The Plusses in this game:
+Great
mix between shooting and brawling
+Addictive
hack and slash mechanics
+Fun
Jump Pack sequences
The minuses in this game:
-Multiplayer
needs more content
-Feels
a bit repetitive after a while
Final Rate: 9 / 10
System requirements:
Minimum:
OS:
Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP1, Windows 7
Processor:
2.0Ghz Dual core CPU (any Core 2 Duo or AMD X2 or better)
Memory:
1GB (XP), 2GB (Vista), 2GB (Windows 7)
Graphics:
256MB Video Card using Shader Model 3 (Nvidia GeForce 8800GT, AMD Radeon 3850
and above)
DirectX:
9.0c
Hard
Drive: 20 GB space free (10 GB free after install)
Sound:
Laptop and Notebook users will need to download the newest Nvidia 280.26 or AMD
Catalyst 11.8 drivers.
Recommended:
OS:
Windows 7
Processor:
Any Quad-core Intel or AMD Processor
Memory:
1GB (XP), 2GB (Vista), 2GB (Windows 7)
Graphics:
512MB Video Card using Shader Model 3 (Performance equivalent to an AMD Radeon
5750 or better)
DirectX:
9.0c
Hard
Drive: 20 GB space free (10 GB free after install)
Sound:
Laptop and Notebook users will need to download the newest Nvidia 280.26 or AMD
Catalyst 11.8 drivers.
Review:
The
Warhammer 40,000 universe created by The Games Workshop may have started out as
a tabletop gaming series, but it quickly found a great home in the video games
industry, with Relic Entertainment and THQ bringing the Dawn of War real time
strategy series to millions of gamers from around the world.
Now,
both companies want to prove that the Warhammer 40k universe can be home to
other sorts of adventures, as Space Marine is a third person shooter with hack
and slash elements, a far cry from the RTS roots of the studio.
With
the promise of combining the unique universe with polished shooter mechanics
and visceral melee action that shows off what it's actually like to be an
Ultramarine serving the Imperium, is Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine a great new
direction for the series or should it be forgotten as a failed experiment?
Let's find out.
Story:
While
previous Dawn of War titles made players feel like they're shaping the
Warhammer 40k universe, Space Marine is a more personal affair, detailing the
adventures of Captain Titus and his Ultramarine squad, composed of the older
Sergeant Sidonus, and younger rookie Leandros, as they're deployed on the
surface of an Imperium Forge World, which produces its weapons, and has now
been invaded by Orks.
The
greenskins, while not being able to match the Imperial Guard's firepower,
quickly overwhelm it with their numbers, so it's up to Titus and his squad to
secure the extremely important Titan war machine before it can be used against
them.
During
this adventure, they meet an Inquisitor called Drogan, who's been running quite
a few experiments on the forge world to uncover new power sources. Without
spoiling too much, after spending more than half the game fighting the legions
of Orks, Titus and his squad will then face Chaos forces, creatures from
another dimension that want nothing but to dig their claws into the power armor
of the Ultramarines.
While
it may sound a bit weird at first, the story's pacing is quite well done, even
if it tends to throw at Titus lots of relatively pointless objectives. Still,
the protagonist manages to come over as a fiercely loyal and imposing hero,
knowing when to follow protocol, aka the Codex Astartes, and when to go with
his gut and throw caution into the wind.
Without
Titus, much of the game's story would fall flat, and his squad mates, Sidonus
and Leandros, not to mention the supporting characters, like 2nd Lieutenant
Mira, also serve to make Space Marine a more personal experience that feels
good and doesn't outstay its welcome, clocking in at around 9-10 hours,
depending on your skills.
Gameplay:
Warhammer
40,000: Space Marine is a far cry from the real time strategy of the Dawn of
War series, with which Relic has gotten us used to. Instead, it's a pretty
standard third person shooter, like Gears of War, but it mixes it up with hack
and slash combat reminiscent of titles like God of War or Devil May Cry.
While
they may not look like it, what with their big, heavy power armor, Titus and
his fellow Ultramarines are quite agile when going toe to toe with their
rivals, hacking and slashing away with quite a few stylish moves. What's more,
seeing as how you can wield a variety of melee weapons, from the standard
combat knife to the awesome chainsword, power axe or thunder hammer, brawling
always feels great and, coupled with the bloody visuals, makes for a
satisfyingly addictive experience.
