Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade
Overview -
The 'Warhammer Fantasy Battle' tabletop gaming series began in 1983. It was popular enough to spin off several other franchises, including 'Blood Bowl' and most notably 'Warhammer 40,000', a blend of fantasy and science fiction. 'Warhammer 40K: Eternal Crusade' is developed by Canadian company Behaviour Interactive and published by Bandai Namco. The PC version is currently in full release, with PS4 and XB1 editions planned for later.
Video Review
'Eternal Crusade' runs on Unreal 4 but the visuals are dated. Technical issues include clipping and strange hitboxes, as well as persistent lag. Textures and animations are lackluster. On the upside there is success in the 'Warhammer 40K' art design, which in general is an accurate depiction of the Space Marine supersoldiers and their distinctive armor.
Audio Review
There is a decent audio suite, at least in the voice acting and sound effects. However, all of the audio has a muffled quality, like it's coming from far away. The game is relatively free of audio artifacts and bugs.
Final Thoughts
'Warhammer 40K' is a great franchise on paper but has struggled in video gaming, and 'Eternal Crusade' is on the lower end of the spectrum. It has the trappings of a freemium pvp game but asks for $50 just to get in the door. From the shoddy controls to the inscrutable mysteries of equipment, this is one shooter we cannot recommend, even for the most dire of 'Warhammer' fans.