Seems a bit unfair, really. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is one of the legion of Warhammer 40,000 games on the horizon, focused on large-scale space battles between massive fleets. We’ve seen it in action a few times now and it looks beautiful with a sound tactical edge, but we’re getting our first glimpse of how it will handle single-player in the latest trailer. Apparently the answer is with dodgily animated static images.
There are more upcoming games than you can shake a power fist at, and loads of them are Warhammer related.
It’s a shame that a game that looks so cinematic and cool in-game doesn’t have the budget to make its cutscenes a bit nicer:
Don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely art and certainly matches the style of 40k, but after years of Magic: The Gathering’s similar attempts to take static images and make them move, I’m done with this style. Perhaps it won’t be quite so jarring once you’re invested in the narrative, but it always fails to capture me, making sure that I’m well aware this is all not real at every possible turn.
Still, the odd in-game clip here is exciting – looks like they’re blowing up a star at one point. Focus Home send word that the major faction you’ll face off against is Abaddon (that’s the angry looking chap with the sword near the end) and his 12th Black Crusade of Chaos warships as they try to lay waste to the sector. However, there’ll be Orks and Eldar roaming around as well, and your decisions on a strategic map will influence how they oppose you.
Pre-orders have now begun over on Steam, and anyone who picks up the game early will get the first faction pack DLC, Space Marines, for free. They’re usable in multiplayer and skirmishes, but won’t come with their own single-player element. All that will be from the Imperial perspective. There’s also to be a multiplayer ‘beta’ in the weeks leading up to the game’s release some time in March.