Warhammer 40 000 has been getting quite a few video game adaptations lately, including three Necromunda games, a new Chaos Gate game, an Ork Run N Gun and the highly anticipated upcoming sequel to Space Marine. Space Marine II will continue the adventures of Captain Titus, but there is another game in the Space Marine series that has seen a new release, with Warhammer 40 000: Boltgun, set on the same planet as in the first Space Marine game. You take control of an Ultramarines Sternguard Veteran named Malum Caedo who must return to the world and once again stop a chaos invasion.
Boltgun is a classic-style Boomer Shooter that comes with both good and bad aspects to the gameplay. What Boltgun does right is make you feel like you really are in control of a Space Marine, with Malum Caedo having an appropriate heaviness to him that properly respects the lore, while being able to move quickly as Astartes should. All the weapons have the right feel as well, and the chainsword especially stands out.
The chainsword is your melee attack and actually calls to mind the Black Templars chapter of Space Marines. With the touch of a button, you will lunge forward and rend foes into pieces, and yet while this is great at the start of the game, it becomes much less effective later on in the game. This is part of what keeps Boltgun from being perfect, as the experience feels a little inconsistent at times.
Warhammer 40 000 is a franchise with plenty of weapons and Boltgun features many, which take the place of Boomer Shooter standouts, such as a Meta Gun taking the place of the BFG. The game makes each weapon stand out, and indeed getting the Boltgun the first time is a very well-done experience, and it all feels true to Warhammer. What is interesting is how the game adapts many of the tabletop rules for these weapons as well, which is a nice touch.
As shown in the game’s instructions, strength and toughness levels from the tabletop are incorporated into the game for both the weapons and the enemies and as such, you cannot just use any weapon but need to use strategy. In fact, the developers really understand the universe and mechanics of Warhammer 40 000, and while you are a one-man army in the game, it makes more sense as a Sternguard Veteran who has been in countless battles over the course of centuries of service. It is not just mechanics and enemies either, as the developers added nice touches such as making your armour in this game called Contempt, which reflects the in-universe quote: “My armour is contempt, my sword is hatred, my shield is disgust, in the Emperor’s name, let none survive.”
This is not to say that it is all good though, because as mentioned, the melee because relatively ineffective later and while you get many weapons, they are all gained in the first act. Acts two and three see you regaining your arsenal as you go on, rather than pacing the discoveries and this is a rather odd choice. There is no real growth in the game, and yes this is a boomer shooter, but even in classic boomer shooters, you gradually get more powerful by finding more weapons all through the game and yet here it all just goes on repeat.
This isn’t the only issue as the game kind of peters out a bit too early and just feels like it is repeating areas and enemies more and more. The repeated level design can be especially frustrating since the lack of a map often means you will get lost even outside of some of the special mindscrew levels designed to be confusing. Dying will reset you right where you died, and if you had been overwhelmed by enemies, will lead to a repetitive case of dying and respawning over and over.
Still, there is plenty to like, such as a wide array of accessibility options and graphical options to recreate the look of a classic shooter much better. Standing idle will lead to an idle animation where Malum Caedo brings out and reads the Codex Astartes, and you can press a button to taunt and unleash great quotes, with the taunts and quotes being different depending on if you are in battle or not. There are a nice amount of secrets to find and in this game, they actually serve as powerups that reward you with more strength/power/options as well.
While many areas feel reused, they are lore accurate and the special chaos stages really give a good sense of what the forces of chaos are supposed to be, especially Tzeentch’s labyrinth areas. Ultimately Boltgun feels like it is incomplete but more in the sense that more is coming in the form of expansions that will address the issues. At least that was my impression anyways, but it does feel like the developers were teasing more to come.
Ultimately, even with the flaws, the combat does feel great, and this is a great Boomer Shooter adaptation of Warhammer 40 000. The Lore is handled right and there are multiple easter eggs and minor details that will keep fans happy. Whether it is taking down properly depicted Daemons, Chaos Marines, Cultists or just navigating the forgeworld and engaging in purge activity. This is a game that is great to get lost in and ultimately it is one that can be recommended with ease for fans of Boomer Shooters and Warhammer 40 000 alike, as both will find much enjoyment in it.
[…] If you have not seen it yet, our review of the game is here […]