Complex Games is announcing today that it will make The Horus Heresy: Drop Assault, a mobile game based on the Warhammer 40,000 sci-fi universe. The game will test how well a franchise born with miniature wargame pieces in the 1980s will carry on in the modern digital gaming era.
The tactical strategy game will hit iOS and Android devices this fall. Winnipeg, Canada-based Complex Games will develop the game in partnership with tabletop war game maker Games Workshop, which owns the franchise, and Japanese mobile game publisher Crooz.
Complex Games has been making titles for 12 years, and it has its Multiplex Engine, which can be used to make real-time synchronous multiplayer strategy and action games for smartphones and tablets. Making synchronous games is not an easy task on mobile platforms.
The title is the first time a video game will be based in the universe’s Horus Heresy setting. In the title, players can choose a side in the intense civil war that erupted among the Emperor’s Space Marine Legions in the 31st Millennium. Players will be able to build and customise bases, muster armies, and break their enemies’ strongholds in intense tactical battles. Different factions will fight to dominate territories.
“We are thrilled to be working with Games Workshop on the first videogame set in the Horus Heresy”, said Noah Decter-Jackson, CEO of Complex Games, in a statement. “We have been dedicated Warhammer 40,000 gamers since we first started playing games, and we are confident that the tactical experience we are bringing to mobile will satisfy what 40K fans have been craving.”
Games Workshop has more than 400 “hobby center” retail stores where it sells is Warhammer and Warhammer miniatures and other games. That should help with marketing the new mobile title.
Meanwhile, Jon Gillard, head of Games Workshop Licensing, said, ““The Horus Heresy is an iconic and seminal part of our IP that describes the dark period in the Imperium’s history that ultimately led to the way the Warhammer 40,000 universe looks now. As a setting it has been the basis for numerous New York Times best-selling novels, card games, and more recently some amazing models from our Forge World division. The dark treachery and over the top battles of this epic civil war make it perfect for the game Complex are making and aficionados of our worlds will be very excited about this legendary setting being brought to life as a video game for the first time.”
The game will test how well a franchise born with miniature wargame pieces in the 1980s will carry on in the modern digital gaming era.
Didn't the likes of Final Liberation, Shadow of the Horned Rat, Dawn of War and Space Marine administer this test?
I was working in GW about the time Dawn of War came out. I lost count of the number of times over the following year or so that guys in their 20's and 30's came in who had been players in their teenage years and had their interest in 40k piqued again by playing Dawn of War. Sold quite a few starter sets off the back of that.
For a company supposedly obsessed with preserving the worth and integrity of their IP, they do seem to like to lay it down and then squat over it when it comes to licensing games
If they wanted to make a game people would buy then they need another Dawn of War and a Warhammer Fantasy Total War.
A Town Called Malus wrote: For a company supposedly obsessed with preserving the worth and integrity of their IP, they do seem to like to lay it down and then squat over it when it comes to licensing games
If they wanted to make a game people would buy then they need another Dawn of War and a Warhammer Fantasy Total War.
I'm very optimistic about 40k stuff, but this game looks pretty dreadful. A Horus Heresy strategy game is a no-brainer, but it looks pretty awful and shallow. Seems like it will be on par with the Red Alert iOs game, which is pretty mediocre and lacks any real strategy beyond attack moving everything in your way.
That said, I'm still looking forward to the Slitherine Armageddon game, but this one in particular looks pretty dire.
Looks a lot like Starcraft. The original version. Only I can't imagine this could be as much fun, since part of the game was your timing on the keyboard.
The trailer makes it look sort of OK if a little bland, but we all know based on the format it's going to be clash of clans with bolters, and I can't say that interests me - if it did I'd likely already be playing clash of clans, which makes the whole thing seem a bit misbegotten.
GW is doing a good job of breaking whatever hold the setting has over me by going for this trash repeatedly, rather than good games from good studios like Dawn of War from Relic.
H.B.M.C. wrote: Ah yes, from the makers of Skipping Stones and Monkey Poo. Another company with a fine pedigree.
With a name like Monkey Poo I had to check their website to see if this was hyperbole or not. It's not. :/
Meanwhile, while GW is taking the "monkey poo" approach (in more ways than one), Privateer Press raised 1.5 mil from their fans to help develop a real game that a lot of people are excited to play.
