Now let’s move on to more about the game. Before I get started, let me set a few expectations so you know what your are in for. First of all, this was a game demo I played, which means that it was pretty much limited in scope. Number two, I am nowhere near as charismatic as the professional game critics out there, so if you truly want an in-depth review, seek out one of those guys.

When I first booted up the game I didn’t know what to expect. I had to take into consideration that I’m not using the latest and greatest video card out there either, ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series. The reason I bring this up is because about an hour before discovering the game, I was conducting some web research on RAGE by ID Software.  To my dismay, I noticed that my sleek black, and beautifully lit DELL XPS did not meet the minimum requirements to even play RAGE.  But I digress, pleasantly to my surprise, Warhammer 40k Space Marine looked better than expected.  Deep down I realize I am probably missing out on some algorithm that enhances specular highlights, or missing out on the benefit of a geometry shader that did not get processed.  I’m being facetious of course, but overall the colors were rich, the effects awesome, and I was already hooked.

The start screen presents you with two campaigns to choose from, The Inquisitor, and Battlements.  The first campaign starts you out with two other A.I. controlled Space Marines that are watching your six, and playing alongside you. Your job is to stop an onslaught of ORCS, who are nothing more than hell-bent on trying to kill you.  So of course, before all this drama even unfolds, I find myself flipping through each button to see what does what.  I’m presented with a slick and easy to use weapon selection system; it shows I’m equipped with a Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Vengeance Launcher, and the Stalker Bolter. Oh, did I forget to mention the classic default weapon?  The Chain Sword.  The Chain Sword, when used properly is a very brutal and bloodletting instrument of pain.  I found myself saying things under my breath that my mom probably would not be proud of, but it just felt right at the time.

There is more than a generous amount of blood and gore to keep the average gamer happy. Each weapon in the demo has it own unique abilities and strengths with a varying amount of ammo to keep balance in the game.

Initially, I began to play the first mode on normal, and of course my manhood was prodded just a little for doing so, I was called a wuss in so many ways for selecting normal.  Easy modes states that you will rarely die, Normal mode states that you will die occasionally, and of course Hard mode states that you will die often.  Give me a break, I choose Normal so I could at least experience the majority of the game on the first pass.

The overall world that you are able to explore in the demo, feels like a mix between Middle Earth and a Gothic Steam Punk battle ground.  All in all, I didn’t feel too much confined in the level, or that the game was leading me.  The levels are large enough to explore, and do not leave you with the feeling of confinement, I had room to breathe.  Trust me, when the battles get going, you are going to be looking for a way to escape in order to regroup and regain your health.

Furthermore, I’m a huge fan of games like Killzone, Call of Duty, SOCOM, and the like.  So when it comes to weapon systems, how guns fire and their ease of use, that aspect of the game is very important to me.  Warhammer 40k Space Marines did not disappoint in this area, not in the least.  This is truly a fun game to play, especially if all you want to do is slash some ORCs or blast them to bits.

One of the more surprising moments was during a melee, something that definitely reminded me of Frank Millers 300. When the action gets intense, and you’re surrounded by a horde of battle-ax wielding ORCs, your Space Marine will valiantly begin to slice off chunks of flesh, as you watch the blood spew out in 360 degrees of pure violence in 300 like slow motion.  When I first witnessed this in-game, all I could say was “Cool!”.

So now I’m hyped and feeling a little more confident with my skills in-game, so I switch to hard mode.  I also decide to try out the next campaign offered on the demo, Battlements.  To my surprise, I get equipped with a Jet Pack. Can it get any cooler than this?

I love the way the developers have kept everything about the game so far pretty much balanced, especially with the use of in-game technology. Personally, I would have preferred to just hover over my enemies and blow away everything in sight, but that would not be as challenging.  The Jet Pack allows you to reach the high ground and or escape if the going gets rough. That aside, the Jet Pack is just cool as hell to experience.

Meanwhile, I realized that I was dying- a lot- then it hit me, I was on hard mode.  So I buckled down and decided to prove to myself that the last several hours of play made me a veteran.  Admittedly, I was sadly mistaken.  I took a pure ass whipping on hard mode but hey, I managed to finished the demo levels.

All in all, I really can’t rate this game because it was only a demo, but I played enough to know that I will pony up the cash to eventually buy it.  I am also happy with the fact as per the online game videos, the developers have tried to stay true to the essence of the Warhammer universe. I’m definitely looking forward to experiencing the rest of the game and discovering the dark Gothic themes, cathedrals, and battle grounds yet to be explored.

If you have a Steam account, I definitely recommend giving this game (demo) a try.

Official Website: http://www.spacemarine.com
Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/