ETA:  I have played it now, and it is every bit as fun as it looked.  I still suck at controlling the camera and the character at the same time, but I’m getting better.

Ok, I don’t usually review games I’m not playing myself, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to get near this one for awhile.  Our room-mate bought the new Warhammer 40k: Space Marine game for the PS3, and we cracked it open today.  I’m sitting here watching him play it, and it’s gorgeous.  In the opening jump scene, when an orc looks up at the Ultramarine hurtling down at his ship, you actually see the skin fold on the back of his neck. The physics also appear to be pretty good.

So, for those of you not in the know, Space Marines are the elite troops of the Empire in Warhammer 40K.  They are genetically modified and fitted with powered battle armor.  In the Space Marine game, they do a good job of showing them next to regular Imperial Guard troops, who address them as “My Lord,” and kneel, or salute.  Particularly to the Ultramarines.  The Ultramarines tower over everyone else at about 8 feet tall, and wearing the equivalent of a Buick in battle armor.

No one’s gotten very far in the game yet, as we’ve just started it, and sadly, I have guests coming over in a few so I can’t commandeer it, at least for a while.  But I can tell you what I’ve seen.

The Look:  It’s gorgeous!  The backgrounds are full and beautifully rendered and highly varied.  The fact that random litter occasionally blows through, or spins off a wreck or something adds a wonderful touch.  The colors are, still, a lot of brown, but not near so bleak or uniform as in past games, or a lot of the illustrations in the gaming books.  You have a surprisingly large amount of space to move around in while you’re pursuing goals.  The blood sprays when you kill orcs are lovingly rendered in a spectacular crimson.  Also, after you kill orcs, you’re covered with gore.  It looks pretty awesome.

The Play:  The play mechanic seems to work pretty well.  Neither the Geek Husband What Rules nor the Geek Room-mate What Rules have many complaints.  The few complaints have been that the camera follows a little close, which can crowd you at certain angles, and you sometimes knock orcs into walls, and follow them.  But neither of them have gotten stuck in a wall yet.  Also, the AI’s, your squadmates, are actually pretty on the ball and lay down effective cover, and don’t screen you too badly when you’re trying to see what’s going on.  They do get in the way from time to time, but you appear to be largely unable to harm allies, so it’s all good. Also, you regenerate health by stunning and brutally slaughtering your enemies.  Which is an amazingly good strategy for goading you into melee combat.  And the execution maneuvers you use after you stun an enemy are just neat!  Particularly when you bounce the orc around on your chainsword (ZOMG! Chainswords and CHAIN AXES!!).  As I said above, the gore that results is lovingly rendered, and geysers most impressively.

Now for the part that made me squee like an 8 year old.  The setting of the opening missions is an Imperial world overrun with orcs.  There are Imperial Guard on the ground, or at least there were.  Until you arrive, everyone assumes they’re dead.  You encounter surviving Imperial Guardsmen, and every one of them attributes their continued survival to the skills of the Lieutenant.  Multiple NPCs mention this, and when you finally meet the Lieutenant, it’s a WOMAN!  Thank you, Games Workshop for not sucking like so many of your videogame compatriots!  Thank you! Thank you!  It’s fucked up that I am so excited about this, but here’s the thing:  The Lieutenant is wearing the same armor as the male characters she commands.  More or less, you can see a few changes which may be due to her gender or her rank, but she is completely covered neck to toe.  Like I said, I’m a little depressed by how happy this makes me.  But, I am grateful to Games Workshop and THQ for this.

Overall, it plays well and smoothly.  It’s challenging but not in a “Give up all hope ye who enter here,” sort of way.  The rendering is freaking beautiful.  I particularly like how your armor gets bloodstained as you fight.  And we all agree that it captures the essence of Warhammer 40K.  The over the top violence and sprays of blood won’t be for everyone, but ZOMG! non-gratuitous, non-booty-babe, female character depicted as capable and intelligent.  LOVE THAT!  I totally want a Lieutenant Mira T-shirt.  AND you do not have to be a Warhammer aficionado to enjoy this game.  In fact while describing it to a friend over Facebook who knows nothing about WH40K, he went to the site and announced that he’d be picking up the PC version today.  If you like blood and guts action games with power armor and orcs, then give this game a try!

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