Beginning as a miniature war game back in 1987,Warhammerhas found life in a variety of other mediums, including gaming and books. Right now, the long-running franchise is also gearing up fora television adaptation starring Henry Cavill for Amazon Prime.
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Starting in 1991, Games Workshop,Warhammer’s production company, branched into gaming with the release ofHeroQuestfor platforms such as the Atari ST. In the years since, the Nottingham-based war games conglomerate has focused much of its gaming efforts on both the futuristicWarhammer 40,000and the swords-and-sorcery-focusedWarhammer Fantasy.
The40,000series in particular has proven to have a lot of pull with audiences over the years. Known more for their emphasis on tactics and action than in-depth plots, theWarhammergames have still managed to hit multiple compelling storytelling notes over the past 30 years. These examples crafted gripping plots for players to enjoy.
6Total War: Warhammer 2 Managed To Improve On Its Predecessor In Just About Every Way
The firstTotal Warsequel boasts several campaigns with surprising narrative depth by the standards of the series. Taking a break from the futuristic mayhem of the40,000series, this fantasy-focused epic gives players all manner of gods and monsters to tangle with.
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The core plot of the game is titledEye of the Vortexand, in a fun twist for players willing to commit time tothe various races on offer, has different plotlines and cutscenes per faction. The result is a vast amount of world-building and lore that helps elevate the stakes of the monumental battles. Much of the grand-scale plot stems from the Old Ones, the gods who created the various peoples that populate the world ofWarhammer. The player is subsequently put in a variety of apocalyptic decisions and scenarios stemming from the Old Ones' war with Chaos. While it’s a lot to digest at a glance, the wild storylines and set-ups here make the game a much more immersive experience overall.
5Space Hulk: Vengeance Of The Blood Angels Is An Early, Ultra-Violent Warhammer Classic
This 1995Space Hulkclassic from Electronic Artspolarized critics at the time due to its elaborate, complicated approach to battle strategizing and gameplay. A seminal release on the 3DO back in the day,Vengeance of the Blood Angelshas a neat plot tailor-made for the action fans tend to seek.
The player character is an elite-level Space Marine who has joined the Terminator rank. Armed with the finest armor and weaponry on offer, the player is sent into amayhem-laden war with the dreaded Genestealers. Monstrous alien entities, the Genestealers' unsettling reproductive habits and fearsome use of old Space Hulk vessels make for a scary, intense game. While the plot is nothing revolutionary, it’s supremely effective in building tension and stakes for the action on offer. In the Genestealers,Warhammerfound some of its most seminal alien villains as well, who are incredibly well-represented and developed here in this much-loved blast from the past.
4Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus Gives An In-Depth Look At The Series' Deadliest Military Outfit
When it comes to world-building,Mechanicusis one of the most impressive entries the long-running series has produced. First released back in 2018, this turn-based tactics game allows the player to take charge of the most impressive army the Imperium has to offer.
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The Adeptus Mechanicus is the most advanced military order in theWarhammer 40,000world. Assuming the role of Magos Dominus Faustinius, players must lead the deadly army on a dangerous expedition through Silva Tenebris, a recently rediscovered planet brimming with everything from intriguing new tech to predictably brutal battles. The extensive decision-making required by the player, coupled with the compelling world-building and a litany of potential endings, make this one of the series' more nuanced turn-based entries.
On top of the intriguing lore and world-building, the game’s narrative is further enhanced by the level of detail and development applied to the Adeptus Mechanicus themselves, ensuring this action-packed game remains compelling in both plot and play.
3Dawn Of War 2 Boasted A Consequence-Heavy Story With Multiple Endings
Following on from the firstDawn of War’sSoulstormexpansion, this explosive tactics-focused installment benefits greatly from high-stakes storytelling. With their backs against the wall throughout the main campaign, the Space Marines deal with a litany of monstrous galactic threats.
First released back in February 2009,Dawn of War 2won considerable acclaim for its quicker-paced approach to tactical gameplay and more fully developed storyline. Over the course of the game, players battle everything from Orks to Tyranids, all while learning struggles of the Space Marinesand the impact of the wars they must wage to protect the galaxy. It’s a compelling journey through the perils of a bleak galaxy frequently under attack from monstrous alien influence. The expansion packs,Chaos RisingandRetribution, add further to the overall lore and storytelling on offer, expanding the timeline and providing players with more tough decisions to set up a variety of different endings.
2Space Marine Wowed Players With Its Intense Narrative, Action, And Thought-Provoking Ending
This fan favorite, hack-and-slash gorefest offered fans a very different take onWarhammeraction than the tactics-focused norm. Adopting a third-person shooter style,Space Marinegives players an intense, invasion-oriented narrative to keep the action sizzling.
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Players take control of Captain Titus,a 2nd Company Commander in the Space Marines, who, with his deputies, must deal with an enormous Ork invasion on Forge World Graia. Of all the planets to invade, this one proves to be the most dire considering its use as a weapons production base for the Imperium of Man. The player goes through a litany of increasingly violent tasks and interactions as the pandemonium cranks up on the planet. On a storytelling level, the game’s surprisingly heavy emphasis on moral decisions and military in-fighting in the closing stretch makes for a compelling, thought-provoking finale to an all-guns-blazing thrill ride.
1Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr Offers A Complex, Thoughtful Narrative That Added A Lot To The 40K Universe
This well-regarded40,000entry first dropped in 2018 and sees the player enter the Inquisition. Tasked with cracking down on both sinister Chaos worship and general alien involvement in Imperium society.
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The plot kicks off with an intriguing bang when the player is sent in to investigate a surprise ghost ship that has popped up in space. The mystery of how it got there and why exactly it’s abandoned takes the player into a haunting conspiracy spanning 5,000 years. The tension only cranks up as more and more of what’s really going on is uncovered.
The fanatical Inquisitor Klosterheim provides the game with a nuanced, unsettling figure, whose arc reflects the traumas of an ideological war taken to the brink. Overall, Martyr works on so many levels due to the commitment to building a compelling supporting cast and narrative, making it one of the richest, scariestWarhammergames out there wherea player can go wrong and find themselves in danger at any moment.