Really - as someone who owns all three Dawn of War II games (and who started painted minis as a result of playing Dawn of War: Soulstorm) GW is running the risk of finally releasing a quality game at some point and having people go "God, more Space Marine shovelware - pass" before they even look at it.
The recent tide of shovelware is a really good indication that all is not well with GW financially. In the past GW have been quite picky about who they license their IP to but in the last couple of years they seemingly give the OK to anyone who asks.
There are a couple of interesting possiblities (Slitherines TBS game, Warhammer:Total War and possibly Mordheim) but everything else just looks like gak.
Honestly the most promising to be is Regicide. For starters it's hard to feth up chess, and the idea of Battlechess 40K is appealing at the most basic level. But then they can add to it with new game-modes.
if this game is cheap, i'll play...
i think it will be fun to have HH Marines, and all their awesome tanks and jetbikes, battling it out on my iPad...
i don't ask for much...
Kirasu wrote: It's pretty amazing they can't find any decent game companies to make another solid game using an IP that is 20+ years old..
Then again, GW puts 0 effort into everything they do nowadays
I'm not sure I understand your comments.
If you mean they didn't put any effort into creating a minimum standard for companies to meet then I agree.
If you mean they didn't help make the assets look good or the game play feel fun, then that's not their job as the publisher. The publisher just makes sure the game is progressing on time and meets the technical requirements (TCR requirements, game playthroughs, vertical slice deadlines, IP restrictions, etc...). Some companies like Capcom have a little more hands on approach of dictating what they want in the game but most don't; producers don't create, they manage.
It doesnt appeal to me personally so I guess its complete dog gak. They should focus on making good games- making good games is easy and repeatable after all- and they should ask me for personal approval before publishing this garbage. Bla bla bla share price, kirby, desperate, no other fantasy franchise has had mobile games based on it etc.
Heh, so an inevitably F2P mobile 'strategy' game is your definition of good then is it?
GW have licensed some genuinely good games, in the early days they actually published some as well, the likes of Dark Omen, Chaos Gate, Final Liberation and Dawn of War. These games were well made (for their time) and were generally well received by critics and the gaming public. Currently there are 12 licensed games in development or recently released, all but 4 of them will be on mobiles and the available information strongly suggests that the majority will be little more than shovelware. Hardly a stellar lineup
White Knight all you want but at least do it with a modicum of intelligence.
I'm going to get my hands on the license too. I'm going to make a 30k cooking game called "Horus' Isstvan V Drop Pod Diner Dash: Massacre of Flavor". Using the touch pad players will quickly assemble food like Ork burgers and Slaanesh Shakes for loyalist marines as they arrive at the dropsite.
A clash of clans WH40k game could be pretty neat if done well (though I'm sure it'll be pay-to-win like ALL clash of clans-esque games)
A Clash of Clans Space Marine game, however, restricted to just space marines and only space marines fighting space marines, sounds kinda..... er, limited in scope.
H.B.M.C. wrote: Honestly the most promising to be is Regicide. For starters it's hard to feth up chess, and the idea of Battlechess 40K is appealing at the most basic level. But then they can add to it with new game-modes.
One of the guys at my local GW is involved in Regicide's production, and I can honestly say that they are making a massive effort to make the game as good as is humanly possible.
The Armageddon game that Slitherine are working on looks reasonable. Slitherine publish and produce loads of really good strategy games, yes the graphics can be a little dated on most, but the rest of the games are definitely sound.
H.B.M.C. wrote: Honestly the most promising to be is Regicide. For starters it's hard to feth up chess, and the idea of Battlechess 40K is appealing at the most basic level. But then they can add to it with new game-modes.
I'm surprised you are more excited for Marine chess than Warhammer: Eternal Crusade.
A Town Called Malus wrote: For a company supposedly obsessed with preserving the worth and integrity of their IP, they do seem to like to lay it down and then squat over it when it comes to licensing games
If they wanted to make a game people would buy then they need another Dawn of War and a Warhammer Fantasy Total War.
If you actually knew how little it costs to get a game like this developed versus a game like Dawn of War/Warhammer Fantasy Total War and then coupled with the return of profit, you would not be saying that.
Heh, so an inevitably F2P mobile 'strategy' game is your definition of good then is it?