In
terms of actual shooting, Space Marine is also quite impressive, with Titus
being able to carry four firearms with him, ranging from regular bolters
(pistols) to more serious Stalker or Heavy Bolters (sniper or machine guns),
not to mention a very special Vengeance Launcher, which shoots mines that can
attach to walls, floors or enemies, and be detonated remotely.
Shooting
fells good but most of the times you'll be using your firearms to snipe enemies
from afar. Once they get near you, it's advisable to pull out your melee weapon
and start dicing enemies left and right.
This
great mix of gameplay has a few out of the ordinary sequences sprinkled in,
like on-rails turret sequences or missions where you can use your Jump Pack,
arguably the most fun you can have during the whole Space Marine experience.
In
special levels, Titus is granted access to the aforementioned Jump pack, which
impacts his mobility, but allows him to jump into the air and then smash
violently into the ground, taking out all enemies in the vicinity. While you
can also use weapons while wearing the jump packs, it's much more fun to just
float around the level and smash into enemies, especially large groups that
explode into a mess of blood and gore.
Enemies
aren't much to write home about, at least in the first half when you're dealing
with Orks, but, once you start running into Chaos units, things get much
tougher, so you'll definitely need to start paying attention to your opponents.
While Titus does have a regenerating shield, his health is a different manner
altogether. As such, to rebuild it, he needs to stun enemies and then execute
them in an over the top manner.
Each
melee weapon has a few different executions, and it's pretty much a blast, at
least for the player, to try them all out on Titus' unlucky opponents. When you
feel outmatched, the game also has a fury system that turns the hero into an
unstoppable killing machine, while regenerating his health and increasing his
damage output.
Multiplayer:
Space
Marine currently has just a competitive multiplayer mode, although a
cooperative one is scheduled to arrive through a future update within a month.
The online mode covers 8 versus 8 matches in either Annihilation, a standard
Team Deathmatch, with players fighting either as Space Marines or Chaos Marines
to reach 41 kills, and Seize Ground, where teams need to occupy certain
objectives and start accumulating points until they reach a 1,000-point
threshold.
Players
can choose from three different classes, Tactical, Devastator or Assault, each
with their own specific gear, and can then choose their loadouts from a variety
of unlockable items. The game encourages players to change things up, and,
after death, you can even opt to copy the loadout of the opponent who killed
you, using the same gear as him no matter your actual level.
The
multiplayer mode puts an emphasis on customization, as players that reach level
4 can decorate their own Marine with all sorts of items and colors, much like
painting your own Warhammer 40,000 figurine. As you progress through the modes,
using different weapons and unlocking special bonuses, you can fit new pieces
of armor and equipment on your custom character.
While
there are just a couple of modes and quite a few maps, Space Marine's
multiplayer mode will be enriched in the future, so it's definitely worth
spending some time with it.
Visuals and Sound:
Warhammer
40,000: Space Marine looks pretty good, even if it abuses a bit of the gray
industrial feel of the planet where it takes place. Levels do alternate a bit
between areas, ranging from large, open battles near the hallmarks of the
planet, to cramped and messy brawls on the inside of these structures. Titus
and his comrades look very good and maintain their style even when covered from
head to power armor toe in the blood of their enemies.
Sound-wise,
there's a heavy orchestral score, which complements the glorious adventures of
the Ultramarines on the screen, as well as the British colonial nature of the
Imperium. Voice actors do a proper good job, with Mark Strong doing a stellar
job of bringing Captain Titus to life, while a variety of British actors
smoothly handle the rest of the characters.
Conclusion:
Warhammer
40,000: Space Marine is a fun game, combining quite a few great elements into a
mix of shooting and brawling that's as fun as it sounds. The gameplay is tight,
the multiplayer is decent, even if it's still without quite a few features, and
the presentation rounds off a solid package.
Seeing
as how the Space Marine bet paid off in spades, we're more than looking forward
to a sequel from Relic and THQ.
Warhammer
40,000: Space Marine is available for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
platforms, and supports controllers on the computer.
by
-Tricker
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