(Taken from relentlessreviews.com)
This week the world was graced with the long-awaited release of THQ?s Space Marine, the first installment in a new franchise that adds another genre to the ever-expanding catalogue of Games Workshop?s Warhammer: 40,000 video games. For those familiar with the history of Warhammer: 40,000 games you will know it hasn?t always been Melta Guns and roses. Many of the games from the 1990?s and early 2000?s (like Kujo?s unspeakably awful FPS Fire Warrior) deserved to be cast into the ephemeral madness of the Warp, but ever since Relic?s excellent Dawn of War series there has been a continual improvement in the quality of these games. Space Marine marks a seminal period in the development of the Warhammer: 40,000 video game catalogue because it marks the first effort at a main-stream non-RTS title since the aforementioned unspeakably awful Fire Warrior. Needless to say I was waiting with baited breath, especially after that ghastly 10 minute gameplay trailer they released back in 2008 (which fortunately was scrapped entirely.)
For those familiar with the rich lore of the Warhammer: 40,000 universe you?ll be able to guess that the single player mode is where this game will shine, and for the most part it really does, due to the richly crafted story, fluid control scheme, variety of challenging enemies and weaponry, and some truly epic boss battles. First of all, I cannot stress enough how cool a Space Marine is. You?re a 10 foot tall, bioengineered, immortal, warrior-monk wearing a tank?s worth of armor. You should feel god-like with every step, and by the Emperor do you! With my various melee attacks occupying the X, Y, and B buttons and my gun control logically placed on the triggers I was able to perform perfectly gruesome executions with my Chainsword and switch seamlessly to my Stalker-Pattern Bolter to slaughter Orks? with perfect headshots in as much time as it took to blink. And the destruction just keeps coming! Space Marine staples like the Lascannon, Melta Gun, and Thunder Hammer make appearances, and when combined with the Jump Pack sequences they keep the fresh after killing literally thousands of the Emperor?s blasphemous enemies. The story and characters are well-written and engaging and they pepper enough of this grim universe?s gallows humor and random allusions in to make the world seemed fleshed out and diverse.
I also have to take just a second to mention boss battles. Too often nowadays games think they can get away with making a boss just a scaled up version of a smaller, common enemy (I?m looking at you Dues Ex). A boss battle should challenge you and new and inventive ways and force you to use all the tricks in your arsenal to achieve victory. For the most part Space Marine does that, especially when the Jump Pack gets added to the scenario. It does bear mentioning that because you?re often battling hordes of ranged and melee enemies simultaneously (and the fact that some foes can sustain more Bolter rounds than a Land Raider) that this game is soul-crushingly difficult on Hard Mode, so if you are foolish enough to select this option prepare to be fucked by the metaphorical Chainsword of frustration. A colossal, ridiculous, reminds-an-old-school-gamer-of-how-freaking-hard-games-were-in-the-old-days Chainsword of frustration.
The one real let down for me is the multiplayer, and it really pains me to say this because I was worried throughout the entire campaign that certain aspects of the single-player experience wouldn?t translate well to the multiplayer arena (and I was right). There are three classes you can play as (flexible Tactical Marine, heavy weapon specialist Devastator Marine, and Jump Pack-equipped Assault Marine) and you can customize your starting weapon, secondary weapon, grenade, and two perks. That?s it though. Fans of Call of Duty and their modern ilk will find the lack of weapon customization and character creation a major turn off to say the least. You do get to extensively edit your character?s appearance (which I enjoyed) but it does about as much good for the gameplay as a Speedo does for a manatee. The elegantly simple close combat system of the single player seems almost mockingly dumbed down in the multiplayer to little more than slavering button-mashing that seems to negate any measurable skill. With only two game modes, Deathmatch and Control Points, the multiplayer experience feels more tacked on than Eeyore?s tail.
Space Marine is a great first installment in what promises to be a compelling new franchise. I sincerely hope this game does well because I can see many of the issues that I had with the game being improved upon with additional budget and time. More consistent graphical quality, an expanded multiplayer experience, and another compelling story (small order, I know) will be sure to make the hypothetical second installment a veritable masterpiece.
So go out and buy it! I want Space Marine II!
Relentless Rating Richter Scale ? 3.8
5 ? When they report me missing because no one has seen me in a few weeks it will be because of this game.
4 ? Enjoyable game. Its not going to create a gaming addiction that destroys your family but you will still be immersed.
3 ? Might be worth renting from Blockbuster if those stores existed anymore. If you?re a fan of the series check it out.
2 ? If someone gives you this game for Christmas you will end up using it as a coaster until soul-crushing boredom forces you to play it.
1 ? This game makes Atari?s ET look like Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. ?Nuff said.
