Warhammer 40k: Space Marine review - For the Emperor!

In the grim darkness of the future, there is only war. Fans of the storied “Warhammer” franchise know this tagline well but for the uninitiated, let me shed some light on the future in which humanity finds itself constantly fighting for survival.

In this bleak future, humanity, organized into the galactic-spanning Imperium of Man, follows the will of the living God, the Emperor of Mankind. Throughout the millennia, humanity has been beset by factions looking to conquer and destroy the human race – whether those forces be human in kind, alien or otherworldly is inconsequential, the Imperium exists to safeguard the race of man and see its existence continued. Though highly technologically advanced, the means and ways that brought mankind to these inventions were lost with the Emperor when he fell in battle protecting Earth, leaving mankind to look upon His works of technology with religious reverence. Before his fall at the hands of his own creations, the Emperor created the first of his Adeptus Astartes, otherwise known as the Space Marines, to protect humanity and unite them across the stars.

The Space Marines are the constant protectors of the human race. Having undergone severe genetic manipulation and rigorous training, Space Marines are superior to normal humans in every aspect. Whether the threat is from Orks, Eldar, Necron, or the Ruinous Powers of Chaos, the Space Marines live only to serve the Emperor. The duty of the Space Marine only ends in death. Every human works toward the preservation of the race – whether in factories producing arms and munitions, in the Imperial Guard, or as Adeptus Astartes – living by the saying, “It is better to die for the Emperor than live for yourself.” Though the human race lives under the oppressive thumb of the Imperium, working and dying to preserve humanity is seen as a far better alternative to living as a slave to the Chaos Gods or overwhelmed by the Ork hordes.

With this bit of information, it’ll be a little easier to explain the plot of “Warhammer 40k: Space Marine.” The Forge World of Graia (a massive, planet-sized factory) has come under assault by Orks who are looking to loot the planet of its weaponry as well as a massive war machine known as a Titan. In most instances, an invasion or Orks of this magnitude would be rectified by Exterminatus, or rather the purging of an entire planet’s population. In this case, however, it is determined that Graia is too valuable to be dealt such a killing blow and instead members of a chapter of Space Marines – the Ultramarines – are called in quell the invasion and assist the planetary Imperial Guard in retaking sections of the factory overrun by greenskins. However, all is not as it seems – the forces of Chaos are also at work on Graia and it is up to Captain Titus and his Battle Brothers to save the planet.

If you’ve been keeping up with this blog (and why wouldn’t you), you’ll remember I did a piece a while back on the demo for this game as well. Though I wasn’t initially intending on picking up this game so soon, a price drop at Best Buy was too tempting to resist and I find myself back in the power armored boots of Captain Titus.

“Space Marine” is a third-person shooter and while it may be compared to “Gears of War” by most, the two games actually aren’t much alike. In fact, I’d wager a majority of the net nerds who call out “Space Marine” for ripping off “Gears” don’t even realize the property was created well before Cliffy B. even made his first game. Where the gameplay in “Gears” focuses on tactical shooting and using cover, “Space Marine” combines both shooting and melee action for a blend of action that’s just a little bit more adrenaline pumping than the well known Epic series.

Though ranged weapons are an important part of your arsenal, the Space Marines also make use of a variety of imaginative close combat weaponry such as the Chainsword and Thunder Hammer. Titus and his brethren have no use for cover and, as they are basically walking tanks, wade into combat and meet the enemy head-on. Titus battles the marauding Ork hordes for the majority of the solo campaign. Orks crave warfare and are ferocious opponents who have little regard for their own lives as Titus and the Ultramarines cut down wave after wave of the aliens. Luckily, the combat, both close and ranged, is fast and fluid and a heck of a lot of fun.

I’m incredibly pleased with how easy and intuitive it is to mix both ranged and melee attacks into combat. The triggers are used for firing weapons, as is the case in most shooters, while the X, Y, and B buttons (attack, stun, and execute) are used for melee combat. Removing the need to switch from melee to ranged weapons keeps the action fast and intense. You’ll need this fluid use of both ranged and melee combat to fend off the bloodthirsty Orks as they too utilize both ranged and close weapons.

The pacing of the single player game is also very nicely done. The set pieces aren’t as sweeping and dramatic as in “Gears” though they get the job done and make for an enthralling experience. While entertaining, the solo campaign itself is pretty short and could do with some bigger moments or boss battles to make gamers want to experience the solo story again. The excellent pacing, fun combat and hidden collectibles will make replaying this game a definite option. Plus, there are various difficulties so you can really challenge yourself. It should also be noted that even though there are a handful of collectibles to find (Servo Skulls scattered throughout the game), “Space Marine” is a linear experience and exploration is very minimal.

While the majority of the fighting you’ll do in “Space Marine” is very enjoyable (especially the few instances where you get to make use of the jetpack) some encounters are incredibly annoying. You’ll often be facing overwhelming odds, though this is nothing a Space Marine can’t handle. Only in many of these fights, Orks with rocket launchers will rain down death upon you before you even realize they are on the field. I didn’t die very often in “Space Marine” but I think the majority of my deaths were the result of Rokkit Orks (Orks can’t spell very well) dominating me while I tried to thin out the Slugga or Shoota Boyz first.

