We at SPOnG are huge fans of 2000AD, having been weaned on Judge Dredd and Co. as youngsters. So we were happy to hear that 2000AD publisher and crack UK developer Rebellion has just announced an April 21 release date for Rogue Trooper, its next title based on a well-known 2000AD strip.

Eidos will look after the publishing duties on this ‘futuristic tactical action game’ that blends third-person action with elements of stealth as players (Rogue) wreak revenge while tooled up with the very latest in experimental high-tech weaponry.

Oxford-based Rebellion are garnering something of a reputation as a perfectionist developer to look out for, with their last title - the superb Sniper Elite - dubbed the 'Gran Turismo of war games’, being many a reviewers game of 2005 and winning an array of awards.

The storyline in Rogue Trooper is classic 2000AD – the lone, renegade warrior seeking justice and revenge. You play one of an elite regiment of biologically-engineered clone troops, created to overcome Nu Earth's hostile atmosphere and fight, unhindered, against the brutal Nort War machine. After witnessing the betrayal and annihilation of his entire regiment at the Quartz Zone Massacre, Rogue goes AWOL, determined to hunt down the traitor general who sent his brothers-in-arms to their deaths.

The look and feel of the 2000AD strip is faithfully portrayed in the game, right down to the various anthropomorphicised (human-like! - Ed.) items that Rogue carries with him, including his gun (Gunnar), helmet (Helm) and backpack (Bagman). The game will also feature up to four-player co-operative gameplay or two-player split screen action.

For more 2000AD info check out Rebellion’s site here or the official Rogue Trooper site here, for more info, downloads and stuff.