Video Game Review: Space Marine

4.5 Stars out of 5 Stars
In the past few years, Games Workshop has made an extraordinary attempt to bring its table-top gaming franchise, Warhammer 40,000, to the mainstream video game community. Developed by Relic Entertainment and published by THQ, Dawn of War and Dawn of War II (as well as their respective expansion packs) were released to highly positive reviews from both critics and fans of the Warhammer 40K universe. Naturally, it was to my great pleasure to learn that their next project, Space Marine, would be a third-person action game.
As with the past Warhammer 40K games, Space Marine takes place in the ?grim darkness of the 41st Millennium,? where humanity is in a constant battle with alien races and heretical cultists through the universe. Gamers play as the super-soldier Captain Titus, the titular Space Marine who protects a forge world from an invasion of rampaging Orks. Fans of Warhammer 40K will feel right at home on this planet and newcomers will not feel alienated, thanks to the developer?s steps in making the universe familiar.
The story is simple enough to follow and serves as an effective means to keep the action going, but some of the supporting characters seemed to lack development. Level designs are mostly linear with occasional branching paths that lead to ammo catches or audio logs that expand the game?s back story. Despite the obvious sequel bait at the end, the campaign still manages to satisfy those who have invested their time into fighting the enemies of mankind.
Like the story, Space Marine?s gameplay is easily accessible to all players. The majority of the game is made up of a mix of melee and ranged combat, with the occasional on-rails shooting segments thrown in. Both methods of combat are effective, and switching between them is as simple as pressing a button.
Combat efficiency can be increased by a super meter that can either boost melee damage or slow time for ranged attacks; meanwhile, your wounds slowly heal???best saved for tougher encounters. Gameplay is also improved when Captain Titus is given a ?jump pack,? a device that allows the player to fly into the air, crashing down onto the enemy in an explosive blast.
There is one glaring issue with the gameplay: the health bar. Though your shields regenerate after a moment, there are only two ways to replenish your underlying health?? use the super meter or finish off enemies with a fatal strike. The latter is the intended method, but even though the executions are impressive to watch, the synchronized killing blow leaves you open for further attacks. There have been far too many occasions where I desperately tried to heal, only to be killed before I could finish my execution.
The second component to Space Marine is the multiplayer mode, where players have a choice of Annihilation (essentially team deathmatch) or Seize Ground (essentially take-and-hold). Both game types are standard fare in games today, but are fun regardless, and involve 16 players with eight on each team. One side plays as the Space Marines and the other as their evil counterparts called Chaos. There are three classes to pick from: the Tactical Marine (a balanced soldier in ranged and melee), the Devastator (a heavy, ranged specialist) and the Assault Marine (a melee oriented soldier that makes use of the jump pack). No one class is particularly stronger than the other and which ever one is used depends on the tactical situation of the match. The healing issue is nonexistent in multiplayer (your health heals over time without performing an execution) and the gameplay runs as smoothly as it does in the campaign. Both factions are equal in their abilities, making the random faction assignments before matches acceptable. Though the long loading times between matches can be a mild annoyance, lag was rarely an issue.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the multiplayer mode is the deep customization choices, both cosmetic and gameplay oriented. Just like with the table-top game, players can customize their Space Marine/Chaos avatar from head to toe with a large variety of armor pieces, emblems and colors. The gameplay aspect of the costumization comes in the form of perks and weapons, all of which can be unlocked by leveling up or completing in-game challenges; the same is done to acquire new helmets, breast plates, greaves and other objects. Unless players use the preset models, it is rare to find two Space Marines that are exactly alike.
Despite the occasional blocky shadow, Space Marine?s graphics are impressive, with deep gouges in Captain Titus? armor and detailed dropships. The game retains its gritty atmosphere with its blood and gore effects (some of which end up on Titus,) but the oftentimes gorgeous lighting effects add color to the otherwise dusty planet. Designs of the armor, weapons, machinery and overall landscape seem to have been taken directly from the source material. Fans will be hard pressed to find anything missing.
After playing Space Marine, I found that Relic Entertainment had done yet another admirable job with the source material, regardless of the game?s issues. Some upcoming (and thankfully, free) downloadable content will come in the form of a four-player cooperative mode, adding to the replay value. Whether you?re a fan of Warhammer 40K or just enjoy the genre in general, this game is worth the time.
-->Source: http://northernarizonanews.com/blog/2011/09/12/video-game-review-space-marine/
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