Within the grim darkness of the far future, there’s solely struggle. The Emperor’s best, the transhuman House Marines, are the bulwark defending humanity from the malevolent forces of Chaos. Typically, the setting of Warhammer 40,000 is lethal critical. But it surely’s additionally a particularly foolish galaxy, and Warhammer 40K: Boltgun indulges within the lighter facet of issues, to nice impact.
Boltgun, a boomer shooter created by Auroch Digital, takes heavy inspiration from Doom, Wolfenstein, Duke Nukem, and different old-school FPS video games. I tackle the function of an Ultramarine, one of many Emperor of Mankind’s Angels, dispatched to the world of Graia to wash up after the occasions of the 2011 motion sport House Marine. I play as Malum Caedo, a Sternguard Veteran, and I’m the only survivor of my squad.
Every little thing’s gone straight again to hell after the occasions of House Marine concluded and prior Ultramarine protagonist Captain Titus killed boatloads of Orks and Chaos House Marines. The planet has been re-infested with cultists, Chaos House Marines, and daemons. Fortunately, I’ve a chainsword, the titular boltgun, and a devoted button to shout praises to the Emperor. My plan of action is evident: rip and tear.
At first look, Boltgun is an elaborate joke. For those who’re acquainted with the 40K setting, then it’s a pleasant jest that turns acquainted tropes on their head. For those who’re unfamiliar, it’s simply an over-the-top, gory romp — a Duke Nukem sport during which, as a substitute of enjoying a red-blooded American who likes beer and boobs, the protagonist is an 8-foot-tall tank in energy armor who turns daemons into crimson mist and praises his Emperor.
The factor about most jokes, although, is that they finally put on skinny. If Boltgun was only a foolish goof, it might grow to be stale after the primary couple of ranges. Fortunately, there’s extra meat on this specific bone, as a result of the gameplay is definitely fairly good. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than I fell right into a rhythm of slaying heretics.
The chainsword lets me cost ahead and shut the hole, and it may well down even the mightiest of foes. But it surely additionally locks me right into a stationary animation, opening me as much as enemy fireplace. I can even mow by means of daemons at a distance with my boltgun, which is much less dependable, however offers me loads of room to dodge photographs and get the lay of the room.
Fight is punctuated by exploration. I’ll often must search out a key or knock down a secret wall. The extra I discover, the extra I’m rewarded. I discover new weapons tucked across the ranges, just like the Meltagun or a Vengeance Launcher. There are additionally secret upgrades squirreled away that spew cones of fireplace, or give grenades the flexibility to blow up into black holes. These highly effective instruments are enjoyable to deploy and ridiculously overpowered, and I often erased a complete room of unhealthy guys in fabulous type.
As for whether or not Boltgun is a problem or not — that’s actually as much as you. There are tiered problem choices, starting from Low to Exterminatus. For those who simply wish to discover the environments and uncover the story, then the accessibility menu incorporates an invulnerability setting. On Regular problem, even lowly plague toads and cultists pack a punch. I’ve to observe my positioning and select my instruments rigorously, since my enemies have a equally versatile arsenal at their disposal.
The extra I advance by means of Graia, the extra I admire the environments of Boltgun. I started on snowy peaks, with steel Imperium infrastructure constructed into the mountains, earlier than combating my approach by means of habitation blocks and factories with large Titan mechas looming within the background. Graia’s stark surfaces are interrupted by colourful, vivid realms of Chaos, stuffed with winged Tzeentch daemons and noxious little Nurglings.
Auroch Digital has performed an excellent job of deploying retro visuals and the trimmings of older shooters alongside fashionable sensibilities to deliver the sport to life. The abyss of Chaos seems to be downright disturbing, even captured by means of an old-school lens. These trippy environments and crude daemon designs mix with visceral and satisfying fight to make Boltgun a blast, and it’s good to discover the world of Warhammer by means of such a ridiculous, blood-smeared filter.
Warhammer 40K: Boltgun was launched on Could 23 on Nintendo Swap, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Sequence X, and Home windows PC. The sport was reviewed on PC utilizing a pre-release obtain code supplied by Focus Leisure. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These don’t affect editorial content material, although Vox Media could earn commissions for merchandise bought by way of affiliate hyperlinks. Yow will discover further details about Polygon’s ethics coverage right here.