// PC GAMER — GAMING
I played just an hour of Total War: Warhammer 40,000 and it was the highlight of my year
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Creative Assembly dropped a whole bunch of new information about Total War: Warhammer 40,000 at Gamescom this week, and yeah, this all sounds amazing. But what is it actually like to play?
I got an extended look at a preview build yesterday, where I was able to spend an hour exploring a slice of the tutorial, a little bit of the campaign, and finally a huge late-game battle, and oh boy. Folks, it's incredible. Total War: Warhammer 40,000 was, hands down, the coolest thing I saw at Gamescom.
Even in the tutorial battle, which starts you off with only a few Ultramarine units, it's immediately obvious how special Total War 40k is—I don't think a tutorial has ever made me giddy before.
Yes, the massive-scale scraps are one of Total War 40k's big hooks, but the smaller battles are actually great at showing off what sets this game apart from its predecessors. My tiny army of Intercessors—just some basic dudes—ended up feeling as powerful and versatile as a standard, full-featured Total War army.
As the green tide of orks charged towards my position, I stuck my lads behind some cover and opened fire. But they weren't just firing their basic bolt rifles. Units have multiple wargear options, so my small Ultramarine army made up for what it lacked in numbers with the diversity of its arsenal.
Grenades were getting tossed out, for instance, or launched from grenade launchers, leaving big holes in the ork horde. The devastation left behind was stunning. When a few eager orks managed to make it to my fortified position, it became a melee scrum, with my Intercessors proving that they can rack up the kills even when they aren't shooting.
And that's just the tip of the bloody iceberg. The variety of weapons represents the greater range of tactical decisions you'll need to make, depending on who your enemy is. Against orks, for instance, autos can be handy, letting you mow them down when they come into close range—which is where orks naturally like to be. But if you're fighting the aeldari, you'll benefit from long-range weapons, like the stalker bolt rifle.
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Every unit still has a primary function, but this system just nudges them slightly beyond that function, giving them a few more options. So an Intercessor unit might not be the best choice for taking on some light vehicles, but with their grenade launchers they are more than capable of standing their ground and melting metal.