Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine E3 Previews

Several more gaming websites have given Relic's Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine the E3 preview treatment, so it's time for one of our usual round-ups.

The first is at 1UP:
Relic insists that all the graphics in the demo we saw were in game, and if that's true these boys have got one gorgeously detailed title on their hands. Right down to little touches like the insignias on unit banners, or the grips on the power swords, Space Marine recreates the detail of the tabletop game better than any title we've seen yet. It also faithfully recreates the equipment and general arcane awesomeness of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, including psych powers, bolters, jump packs, and chainswords.

The second is at GameZone:
As a third-person action-RPG, players will join various other space marines as they lead their conquest to kill off any Orks they encounter. With a deep progression system for the role-playing aspects, players should expect a high level of skills to achieve. Relic is also working with Games Workshop to make sure the narrative elements are up to par with the Warhammer 40,000 world.

The third is at GamePro:
The RPG elements allow players to equip new items to their Space Marine, like in Dawn of War 2, which are reflected on the character in-game. I witnessed a Space Marine upgraded with a jump pack that allowed the marine to leap higher into the air and come down with smashing hammer blows.

The fourth is at Kotaku:
Two things really stood out to me by the time we were done: one being the amount of action on display, and the other the amount of pomp and ceremony the license was being treated to. While the Dawn of War games could only briefly go for cinematic thrills in their intro sequences, this game looks packed with moments of real gravitas, epic scores and brooding cinematics punctuating the action and helping bring a little of the universe's storied colour and character to the game.

The fifth is at G4:
Being an RPG, you will be able to level up and upgrade your stats, and while the stats page in the trailer only had three categories, we were told there will be more. Still, it seems like the game is decidedly leaning more towards the action side of the action-RPG scale.

The developers also said that there would be a strong focus on multiplayer, and that including a five-player co-op mode was (a strong goal,) but they didn't elaborate any further.

And the sixth is at GamerNode:
Relic is working closely with Games Workshop to develop the storyline in Space Marine, using the company's existing lore to create a narrative that is heavy enough to drive the experience, but light enough to keep players focused on the action taking place on the battlefield. The main idea here is that the Adeptus Astartes (Space Marines) are at war, defending humanity against the Orks and quite possibly other races in the Warhammer fiction, although Relic has only announced the inclusion of the two initial armies.