By The Emperor! Launch date is almost upon us! Space Hulk Tactics is an adaptation of Games Workshop’s board game, Space Hulk. The game is set in the Warhammer 40,000 or Warhammer 40K universe. Check out the launch trailer below:
Space Hulk: Tactics – Cyanide’s Second Entry
For starters, we’ll have to mention that this is developer Cyanide Studios’ second attempt at the Space Hulk property. Their first foray, Space Hulk: Deathwing, which initially released in December 2016, didn’t exactly set the world on fire. It was considered quite a middling game that brought dishonor to the Imperium. Even more notable is that other studios have tried to do an adaptation for Space Hulk before. Full Control studios did that for Space Hulk and Space Hulk: Ascension, and Trese Brothers had Templar Battleforce, which had some inspiration from the board game.
In fact, developers have been giving Space Hulk a go since the 90s. Check out the gameplay video below for the 1993 Space Hulk video game made by none other than Electronic Arts:
We’ve yet to see, however, a game which can make a splash outside of a niche market — something that puts this Games Workshop property on the video gamer’s map like what Total War and Vermintide did for Warhammer Fantasy Battles. Cyanide learned that going the FPS route for Deathwing was a bad idea, while other adaptations had varying degrees of success. The games under their portfolio — Blood Bowl and Mordheim — could help them learn what makes a board game/tabletop adaptation successful.
Genestealers!
Okay, back to the trailer. We see our squad of Blood Angels narrating how the Space Wolves have discovered the gargantuan ship floating around in space. It’s up to the sons of Sanguinius to finish the job. They’ll be up against Genestealer Cults that roam the derelict vessel. Genestealers are, of course, the genetically-engineered and reproduced vanguard of the Tyranid fleets. Thousands of them infest forgotten vessels, only to snare the unwary traveler or treasure seeker. When they find a suitable host, they inject them with their genes (of course!) in order to birth future generations of subservient Xenos hybrids.
That’s why space hulks are some of the most dangerous locations in the Warhammer 40K universe. Genestealers are hiding at every corner. Their cunning and ferocity often lead them to surround and ambush Space Marine squads. Space Hulk: Tactics hopes to recreate that brand of excitement and challenge with two non-linear campaigns. One lets you lead the aforementioned Blood Angels, and the other, for the first time ever, lets you control the Genestealers.
Space Hulk: Tactics will also have a card system to add a bit of flavor and dynamic to your missions. Likewise, the game will offer multiplayer support and customization options for additional Space Marine chapters and Genestealer cults from various Hive Fleets. It will also have a map creation tool that can be shared with the community.
Space Hulk: Tactics launches on October 9. You can pre-order on Steam to get a small discount, access to the multiplayer beta, and — what is sure to be a treat for Warhammer 40K enthusiasts — unique colors and emblems for a select few Astartes chapters.
