Ever since Creative Assembly released the first Total War: Warhammer back in 2016, the part of the community more interested in its futuristic sibling has been clamoring for a version set in the 41st Millennium of the long-running tabletop miniatures series. It may have taken longer than folks would have liked, but Total War: Warhammer 40K is on the horizon, and during a recent event, I had a chance to go hands-on with an early build of the strategy sequel, purging some savage Orks and spreading the word of the God Emperor. The build I got to try consisted of three focused slices – a tutorial, a tease of how the campaign will play out (including some customization goodness), and finally a massive battle – all of which were seen through the helmets of the Space Marines. All things told, it was about an hour of explosions, bullets, and little dudes shouting “For the Emperor!”

Up until now, the Total War series, while featuring ranged units, has been about two armies getting up close and slashing and stabbing one another with swords and the like. Not only does this latest entry mark the first run with Creative Assembly's new engine, WarCore, but also the first ranged-focused title in the long-running franchise. Trebuchets are out, and tanks and walking mechs are in. With this massive leap forward in time to the 41st millennium, gameplay itself has had to catch up and evolve a bit.

Playing through the tutorial, I got a very basic understanding of how this beloved franchise will operate in this new grimdark setting.

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