[Review] Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (PC)

With each passing generation of gamers, it seems that boardgames are becoming increasingly ignored and thought of as lame. Theprerequisite of a strong imagination is far too high of a hurdle and enough toput off most from ever touching some of the old greats like Dungeons and Dragons or newer cultfavorites from Flying Frog. Warhammer40,000, however, has to be the most restrictive title of all, practicallyrequiring players to do homework before games by painting their miniature sizedspace marines. Warhammer 40,000: SpaceMarines removes any homework or requirement for imagination from players;instead, they are thrust straight into the lore and can experience the ork-bashingaction with ease.

Meticulous painting isn’t exactly what one would expect asthe prelude to an adrenaline pumping experience that involves the killing oforks and space marines. Without the need for painting and hours of preparation,Space Marines is the perfect way tointroduce young, impatient gamers to the lore and change the face of Warhammer from nerds with figurines to achaotic battlefield, stained by ork blood. The game itself plays a bit like ahack and slasher with some shooter elements. While space marines are wellequipped with various guns, nothing mows down hordes like a good old chainsaw.The shooting mechanics are pretty simple, only allowing players to aim andshoot without any of the duck and cover elements that games are filled withtoday. Though it makes sense that a space marine would only sooner jump into the fray than hide behind cover, it just feels limiting and like a method of forcing gamers away from shooting. With no cover, even the best shooter would resort to melee instead. All of this really begs the question of why there are guns in the game to begin with.

Though shooting may be a buzzkill, melee combat is undoubtedly the most satisfying aspect of Space Marine. While orks don’t standmuch of a chance to a space marine’s chainsaw, they also aren’t shy aboutattacking you from behind, unlike other hack and slashers. Frequently, players will find themselves on theverge of death, so the game’s execution mechanic that restores health will bean essential tool. Instead of offering some solice for players as they executeeach ork slowly, the executions leave players vulnerable to random hits andshots, meaning that the adrenaline rush doesn’t stop. The lengthy animationsare not only satisfying, but act like a countdown to recovery before playersmay execute another ork for some much needed life boosts.

Because the Warhammeruniverse is so inaccessible for most, the story in Space Marine may be a bit off putting. However, through simplewriting and elements, players will quickly understand what they’re fightingfor. Countless lines citing loyalty to the emperor and its value over lifeitself are explanatory enough over why orks are the enemies. Experienced Warhammer enthusiasts will appreciatecountless references to the lore and the customization options in the game’smultiplayer mode, which mirrors the  paintingthat fans already love but now available in digital form.

Space Marine isthe perfect example of a game that actually takes an IP and does somethingdifferent with it, yet truly bringing out the potential of original material.Nobody would have thought that tiny, meticulously painted figures of spacemarines would translate to such an intense, gory game when it was only made asan RTS before. Fans of the board game will feel right at home with the newinterpretation of their favorite game and others will marvel at the treasurehidden in this previously untapped material.

Available on: PC, PS3, Xbox 360; Publisher: THQ; Developer: Relic Entertainment; Players: 1-16; Released: September 5, 2011; ESRB: Mature; Official Site