Haven't seen enough of the gory 'Nids yet? Gamespot has released a preview along with an exclusive gameplay video of how the Tyranids will play and move in Dawn of War II. Check it out:
As Relic is rushing out many news lately will maybe get some information about the multiplayer part of the game soon.
For those who are unfamiliar, the tyranids are a mysterious race of aliens that seem to have no purpose other than extinguishing all other life in the universe. These powerful aliens come in many shapes and sizes, from smaller larval forms that attack in waves to larger, more-devious forms that can blast you with toxins from a distance or ambush you by burrowing into the ground. They will apparently make their first appearance about a third of the way through the single-player game. According to Relic designer Jonny Ebbert, the Essence engine that powers the game has evolved the technology used in Company of Heroes--a game known for excellent squad-based artificial intelligence that made your units intelligently seek cover and fight as a group--and is now being used to power the "hive mind" behaviors of the tyranids.
Packs of smaller tyranid units may descend upon you like a swarm of insects, while more-developed patrols may be led by a psychically powerful tyrant unit that connects weaker units to the larger "synapse" intelligence. Both types of behavior unfold as described, and along with spore mines--essentially, living, floating bombs that explode on contact with a concussive blast, make for an enemy that can be both slow and menacing and startlingly fast.
The demonstration we watched took place in one of the single-player game's levels in a new environment we hadn't yet seen, the swamp environment, which is characterized by swaying trees and layered shadows and swirling mist that show off the engine's enhanced dynamic lighting features. However, territories that are under siege by tyranids will show telltale signs of "tyranoforming." According to Warhammer 40,000 lore, the aliens have a tendency to infest any new ecosystems they encounter by releasing toxic spores into the atmosphere, eventually corrupting all the local wildlife and plant life. At the first stages of infestation, you may encounter a handful of floating spore mines; at later stages, you'll find giant, toothed tendrils jutting out of the ground alongside spore launchers that pop out spore mines like cannonballs; and finally, in the deepest stages of infestation, you'll find brood nests, where the ground itself has become a pulsating, organic source of a seemingly endless swarm of tyranids.
Packs of smaller tyranid units may descend upon you like a swarm of insects, while more-developed patrols may be led by a psychically powerful tyrant unit that connects weaker units to the larger "synapse" intelligence. Both types of behavior unfold as described, and along with spore mines--essentially, living, floating bombs that explode on contact with a concussive blast, make for an enemy that can be both slow and menacing and startlingly fast.
The demonstration we watched took place in one of the single-player game's levels in a new environment we hadn't yet seen, the swamp environment, which is characterized by swaying trees and layered shadows and swirling mist that show off the engine's enhanced dynamic lighting features. However, territories that are under siege by tyranids will show telltale signs of "tyranoforming." According to Warhammer 40,000 lore, the aliens have a tendency to infest any new ecosystems they encounter by releasing toxic spores into the atmosphere, eventually corrupting all the local wildlife and plant life. At the first stages of infestation, you may encounter a handful of floating spore mines; at later stages, you'll find giant, toothed tendrils jutting out of the ground alongside spore launchers that pop out spore mines like cannonballs; and finally, in the deepest stages of infestation, you'll find brood nests, where the ground itself has become a pulsating, organic source of a seemingly endless swarm of tyranids.
As Relic is rushing out many news lately will maybe get some information about the multiplayer part of the game soon.