I am a Space Marine

                The Warhammer 40k universe has been a part of my life for a good long time.  I am a veteran of the table-top games and pen and paper RPGs, and thanks to THQ and Relic, the video games.  Every game has been good, but Space Marine takes the cake.

                The game is a wonderful representation of the universe, one that I had often imagined but now can see for myself.  In this game you take the role of a Space Marine captain, a being who stands 7 to 9 feet tall, is clad in 1-inch think armor and is just as powerful as it sounds.  I have been blown away by the smoothness of the combat and the attention to detail, THQ has clearly paid attention and even something as simple as sprinting down a corridor and coming to a stop feels perfect.

                The game sets the player against an endless Ork hoard, War hungry aliens, who happen to look and act like the fantasy creature they are based on, but true to the Space Marines nature the only way to survive is to destroy these beasts. Equipped with an arsenal of destruction that includes both melee weapons (like a Chain Sword or a thunder hammer), as well as Long-range options (like the Bolter or Las-cannon) that you can use to string attacks together to perform combos. This makes dispatching the Orks a fulfilling experience. But don’t expect to be cowering behind a concrete slab between kills. In-fact to recharge your health reserves you must perform a special stunning attack, leaving your opponent vulnerable to an execution attack, this unleashes an awesome animation that gruesomely displays the power of the Space Marines and refills your health.

                The games multiplayer content is also an entertaining experience. The only down side to the multiplayer is that there isn’t more people playing it. The multiplayer is very well balanced, though not revolutionary in any way.  It’s just simple yet fun and fast. Also, just like in the single player the combat is smooth and feels great.  Like most shooters these days your time online will be spent gaining levels and accumulating new weapons and upgrades.  Again the balance is great as even a lower level player can compete, because if someone kills another player with an epic weapon they can copy the killers load out and reap sweat vengeance.

                I found no major bugs or other errors that hindered the games’ playability and I found nothing negative about the story or the combat.  The art is awesome the graphics are perfectly smooth; this game is easily on par with anything else on the XBOX right now.  The only thing I can complain about is the campaign length; compounded by the fact that I was having so much fun playing it, the game’s campaign was only about 6 hours long and ended in way that didn’t quite fit with the rest of the stories high action and fast pace. The only thing keeping this game from being a 10 is the short campaign.  THQ, Relic, well done and I can’t wait for the next installment.

MaCade Vineyard

9 out of 10. (Credentials well established.)

(Reviewed on Xbox 360)

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine