There was a tide of new Warhammer 40k video game publicity earlier this week for some reason, and I’d like to address it really quickly since we’re fans of the franchise generally. First off, I’m not that likely to get into it anyway but the teaser video for the new 40k MMO didn’t excite me much.
Yeah, that one.
I’m willing to reserve judgement until more is known – like, anything at all – but aside from the scenes with Titans the whole thing looks like a WoWalike, right down to the button bar at the bottom and the portrait/resources panel at the top left. I’ve said it before: WoW does what it does very well, and you’re more likely to beat Blizzard with something truly different than by beating them at their own game. WoW with bolters doesn’t count as “truly different”, especially when your art style looks more like WoW than it does the rest of 40k.
So let’s talk Space Marine.
There’s still plenty we don’t know about this game either, but the in-engine footage of combat looks interesting. The shooting looks really reminiscent of Resident Evil 4/Gears of War over-the-shoulder style action games, which I quite enjoy. The melee seems nice and fast, with the marines jumping and lunging into their attacks rather than plodding about; I quite liked the bit early on where a marine charges through the sort of chest-high concrete wall that usually winds up inviolate in shooter games. I didn’t see a wide variety of attacks, though which suggests the possible danger that things could get into throbbing red Dynasty Thumbs territory rather than tasty and caramel-flavored God of War-ville.
I’ve got questions, of course, but I’ll try to avoid the ones that are just thinly-veiled speculation. Who’s the unhelmed marine we see in some of the shooting segments? Do we still get to use any weapons aside from the bolter and chainsword? Are there enemies aside from the orks? Multi?
There’s still plenty of time for them to screw this up, but it would be possible for the stuff shown in that trailer to be parts of a game I would enjoy. Beyond that I allow for nothing!
-ssr
I’m not really into the MMO thing. I have way too much going on in my life and that doesn’t look Warhammery enough. I’m all about huge forces clashing in great numbers and that looks a little too much like Neverwinter Nights meets 40k graphics.
As for Space Marine – I have the same reservations that you do. My best case is that you get a similar choice of Marine and load out selection that you have with DOW right now. For each mission you choose the Marine with the best skill set and set him up with the best wargear for the challenge. I also didn’t see a jump pack and if I don’t get one I will remove someone’s spleen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcQ2aZ8vurw
The teaser trailer from a year ago, so your mileage may vary, but there’s a Marine with a hammer/jump pack in there.