Based on the popular tabletop strategy game that all good nerds seem to know and love, Warhammer 40,000 is something of a monster franchise. Previously the inspiration for two absolutely stonking real time strategy games on the PC, the burly Space Marines will be making their console debut at the end of the week in Warhammer 40k: Space Marine - a new third person shooter.
Playing as Captain Titus, a decorated soldier, it's up to you to defend the forge world - one of the many factory planets, where the equipment for mankind's survival are produced, which is currently falling to a million strong ork horde. There's a huge back story here, but we're assured that even if you're fairly new to the whole Warhammer thing, and don't spend your every weekend lugging a box of miniatures to your nearest Games Workshop, it'll be easy enough to sink your teeth into this, and find your way around.
Space Marines never travel alone. Also, have better shoulder pads than Hilary Devey.
One of the biggest features people were concerned about, though, was notable by its absence from Space Marine - a co-op mode. In an effort to placate the rabid fans, Relic, the game's developers, have announced that they'll be releasing a co-op mode as a free download over Xbox Live, the Playstation Network, and the PC - although it's not quite what we hoped for. Rather than letting us play through the game in split-screen with a friend, the co-op mode is instead online only, and seems to be Warhammer's version of Gears of War's "Horde Morde", where you face off against waves of increasingly tough enemies. Trying to liven things up a bit, the mode, called Exterminatus, will randomly ask you to complete certain objectives - such as killing 10 Orks in ten seconds - and any experience gained will carry over into competitive multiplayer, too.
If you're interested in what you've heard, there's a demo out now on the Xbox 360 and PS3, so you can try it our for yourself. From what we've seen, there's reason to be excited - but only time will tell what the full game's like.
