'Warhammer 40k: Space Marine' demo: More than a 'Gears of War' clone

Relic Entertainment is no stranger to the “Warhammer” series. The developer has seven PC “Warhammer” releases under their belts, though many of those titles were real-time strategy games for the PC. However, the upcoming Xbox 360, PS3 and Windows release “Warhammer 40k: Space Marine” will be a third-person shooter. Though I myself haven’t played any of the Warhammer RTS games or even table top games (in a long, long time anyway), I had been keeping “Space Marine” in my peripheral since I heard about it. Though it easily could’ve been a “Gears of War” clone, “WH 40k:SM” takes measures to make sure that the distinction between the series are immediately noticeable.

I’m well aware that the Warhammer series has been around looong before the popular third-person shooter from Epic. With that said, Gears will be the game that “WH 40k:SM” is most often compared to – and for obvious reasons. Both series feature large, bulky, armor clad soldiers waging war against all manner of ugly monstrosities. However, “WH 40k:SM” presents a very different game than that of the Gears universe – one that is more focused on adrenaline pumping action with an emphasis on melee combat.

In “WH 40k:SM,” players take on the role of Captain Titus, leader of the Ultramarines second company defending the forgeworld, Graia. Co-op with a second player will also be available, though I’m not sure if it’s online or splitscreen (or both). It should also be mentioned that 8 vs. 8 competitive multiplayer will be available in the final version of the game, featuring traditional deathmatch as well as an objective Domination-esque objective mode. Plans for a CTF mode are allegedly in the works as DLC after the game is released.

In the demo, which appears to take place early on in the game, Titus and two other Space Marines must stop an Ork assault on an Imperium factory. The size and scale of the levels is tremendous, making the lumbering Space Marines seem tiny by comparison. The Orks have numbers on their side but Titus and the Ultramarines are the best of the best and carry a cadre of potent weapons into battle that easily help turn the tide in their favor.

Captain Titus practices the Space Marines' brand of diplomacy

Where “Gears of War” employs a cover system to give combat a more tactical feel, “WH 40k:SM” eschews the concept of cover and encourages players to enter the fray using Titus’ array of ranged and close combat weapons. In terms of weaponry, Titus carries a Bolt Pistol, Bolter assault rifle, grenade launcher and sniper rifle (you’ll have to excuse me, I can’t remember the actually names) but also carries a Chainsword, which is just what it sounds like – a sword combined with a chainsaw. The interesting thing about melee weapons in “WH 40k:SM” is that there is no need to switch to them, they are always available at the press of a button. Though you’ll only see Titus carrying a melee weapon when the pistol is equipped, melee strikes can be doled out fluidly and easily while using any other weapon. Grenades round out Titus’ arsenal and are perfect for clearing large hordes of Orks.

Though I’ve had my eye on “WH 40k:SM” for some time, I was wary of the game for a few reasons. Relic isn’t exactly known for making third-person action games and I was worried the game might be too clunky or play slowly. Also, I was slightly concerned it would just be a Gears rip-off like that game “Quantum Theory” seemed to be. Luckily, I seemed to have been worrying about nothing.

“WH 40k:SM” plays very smoothly with little lag even when the action heats up and the gameplay/character movement are also very fluid. Also, “WH 40k:SM” really only compares to Gears in visuals alone – Captain Titus replaces the cover/run action with an evade dive to get away from (or closer to) enemies. On higher difficulties, you’ll need to keep Titus on the move as Orks generally attack in large numbers of varied enemies. There are standard brawler units who carry axes and larger berserker units who carry huge clubs and deal massive damage, along with smaller enemies, kamikaze enemies as well as Orks who use guns to attack from a distance. In addition to the dive roll, Titus will also have access to a jump pack in some areas (which replaces evade). This rechargeable jetpack allows Titus to move quickly around the battlefield, surprise and attack enemies from above and also allows Titus to perform a dive-bomb maneuver that stuns or kills nearby enemies.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed before you’re accustomed to the way the game plays. In fact, I ended up dying a few times in the first few battles because I waded into combat, swinging my Chainsword willy-nilly and managed to get overrun pretty quickly. Titus has a Focus/Rage meter that builds as he finishes off Orks that, when activated, heals him as well as making his attacks more powerful and invincible for a period of time. There was also a really cool visual effect that went along with turning on the rage meter. Little visual touches like this also help to differentiate “WH 40k:SM” from the more grounded in reality Gears series (well, you know, as much as a series about humans fighting cave-dwelling humanoid monsters can be based in reality).

Overall, I found myself really enjoying “WH 40k:SM.” The visuals were slightly on the cartoony side but maintained a slick style that adds to the brutality of the combat. The combat itself is fast, fluid and very easy to pick up and the tenacity of the Ork hordes will keep you on your toes even through the most casual of encounters. I kinda feel like I need to point out the way that the melee combat also makes use of the “speed up/slow down” format made popular by Zack Snyder is movies like “300.” This element isn’t very heavily emphasized but I know it’s a stylistic element that some may be getting tired of by now and won’t appreciate seeing it. I, on the other hand, think it fits very well in “WH 40k:SM” and feel like it adds just a little kick to the fast-paced combat, allowing you to somewhat savor the destruction you wreak on the Orks.

The demo for “WH 40k:SM” is available today (Aug. 24) in North America and the full release is scheduled for Sept. 6 in North America and Sept. 9 for Europe. Despite how much attention this game should receive for being a competent, fun action title, I’m almost positive it will be overshadowed by the multitude of high-profile releases this fall/winter. For instance, “Deus Ex: Human Revolution” was just released this past week, “Dead Island” is releasing the same day as “Space Marine,” “Gears of War 3” comes out on Sept. 20, with several other big name titles like “Rage,” “Batman: Arkham City,” and “Battlefield 3” all coming out in the weeks following. There is no doubt that this will be a tough release for Relic’s latest Warhammer title and it will be interesting to see if it will be able to holds its own against the numerous AAA titles coming out. It may not be a game I buy immediately, but after a little time spent with it, there’s no doubt I’ll be filling the shoes of Ultramarine Captain Titus sometime in the future.