WH40k: Space Marine Cleansing Console Heretics

John Funk

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Dec 20, 2005
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WH40k: Space Marine Cleansing Console Heretics



Veteran Warhammer 40,000 developer Relic Entertainment has unveiled Warhammer 40k: Space Marine, a console action RPG featuring the titular zealots as they fanatically battle for the glory of the Emperor, or something like that.

Okay, I gotta admit something here: I've never been all that interested in Warhammer 40k's Space Marines. In fact, I've always found them kind of boring in their religious zeal (and the religious zeal that they inspire in Warhammer fanboys, too) and ridiculous over-the-top enhancements that let them fight everywhere with everyone forever, or however it goes. I'll take a Jim Raynor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergeant_Johnson_(Halo)#Avery_Johnson] any day of the week, thank you very much.

That said, the Warhammer 40k world is one that provides a heaping helping of potential content for a skilled developer, and Vancouver-based Relic Entertainment has made me fond of the Emperor's Finest at least once [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/5820-Review-Warhammer-40k-Dawn-of-War-II] before. While Dawn of War II reveled in blurring the lines between RTS and action RPG, Relic and publisher THQ have booted the RTS part out of the door with the official unveiling of Warhammer 40k: Space Marine.

As with all official game reveals, there's a standard battle trailer [http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/thq-and-relicreg-entertainment-announce,839877.shtml] hosted over at IGN. Relic's had a lot of practice with their Space Marines over the years, so it's no surprise they seem to have nailed the look and feel of the world, if the trailer is any indication. Yeah, it's a trailer, and trailers are admittedly made to make their games look as awesome as possible... but I gotta say, I'm liking what I see. The game looks fast, visceral, and entertaining as all hell.

It's likely - though not 100% certain - that this is the same game that saw leaked footage hit the 'Net [http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/rumor-warhammer-40k-third-person-shooter-in-development/] last September. After all, Games Workshop is notoriously protective of its IPs - two competing third-person action games based on its grim vision of the future would only confuse consumers. So make of that what you will.

Space Marine is reportedly in development for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Remember, kids: It's like Gears of War, except the chainsaw is on the sword, not the gun.*

*(This was a joke, 40k fanboys. Thus far, the only things we know that Gears and Space Marine have in common are: Lots of blood, third-person perspective, and a fondness for combining chainsaws with other types of weaponry. Heck, Space Marine might not even have a cover system.)

(Via Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/28/warhammer-40-000-space-marine-cleansing-consoles-for-the-empero/])

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grinklehi

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Sep 10, 2008
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So, it's going to be like Mass Effect, but with Religious Zealots that have 3 hearts, 6 lungs, and are the most sturdy people in all of Warhammer besides the Necrons and the Orc Warbosses? I.E. Much Harder to die then most TPS's out there. Ignore the Jelosy in this post though, I've always been more of an Greenskin player myself, and I think attacking the marines with a Warp-gun and a Heavy Bolta' mounted on the back of a Wartrukk would be more fun myself, but that's just me.
 

Slycne

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Feb 19, 2006
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Anyone else get an almost Dynasty Warrior feel from the battle trailer? And unless they have vastly reworked the game, those seem like 2 very different products.

I was a little disappointed to see the Ultramarine chapter yet again, with so many to choose from you would think developers could decide to do something other then making up their own or using the Ultramarines.
 

PedroSteckecilo

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Feb 7, 2008
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Ick, I'm not a fan of Warhammers "extremeness" and the Fanboys are worse (and more dedicated) than pretty much any other game I've ever seen. Still, if they pull it off right it could be fun... maybe...

Problem is that I find Warhammer 40k's premise immensely friggin stupid and no doubt the fanboys will claim it's more "realistic" because it's so damn gritty, brown and over the top.

Frankly I almost find the Universe funny in it's bleakness, everything is Hope Eating Star Gods and Greasy Armored Immortal Brains that eat 1,000 Psychics Per Day and use entire planets for resources to build massive armies.

