Skulls Showcase

I was about 20 minutes late to the start of the showcase, so I had to wait to watch after the stream had finished.  Fortunately, I've only had one thing spoiled.  And while cool, I'm hoping there's more to reveal than that.

40K video games have a very mixed history.  Games Workshop has mostly taken the stance that if you can pay the license fee and follow their rules, you can make a game.  And its my understanding the license fee is actually pretty affordable.  The end result is that there are tons of memorable 40K games.  From classics like Rites of War and Dawn of War, to modern titles like Total War and Gladius - Relics of War, my library is filled with great games.  However there have been plenty of dogs too, as well as middle of the road titles that only 40K fans would be interested in.

There are currently some hotly anticipated releases in sight.  And with Boltgun having recently dropped, its a great time to be a 40K gamer!

Let's see what's coming up next.

Of course GW couldn't help but put that launch trailer here, in case you only play video games and don't know what's happening on the table-top.  Won't complain, it's a fantastic trailer.

But the animations before the Warhammer logo are new I think.

Oh!  We've got Orks!  Is this Gorkamorka!

Okay!  That speeder jumping over all that terrain looks sick!  Yes!  Orks riding rockets!

Okay, it's not Gorkamorka.  They're just calling this one Speed Freeks.

So!  I have so many questions.  My first big one is whether this is going to be like Twisted Metal where you have characters with vehicles that are balanced against each other, or will we be creating our own Orky rides.

Not gonna lie, I'm really hoping its the latter.  While I like classic Twisted Metal style gameplay, I love anything where I can customize my gear.  I was a huge fan of Cross Out until they implemented battle passes.  I suppose they could go for a middle ground where you have fixed characters and vehicles, but you still get to customize them some.  This is the most likely the route they'll go, as it's easier to make but still gives space for players to express themselves.  Also, let's be honest, it's really easy to monetize too.

No additional discussion, just on to the next trailer.  Wonder if this is just going to be a trailer compilation.  Can't remember if that's how it was last year.

This one starts with Totalwar.com/trailers, so I'm pretty sure this is DLC for TW3.

Pretty good trailer, though the VO was a little melodramatic.  I vaguely remember Harald Hammerstorm from Old World.  I'm sure there's a subset of Chaos fans that are really excited about this.

I'll be honest, I still need to get TW3.  Yet another reason to put Path of Exile to bed.

We still don't get any discussion, but this one comes with a roadmap.  It's clear Creative Assembly is going to support TW3 for some time to come.  This is one where I'll definitely trust the devs.  They obviously make good money with these expansions, and they were releasing DLC for I and II all the way up to the release of the sequels.

Cut to commercial for Warhammer Plus.  Less said there the better, honestly.

Okay, that fake out was great, though I immediately caught it the second I saw the object in the shrine.

I'm sad now, though.  This was a fantastic trailer.  It's too bad they don't put the same amount of effort into the game.  Blood Bowl is a ton of fun, and the prior two Blood Bowl video games have been cult classics.  But everything I've heard about Blood Bowl III is bad.

Okay, this is obviously Horus.  

Oh!  More Primarchs!

Oh.  It's the card game.

I don't know if this is any good, but just the way they're advertising the monetization makes me cringe.

Pass.

Okay, this trailer literally started with a phone.  They know this isn't a selling point, right?  I get a kick out of the CG players.  Also, like most mobile game trailers, the use of gameplay is almost non-existent.  This might as well just been a CG trailer.

Oh hey, Rahul's back!  I do think it's cool they got the voice actor for Boltgun for this.

Not a bad job on that miniature!

As he says, Boltgun is already out, so this isn't much of reveal or trailer.  I do get a kick out of this bedroom full of 40K stuff.  This really is the kind of game I would have eaten up as a kid.

Oh.  It's another 40K World of Tanks crossover.

Another pass.

There was actually a scene where the particle effects for the blast were off.

Oh!  Something new for Gladius?  Looks like a unit DLC.  Not the most exciting thing but I'm almost certainly going to get it when I can.

And something new for Battlesector!  Oh hey!  Person!

I love Battlesector, but I still want my RTS.  Here's hoping Sega and Creative Assembly convince GW to let them do 40K.  

Oh hell!  We've got Orks now!  Hell yes!  Need to play more Battlesector.

Oh!  Giveaway!  If I don't already have it . . . and . . . claimed!

I don't have any free money this month, so it's a good thing I'm mostly caught up on 40K games.