GW have licensed some genuinely good games, in the early days they actually published some as well, the likes of Dark Omen, Chaos Gate, Final Liberation and Dawn of War. These games were well made (for their time) and were generally well received by critics and the gaming public. Currently there are 12 licensed games in development or recently released, all but 4 of them will be on mobiles and the available information strongly suggests that the majority will be little more than shovelware. Hardly a stellar lineup
White Knight all you want but at least do it with a modicum of intelligence.
Notice that those lists are not comprehensive nor even necessarily correct. And if you're going to start slinging insults, I'd like to point out that just because the games that have been ANNOUNCED are primarily shovelware does not mean that there are not projects in development that are flying under the radar.
Especially given that there are several big video game franchise projects that are COMPLETELY unknown to anyone bar the teams that are working on said projects and the people they choose to talk up said projects with.
For a game set during the Horus Heresy, the abundance of super-Gothic-y landscapes is kinda odd. It all screams "Imperium of Man", a thing that didn't really exist in 30k.
Thunderfrog wrote: I'm surprised you are more excited for Marine chess than Warhammer: Eternal Crusade.
Eternally dull Crusade more like it. I've watched footage from that game, nothing inspired me. Plus the game isn't even into Alpha and they already have a fully armed and operational real-money in-game store, where you can buy super-duper expensive bolter skins. No, screw that game.
H.B.M.C. wrote: ...they already have a fully armed and operational real-money in-game store, where you can buy super-duper expensive bolter skins. No, screw that game.
IMO - any game that has an abundance of IAP just screams DO NOT BUY at me!
I just hate the idea of IAP being set up while a game is in production...
'ummmm what shall we hold back??'
It's why I bailed on Warhammer Quest...
I didn't pick up storm of vengeance as it had units IAP day 1.
Wont pick up the space wolf card game either due to IAP.
Haven't bought the Spulk due to IAP overload... although I can understand IAP extra mission sets...
I will consider the chess game but if they have extra chess pieces for IAP they can feth off too!
already disapointed that they have faction skins lined up as IAP...
"Its a Cheap/Free game! plus 69p for each of the units we locked out plus at least 69p every other day for currency to get past all the go slow hurdles we programmed in..."
Why are all iOS users treated like idiots?
I'd prefer to just pay the full price upfront and get the full game...
/rant
Panic...
So they are hehehe, Im just reminiscing about all the PC titles they put out. Not really into the mobile games that we've been seeing quite a lot of lately.
We did get 'Space Marine' on the consoles and PC somewhat recently I suppose...feels like that was a fair while ago now though, with many a cheap quick mobile game churned out since.
Looks well done, shame its on the tired, useless mobile platform, yet again and I am not sure why they chose to use the Horus Heresy, it seems totally irrelevant when you see how the game plays.
I think I will give this one a miss.
BrookM wrote: THQ also greenlit crap such as the N-Gage game, the DS and PSP title. Prolly some other "gems" as well, TotalBiscuit did a great movie on this all.
Squad Command wasn't that bad, a bit fiddly due to the camera, but quite enjoyable.
Leading mobile game development studio Complex Games Inc., in conjunction with Games Workshop ®, the definitive leader in tabletop war games, and mobile game publisher CROOZ, Inc. (headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Koji Obuchi) are proud to announce the iOS exclusive worldwide launch of a new mobile title, The Horus Heresy: Drop Assault .
Set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, this tactical strategy title is the first ever video game to take place in the wildly popular Horus Heresy setting.
The Horus Heresy: Drop Assault is set in the gritty lands of the recently virus-bombed Isstvan III. Players must choose a side in the civil war that erupted amongst the Emperor's Space Marine Legions in the 30 th Millennium. Will you be loyal to the Emperor or follow the traitorous Horus? Players can build and customize bases, muster armies, and break their enemies' strongholds through intense territorial warfare. Additionally, players can create unique Chapters with their friends and challenge rivals across the globe with a novel multiplayer Skirmish gameplay mode.
Noah Decter-Jackson, CEO of Complex Games Inc., on the launch of the game:
“We’re extremely happy to be able to launch Drop Assault worldwide on iOS! The game has been undergoing extensive live-testing and tweaking over the past few months, and it’s finally in a state where we’re ready to go live and unleash it on all the fans!”