Yeah, silly.
 

Sir Ollie

The Emperor's Finest
Jan 14, 2009
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Boring Ultramarines...at least use Black Templars they have a intresting back story and are completely insane.
 

johnman

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Taht trailer just really put me off. the combat looks like somthing you would find in a JRPG.
 

Vek

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PedroSteckecilo said:
Ick, I'm not a fan of Warhammers "extremeness" and the Fanboys are worse (and more dedicated) than pretty much any other game I've ever seen. Still, if they pull it off right it could be fun... maybe...

I find Warhammers premise immensely friggin stupid and no doubt the fanboys will claim it's more "realistic" because it's so damn gritty, brown and over the top.
First: There are two Warhammers.

Second: There's a difference between fans of the tabletop, and the fans of the video games. Anyone who's willing to drop $600 in paint, glue, rule books, and the models to play a game is going to be dedicated. Probably moreso than the guys who spent $59 on any of the video games.
 

PedroSteckecilo

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Vek said:
PedroSteckecilo said:
First: There are two Warhammers.

Second: There's a difference between fans of the tabletop, and the fans of the video games. Anyone who's willing to drop $600 in paint, glue, rule books, and the models to play a game is going to be dedicated. Probably moreso than the guys who spent $59 on any of the video games.
I'm aware or both facts, in fact I enjoy the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay immensely, it's a lot more fun than DnD and I find I really enjoy the Apocalyptic Bleakness mixed with Pratchett Eqsue Medieval Satire... but I just can't handle the over the top silliness that is 40k, I just can't.
 

Daveman

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Jan 8, 2009
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Looks fun. I just hope it doesn't "get tactical shooter on my ass".
 

Vek

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PedroSteckecilo said:
but I just can't handle the over the top silliness that is 40k, I just can't.
Sigmar. Skaven. Tomb Kings. Vampire Counts.

Yeah, I'll take GRIMDARKNESS any day.
 

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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Vek said:
PedroSteckecilo said:
but I just can't handle the over the top silliness that is 40k, I just can't.
Sigmar. Skaven. Tomb Kings. Vampire Counts.

Yeah, I'll take GRIMDARKNESS any day.
I'm not actually sure what point you're trying to make, here. That WH40k ISN'T over the top and silly?
 

Malkavian

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Jan 22, 2009
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Hmmm... I'm not sure I agree with OP's pessimistic view on Space Marines.

Yes, they are zealous in their way, but not in the religious fanatic kind of way. A Space marine is not a brainless automaton... They are as much capable of rational thought and changing ideas as we are. They are multicultured and flavoured.

Just look at the first founding legions. Each was an archetype in their own, representing not only different kinds of ethnicity, but also different kinds of humans.

There were Rogal Dorn and his imperial fists, peerless masons that excelled in building fortresses, and who were stern and set in their ways. There were Magnus and his Thousand Sons, scholars in academics, pursuing knowledge and dedicated to understanding even the darkest paths, and bending the warp to the good of mankind. Russ and the Space Wolves, and their tribal nature, relentless ferocity and nordic tradition. Lorgar's Word Bearers were theologicians(how the hell is that word supposed to be spelled?) and philosophers, pondering of the nature of faith and the metaphysical.

I could go on, and sure, at best it is superficial archetypes, but I think it shows that the Space Marine is not just a brainwashed zealot, but a human(even if super-). And with being humans comes the flaws, the ability to think and reason and the concept of emotion. Space Marines are not more zealous than they occasionally rebel against the imperium, some in the name of chaos, others just as corsairs or tyrants.
They are individuals, and no two marines are alike, despite the genetic engineering and hypnotic conditioning they go through.
 

John Funk

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Dec 20, 2005
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Longshot said:
Hmmm... I'm not sure I agree with OP's pessimistic view on Space Marines.

Yes, they are zealous in their way, but not in the religious fanatic kind of way. A Space marine is not a brainless automaton... They are as much capable of rational thought and changing ideas as we are. They are multicultured and flavoured.

