Greetings Librarians!
The release of Space Hulk: Deathwing draws near, arriving December 9th on PC. To help prepare for the battles that await you, we’ve written up this Devblog to tell you about some of the features and gameplay elements you can look forward to when you venture deep into the Space Hulk and face the Genestealer menace.
The Armoury
Before entering the fray, you will equip yourself (and your AI squad-mates if playing solo) with the best weapons the Imperium has to offer. With a wealth of melee and ranged weaponry combinations available, you might be outnumbered in battle, but you’ll never be outgunned!
Weapons you’ll be using to purge Genestealers include:
- Storm Bolter – Double-barreled version of the classic bolter. Standard issue for the Terminators, each self-propelled bolt explodes with devastating effect after impacting with its target.
- Assault Cannon – Six-barreled, self-loading, and deadly. This fast-firing weapon can deal incredible damage, but is susceptible to jamming during sustained bursts.
- Heavy Flamer – Short-ranged weapon that spews highly volatile streams of flammable liquid that ignites upon contact with air. Particularly destructive against tightly compacted swarms of Xenos.
- Plasma Cannon – Uses plasma technology to unleash superheated matter on its victims. Blasts from the Plasma Cannon can generate the destructive heat of a small sun – earning them the nickname of ‘Sun Guns’ among some of the Imperial populace. This power comes at a cost – the Plasma Cannon can be prone to overheating.
- Lightning Claw – Each Claw is a powered gauntlet, fitted with four Adamantium blades and surrounded by a matter-disrupting power field. Dual-wielded Lightning Claws are capable of carving through armour and flesh with ease.
- Thunder Hammer – This weapon incorporates an energy field generator within its head, triggered to active whenever the Thunder Hammer strikes its target. Upon contact, an incredible amount of force is released, resulting in a blast of energy and a deafeningly roll of thunder.
Your Armoury will be expanded even further beyond the weapons listed above, as you venture deeper and deeper into the Space Hulk. Each weapon has specific strengths and weaknesses – Librarians wishing to survive the space hulk will need to equip themselves accordingly.
Librarians are also able to select the Psychic powers they wish to use in battle. Up to three powers may be equipped at once, with each ability activated at the press of a hotkey, and limited by a cooldown. Unlike weaponry, Psychic powers are unlocked through a skill tree. By default, you’ll start with the Shockwave and Chain Lightning powers, with more becoming available as you progress. From forcing back enemies in a 360-degree arc, to purifying Xenos with holy fire, Librarians can adapt to any combat situation!
The Genestealers
Acting as the spearhead for a Hive Fleet, the Genestealers are a species of Tyranid armed with ferocious speed, cunning intellect and large claws that can slash through even the strongest armor. Space Hulk: Deathwing sees you and your squad facing swarms of these Genestealers – but to overcome the Xenos tide, you’ll first need to understand how these devastating foes fight in battle.
The primary strength of the Genestealers lies in their numbers. A lone Genestealer is no match for the firepower of a Terminator squad. However, if a Xenos swarm is able to fully surround your squad, their powerful claws can make short work of you.
The Genestealers in Space Hulk: Deathwing can be unpredictable, and will do everything they can do overwhelm you. If a lone Genestealer spots you in the distance, it may run away in order to join a larger ambush later on. Conversely, a large group may split in to two smaller groups, before attacking from all sides.
When the Genestealers are up-close and personal, it’s a good idea to engage them in melee combat. They may have those claws, but your squad has the finest Force Swords, Lightning Claws and Thunder Hammers in the universe!
As well as cutting down the Xenos with powerful blows, players can parry their attacks – particularly important when dealing with the larger Genestealer variants. Be warned though, as parrying will not protect your back and sides!
Positioning is of vital importance in Space Hulk: Deathwing. Forcing Genestealers into a chokepoint is the most efficient way of gunning them down in great numbers under a hail of Storm Bolter fire, or dishing out heavy area-of-effect damage from your psychic powers. Of course, you won’t always be fighting them in tight corridors, and wide open areas are often a convenient place for an unexpected Genestealer ambush…
Surviving Olethros
You and your squad will journey deep into the heart of Olethros, an immense Space Hulk that’s recently emerged from the warp into Imperial space. The Olethros is made up of derelict spaceships, vast asteroids and debris – this mix of different environments means you’ll need to adapt your combat style to take on the Genestealer horde.
Thankfully, you have a few tactical advantages available. Your auspex scanner, visible in the bottom-right corner of your HUD, is constantly scanning the local area. This gives feedback on the direction of incoming threats, letting you position your squad accordingly. Unfortunately, you won’t be given any idea on the exact numbers or types of enemy you’ll be encountering!
Much like the tabletop game from which Space Hulk: Deathwing takes its name, the entrances to rooms and corridors are very important. To help stem the tide of Genestealers, you may decide to seal a door shut, slowing down the swarm as the Xenos navigate to an alternate route.
Occasionally, you’ll come across doors that are already sealed shut. When this happens, you’re presented with an interesting choice: find a different (and slower) path to your objective, or smash down the door, giving the Genestealers another entrance to surround you from.
Stay tuned for future dev blogs, where we’ll go into more detail about online co-op, more combat details and other exciting features you can expect when Space Hulk: Deathwing releases later this month!
Pre-order on Steam now and you’ll get access to the pre-order Beta, 15% off, and one in-game weapon – the Lost Mace of Corswain.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/298900
All glory to the Emperor!
Streum On Studio and Focus Home Interactive