First impressions are usually what will sell us on a game, so when it comes to early releases/alpha/betas you sometimes have to tough it out for a while to get to the good stuff but it can be worth playing through the lag and bugs and all sorts of issues that are there at the beginning. Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade had all of these issues; my first impressions were frustration and disappointment, which is not very good going into a new game. However I stuck with it. Warhammer has always been a name that has a loyal following and an amazing community. Their online boards are full of talk of lore and development and this is what kept me going.

Raptor's rocket boosts for aerial strike (captured in game)

Raptor’s rocket boosts for aerial strike (captured in game)

Over time the updates started to polish and refine the game making it much more playable and with that I was able to enjoy my time. The creators of Warhammer crafted such a massive universe that this game has the opportunity to offer enormous diversity in choice of classes and builds. However the current model is limited to roughly tank, healer/dps, and siege. Weapon load outs can be customized to allow you to create the character you desire and eventually you can change your armour and its colors. The game feels less like it’s trying to do something new but rather bring the Warhammer franchise to a new audience of shooters.

Helping up a fallen teamate (captured in game)

Helping up a fallen teamate (captured in game)

Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade reminds me of Gears of War in as much as it’s an over the shoulder shooter that has a bulky feeling and you get to cut people up with your chainsaw sword (which is always very rewarding). The bulky movements of a space marine take getting used to but feel realistic. The finishing moves/executions are quite brutal and sometimes hilarious as you gun down your opponent to watch him try to crawl to a teammate for assistance just so you walk up to him and perform and insanely violent execution (when on the receiving end of one of these you flinch as your character usually loses his head).

Healing the wounded (captured in game)

Healing the wounded (captured in game)

The game isn’t all giant space marines and bloodbaths, there’s also teamwork and infiltration. A typical game is one faction needs to capture the opposition’s territory and hold them while driving the enemy forces back. You throw yourself at the enemy, slowly gaining territory and if your team is not objective focused it’s quite easy to lose the game by not gain a single location. This presents a problem since a game timer is set to over 45 minutes and as we all know that is a long time to spend losing a game.

Just before jumping into the fray (captured in game)

Just before jumping into the fray (captured in game)

The game is fun and if you enjoy large scale maps with 16 players you’ll have a blast. Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade still has polishing to be done but it’s actually a solid game, the fear is that it goes unnoticed with all the large titles coming out but it’s worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of lore and passionate communities.