This week the world was graced with the long-awaited release of THQ?s Space Marine, the first installment in a new franchise that adds another genre to the ever-expanding catalogue of Games Workshop?s Warhammer: 40,000 video games. For those familiar with the history of Warhammer: 40,000 games you will know it hasn?t always been Melta Guns and roses. Many of the games from the 1990?s and early 2000?s (like Kujo?s unspeakably awful FPS Fire Warrior) deserved to be cast into the ephemeral madness of the Warp, but ever since Relic?s excellent Dawn of War series there has been a continual improvement in the quality of these games. Space Marine marks a seminal period in the development of the Warhammer: 40,000 video game catalogue because it marks the first effort at a main-stream non-RTS title since the aforementioned unspeakably awful Fire Warrior. Needless to say I was waiting with baited breath, especially after that ghastly 10 minute gameplay trailer they released back in 2008 (which fortunately was scrapped entirely.)
For those familiar with the rich lore of the Warhammer: 40,000 universe you?ll be able to guess that the single player mode is where this game will shine, and for the most part it really does, due to the richly crafted story, fluid control scheme, variety of challenging enemies and weaponry, and some truly epic boss battles. First of all, I cannot stress enough how cool a Space Marine is. You?re a 10 foot tall, bioengineered, immortal, warrior-monk wearing a tank?s worth of armor. You should feel god-like with every step, and by the Emperor do you! With my various melee attacks occupying the X, Y, and B buttons and my gun control logically placed on the triggers I was able to perform perfectly gruesome executions with my Chainsword and switch seamlessly to my Stalker-Pattern Bolter to slaughter Orks? with perfect headshots in as much time as it took to blink. And the destruction just keeps coming! Space Marine staples like the Lascannon, Melta Gun, and Thunder Hammer make appearances, and when combined with the Jump Pack sequences they keep the fresh after killing literally thousands of the Emperor?s blasphemous enemies. The story and characters are well-written and engaging and they pepper enough of this grim universe?s gallows humor and random allusions in to make the world seemed fleshed out and diverse.
I also have to take just a second to mention boss battles. Too often nowadays games think they can get away with making a boss just a scaled up version of a smaller, common enemy (I?m looking at you Dues Ex). A boss battle should challenge you and new and inventive ways and force you to use all the tricks in your arsenal to achieve victory. For the most part Space Marine does that, especially when the Jump Pack gets added to the scenario. It does bear mentioning that because you?re often battling hordes of ranged and melee enemies simultaneously (and the fact that some foes can sustain more Bolter rounds than a Land Raider) that this game is soul-crushingly difficult on Hard Mode, so if you are foolish enough to select this option prepare to be fucked by the metaphorical Chainsword of frustration. A colossal, ridiculous, reminds-an-old-school-gamer-of-how-freaking-hard-games-were-in-the-old-days Chainsword of frustration.
The one real let down for me is the multiplayer, and it really pains me to say this because I was worried throughout the entire campaign that certain aspects of the single-player experience wouldn?t translate well to the multiplayer arena (and I was right). There are three classes you can play as (flexible Tactical Marine, heavy weapon specialist Devastator Marine, and Jump Pack-equipped Assault Marine) and you can customize your starting weapon, secondary weapon, grenade, and two perks. That?s it though. Fans of Call of Duty and their modern ilk will find the lack of weapon customization and character creation a major turn off to say the least. You do get to extensively edit your character?s appearance (which I enjoyed) but it does about as much good for the gameplay as a Speedo does for a manatee. The elegantly simple close combat system of the single player seems almost mockingly dumbed down in the multiplayer to little more than slavering button-mashing that seems to negate any measurable skill. With only two game modes, Deathmatch and Control Points, the multiplayer experience feels more tacked on than Eeyore?s tail.
Space Marine is a great first installment in what promises to be a compelling new franchise. I sincerely hope this game does well because I can see many of the issues that I had with the game being improved upon with additional budget and time. More consistent graphical quality, an expanded multiplayer experience, and another compelling story (small order, I know) will be sure to make the hypothetical second installment a veritable masterpiece.
So go out and buy it! I want Space Marine II!
Relentless Rating Richter Scale ? 3.8
5 ? When they report me missing because no one has seen me in a few weeks it will be because of this game.
4 ? Enjoyable game. Its not going to create a gaming addiction that destroys your family but you will still be immersed.
3 ? Might be worth renting from Blockbuster if those stores existed anymore. If you?re a fan of the series check it out.
2 ? If someone gives you this game for Christmas you will end up using it as a coaster until soul-crushing boredom forces you to play it.
1 ? This game makes Atari?s ET look like Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. ?Nuff said.