Either someone at THQ is going to be losing their job or this is part of some unusual viral marketing campaign, but a leak has disclosed the existence of the Warhammer 40k action game. It’s set to be Gears of War style and is appropriately titled Space Marine, the individual unit of the Ultramarine army. It’s not a hoax either (or if it is. it’s a well-thought out one) as there is an unseen narator describing the game as an “up-close personal, visceral, melee experience.”

The narrator continues by saying “it’s the first time that the Warhammer license has been done in such an up-close and personal manner, where as the MMO and RTS are more of a god-like experience, we want to get up close and personal.” Watching the video, which is still available here, they certainly seem to have done a good job of that. Ranged combat takes a definite backseat to melee combat, as emphasized by the ‘cinemaction’ moments as the narrator describes them: quick camera angle changes to illustrate how your character finishes off his various opponents. Their second goal was also achieved: the narrator refers to an idea of ‘intimate brutality’ which they seem to have achieved given the brutal attacks with the chainsaw sword. I predict this one will have some trouble getting released in at least one country or two.