| Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Relic Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | THQ |
| Engine | Phoenix Engine |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Third-person action Sci-Fi Shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: M |
System requirements
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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is a third-person action video game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by THQ. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 6, 2011 in North America[1] and September 9, 2011 in Europe.[2]
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine takes place in Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe.
The title's gameplay focuses on a hybrid shooting and melee combat model. In late March 2011, it was announced that Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine would feature the Chaos faction of Warhammer 40,000.[4]
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In Space Marine the player engages enemies through a third-person view with both melee and ranged attacks. The player-character, Titus, is given enhanced regenerative abilities and an Iron Halo shield, after progress has been made further into the story. When health gets low, performing executions can allow Titus to get a portion of his health back. Titus is accompanied by Sidonus and Leandros for most of the missions, though in some instances missions are performed solo. The game features a fury system that, when filled up, allows the player to either slow time for aiming or perform devastating melee attacks.
The starting weapons include a combat knife and a pistol, though the player can acquire other weapons. The game includes a new weapon not featured in the actual table-top game known as the Vengeance Launcher, which can shoot sticky grenades.
The main antagonists the player must fight are the Orks and the Forces of Chaos. The Orks are an alien race whose sheer numbers and brutish warriors make a devastating opponent. The Forces of Chaos on the other hand are a far more serious threat who can extinguish the life of whole star systems by summoning nearly limitless amounts of horrors that flourish in a parallel universe known as The Warp. Portals conjured by the Traitor Legions - renegade Space Marines - allow the daemons to cross over into real-space.
The game's plot line involves the Forge World Graia (a planet devoted totally to the mass production of military ordnance, vehicles and weapons) that has been invaded by alien Orks. The most important military product manufactured there are Warlord class Titans, which are gigantic robotic combat vehicles the size of a sky scraper. Rather than risk escalating the war with weapons of mass destruction or waiting for enough reinforcements, the leadership of the Imperium of Man-The High Lords Of Terra request that the super soldier Space Marines of the Ultramarine chapter be sent in ahead of the Liberation Fleet to save Manufactorum Ajakis, the factory complex where the Titans are assembled and stored.
The game follows three of the Ultramarines, The 2nd Company Commander and playable character of Captain Titus, his right hand man Sergeant Sidonus, and a relatively inexperienced and by-the-book Marine named Leandros.
After an unorthodox method of landing by use of jump pack, destroying an Ork warship in the process, the trio are separated briefly and then reunite. They then proceed to link up with surviving Imperial Guardsmen, disable a captured orbital gun that is preventing any aircraft from operating near it, stop a train loaded with explosives from being used to ram down the doors of the Manufactorum, and enter the factory to locate a new major character by the name of Inquistor Drogan, an extremely high ranking agent of the Imperial Inquisition who sent out a distress call.
Drogan claims he has a weapon that can wipe out the Orks, the Psychic Scourge, which is located in a power reactor below the Manufactorum. After retrieving the device, which surprisingly has no effect on Titus when accidentally exposed to its raw warp energy, the Marines and Drogan travel to an orbital elevator called The Spire, the ideal location to detonate the device. Unfortunately, it has a completely unexpected result. The Orks are not killed, but instead a warp gate to the psychic realm of Chaos is opened. It is then revealed that the enemies that Drogan feared were Chaos Marines and not Orks, Drogan was killed after sending his message, and Drogan's corpse had actually just been possessed by the Demon who killed him that serves Lord Nemeroth, the Chaos leader who steps out of the gateway along with his army of Chaos Marines, cultists and Chaos Daemons.
Ork Warboss Grimskull intervenes and attacks Nemeroth, allowing the three Space Marines to escape. Titus forms a plan to destroy chaos gates by destroying The Spire using one of the titans they saved earlier on. Ork Warboss Grimskull is eventually killed by Titus which breaks the Orks' coordination and renders them no longer a major threat as they fight each other. The Titan named Invictus is powered up by the Experimental Device, and destroys The Spire. However, Sergeant Sidonus is killed by Lord Nemeroth, and the experimental device is stolen and taken to the floating remains of The Spire.
Titus then leads an attack through the remaining Chaos forces to reach the remnants of the Spire aided by Space Marines of the Blood Ravens chapter and his own Ultramarines to stop Lord Nemeroth from performing a ritual to ascend to Daemonhood using the power of the device. Nemeroth has partially ascended to Daemonhood when he is knocked off the spire, and Titus defeats him in single combat while falling towards the ground. He then breaks the experimental device in half with his hands. Titus survives the exposure to the raw Warp energy again, and is rescued by a Thunderhawk dropship before impacting the ground.
The end scene of the game involves Leandros bringing in a new Imperial Inquisitor by the name of Thrax, who arrests Titus on the fear he may be corrupted by Chaos energy and is taken away for examination. Titus chastises Leandros for his narrowmindedness, claims he knows nothing about why he is resistant to Chaos and his intentions are noble, but still willingly goes with Inquisitor Thrax rather than creating a dishonorable scene and staining the good name of the Ultramarines. Before leaving the planet, Titus claims that to be a Ultramarine one must understand the risks and rules; he says that Leandros has failed to do so, thus shaming his chapter. A computerised report for the Imperium records that the threat on Graia has been contained, the planet is under quarantine by order of Inquisitor Thrax, and Captain Titus is under formal investigation by the Inquisition on charges of heresy.
THQ released a playable demo for Xbox 360 and PC on August 23, 2011 and for PlayStation 3 on August 24, 2011.
Several character skins and models for Space Marine chapters were released following the game's release, along with content that was originally reserved for those who preordered the game. A new wave based game mode called "Exterminatus" was also available for a free download. The Chaos Unleashed pack added additional game modes for Chaos Space Marines in multiplayer, along with new maps and achievements.
An additional, unnamed DLC package is set to be released in early 2012, possibly featuring the "dreadnought" walkers from the series.
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 78.40% (X360)[5] |
| Metacritic | 76 (X360)[8] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Edge | 7/10[11] |
| Eurogamer | 6/10 (PS3)[12] |
| GameSpot | 7.0/10[13] |
| GameTrailers | 7.6/10[14] |
| IGN | 7.5/10[15] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [16] |
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine has received generally positive reviews from critics. IGN awarded the title a score of 7.5, praising the recreation of the Warhammer 40,000 universe and the variety in the enemy encounters. GamePro had also praised the visuals of the game and the blending of hack-and-slash and shooter gameplay. However, they cited problems with the campaign, claiming that it was linear and that some of the environments were uninspired.
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