I absolutely love the art style and design of “Space Marine.” The character design is impeccable – the Space Marines are large and imposing, their armor expertly crafted and bears the scars of countless battles; the Orks are beefy and ugly with razor sharp claws and teeth; and the forces of Chaos are twisted and all-around evil looking. Plus the use of dynamic lighting really shows off the incredible detail found in each individual character. Cutscenes, which help move the story along, really let you soak in the rich visual details of “Space Marine.”

The sound design is also really well done. The sound of the Space Marine’s boots stomping around is always present but never overpowers your senses and the report of the game’s inventive weaponry is suitably loud and very intimidating. On the other hand, probably the biggest complaint I have (and have heard from others) about the game is how the Orks will constantly and incessantly yell “SPACE MARINES!” when they see you, when they shoot at you, when they’re being killed by you – generally whenever they’re on screen and near you, you can be sure one of them will be yelling “SPACE MARINES! KILL THE SPACE MARINES!” or some variation of those words. And since the Orks have hilarious Cockney accents, they almost sound like they’re yelling “Spice Marines” which is funny at first but gets really old, really quick.

While on the subject of annoyances, the only way to regain lost health in the solo campaign is to stun an Ork and execute him (stunned Orks are made obvious by the giant B over their heads). These executions are brutally satisfying but Titus can still take damage while performing them. Some of the animations, while still cool, are a little drawn out and leave you very open to attack basically meaning that you’ll have to wait until the fight is almost over before you can refill your health. Activating Fury also refills your health, though activating it just to restore health may mean you don’t have it when you really need it.

Along with the solo campaign, “Space Marine” offers a multiplayer component that lets players battle it out as the Emperor’s Space Marines or as twisted Chaos Marines. There are only two modes to choose from right now (Annihilation [deathmatch] and Seize Ground [domination]) but the co-op mode, “Exterminatus,” is going to be released on Oct. 25. The two modes are straightforward and you probably already have a pretty good grasp on what they entail. Exterminatus lets you and three others team up to take on waves of enemies in specially designed missions. I’m not sure if this mode will make use of matchmaking, though.

In MP, you initially have access to three classes – Tactical, Devastator and Assault. Tactical is the standard loadout featuring a Bolter and grenades. Devastator allows you to wield the supremely powerful Heavy Bolter, which can be mounted on the fly to allow for greater accuracy and rate of fire. Assault is probably the most interesting class as it is melee focused and allows use of a jetpack. As you level up you can unlock customizable loadout slots to build your perfect Space Marine.

Speaking of building your perfect soldier, “Space Marine” offers a ton of character customization. Not only can you swap in numerous different parts for each individual piece of your armor but you can choose from many color schemes as well as different emblems so you can play as your preferred chapter (Space Wolves and World Eaters for me). Not only are a bunch of weapons to unlock but also many different perks which enhance your abilities (like new ammo types, more powerful melee attacks, enemy info readouts, etc.). These customization options all act as great incentives to keep you revisiting the multiplayer. Also, I think I read that items and weapons unlocked in multiplayer will also be available for use in Exterminatus.

The action in multiplayer is smooth and incredibly enjoyable. I’ve experienced very little lag so far, though I’ve read a lot of complaints on the internet about lag and inability to find games. Every so often the matchmaking will take longer than usual but nothing so bad to keep me from playing. No one class really has an advantage over the others which keeps everyone on a level playing field. Jetpack classes are very prevalent though they can be dealth with by keeping on the move (remember, they only have melee weapons and pistols) and Devastators, while using very powerful Heavy Bolters, are also very slow and can’t dodge like the other classes. I could do with a few more maps, though, as I feel like there are only 5-6 overall.

I can’t seem to say enough good things about this game (and I don’t think that it’s just because I’ve become a giant WH40k fan in the past few months). The art is very cool, the sounds of battle and the report of weapons fits very well, the gameplay is smooth and feels substantially heavy (each Space Marine weighs close to half a ton) while not so slow that the combat isn’t intense and pulse-pounding. With a short but sweet solo campaign and multiplayer that offers plenty to keep you interested and coming back for more, “Space Marine” is the start of a great series for THQ and Relic Entertainment. There are so many different directions sequels can be taken in but what I truly hope they include next time are vehicles. The WH40k universe and Space Marines feature a vast selection of cool vehicles (like Predator tanks, Land Raiders and Dreadnoughts) that would make sections featuring large scale vehicular combat just amazing. (And yes, fanboys, I know Dreadnoughts aren’t exactly vehicles in the traditional sense but who says Titus couldn’t be grievously injured and putting him in a Dreadnought is the only way to keep him alive?) Whatever the future holds, “Space Marine” is a great jumping off point for the series that I hope will receive numerous sequels as well as continued DLC support.