Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine is a game that has sat in my backlog for years, and following the release and popularity of Space Marine 2 last year, I thought it high time to delve into the first game and expand my very limited experience of the Warhammer universe. So, how does this 2011 third person hold up nowadays?
Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine is a prime example of the third person shooters that released during the PS3/Xbox 360 era. It has some big set pieces, lots of areas with obvious cover interconnected by primarily brown environments, and a ton of bloody violence. The game borrowed from its contemporaries, in essence being a Warhammer version of Gears of War. As Captain Titus, you are sent to the Forge world Graia as part of the Vanguard to push back an Ork invasion, and protect its assets. Captain Titus is the embodiment of an Ultramarine, running towards danger with guns blazing and no fear of any potential harm. Okay, it is more of heavy thumping jog due to wearing towering combat armour. Very nice and blue armour.
Space Marine’s story is one of factions vying for control over a powerful resource, each with their own agendas. One side wants to hold power, while another wants to tear everything down and bring about a new order to the galaxy. It is a tale we have seen hundreds of times, and Space Marine follows the well-trodden tropes without deviating all that much. Maybe doing so would have been considered heresy? What does help is Captain Titus, whose character is stoic throughout the story but isn’t afraid to think for himself to get the job done, even if it means interpreting the rules slightly differently to others. One of his battle brothers, Sidonus, understands this while his other, Leandros, still needs to learn that lesson.
The gameplay of Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine does still hold up. The shooting feels decent, even if feedback could have been a bit more impactful, while the melee combat is very satisfying, whether you’re using the chainsword, axe, or the big thunder hammer. What makes all of these satisfying are the enemy hordes you battle. Space Marine sends waves of Orks at you through much of the game, making the action frenetic as you deal with the different enemy types. Swing a sword to cut through them and using a laser rifle to one-shot ranged enemies. The boss fights could have been a bit more entertaining, though. The way the final enemy is set up through the story of Space Marine makes it seem like a big one-on-one fight with him will be the main event of a box office pay per view. Instead, the end boss disappoints by being a QTE event after facing off against waves of his various minions, from weakest to strongest.
What was surprising about Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine is that the online multiplayer still works, at least on PC. Though there was a little bit of a wait to fill a lobby, there are people still playing the online of Space Marine, even with the glitzier sequel. More people were in the PvP playlists, with that having the standard modes such as deathmatches and zone captures. The real fun, for me anyway, was the PvE mode where you and up to three others face off against enemy waves, moving through different maps to get to a final objective. This mode also throws quick challenges at you, like killing 20 enemies in 20 seconds or getting a number of headshots. If you want to experience what online multiplayer was like in 2011, then jump on Space Marine as soon as you can.
