We’re having a coordinated push away from Space Marines lately, as game developers focus on Imperial Knights, Adeptus Mechanicus, and even the Necrons. The latest Warhammer 40K game, Necromunda: Underhive Wars, continues that trend, taking place on the eponymous den of scum and villainy where gangs dwell below Hive City.
Developed by Rogue Factor – the studio behind Mordheim: City of the Damned – Necromunda: Underhive Wars will be a blend of “fast-paced” tactical combat and RPG elements, bringing the first video game adaptation of Necromunda to life.
True to the source material, Necromunda: Underhive Wars’ battlefields are underground yey full of verticality, thanks to the massive Hive City buildings that dot the cavernous environments of the Underhive. You can use raised walkways to gain a higher ground, set traps for enemies, and straight up ambush foes to force them into bloody melee engagements.
However, deaths and injuries are permanent, so even victories might come at a cost, forcing you to live with the consequences of every battle.
Necromunda: Underhive Wars will feature several playable factions, two of which we already know about: the Eschers, an “all-female gang who have made their name through selling drugs and chemicals”; and the Goliaths, “hulking warriors worshipping physicality and using strength-enhancing drugs to dominate in battle”. The game promises deep unit customisation, from loadout and appearance to career skills that unlock more traits and weapons.
Aside from the campaign, a Conquest Mode offers an endless campaign with 4X mechanics between turn-based battles, where you must conquer and defend territory as you vie for control of all of Necromunda’s underground. A competitive multiplayer mode will also be available, though no word if it’s Conquest or only skirmishes.
Necromunda: Underhive Wars will be out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, and you can see the latest teaser trailer – showing the life from the point of view of a hardened Escher gang member – below.
