The developers of Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War have announced a turn-based strategy game Earth vs Mars about the Martian invasion of Earth

Independent Canadian studio Relic Entertainment, known for its work on the Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series, has announced an unusual game for itself – the turn-based strategy Earth vs Mars.

Image source: Relic Entertainment

Judging by the announcement trailer for Earth vs Mars, the plot involves an astronaut landing on Mars provoking the inhabitants of the Red Planet, who have been abducting people and animals from Earth for decades, to invade again.

Players will lead the Earth army against the Martian forces in a battle for the survival of the planet with high-tech flying saucers, gravity tanks and elite warriors.

Despite the overwhelming odds, not all is lost. The humans have a secret weapon at their disposal, the Splice-O-Tron, which allows them to crossbreed humans and animals to create hybrid supersoldiers.

«”Drop acid rain with the speedy cheetah-fly. Smash through enemies with a human-rhino hybrid. Or strike the forest with deadly cow-squirrels,” the authors urge.

They promise Advance Wars-style gameplay, diverse commanders, a story campaign with more than 30 missions, competitive multiplayer, an AI skirmish mode, a map editor, and a “beautiful 3D world.”

Earth vs Mars is expected to be released this summer on Steam, with other platforms depending on the game’s success. The project is part of Relic’s previously outlined strategy of experimenting with genres.