Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

Overview

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is a third person shooter developed by Relic Entertainment. It provides an up close and personal look at a Space Marine on duty and a gameplay experience with an equal mix of shooting and melee combat. Players take control of Captain Titus of the Ultramarines as he leads a small group of Imperial soldiers on a Forge World, trying to hold back an Ork invasion. One of the game's innovative mechanics is how Titus's health is managed. He has a shield that regenerates but a health bar that doesn't. Furthermore the only way for him to regain health is by curb stomping enemies. Since many of these baddies travel in packs, players have to weigh the risk of being attacked with the reward of regaining health.The class-based multiplayer contains customizable Space Marines of the Imperium and the Chaos Space Marines. The two multiplayer modes available at launch were Annihilation (standard team deathmatch) and Seize Ground (similar to King of the Hill). Relic also added a Horde-like 4 player co-op mode called 'Exterminatus' in October, 2011.

Plot

Forge Worlds are planets designated by the Imperium as worldwide factories. These worlds produce everything for the Imperium, from the smallest house hold device to Emperor-class Battle Titans. One such world is under siege by a force of Orks, who are intent on its plunder to continue their slaughter of the galaxy. As Captain Titus, you lead your company of Ultramarines with assistance from the Imperial Guard in the defence of key locations across the planet. If the Battle Titan Factory and other Imperial weapons located on the planet were to fall into Ork hands, countless more worlds would be in danger of the Ork threat. Unbeknownst to the defenders, a sinister Chaos plot is also unfolding under the cover of this alien invasion, and you must discover it before it's too late.

Character Bios

Captain Titus (voiced by Mark Strong)

Captain Titus

A company commander of a detachment of Ultramarines. A 150 year old veteran and still considered relatively young, he is a decorated veteran of major campaigns waged across the galaxy – his exploits have earned him a reputation as one of the mightiest Ultramarines.

Over his long service, Titus has overcome countless opponents and suffered many wounds, both physical and psychological. In his earliest days, he struggled to overcome his own temper. Later, he survived the death of his entire squad at the hands of a Chaos Sorcerer; Titus killed the fiend, but suffered terrible wounds -- and some questioned how he survived.

Titus became company commander when his predecessor died in battle. He was by his mentor's side when he fell, and still feels the weight of taking over his mantle.

Sergeant Sidonus (voiced by Richard Hawley)

A veteran warrior with 225 years of experience defending the Imperium from the menaces of space. He lost his arm in a battle with the Tyranids and uses a bionic replacement. Also much of his face is scarred from the blast of an Eldar weapon that also took one of his eyes. So many years of fighting have left him with an attitude of 'been there, done that, no problem' and a dry sense of humor that reveals itself during moments of tense stress. Along with his experience comes a warrior of great efficiency that will not stop until every last enemy is dead.

Leondros (voiced by Noah Huntley)

The most recent member of Captain Titus command squad. He could be considered a typical Ultramarine with his formal speech and devotion to do things just right. Along with this he cannot understand why regular humans are unable give their all in the service for the Emperor. He patronizes the surviving Imperial Guard for their short comings. As a younger recruit, he looks up the older veterans, especially Titus. He aspires to be like them and, at times, will go overboard with attempting to prove himself.

Second Lieutenant Mira (voiced by Christine Roberts)

Mira is the leader of the surviving Imperial Guard Forces on the Forge World, remnants of a much larger detachment that was decimated when the Orks invaded the planet. She was part of the 203rd Cadian Regiment that was en route to another warzone, but was diverted to the Forge World as the only Imperial Guard force nearby. Mira's men are firecely loyal to her, a loyalty that is inspired by her skill as a tactician and her deep humanity. Her primary goal is to ensure the survival of the men she leads.

Inquisitor Drogan (voiced by Danny Webb)

Drogan is a member of The Inquisition - a shadowy organization charged with eliminating the foes of humanity. He was once fell captured by alien foes, which led to years of torture. This has resulted in him having a deep hatred for aliens, and because of this he has spent his life creating new and more effective ways to eliminate them. This obsession has led him to seek technologies thought lost or impossible to the Imperium, and has resulted in the development of a power source that is capable of producing tremendous amounts of mysterious energy.

Chaos Lord Nemeroth

Nemeroth once exemplified what a Space Marine should be. Over the centuries, however, he grew disillusioned with the traditions and rules Space Marines are required to live by. The Chaos Gods took this chance to seduce Nemeroth with promises of great power, both physical and psychic. Having tasted this power, he craves it even more. He has completely abandoned his humanity, and his ultimate goal is to transcend it completely.

