Last year, Indie Publisher Focus Home Interactive, along with Games Workshop and French-based Streumon Studios, released Spacehulk: Deathwing, a highly ambitious shooter that brought together fans of classic board games and experienced fans of first-person shooters. Bringing together elements of the Warhammer 40K universe and refined shooting mechanics, Spacehulk: Deathwing was positively praised by both critics and gamers alike. Now, one year following its release, Spacehulk: Deathwing is making its way to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as Spacehulk Deathwing: Enhanced Edition.
Spacehulk: Deathwing is inspired by the 1989 board game, Spacehulk, a 2-player board game that pitted gamers in a desperate battle for survival in the depths of space. One player takes the role of Space Marine Terminators, which are elite superhuman soldiers with the latest firepower and close-ranged weaponry. The other player takes the role of the Genestealer Hive, a vicious group of aliens that spread destruction through the infection and mutation of other species.
The battle takes place within the narrow corridors of the massive vessel, known as the Spacehulk, which acts as a vast, overwhelming environment of steel and ship workings. With the confined space, maneuvering and evading the enemy is impossible. It takes wise tactics and sacrifices to successfully defeat the genestealers and survive the nightmare aboard the ship.
With the wild success of the original board game, Spacehulk has received new iterations and has even moved into the world of video games. In the 1990’s, Spacehulk was translated into a first-person shooter for various platforms, including the Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation, and the Panasonic 3DO. The game was received well, as Spacehulk stood as one of the very first shooters available on the market. Over the decades, the Warhammer 40K Universe has grown. Recently, Hoplite Research and Full Control Studios has released several iterations of Spacehulk and Warhammer 40K games, such as Spacehulk (2013) , Spacehulk: Ascension, and Spacehulk: Deathwatch, all for PC as well as modern consoles.
Now, the latest in that string is Spacehulk Deathwing: Enhanced Edition. Spacehulk: Deathwing plays as a tactical, squad-based first-person shooter, where players will explore the complex labyrinths of the Spacehulk to seek out the Genestealers and punish these abominations. In each level, players will either take control of their squad or play in online co-op. Around every corner, there will be hundreds of deadly genestealers. While they do not possess ranged combat abilities, their devilishly sharp claws will rip through armor like a scissor. The tight spaces, narrow corridors, and low-lighting will make conditions incredibly dangerous for the swift, agile enemy. Players will wield brutal, robust weaponry and fierce close-ranged weapons in order to survive.
Spacehulk: Deathwing will feature a full-fledged single-player campaign, along with the full online co-op, which features procedural generation and randomized objectives for endless replayability. The Enhanced Edition will feature a host of new content and features, with continued support in the coming year, and all updates being free. The PC Version will receive a free update for those that purchased the game in last year.
Spacehulk: Deathwing Enhanced Edition will launch this coming December for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.