Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr Preview at E3 2016

By Marcus Jones Posted on June 26, 2016

I think I've mentioned it previously, but I happen to be a fan of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40k franchise, and to a lesser extent, the Warhammer Fantasy franchise. So it might be understandable at the prospect of finally getting a deep, action-RPG game steeped heavily in the lore of Warhammer 40k in the form of developer NeocoreGames's upcoming Warhammer 40k: Inquisitor - Martyr (it's quite a mouthful. Let's just call it Inquisitor.

It's hard to describe the background of this game as it has been around for almost 30 years and in that time it has amassed some serious lore, background, and retcons that might make Marvel and DC blush some. Inquisitor picks up in the 41st century, far into the future, where the galaxy is at war. One of humanity's weapons against the aliens, the demons, and everything else are the Inquisitors. These men and women act like secret police with almost unlimited power with one goal in mind: protect the Imperium of Man against all threats both internal and external.

This sandbox style action-RPG gives players a freedom of choice much like what an Inquisitor in 40k would truly have. The game takes place in a sub-sector of the galaxy, filled to the brim with hundreds of planets and places to explore. Each of these will contain missions, either side mission that may help defend the sector or mission pieces of a larger overarching story. Since everything is randomly generated and the so-called "Grand Missions" vary, no game will be the same through consecutive playthroughs. It'll breathe a massive amount of replayability into the game.

When not searching through the cosmos for the next alien threat, expect to take your Inquisitor down for the real nitty gritty stuff. Combat looked and felt very similar to Diablo in the playthrough I watched, so expect lots of clicking and hotkeys to use abilities. When not actively charging into battle, the game utilizes a cover system which your inquisitor will automatically use when close enough. As a bonus (or negative here maybe), each piece of cover is completely destructible. The environment shows scorch marks from plasma discharges or blast radiuses from grenades. It's neat to deform the environment in the hunt for the enemies of the Imperium and fun to watch it disintegrate under repeated fire. While in battle too, don't expect magic or fantasy-elements to save you; this game is centered completely in science fiction, so combat stims and heavy drugs for you, soldier.

What about the Inquisitors themselves? Moreover, the enemies? Player inquisitors will be customizable and come in a few class options which will ultimately impact gameplay. Some may be more focused on melee tactics while others will be more focused on ranged gunplay. According to the developers, the enemies of the Imperium will all make an appearance. That list includes Orks, Eldar, Dark Eldar, Necron, Tau, Tyranid, and Chaos, so there's quite a variety. In the gameplay I saw, the developers were going up against Chaos Space Marines under the Chaos God Nurgle, a god of death and pestilence. He's a fun guy focused on nasty diseases and other gross things - watching his follower's splatter was pretty gross.

One aspect of the game I'm interested in is the online cooperative multiplayer and the ability to raid other inquisitor's fortresses. The game will support four player co-op with friends online. However, when you're not busy killing things, expect to spend time on upgrading your inquisitorial fortress. Conveniently, though, those gents you might be co-oping with may be planning on raiding your stuff, so keep a close eye on that. The game's online portion will allow others to raid your fortress, attempting to bypass your security measures, and successful raids will let them run off with your loot. I never said inquisitors were friends all of the time.

NeocoreGames advised me of a 2017 release target for Warhammer 40k: Inquisitor - Martyr but had no specific time frame or dates. However, the game will be on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. For those interested in getting a taste of the grim, dark future, you may want to keep a watch as the game progresses.