The demo starts out at a menu, in the background of the options is a slow-motion fight scene. Captain Titus (the main protagonist in this adventure) is demolishing Orks with his Chainsaw Sword, and a Bolt Pistol. I was drawn to this right away, and felt almost obligated to watch the entire fight, just to catch a glimpse of what I was about to dive into. At the main menu I was able to choose between two different missions, the first being titled "The Inquisitor".
In this mission Captain Titus and two other Space Marines are ordered to make their way to a giant crane that’s holding a gun from a Titan war machine. In the Warhammer 40k universe, the Titan is one of the biggest pieces of war machinery, and is able to take out army's with out much effort. You can imagine how important it is to get to the crane that’s holding this massive weapon. Once I fought my way through waves of Orks, I came to the control room of the crane. With a push of a button, I dropped the Titan weapon from the crane and destroyed it. At this point Corporal Antioch contacted me through my op-sat. Captain Titus asks Corporal Antioch if he knows where the Titan war machines are, and is told there is a lift below his current location that will lead him to the machines. Corporal Antioch asks Captain Titus to meet him there so he can show him the way; which ended up in fighting my way through more Orks to get to the Corporal.
The last part of the mission is my men and I fighting through an entire horde of Orks, giving me the perfect opportunity to build up my "fury" meter. Once activated, all of the melee attacks become one hit kills. Additionally each time the bolt pistol is used it slows down time to become a deadly one shot kill. This only lasts about 10 seconds when activated, but is extremely useful when you find yourself facing larger enemies, or large groups of Orks. Corporal Antioch met me at the lift to take me down to the Titans, and the mission ended.
The second demo mission is called "Battlements", and gave me the opportunity to use what is called a "Jump Pack". The jump pack is like a jet pack, in that you can use it to help your space marine reach higher places. I don’t consider this a full jet pack, because it doesn't allow one to fly for long periods of time. The jump pack is a nice addition because with out it you can’t jump, and can only tuck and roll. The mission objective is to cross Ork territory and enter a gun fortress through a breach in its walls. It's a much shorter mission than the first, but it does show off the jump pack gameplay. Once you jump into the air, you can look below you and follow a set of arrows showing where one can boost to the ground for an air strike. Hitting the ground at full speed turns everything slow motion and all the Orks get blasted away from your character due to the impact. Taking the high ground while my men took the low ground, the mission ended when I reached the breach.
This was a fun experience, and the jump pack gave me a sense of power I couldn't have had without it. I was able to jump into large groups of enemies and blast them all out of the way, killing most of them, and stunning others; giving me the chance to perform finishing moves.
All in all, the demo was a pleasant experience. The graphics aren't the best, but I think it suits the Warhammer 40k series. The environment is very detailed, but the character animation is almost cartoon like. I think the creators of the game did this on purpose, so that you don’t get lost in the graphics, but instead dive into the story and character development Warhammer is famous for. The gameplay itself is enough to keep me going for hours. At the end of the demo, I was left wanting much more. It can be a button masher at times, but if you mix things up by using your bolt pistol, or stunning an enemy to initiate a finishing move, it will keep things very interesting, and entertaining. The sound effects are very powerful, and make you feel like you are a powerful ultra marine. The music is also extremely well done. It has an industrial feel to it, which helps the story come to life, with all the enormous machines, and factories surround you. The music also gives it a feel of war, which is perfect since this series storyline is based on a war that has been raging for centuries.
I am giving this demo a 4 out of 5 stars for its smooth gameplay mechanics, incredible combat, attractive graphics, awesome character design, and the detailed world it offers. Be sure to download this demo on your Xbox 360, PS3, or PC, so you can get a taste of what it’ll be like to step into the shoes of an Ultra Marine.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Release Date: September 6, 2011
Until next time, keep on Gamin' On!
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