Warhammer 40k: Space Marine
XBOX 360 | PS3 | PC
THQ Games
Release Date: September 6, 2011
Price: $49.99

A few weeks back I wrote this article when the demo of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine was released. Well, now that I’ve finally gotten myself waist-deep in the full version of the game, consider this to be the ‘Extended Edition’ of that article.

Everything I said before still stands true so I won’t waste our time here re-telling you how visceral the gaming experience felt to me then. I also won’t flood you with adjectives and verbs about how bad-ass it felt to slay millions of Orks using your ChainSword, Bolter Rilfe, and more.

It still does. It still is.

What I will tell you is that the storyline in this game actually proves to be engaging. This is one of the unvoiced concerns I had when I played the demo. You will find yourself wanting to keep playing this game to see where it leads. Moving from area to area the game’s linear design doesn’t force you to feel like you are advancing in levels, but rather as if you’re actually traveling around this war torn ‘Forge World’ as you attempt to scourge the enemies from the land and complete a myriad of tasks.

The game-play itself contains several tricks and tactics which will keep you entertained. Though at times you may find yourself having to take short breaks, as I did. To be honest some of them were spurred by boredom, sure, but mostly I felt the need to take time away due to some fairly difficult game-play situations. This is not to say that is a bad thing. Not many games these days leave you feeling like you actually accomplished something after completing nigh impossible feats. Space Marine is unique in that it offers up quite a few of these ‘feel good’ moments. Which as an old school video game fan I have missed for many years.

This game may not hit on all cylinders for every video game fan. It can feel repetitive, both in game play and scenery, but it never feels overly dry or boring. The soundtrack is also something to behold. The music really helps pull you into this game.

For anyone who is a fan of the Warhammer 40k Universe this game is a must have. For gamers who are just fans of a fun game, Space Marine is definitely at worth a rent or two.