Space Marine Review

This review is probably as belated as could be, but I have mostly Amazon to thank for that. Shipping my copy four days late. What is the point in pre-ordering a game if you get it so late?
And before anyone adds: "Pre-order it on steam" I would have done that, if some unknown force hadn't actually disabled Space Marine from the Steam Store.
That's right, a game that requires Steam to be played, can not actually be bought in the Steam store itself.
More than likely we have the Evil Empire of www.game.co.uk to blame. They replied Nu-uh, but seeing how this only affects the UK and where the only victor could only be retail sales then yeh, you'll understand that statement would be Pinochio's equivalent of a 10-foot pole. Ideally used to keep distance of aforementioned corporation...
It's so absurd and surreal, I almost fathom myself being back in Belgium. And speaking of, do they have a government there yet?

But how is the game? A month ago I gave my thoughts on the demo and that seems pretty much true for the entire game. The game engine renders Game Workshop's setting graphically both stunning and beautiful. It's a mix best described as industrial gothic. A big thumbs up to the engine that earlier gave birth to another graphically lush game: Darksiders. The game is also filled with lots of particle effects and events and I can't say I've ever seen my framerate drop, or had a crash.

It's a game that is also true to the 40k setting since it actually makes you feel like a real space marine, a one-man war machine with bolter guns that feel like they're really firing explosive rounds the size of a fist.
The story itself, although not the most original, is enticing and plays as if it doesn't just use Warhammer 40k as a background, no it actually really feels like it is part of the whole setting, with little audiobooks around, and references to for example the Space Wolves. And allow me to call the protagonist Captain Titus, Badass of the Year.

Or how I learned to love the atomic bomb

The gameplay is good, with a fluid combat system where you can switch from melee to ranged nearly flawlessly. Unfortunately the first part of the game can get tedious after Ork wave number 100, with the same types of orks, and the same type of behaviour/tactics. It's also suffering from a few unnecessary and unfortunately at times boring level designs. Did we for example really need a level through sewer tunnels where we get perhaps 3 waves of enemies?

He's Boss Grimskull

Luckily once halfway and introducing the forces of Chaos, the pace becomes fast and the fights much more complicated and vast, with beautiful three-way fighting between Chaos, Orks, and you the Space Marines. There's also a few mindblowing levels such as fighting on a moving train or alongside other Space marine chapters.





The single player campaign unfortunately is unforgivingly short. It took me 9 hours on normal difficulty, which means it can be done on anywhere from 7-10 hours. That is damningly short.
That would be ok though, if the multiplayer was good. Sadly though, it is not. There are only two modes currently (co-op mode is being introduced later). But even these two modes seem rough and simple. Not to mention unbalanced as you get weapons and gear through levelling. That latter part is not to be underestimated, if you realize the potential of the hammer and jetpack.


If you want an entertaining game where you're satisfied enough with just hacking down endless  waves of orks and Chaos forces then you'll feel right at ease. But be wary that the single campaign is short, and the multiplayercampaign is rough and unbalanced.

Space Marine Preview

For those not yet in the knowing, Relic has shifted this chapter in its Warhammer 40k games to what plays like a complete third-person action game.
The demo itself was a bloody nuisance to get. Whoever's responsible for this, I hope you get torn apart by a flock of Squigs. Once procured however it felt like a proper and meaty main course where you could really get a good impression of the game.

Unfortunately as for gameplay, Space Marines still felt like a console-port at the surface-level but luckily only slightly, and I can see it being better on those platforms. Although after a while you can definitely get used to the controls. Once that's the case the combat feels extremely fluid and oh-so-delightfully visceral, especially as you can execute goons to regain health. With that gory effect that feels right in place.

Coincidence or not but the combat has many striking similarities to that of THQ's other game: Darksiders. The melee is simple with a few combos thrown in, and the combat itself fuels an extra ability called Fury which can be unleashed to deadly result.
On top of that it's incredible how seamless the switch between melee and ranged and vice-versa is.

Graphic-wise the game is good, although nothing exceptional, and in the option-screen it had a few options to alter the graphics, but again nothing exceptional in my opinion. That is of course if these options will remain unaltered in the final version.
The sound however is where the game really shines, the weapons sound as they should, and Mark Strong delivers an enticing voice-over for the game's main protagonist.
My only beef soundwise is that I'm not a 100% sure on the Ork sounds. I can't really pinpoint it, but they don't sound completely Warhammer-y to me.

Overall the game was a mindless and incredibly fun gorefest. If the entire game continues on this level, we are sure to have a top game here. So stay tuned for the complete review once the game is released.

Space Marine demo announced

Relic has announced on the official site that there will be a Space Marine demo available on August the 23d.
Although the Warhammer 40k games have always had a decent potential and quality, the series from Relic always played more like a hybrid that's not really sure of what it is. RTS, RPG, action?  As a result of that the last game in the series felt like it still needed some fine-tuning. Adding on top of that some of the RPG elements were still quite poor. You can't come up with a story that is as your average B Hollywood film and expect it to be engaging, m'kay?

Still as a strategy game the Dawn of War series has really shined through, and its foregoing of a base in its gameplay is both refreshing and fitting. It also helps that the franchise has a deep and rich lore, not to mention crazy Orks like this fellow here:

The latest news and trailers also showcase a much more seamless game with a fluid combination of ranged and melee damage. And us gamers like nothing more than ripping through opponents with bolt guns and chainswords. Mmm-hmm...
Not to mention, you'll get the chance to fight off a frigging Ork Horde in the demo.

You can see more about the game in the following video here, and let me know what you think!






This post is sponsored by THQ, and by no means am I being held at gunpoint by a crazy Ork.


"WAAAAAGH from Above"