Just look at the first founding legions. Each was an archetype in their own, representing not only different kinds of ethnicity, but also different kinds of humans.

There were Rogal Dorn and his imperial fists, peerless masons that excelled in building fortresses, and who were stern and set in their ways. There were Magnus and his Thousand Sons, scholars in academics, pursuing knowledge and dedicated to understanding even the darkest paths, and bending the warp to the good of mankind. Russ and the Space Wolves, and their tribal nature, relentless ferocity and nordic tradition. Lorgar's Word Bearers were theologicians(how the hell is that word supposed to be spelled?) and philosophers, pondering of the nature of faith and the metaphysical.

I could go on, and sure, at best it is superficial archetypes, but I think it shows that the Space Marine is not just a brainwashed zealot, but a human(even if super-). And with being humans comes the flaws, the ability to think and reason and the concept of emotion. Space Marines are not more zealous than they occasionally rebel against the imperium, some in the name of chaos, others just as corsairs or tyrants.
They are individuals, and no two marines are alike, despite the genetic engineering and hypnotic conditioning they go through.
I understand that, and I have liked individual Space Marines - I enjoyed the cast of DoW2 for the most part, for example. But I still just find them (as a general concept) boring, and impossible to relate to as characters. I still stand by my statement that I'll take Jim Raynor and his good ol' boys any day of the week :p
 

BlueInkAlchemist

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Jun 4, 2008
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grinklehi said:
So, it's going to be like Mass Effect...
I'm sure it'll be just like Mass Effect. Only the science won't be as hard.

And there won't be any deep stories about relations with alien races. "Purge the xenos" sums up the Imperial doctrine on relations with other races.

And you resolve all of your difficulties with a bolter or chainsword. There are a few situations in ME can be resolved without violence on your part).

And instead of choosing what side of the moral line you want to fall on, you'll be doing everything in the game FOR TEH EMPRAH.

Other than that, just like Mass Effect.
 

Malkavian

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CantFaketheFunk said:
Longshot said:
I understand that, and I have liked individual Space Marines - I enjoyed the cast of DoW2 for the most part, for example. But I still just find them (as a general concept) boring, and impossible to relate to as characters. I still stand by my statement that I'll take Jim Raynor and his good ol' boys any day of the week :p
I do agree with you, to a certain extent. Space Marines are hard to relate to, as they are something "above" u mere mortals. In that sense, it's hard to "be" them, since we have to assume that they operate, mentally an morally, on a plain above(if not just elsewhere) than ours. I think W40k usually does a good job at telling us this, especially when it comes to aliens(Eldar, being the case in point): They are different, not just physically, but in every way, and viewing and evaluating them from a human perspective will not allow us to understand them one bit. Apples and oranges.

I think a W40k RPG would have been much better, if seen from the perspective of an Inquisitor. Sadly, Space Marines sells games.
 

Vek

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CantFaketheFunk said:
I'm not actually sure what point you're trying to make, here. That WH40k ISN'T over the top and silly?
No, just less so than Warhammer Fantasy.

Ratmen armies vs. psychic Space Elves (who, coincidentally, sexxed a new Chaos god into existence)
Mummies vs. Generic Space Marine forces
Emo vampire dudes vs. Tau.
Stereotypical Scots-Irish drunkard greedy dwarves vs. ...Wait, 40K realized dwarves are tired and overused and killed Squats off. Big +1 to 40K.

It all comes down to over-the-top fantasy tropes against over-the-top sci-fi tropes. Disliking most fantasy, I'll favor 40K pretty much every time.
 

theSovietConnection

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Jan 14, 2009
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Slycne said:
I was a little disappointed to see the Ultramarine chapter yet again, with so many to choose from you would think developers could decide to do something other then making up their own or using the Ultramarines.
Seconded. I'd like to see a game with the Space Wolves or Black Templar for a change. Ultramarines are too bland. This game does look good though, gonna have to try it when it comes out.