It has been a bit of a crazy two weeks in our household as we’ve been moving house, so my hobby activity has been next to zero. However on the way out of Heathrow last Sunday, I did pick up the new THQ Xbox game, Space Marine.
So, a week later I finally re-assembled the TV system (only five boxes, excluding the speakers) and got around to killing some Orks.
First Impressions
After the Ultramarines movie, I was primed for disappointment, however graphically Space Marine looks very very pretty. It is not quite as slick as the latest Halo game, but it is not far off.
So far I’ve only played the campaign version (no broadband here, so no multiplayer for me), but the game mechanics work very nicely with boltguns, chainswords and the other weapons doing what they are suppose to and makes the appropriate noises.
One original feature is the execute mechanic to restore health, this really encourages you to jump right into the action.
Story, err, What Story…
In the campaign, the story is very linear which is quite normal for this type of game, but don’t expect anything too taxing in the narrative. I have come to the conclusion that Warhammer 40000 is not meant work in this way.
Is it also a little disappointing that the levels tend to also be very linear, with relatively little opportunity to roam. In addition to this, without a jump pack most of the battlefields are pretty flat.
Orks, Orks, Orks
However the most important thing about this game is that you get to play a Space Marine and you get to kill lots of Orks (and other creatures), in numerous and very violent ways. This in itself is fantastic and makes this a successfully game.
I don’t think it will have the lasting appeal for THQ’s first 40K offering, Dawn of War, but Space Marine certainly is very entertaining and very well put together. 8/10 for THQ, very good effort!