Warboss Grimskull

Orks are brutal by nature, and this brutality leads to them fighting each other more than their other enemies much of the time. It is only when a Warboss crushes his rivals and unites several tribes that a WAAAAGH! begins, which is a combination of migration and holy war. Warboss Grimskull is as mighty as any Warboss and more cunning than most. His strategy is simple but effective: identify the enemies weak spots and crush them. His goal is to obtain the great warmachines built on the Forge World to serve his WAAAGH!.

Enemies

Orks

Ork Choppa Boy

• Gretchin: In the Ork hierarchy, the Gretchin is at the bottom because they are the smallest. Tiny little green humanoids who are enslaved to do all the menial work for their Ork masters.When they engage in combat they do so in mass. Though they are rarely ever a threat to a Space Marine, they serve as a good distraction for the larger Orks.
• Bomb Squig: Squigs are the simplest form of Orkoid life, and are little more than massive fanged mouths on legs. To make these creatures even more lethal, some Orks strap crude explosive devices to their backs and send them charging into the enemy lines.
• Shoota Boyz: A medium sized Ork and thus somewhere in the middle of this odd hierarchy. They have a strange love for guns and the fire power they produce. As long as it shoots hard and fast everything doesn't matter.
• Shoota Boy Pro: More elite and experienced than the normal shoota boyz, these are boyz who have abandoned their shootas for Rokkit Launchas and other louder and Orkier weapons.
• Slugga Boyz: About the same size as Shoota boys but prefer close quarter combat. The most common type of Ork and the backbone of any proper WAAAGH. They form mobs and mostly blind rush their opposition. Though there are a few clever ones who wear protective gear even if a lot of the time it is ineffective against a Space Marine's bolter.
• Slugga Boyz Pro: A more skilled version of the standard Slugga Boy, this Ork has cobbled himself some rudimentary armour and has thrown away his crude choppa for a more advanced chain weapon.
• 'Ard Boyz: 'Ard Boyz are more heavily armored than their Shoota or Slugga counterparts, and also have a natural resilience that makes them able to soak up fire that would destroy other members of their species. The armor worn by the 'Ard Boyz are crude and usually made of salvaged metal, they also wield a heavy riot shield and choppa for up close encounters.
• Slugga Nob: The Nobz are the ruling class of the Orks. These are Orks that have undergone so much combat that they have grown to superhuman sizes and strong enough to crush lesser Orks who would challenge them. They become impervious to attacks that would destroy lesser Orks and they use their size and strength to wield giant 2-handed choppas.
• Slugga Nob Pro: A Nob who is even stronger than his already enormous brethren. This nob is capable of taking on even the most elite troops.
• Shoota Nob: Similar to the Slugga Nob, the Shoota Nob is part of the ruling class of Orks. Unlike the Slugga Nobs, they favor big, loud guns over the close combat weapons used by their counterparts. The wealth a Shoota Nob accumulates allows him to attain even bigger and louder weapons with which to destroy his opponents.
• Shoota Nob Pro: An upgrade to the standard Shoota Nob, this Ork has upgraded his arsenal to include advanced weapons and armour, improving it's overall killyness.
• Storm Boyz: These are Orks that favor close-combat like the Slugga Boyz, but also live for the thrill of speed. To attain this thrill they strap crude rocket jump packs onto their backs and gamble their lives in order to jump into the thick of combat at break-neck speeds.
• Weirdboy: Weirdboyz are Ork psykers that harness the nearby WAAAAGH! energy of other Orks and unleash devastating psychic attacks. As well as offensive powers, more talented Weirdboys posses the ability to teleport themselves and other Orks.
• Warboss: All Orks are around the same size when they fully mature. It is only through fighting and survival that some grow to the truly enormous size of Nobz, the ruling caste. Occasionally a truly exceptional Nob will rise to a position of dominance and command an entire Ork horde.