Oh!  New content for Blood and Teef?  If you haven't played it, that game is a ton of fun.

Dwarves stuff.  This is almost giving me Vermintide vibes.

Oh!  It is Vermintide!  'Nother game I need to play more.  Though I need to check and see if Darktide is the game we wanted on release.

Speaking of?  This looks like Darktide stuff.

Yeah, definitely more Darktide.

Oh hey!  Another person.

You made a fun game, I just wish this stuff had been, you know, out when I bought the game.

I have such mixed feelings on Darktide.

Okay, that spawn looks awesome!

And it's the other Card Game.

Oh great, they've got my 'Nids now.  I'm not getting pulled into another digital live service though.  There are so many better games to play.

Hmm?  Demo and available on steam?  Is this a live service?

Yay, Space Marine 2!  I'm so hyped for this!  Look at those swarming gargoyles!

Oo, Prime!

Please let these hordes look this good on release!  Please!  I'm begging you, Lord GabeN!

And here's the spoiler I got.  But I didn't know it was a board game!  An hey, it's got the new Termagants!

I'll probably have to get this boardgame just for more gaunts!  Hopefully there's more they haven't revealed.  Of course the joke is that Titus is yet another Primaris Lieutenant miniature.

Snow Runner?  That's an odd crossover.

Okay, that little Hormagaunt decoration will not get me to play World War Z.

'Nother add for the Tabletop.  Actually this is kinda just 40K in its entirety.  Honestly no complaint there.

Yes!  Rogue Trader!  I'm so hyped for this one too!  I love classic CRPGS, and this looks like it's going to be great!  

Oo!  Space Wolf!

Space Battles!  I didn't think I could get more hyped for this!  I was wrong!

Please don't be fucked up on release!

I wonder if you can fall to Chaos as part of the game?  That would be sick!

Oo!  Something new for Mechanicus!  This is one of the more underappreciated 40K games.  Oh!  It's the soundtrack.  That's okay I guess.

Man, Tacticus.  This game actually started pretty strong.  But like so many good live service money sinks, it's just got a really strong start to get you invested.  Once I actually dug deeper into the game, it's just a ton of grinding.

Makes me pretty sad.

Hah!  Power Wash Simulator!  Okay, there's a crossover for you!

Man.  I don't think I've ever felt more advertised at during a showcase.  I mean, I know these things are just one big marketing ploy to get you excited, but the veil has felt really thin here.  This doesn't feel like the trailers before a movie, it feels more like the commercials before the trailers.  Whoever put this together didn't do a very good job.

Oo!  I just got Chaos Gate from Humble!  Oo!  I see a Knight!  Oh, nice!  Free content update!

Yay!  New World Premiere.

Something AOS!  Nicely rendered Stormcast there.

OO!  AOS RTS!

Also yay!  More people!

Console RTS?  Those never feel good.  Here's hoping they don't twist it up to get it to work and end up ruining the PC version too.  Not seeing a lot here, but I'll give at least a little love to anyone still willing to make an RTS in CURRENT_YEAR.

Honestly, Rahul . . . this hasn't been that much of a showcase.  You did successfully get me more hyped for Rogue Trader though.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I think my overall reaction is the same after watching the whole thing.  This felt like a commercial.  There's such a fine line between "Hey!  Check out this new game!" and "Hey!  Buy our new game!"  I think the lack of people talking about their projects in-depth hurt things.  The most enjoyable parts where definitely where someone was talking about their goals for their project.

So what was good?

I'm more hyped for Rogue Trader and Space Marine 2 than I was before.  So that's definitely nice.  I even like the Space Marine board game with the new Titus miniature.  Though man, that's what, 20 Primaris Lieutentants now?

The opener, Speed Freeks, looks sick!  I'm very curious to hear more about that game.  Hopefully it isn't monetized to hell like so many other live service games.

The RTS has me worried.  I want another good Warhammer RTS, and I've grown to really enjoy AoS as a setting.  But an RTS belongs on PC!  That's not a PC Master Race thing.  No one has made a fun RTS for console for a reason.  The genre requires a complexity of controls you can only get from keyboard and mouse.  If you try to force it onto console you're just going to have a watered-down game that will be enjoyable for no one.

Other than that . . . um . . .

Power Wash simulator is a good game.  I'm curious to see what you do in a 40K crossover for it.  And I've been given good reasons to stop playing Path of Exile and get back to my back catalog.

That's not a lot for a 30 minute run time.  Hopefully they'll have more to show next year.