Warhammer games today have never quite got across the characters' chiselled brutality as the ultimate soldier. They also never managed to capture the fractured nature of what was complex, crafted universe of blighted superhuman Roman-legionnaires battling to protect mankind from alien forces. Warhammer 40k’s standalone physical game-in-a-box Space Hulk provided a 4-player experience that was... well, pretty pixellated.

Four windows of Space Marines tramping through some forgotten spaceship, gunning down equally pixellated versions of meandering alien Genestealers was rivalled on release by similar titles such as Hired Guns, and promptly curb-stomped into oblivion by Doom. The Firewarrior games proved speedy in the PS2 framerate race against titles like Black. In fact, it wasn’t until Warhammer 40K went all ‘real-time strategy’ that it actually proved to be a contender on the videogaming front, with regards to a license that could adequately communicate the ferocity of their on-going spacewars.

Third person views sets the camera behind each solider, with weight as a key consideration, with characters trudging about – therefore, a load out of light pistol (a Bolter in Warhammer 40K) and a machete are initially the most accessible to traditional shooter fans – wound from a distance on the run, and then advance in close for execution. With a two-stage stun melee attack, THQ are obviously keen to get up close and personal during your time drafted into The Great Crusade. It’s soon obvious that no Space Marine is an island (no matter that he's a hulking 8-foot superhuman). Limited movement afforded to heavy weapon wielding units requires a more agile back-up to be effective, adding simple team tactics. Options on offer are an 8-on-8 competitive multiplayer competiting in team deathmatch mode Annihilation or Seize Ground – capturing locations and holding them for high scores.

Custom weapon load-outs are accompanied by various perks and assists. There are some undeniably nice touches here – a self-destruct perk provides much annoyance (and hilarity) from fallen soldiers, jet packs blast soldiers over parapets and hurl them down with a Chainsword strike from the skies. Additionally, elements such as swapping your load-out with that of your vanquisher on respawn will hopefully negate those seemingly unfair dispatches.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine is here to slow the pace of battle – requiring communication, organisation and more than a bit of team mentality, utilising each class of soldier tactically. It seeks to address both the 40K fan who wishes to strap on the boots and insignia of a Space Wolf or Blood Angel and customise their soldier to within an inch of their life, and also those who just want to blow shit up. Space Marines is nothing if not true to the titular characters from the customisation to trying to dive around a battlefield as a bio-genetically engineered super-solider, buried beneath several tons of impermeable armour – but whether this pace will be palatable in the frantic world where Call of Duty Black Ops commands world-wide sales is another issue.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marines is out on September 9th for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.