E3 '09 - WARHAMMER 40,000 SPACE MARINE IMPRESSIONS
DateTime:7/8/2009 5:21:12 PM

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is a brand new action-RPG for Xbox 360 and PS3, announced to the world just days before E3 with a blistering trailer (playing now on THQ TV). Visitors to THQ’s E3 stand have been treated to a behind-closed-doors screening of the game, but it seems everyone wants to know more. And the first question is, invariably..."All the action sequences you saw used our brand new game engine. Even that last scene, with the Titan in the distance and the Nuke going off."The engine in question is codenamed Phoenix, and has been built from the ground up for console development. Although Relic have an impeccable PC heritage with Homeworld, Dawn of War, Company of Heroes and Dawn of War II (the latter two being powered by Relic’s formidable ‘Essence’ engine), Space Marine is a console-only experience which needed a bespoke set to of tools to bring it life.

In the demo, we see a Space Marine equipped with a jump pack powering through the skies before slamming down amongst a heaving mob of Orks, and smashing them aside with a gigantic Power Hammer that crackles with blue lightning.That unit will be customisable, as a work in progress screen showing a Space Marine swapping out the standard back pack for a Jump Pack illustrates. That kind of customisation will extend to weapon load-outs, and it seems we’ve only seen a sample of the vast armoury available to humanity’s finest."We’re not announcing any details about multiplayer right now, but as everyone knows, Space Marines travel in units. Compelling, innovative multiplayer is a huge focus for us – it’s a core part of the Relic ‘brand’ and you can be sure that Space Marine will deliver in this area." A Space Marine Sergeant goes toe-to toe with a gigantic Ork Warboss, his Chainsword sparking against the Ork’s armour plating before parrying the retuning strike and tearing into an exposed flank in a torrent of gore.