chaos) as others, but I believe the traitor legions are supposed to look like they looked before they switched to Chaos. They aren't nearly spiky or gothic enough to pass as Chaos from the little screenshots I saw. You can also get a gold relic chainsword or gold relic bolter (basically it's a chainsword or bolter, only now it's made of gold and looks extra special) through those avenues, too.

Originally Posted by wazups 2x

I'd only buy Space Marine for the campaign and coop with a friend. So it really depends on how long the campaign is.

That might depend more on how much you suck.

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