Chaos Space Marines

Bloodletter Daemon of Khorne

• Renegade Militia: Human soldiers who have turned their backs on their species and sided with the ruinous powers of the Dark Gods. Many of them have gone insane with bloodlust from their activities worshipping their Chaos lords. Others dedicate themselves to Chaos in the hope of attaining more power. These renegades are equipped with lasguns and grenades but don't pose a significant threat to a well trained Space Marine.
• Chaos Space Marine: Chaos Space Marines are the darker versions of the heroes of the game. They were once Space Marines as well, before falling to the tempting powers of Chaos. These Chaos Space Marines are brutally efficient and revel in deadly precision.
• Havoc: These are the heavy weapons specialists in the forces of Chaos. Armed with heavy equipment like Heavy Bolters and Missile Launchers, they can cut down even the most heavily armored Space Marine. They can also be equipped with lascannons, autocannons, and plasma cannons.
• Raptor: The Raptors are fast assault troops. They swoop down on their foes with their back-mounted jump packs. They possess basic sidearms and chain swords, in order to make it easier to cut down their foes in close combat.
• Tainted Psyker: Psykers are humans who have psychic powers that allow them to call on the powers of the warp. These powers, however, come with the risk of attracting the influence of the daemons that inhabit the warp. Tainted Psykers are humans that have been driven mad by constant exposure to these influences. They can explode with warp power, creating portals that allow daemons to be summoned, or they can use their powers to protect themselves from enemy fire.
• Chaos Drone: A large daemon-possessed aerial drone that possesses a heavy autocannon, these drones provide aerial support to the forces of Chaos. They can detect enemies behind any cover. The drone is a manifestation of the warp that is part flesh, part metal, and pure evil.
• Bloodletter Daemon: The Daemonic servants of the Chaos god Khorne. They are summoned directly from the warp and their very presence is enough to strike fear and despair into the hearts of men. They wield vicious swords which can rend through the armor of even a Space Marine and they fight in packs which can 'warp' from location to location.
• Chaos Lord: Lords are the most powerful of all their Chaos Space Marine brethren. With their genetic advantages as a Space Marine, centuries of combat experience and the blessings of the dark gods of Chaos, there is little more threatening to the Space Marines in the galaxy.

Gameplay

Captain Titus holding a bolter.

Since Space Marine is an attempt to bring the successful Warhammer 40,000 franchise to a broader audience, the game is a step out of Relic's comfort zone of RTS games. Instead, the game is built as a third- person shooter with a strong emphasis on easy use of melee combat with intense gunfights between Space Marines and swarms of enemies as portrayed in Games Workshop imagery. Gameplay also focuses on the use of classic weapons from the Warhammer 40,000 fiction. Players have an ability that allows them to attempt to charge into enemy cover and positions, destroying terrain or damaging it. There is also a lite RPG-element to the game in which players are to be able to customize armour and weapons.

The weapons that are usable in game include:

• Bolter: A standard Space Marine weapon that fires explosive bolts.
• Storm Bolter: Similar to a bolter, but with a higher rate of fire. Meant for use in heavy assaults.
• Bolt Pistol: A sidearm version of the bolter. Standard for all Space Marines
• Heavy Bolter: A chain fed heavy version of the bolter, capable of tearing through heavy armour.
• Stalker Pattern Bolter: A scoped version of the bolter with penetrating rounds, great for sniping.
• Plasma Gun: Can easily melt through enemy armour, but the user must vent the weapon or risk it over heating.
• Plasma Pistol: A sidearm version of the plasma gun. Can be charged for a more powerful shot.
• Plasma Cannon: Fires charged plasma shots that explode on impact.
• Lascannon: Has the highest degree of armour penetration, making it an ideal anti-tank weapon.
• Meltagun: Fires in an area-of-effect cone. Has limited range but it's power at close range is unmatched.
• Adeptus Mechanicus Vengeance Launcher: Fires remotely detonated explosives that stick to any surface.
• Frag Grenade: A standard space marine grenade. A useful anti-infantry weapon.
• Chainsword: The standard Space Marine melee weapon. It's motorized teeth are capable of tearing through thick armour.
• Power Axe: Uses focused energy fields around it's blades to cut through most physical matter.
• Power Sword: Uses the same energy fields as the power axe, but sacrifices some of the strength of the power axe for speed.
• Thunder Hammer: Builds up immense amounts of energy that is released on impact. Destroys everything in its area of effect.
• Autocannon: A heavy cannon with rapidly reloading, explosive shells.

Multiplayer

In Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, there are two multiplayer modes. You are able to play through the campaign in cooperative mode with a friend. Player one will presumably play as Captain Titus, but it isn't known who Player two will be controlling. In addition to the cooperative mode, you can play an 8v8 class-based competitive mode. There are three classes you can choose from on the side of the loyal Space marines or the traitorous Chaos Space Marines. You can gain experience in gameplay by getting kills and assists which will allow you to gain levels. There are also challenges associated with different weapons and will unlock perks for weapons or armor pieces to customize your space marine with. In the competitive multilplayer, there will be two different game modes. The first will be annihilation, which will be a standard team death match, with the winning team being whoever has the most kills. The second will be seize ground, in which the two teams will battle over objectives on the field that give points, and whichever team gains the most points will win.

