So what is Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade?

     This week saw the Steam Launch of Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade in Early Access, This game has been hyped for some time among the more dedicated Warhammer 40k fans as it is supposed to be the first ever MMO set in the Warhammer universe, which is something fans of the series have been wanting for quite some time. In the few short days since the Early Access launch of Steam, the game has achieved a respectable 80% positive reviews, although that number appears to be moving towards the mid 70's as more and more people are purchasing the game and reviewing it. Regardless, the game has been well received and there are always enough players in-game at any given time to keep matchmaking times relatively low and rooms relatively full. But, all the positivity can be arguably attributed to the popularity of the Warhammer setting and the unwillingness of players to admit that the game is in a poor state. So I am here to answer the question "What is Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade?"

     To answer that question, we must answer it in two parts. What IS it, and what will it BE? Since players will only have experience with what it is right now for the time being, let's answer that first. In its current state, it is a 3rd-person arena shooter with several maps of capture-the-points between the Space Marine and Chaos Marine factions, each with several customizable sub-classes to perform various roles such as vehicle destruction, healing, sniping, setting up machine gun encampments, melee focus, and more. Matches are fast-paced and tense as both teams rush to attack and defend the various points placed throughout the map, with grenades and bolter shots flying through the air. Something I find especially satisfying is simply the movement, as my heavily-armored marine sprints through the battlefield his every footstep is heavy and gives off a deep thud and really gives a sense of presence in the world. However, the game is horribly optimized and even a high-end computer will have trouble running it. I have an AMD 8320, a GTX 970, and 32gb of RAM in my PC and I usually end up with an average of 20fps, although it can drop lower than that during particularly intense moments, while it remains at 45-60fps if there's a lot of distance between me and a major fight. The developers are aware of this bad optimization, however, and fixes are on the way in the near future. It's also quite repetitive as there aren't a lot of maps and there's only one game mode. There also aren't a whole lot of customization options for the classes, although there are enough to provide for at least SOME variation. The community could also be argued as a downside as I've been in numerous games with people on voice chat being extremely rude and needlessly offensive because they're losing or keep getting killed, although that is to be expected from any competitive shooter with a chat function, so Eternal Crusade can't really be faulted for that. All in all, in it's current state it is VERY much an Alpha.

     Now, to answer the question of what it will become. The devs genuinely seem to be on top of this and are determined to bring their vision to life and so I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one and say that despite the games current less-than-impressive state, I am very interested in buying in now and being a part of development. The game will eventually have 4 factions in total, Space Marines, Chaos Marines, Eldar, and Orks. It will be a massive open-world war with a persistent world much like Planetside 2, with instanced PvE co-op content. There will be character progression and customization options that can be unlocked through playing. In the end the game will be a true Warhammer MMO, and it's all just a question of how long will the wait be, and will the developers actually manage to follow through with their promises. Because that's all any of this is right now: promises. Eternal Crusade is a massive undertaking, but I have faith that it will come to fruition in the end. However, that doesn't mean that I can truly recommend this game to any normal gamer. As I said, it its current state it is an un-optimized mess that requires a very high end PC to run, and the vast majority of defining features have not yet been added. It is a game in the early stages of development with a lot of potential and only the most dedicated of Warhammer fans will enjoy it as it is. Even if you aren't willing to take the risk, it is absolutely worth keeping tabs on this game. I haven't had it long enough to really know how regular content updates are, but people claim that they come frequently. And if the game is truly on a steady march towards the end vision, then you might find yourself picking it up sooner rather than later.

Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade can be purchased from Steam now for $49.99 (At the time of writing, there is a 20% discount active) (Enter my referral code EC-0VP1YXEDPMUVS to get bonus points to be spent in the Rogue Trader  shop when it arrives!)