(Paris) Video Game Launch Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II The beginning of September highlighted the great interest that players still have in this saga that was born more than 40 years ago in the form of a board game with figurines.
“We believe this is the fastest-selling video game we've ever worked on,” summed up the very popular social network headlines like death or earthquake.
This brutal and bloody game, which plunges future soldiers into a space war against hostile aliens, has sold more than two million copies in just a few days after its launch, and has climbed to third place in sales on Steam in the United States, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
This success is a testament to the longevity of the brand, which was created by British company Games Workshop in the early 1980s and has since been available in two worlds: “dark fantasy” war hammer The future dimension of War hammer 40,000sometimes abbreviated War hammer 40k.
“The world in itself”
Books, and more than fifty video games ranging from the most classic genres (shooting and strategy) to the most surprising (racing and sports): expanding the world war hammer In popular culture, it seems to have no boundaries. So much so that Amazon has announced a Winter 2022 film series featuring British actor Henry Cavill. Superman and The Witcher.
Quentin Boulud, 31, hails a “universe of its own” that he has never tired of since discovering at the age of 10. This regular at the French Wargame Café, a Parisian place dedicated to figurative games, always brings together fantastic creatures assembled and hand-painted to engage in battles with friends.
Also bought Second Marine Space When it comes out, it pays homage to the efforts of its creators. “Fans of the license will be satisfied, and video game fans will be satisfied as well. Besides, if we don’t know war hammer“I find it a very beautiful entrance,” he insists.
Widely shared enthusiasm: On review aggregation site Metacritic, the game received an “overall positive” rating of 82 out of 100.
“It was a dream project for a lot of people in our studio,” Oliver Hollis-Lake, art director at publisher Sabre Interactive, told AFP. “It was a balance between staying true to the universe, to the story, […] And create hooks for new players.
He achieved the challenge, and confirms: “The game has broken records in the number of players connected at the same time compared to previous games.” war hammer ”
For Julien Kirstenbaum, founder of the French Wargame Café and host of the 80,000-subscriber French YouTube channel Wargame Studio, the license is still just beginning to enter mainstream culture, thanks in particular to the synergy between figurines and video games.
“There are a lot of streamers who have only played video games, who have either tested the statue or also tested role-playing games in this universe,” he notes, having himself produced several dedicated videos when the game was released.
“There are team world championships with 40 countries participating, including newcomers like China. That says a lot about the fact that it has become so popular,” he continues before congratulating himself: since August, France has been the world champion.