Warhammer 40K: Space Marine – Review

 

 

Introduction

Those of you who are familiar with the Warhammer universe, be it the standard tabletop game or the many titles previously released for the PC and some for the consoles know that it is a series based strongly around strategy.

When it comes to the newly released Space Marine the studios behind the Dawn of War – THQ and Relic Entertainment – took a very sharp turn towards a whole other area of the gaming world. They decided to try their hand at making a third person shooter.

This piece of news was released back in late 2009 and with the first trailer appearing I couldn’t be more thrilled, I’ve waited for this game ever since. There was a lingering sensation that the producers were heading into dangerous waters but all my fears were put aside after the first fifteen minutes of playing.

Gameplay and Story

Space Marine handles very similar to all the other third person shooters out there, the controls are very similar so for those used to playing these sorts of games you´ll be able to pick up and play without any difficulty. A lot of people have compared it to the more popular Gears of War, but that happens every time a new game tries breaking into such a developed genre.

Even if some of you see Space Marine as a clone that shouldn’t be a negative thing since if they did it even half as good as the people at Epic Games it is worth playing. Not only that but the story is very different along with the much more developed background of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

You play as Captain Titus voiced by the actor Mark Strong (Robin Hood, Body of Lies, RocknRolla and Robin Hood) who has been sent to one of the Forge Worlds where the Imperium of Man focus on producing weapons and developing new countermeasures against the many alien races that threaten their existence. The planet known as Graia is under attack by a large Ork force with millions of soldiers looking to claim one of the Titans in the Manufactorum along with a new kind of energy source discovered by an Inquisitor.

It is your job to stop the Ork invasion lead by Warboss Grimskull and hinder his efforts at commandeering the massive Titan war machine. You also have two other marines with you including the senior warrior and close friend Sidonus, the other is a newly appointed soldier named Leandros. You’re all part of a Space Marine Chapter known as the Ultramarines, one of Terra’s most deadly warriors and as you progress through the game a much larger story slowly begins to unfold.

One of the things THQ and Relic did the best is the “weight” of Titus and the others when you’re rushing at an enemy position. This was also very well done in Gears of War but they’ve reduced the heft of their characters as of late. Another thing I hail them for is keeping the feeling of being a Space Marine intact instead of tampering with a winning mix of death and destruction. And the set-pieces are extremely awe-inspiring, some of the best in the genre.

You´ll have a wide arrange of weapons to choose from, I guess you can say it’s the “standard” loadout with sniper rifles, assault weapons and pistols. But you’ve also got things like the Thunder Hammer to play with, the very entertaining chainsword, or the impressive plasma guns. While playing you´ll also pick up other upgrades that affect your shields for example are scattered throughout the acts and chapters.

For those of you who think the gameplay will be like Gears of War where you take cover behind a chest-high wall and unload from a safe distance – you couldn’t be more wrong. First of all roughly 85% of the enemies you meet will rush you to engage in close quarters combat and lob grenades like madmen.

There is also no cover system which can be a pain when facing snipers, it is very effective to keep you on your toes however and instead of having a fast paced game that slows down when sheltering yourself you’ve got no choice but to rush into combat. This is further enforced with the health system which only regenerates when you perform executions.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine will take you around eight/ten hours to finish depending on the difficulty. A thing I found disappointing was the lack of a co-operative mode, this will however be added later through a DLC patch.

Multiplayer

Games such as this are pretty much forced to add a multiplayer section these days, which can be something good and something bad. In Bioshock 2 for example, it was a very bad choice to add such a component but when it comes to Space Marine it is one of the best third person shooter multiplayer experiences out there.

You have three classes to choose from, the standard Tactical Marine, the heavy Devastator Marine or the quick melee machines known as Assault Marines. Not only that but as you progress through the ranks you will be able to upgrade them with better weapons and perks, as well as changing their appearance with different armors. There is also the choice of painting your marines in any color you want, again keeping to the roots of the tabletop game.

You´ll only be able to choose between two different game types, one being a standard Deathmatch and the second a Capture the Point type of game. Even though there are only two choices and six maps it’s still a lot of fun to play, customize your character and bring the pain to your opponents.

Graphics and Sound

Space Marine can rival any other titles out there when it comes to graphical quality, it looks sublime and the environments are really good. Some places seem less inspired however but that isn’t something you notice to great extent. One of the most revealing moments of how high standard Relic has is when you execute an enemy and the blood spurts all over the screen and cover your armor.

The soundtrack does a really good job at making the adrenaline rush through your system as you charge against a horde of Orks or when trying to survive a Chaos onslaught. Another thing they did well was the weapon sounds, even though I would like some of the heavier weapons to have a bit more “force” behind them.

Final Thoughts

Even if you’re not a fan of the tabletop version of Warhammer, or if you’ve never played any of the previous strategy games I still think that everyone who enjoys the third person shooter genre will not regret playing Space Marine.

It is a polished game which expertly combines hack and slash with shooter gameplay, and killing has never been so fun or rewarding. So if you see it in a shelf, go ahead and buy it, you will not regret your purchase!

Design: 8.3
Story: 7.4
Gameplay: 8.5
Presentation: 8.9

Total: 8.2