If you are a fan of Warhammer 40,000 you are in for a real treat this summer. THQ is launching some serious 40K firepower in the forms of Kill Team and Space Marine. Now granted if you are a Xenos player you may be sick of the Ultramarines by now, however, both of these games were shown at E3 in all of their glory and both games delivered some awesome fun. Let’s take a look at how Games Workshop continues to grow the 40K brand and what is in store for fans this summer.

While Space Marine is on everyone’s radar, Kill Team will be coming out next month. That is right - July! The game will be available on Xbox Live and the Playstation Network.  It looks to be priced in the $9.99 range. What a great way to start the summer than with this little 40K gem for on ten bucks! Heck that averages out to 2 terminator models! Players will have access to four classes: Sternguard Veteran, Techmarine, Librarian, and Vanguard Veteran. The best part is players can select from six Space Marine chapters.

The game play on Kill Team packs as much punch as a heavy bolter. If you have not seen the trailer definitely check it out. Marines will face down Orks and Tyranids after crashing into a giant Ork Kroozer to take them out. With an isometric view similar to Diablo and Torchlight, Kill Team gives players the chance to explore the giant ship and bring down the enemies of the Imperium. You can play with two people on the same couch for now. Hopefully full co-op mode will be available in the future.

Kill Team was a real surprise at E3 and we cannot wait for its arrival next month. Yet, the main focus of the THQ booth was Space Marine. With a forty foot Drop Pod and playable screens on all sides, the Ultramarines were unstoppable. The game play was amazing. One feature that stood out was being able to switch weapons fairly quickly. So, if you are facing down an Ork Loota from far away, use the Plasma Gun for full effect. If you are charging into an Ork assault, it is Bolt Pistol and Chain Sword time!

Being a Space Wolves player at heart, I am definitely going to order my copy from Gamespot. You will have the options for a Space Wolf armor or Black Templar armor set if you order from the major retailer. Honestly, I just wish it was traditional Space Wolf grey. Still, I must spend the money on it.

Space Marine will bring a lot of attention to 40K, the game that has been a major influence on almost any sci-fi futuristic combat IP. Games Workshop has been doing a great job with their models lately, finecast aside, the new Dark Eldar do look amazing. Hopefully with the success of Space Marine we will see more people coming back to the hobby and building armies again. I just wish that they would get away from the Ultramarines for a while. I’d love to see other aspects of the Imperium and heck, even see a content update where you can play as some of the other races. Hopefully this will be in the future for the game.

So, if you are a 40K player, this summer has a lot to offer. Kill Team comes in July and Space Marine in September, two solid games that will definitely put 40K on the map in the shooter space. If THQ can bring the success they had with Dawn of War to the table, we are in for some great battles this summer. On a quick note, for those of you looking towards the 40K MMO, THQ continues to work on Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online. Though we only saw a trailer at E3, rest assured that THQ are committed to the game and have plans to make some big announcements over the next year.  Right now I think it is safe to say we have some great games to look forward to in the 40K space. If Kill Team is a success it would be very cool to see them add more chapters and classes to the game as well as possibly other races. With Space Marine I just cannot wait to assault with the chainsword!!   Is that a little fanboy of me?  Screw it… BZZZZZZZZ!!!!