First Looks// E3 The Games: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Formats: PC, Xbox 360 & PS3
Release Date: 6th September
Publisher: THQ

FOR THE EMPORERORROR... RRRRRR... ....RRRROORR... ORRROOOORR! Ahem..sorry about that. One can't talk about a Warhammer 40,000 game without uttering the above eponymous battle cry. For yes THQ and Relic are offering up yet another game in the Warhammer 40,000 series only this time, it is not an RTS.

Set on an Imperial Forge World, these planets are covered with machinery who's sole purpose is to feed the war-machine of the Imperium forces. The world was guarded by the Imperial Guard who fell against a horde of Orks who are intent on capturing the planet for their own devices.

With the Imperial Fleet three days away, it falls on a nearby battalion of Ultra Marines to act as shock troops to prepare the way for the Imperial Fleet. The player takes on the role of Captain Titus who leads a squad of marines onto the planet in order to secure it.

The game itself is a third-person action adventure with the player taking direct control of Captain Titus. This is quite unique for a Warhammer 40,000 game, as they are normally games that have the player control a squad of troops as opposed to just the one.

The game controls in a way that reflects the offence based tactics used by the space marines found in the WH40K universe. Charging in head long is the order of the day with over the top melee and ranged weapons being the tools at the players disposal.

Combat is not complex, with the one button/sequence of blows mechanic being prevalent. There are times however that a brutal take down can be initiated, resulting in a very satisfying, if somewhat gory and grisly end to the player's foe.

Visually they have kept to the styling of WH40K, as one would expect. With the game not being an RTS and thus having fewer models on the screen at once, Relic have gone to town with the level of detail on them. The Captain Titan's armour is especially detailed complete with blessing prayer ribbons fluttering off of his armour.

Sound wise it's all very convincing, with the crunch of bone as blows make their target and weapons fire being similarly realised. The only gripe was that the rate of fire was far less than what it should be, but that's something all WH40K games suffer from, for reasons that are never properly explained.

In summary, it's certainly one to watch out for this coming September.