Customization Options for the Tactical Marine class

Multiplayer Classes:

• Tactical Marine/Chaos Space Marine: The Tactical Marine is a well-rounded soldier, able to competently fight in both fire fights and melee combat. Weapons unique to this class include the Plasma Gun, Stalker Pattern Bolter, Storm Bolter, Mechanicus Vengeance Launcher and the Melta Gun. In close combat the Tactical Marine wields a Combat Knife.
• Devastator Marine/Havoc: The Devastator Marine sacrifices maneuverability for long range fire power. He is heavily armored and has access to the largest ranged weapons available to the player. Weapons exclusive to this class include the heavy bolter, plasma cannon and lascannon. In melee the Devastator Marine uses it's superior armour to kick and stomp his opponents.
• Assault Marine/Raptor: The Assault Marine is the close combat specialist in the game. He is able to jump into combat quickly with his back-mounted jump pack and he is able to wield the more powerful close combat weapons with which to destroy his opponents. Weapons exclusive to this class include the chainsword, power axe and thunder hammer, as well as sidearms like the bolt pistol and plasma pistol.

Downloadable Content

Four-Player Exterminatus mode: A wave based "horde" mode for up to four players with two different scenarios - Assault on Hab Center Andreas and Escape From Kalkys Facility. The DLC was confirmed to be free for all those that bought Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine in early October, 2011.

Chaos Unleashed DLC

Multiplayer Pack: THQ had announced that they will be releasing a multiplayer pack for players as DLC in early December. The DLC pack will include the 'Chaos Unleashed' variation of the Exterminatus game type which was released for free. In this mode players will play as Chaos Space Marines and fight against Imperium and Ork forces, and include new enemies such as the Imperial Sanctioned Psyker. The pack will also include three new multiplayer maps, usable in all the multiplayer game types, called Habs Ablazed, Station Tertius, and Aquila Canyon. The DLC pack will cost 800 Microsoft Points.

In addition to the premium content, a free update will be launched simultaneously which will include an additional Capture the Flag multiplayer game type. There will also be several skins for players to purchase for their Space Marines and Chaos Space Marines, similar to the pre-order and unlockable skins already in the game. These skins will allow players to customize their space marines as Salamanders, Blood Angels, Legion of the Damned and Alpha Legion. They will be released alongside the premium DLC and will cost 240 Microsoft Points each.

Dreadnought

Dreadnought Assault Pack: On January 24, 2012, a new DLC pack was released for Space Marine, titled the Dreadnaught Assault Pack. This pack featured a new game mode where both teams fought over a central control point. The team that captured it successfully would have one of their team members spawned as the mighty Dreadnought and this team would be tasked with controlling a series of capture points placed around the map, while the other team would be tasked with destroying the Dreadnought. Once the dreadnought is destroyed, both teams resuming fighting over the central capture point again. Also included in this pack were 3 new maps, titled Desolation, Dome Mechanicus and Chem Refinery. The DLC pack costs 800 Microsoft Points, or $9.99.

Along side this premium DLC, THQ also released a new game mode, entitled Capture and Control. This mode is similar to King of the Hill modes in many other games, tasking teams to capture and then defend points on the map. There were also two new player skins released alongside these packs, which represent the Iron Hands chapter and Death Guard legion. These player skins cost 240 Microsoft Points or $2.99 each.

Official Soundtrack

The musical score was made by Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan.

1. Prologue
2. Titus' Theme
3. Prelude To War
4. Against All Odds
5. Valkyrie Run
6. Battlements
7. Whispers Of The Dead
8. The Blood Ravens
9. Reunion With Mira
10. The Weirdboy
11. No Man's Land
12. The Inquisitor
13. The Meat Grinder
14. Heart Of Darkness
15. Fight For Honor
16. Titan
17. Legions Of Chaos
18. Heresy
19. A Hero's Legacy

PC System Requirements

Minimum

• OS: Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP1, Windows 7
• Processor: 2.0Ghz Dual core CPU (any Core 2 Duo or AMD x2 or better)
• Memory: 1GB (xp), 2GB (Vista & Windows 7)
• Graphics: 256MB Video Card using Shader Model 3 (Nvidia GeForce 8800GT, AMD Radeon 3850 and above)
• Hard Drive: 20 GB space free (10 GB free after install)

Recommended

• OS: Windows 7
• Processor: Any Quad-core Intel or AMD Processor
• Memory: 1GB (xp), 2GB (Vista & Windows 7)
• Graphics: 512MB Video Card using Shader Model 3 (Nvidia GT100/200 series or better, AMD Radeon 5800 series or better)
• Hard Drive: 20 GB space free (10 GB free after install)