Jon Gillard, Head of Games Workshop Licensing had this to say about the upcoming title:
“The guys at Complex have been working long and hard to make a fantastic game from this most infamous of conflicts from the Horus Heresy era and it shows. It’s compelling, fun and captures the desperate trials of the Isstvan III campaign wonderfully, and you get to field Glaive tanks and Reaver Titans! What’s not to like?”
The Horus Heresy: Drop Assault is now available to download on iOS devices here: www.bit.ly/DropAssaultWWL
Seems pretty rudimentary and unexceptional. At a glance I wouldn't have realised it was Warhammer. When I was young I had Space Hulk which was a great game at the time, years later I only played Fire Warrior once but that seemed good though an game from an Imperial point of view would have been preferable.
All this recent stuff is just rubbish churned out asap.
BrookM wrote: THQ also greenlit crap such as the N-Gage game, the DS and PSP title. Prolly some other "gems" as well, TotalBiscuit did a great movie on this all.
Squad Command wasn't that bad, a bit fiddly due to the camera, but quite enjoyable.
+1, squad command was FAR from crap. I played it to death.
Has anyone tried this? Is it the clash of clans clone it appears to be?
It's fun. Not a 40k game, which some reviewers don't seem to get. Worth checking out if you're a 30k fan.
Decent mix of PvE and PvP elements. No real reason to spend any money, especially if you're familiar with the rythm of these sort of games.
Been playing it for a couple of days. It's enjoyable, but getting far too monotonous for my liking.
- Almost conquered every map point up to what appears to be Angron's lair but have yet to come across any actual Traitor Astartes, just automated turrets.
- Same thing over and over again: Drop your Pods, attack turrets, then attack the HQ. Rinse and repeat.
- Controlling your squads is horrible. Your Marines automatically attack the closest target unless you use the Beacon upgrade, in which case they move to the Beacon and resume the shoot-closest idea there instead. The terrible thing about this is that you have a set amount of points to use such skills, which includes things like Orbital Strikes and Life-Eater. Once you've used a couple of OS, you've got no points left for your Beacons, at which point your guys get minced by Missile Turrets due to them not being able to avoid them.
- Base construction is rather haphazard. I still don't know the purpose of half the buildings, I just know they're important to keep the base running.
- Lack of any significant tutorial. All I saw was basic instructions: "Place your HQ. Now place your turrets. Spawn a squad of Marines. Congrats, you're able to take on the Traitors!".
Perhaps I'm not playing it correctly, but this is what I've gathered from my attempts. Overall it's not awful, but nowhere near good. At least it's free, and there's less of a pressure to buy the cash-packs than I've seen in other games, but I'm quickly losing interest in it.
We’re running a special promotion in conjunction with Horus Heresy: Drop Assault for iOS at the moment. Hidden within orders placed on the Games Workshop website, you will find a card containing a promo code for an amount of Machine Spirit, the in game currency that allows you to build bases, and upgrade troops.
Download the game for free now from the app store, then simply place any order on games-workshop.com to receive your free promo code in your order.
They've started chucking gold codes in GW parcels, I ordered a couple of Immolators and got a code for 2600 "machine spirit". Only works on IOS and I've got the android version. Typical. If anybody wants the code, send me a PM, and if I'm feeling generous I'll send it over. Claimed, enjoy!
It's an enjoyable game, but yeah, a bit tedious as one progresses as it takes a lot of time and resources to upgrade stuff, which can in the meantime be stolen again when you're off-line.
Also, I'm at the stage where it takes three days for my HQ to upgrade. Oh well, time to raid other players and rake in the daily free machine spirits.
Well I downloaded the game at 10:30. Didn't get till sleep until about ~2ish.
I think I'm enjoying it!
It's a little buggy here and there. Does anyone else get the no HUD bug when they recon an enemy camp? It's kind of annoying having scouted an area and then having to exit and restart the game because you've got no "back" button. Not a deal breaker though.
I've got a feeling that happens when the game can't connect to the server. I played loads for one weekend and built up a load and haven't had any compulsion to go back since. I wouldn't say it's bad at all.
I deleted it. graphics sucked, the troops suck and are beyond weak. everything gets killed. i'll give it that its a tough game. but its harder and harder to beet the turrets and of course im not going to spend real money on any of this. i dont know what half the buildings do nor do i understand relics or the other nonsense. its a dumb game. i was pretty pumped about it when it came out but it ulimately sucks
