Warhammer 40000 Boltgun Review

Posted bytherealgmanreviewsPosted inVideo Game Reviews
Warhammer 40000 Boltgun Review

Welcome to gman reviews. Today we will be reviewing the newly released game Warhammer 40000 Boltgun.

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Short description of Warhammer 40000 Boltgun

So, in a nutshell, this Warhammer 40000 Boltgun is an FPS(First Person Shooter) based on the Warhammer 40K universe that is a homage to FPS shooters from the 90s like Doom 1 and 2 and Wolfenstein but with updated graphics in which you play as a Space Marine so expect epic violence like none other than the 40K can provide.

Introduction to Warhammer 40000 Boltgun

So as discussed above, Warhammer 40K Boltgun is an FPS where you play as a Space Marine who I believe is Captain Titus (The same Captain Titus, the protagonist from Warhammer 40K Space Marine).

Now this game is not Warhammer 40K Space Marine. Yes, there are melee attacks in this game, but based on my playthrough, if you try to play this game like you would Warhammer 40K Space Marine, you’ll have a tough time.

This game plays like a 90s FPS as you can strafe, and you will be using it a lot while there are enemies in this game whose weapons you can tank. The difficulty spikes hard very early on, and you will lose if you play it like an invincible Space Marine.

But this is a good thing in this case as it makes this game a very different experience from other Warhammer 40K games and its own distinct thing. The game is punishing but fun and rewards careful playthroughs or frenetic gameplay.

I tend to tend towards the cautious gameplay in this one as you will start encountering plasma gun renegade and others with projectiles that take a ton of health off you, so you either have to have swift reflexes or be extremely careful when running down corridors.

Gameplay

So as discussed above, this game is punishing, so expect to save a lot. Typically you will encounter enemies, but in certain sections of a level, you will discover purges where the door locks behind you and you are trapped within a specific area until you have killed all the enemies. You never know when one will start.

This gives the game a confining feel that separates it from Doom 1 and 2, as when these purges occur, you are trapped in an area and have to make do with what you have.

Luckily the game gives you lots of tools to solve its problems from different types of weapons, secrets, grenades and contempt and health.

The weapons I have encountered so far are the Boltgun, Shotgun, Plasma Gun and Heavy Bolter, and for grenades, I have experienced Frag and Krak Grenades and something that I think was a Vortex Grenade.

Now any fan of Warhammer 40K will know these weapons (except they will find it strange that a non-scout is using a shotgun), but I will throw them for those who don’t see the setting.

The Boltgun is the primary weapon Space Marines use in the Warhammer 40K setting and is well represented. The sound of the Boltgun as it fires is the best representation I have ever heard, and it is very satisfying to see it pulp regular enemies.

The Shotgun is excellent up close, and then we come to the Plasma Gun, your armour-piercing weapon. It only has a max of 24 rounds, but they are found so liberally across the map that you should worry about conserving them.

The Heavy Bolter is a heavy version of the bolter that holds up to 250 rounds and keeps firing until it’s out of ammo—no having to reload for this beauty.

You also have Frag grenades that are designed for blowing up lots of light infantry and Krak Grenades for cracking armour, but honestly, because you have to be pretty close to using grenades, I usually find that I use them as a desperation move to kill something heavily armoured and also try to move out of the blast radius.

One excellent thing about grenades in this game is how well the game shows the blast radius of both grenades you threw and the enemy threw, which is an interesting design choice that makes sense, as grenades can also harm you.

You can also get secrets that boost weapon damage and ammo rates, among other things, so the game is challenging. Still, I believe, fair as there is plenty of ammo lying around, and the game also has a bit of platforming in terms of your character being able to jump and climb.

Sound

As discussed before, the weapon sounds are fantastic. Still, my favourite is the Boltgun and the Heavy Boltgun as the sounds they make when they pulp unarmoured targets are satisfying, and so is the sound of the chain sword when you melee attack an enemy.

The music is not the death metal you would expect from a 90s FPS but is more orchestral in keeping with the Warhammer 40K theme and aesthetic. I would have liked a strumming heavy metal theme, but the music suits the gothic atmosphere of the game, so it’s certainly not out of place.

Graphics

Now I would describe the graphics of the game as stylishly pixelated. You can tell it’s meant to be a hardcore representation of 90s FPS, but you can tell it’s a modern twist from the enemies to the gothic aesthetics.

I would say this is one game that is both stylish and with substance as you have a good game underneath all the style, and it’s just enhanced by the graphics and sound to relate a unique gaming experience that you can see its roots, but it also a modern take on a classic genre.

The opening cinematic is also very cool, as they chose to go with a classic look, but that only makes it feel more like Warhammer 40K.

Story

Ok, so I am going, to be honest. Apart from the opening cinematic, the story hasn’t been a big part of the game for me, but that’s expected since it’s an homage to 90 FPS.

You load up the game, and you kill all the enemies, but to be honest, since I played Warhammer 40K Space Marine, I was expecting more of a story from this game, but then again, you don’t play these games for the story so if you’re looking for a continuation of Warhammer 40K Space Marine look out for Part 2 coming along.

Replayability

I feel that the Doom one and two speed-runners will love this game and start speedrunning it as this game has the exact kill count, secrets, and time completed that you saw in the Doom 90s games when you finish a level except with an exciting twist.

That twist is that at certain times when a purge is started, you can’t move on until you have killed all the enemies, which means that unlike in a Doom one or two speed-run, you can’t just run past all the enemies to exit the level.

I am very interested to see the speedrunning community taking to this game, as it has the mechanics for it.

Conclusion to Warhammer 40000 Boltgun review

My conclusion is that Warhammer 40K Boltgun is an excellent game. It’s priced at $18 US, which I think is a steal for what you are getting. A traditional 90’s style FPS set in the Warhammer 40K universe with a modern twist. What a classic mix, and who would’ve thought it would work?

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