Thanks to Power Axe and Storm Bolter the Spice Marines provide hours of diverting action in both close and long range
Starting as a tabletop miniature wargame in 1987 Warhammer 40K has since seen quite some AI-enriched variants on PC and console, mainly extended multiplayer RTS games with Dawn of War II adding also RPG elements to the single-player mode, while others reflect the squad-based skirmishes of the original board game in a rather turn-based combat system.
Now third-person shooter Space Marines is faithfully situated in still the same grim dystopian universe familiar from the figurines and previous games which it succeeds to depict visually impressive with the sci-fantasy scenery of Forge World Graia featuring non-concrete but antique-looking ruins and huge ordnance factories to be recaptured from the invading Forces of Chaos.
Ultramarine is the dominant color shade in this large-scale setting and likewise are called the specially trained Marines deployed on this war-machine planet in the war-ridden 41st Millennium in which bloodthirsty Orks and other dark forces strive for humankind's total annihilation. Preventing the key locations –the Manufactorum, a factory complex assembling so-called Titans, gigantic robot walkers; the power reactor below hosting a raw energy source, the Psychic Scourge; and The Spire, the orbital elevator later to be destroyed through Titan Invictus– from destruction while fighting hordes of greenskins popping out of nowhere before and after every checkpoint is the main task of playable character Captain Titus largely assisted through Sergeant Sidonus and the rather inexperienced Leandros as well as the occasional remnant Space Marine troop ahead of the Imperial liberation fleet awaiting its reinforcements.
The culminating point is reached when Inquisitor Drogan met in the Manufactorum turns out being possessed by the Daemon serving Chaos Lord Nemeroth, while the experimental power source detonated in The Spire unexpectedly opens a warp gate to the Chaos realm through which enter darkmatter Marines and devilish Daemons. Yet the chaos produced through the accident lets Ork Warboss Grimskull duel Nemeroth, green Orks assail red daemons, and the three heroes escape. However, Leandros has first doubts: how could Titus have survived the exposure to raw energy without damage if not being himself part of the Chaos? Titus confirms his pureness and advances a plan of destroying the orbital Spire in order to shut down the Chaos gates but before has to boss-fight the not as rusty Grimskull. As the energy source-powered Invictus destroys The Spire, Nemeroth kills Sidonus while taking the power device with him letting him transform into daemonkind. Yet Titus furious on the loss of Sidonus doesn't suffer Nemeroth's ascent but after fighting alone the last waves of Chaos Marines and Daemons knocks the evil Lord off his feet and the spire platform where falling he has to beat him a last time in a series of visually appealing quick-timed events. Titus breaks the power device with his hands and while again being exposed to whose raw energy is rescued by a dropship – to be subjected to investigation through the new Inquisitor Thrax summoned by Leandros; the threat on Graia having been successfully repelled Titus claims to not knowing the reasons of his immunity to Chaos but nonetheless wills in to go with Thrax, not without condemning Leandros' petty attitude: the codex of the Ultramarines is a set of rules, and how they live to these rules their true test...
In addition to its proper predecessors, playing this game a lot of parallels come into mind: Gears of War and its Locusts for the characters' hulky appearance; Halo and its Covenants for the futuristic setting; Bulletstorm for the exotic, skill-bound weapons; and even Dante's Inferno for the last encounter with Daemon Prince Nemeroth vainly tempting Titus –"Imagine the power you could wield"– recalling that of Dante and Lucifer in Hell.
Yet while one might wish some of Halo's fluidity in the movements and controls, the true virtue of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines lies in the good-working combination of both ranged and melee combat permitting to fight through the hordes of green-skinned, red-blooded Orks while using alternatively ranged and long-range Storm, Heavy, and Stalker Bolter, Melta Gun and Plasma Cannon plus the deferrable Vengeance Launcher, as well as Chainsword, Power Axe, and Thunder Hammer to both shoot and slash at a often times furious pace. Occasionally whenever provided also the Jump Pack can be used to "ground pound" the green hordes from above: "And we shall know no fear!" – The " motivational quotes" displayed on the loading screens in addition to hints and clues though somewhat pathetic reflect but well the pugnacious spirit of the W40K-universe: "Success is measured in blood; yours or your enemies", and the stoic voiceovers contribute as well as the ear-catching music score (Chris Velasco & Sascha Dikiciyan) to the game's inevitable dramatics.
As merciless as combat is also the protection system: heavy-armored Titus cannot slip agilely into cover to recover but has to either perform a finishing combo easily failing when there are too many foes around nor reliably working on the tougher enemies so that trying to not rarely may prove fatal, or make use of the (Iron Halo) fury mode provided the gauge is full to regain health while allowing to either slow time down when aiming in ranged or to move more efficiently in close combat. And whereas the character's evasive agility might not be ideal it may buy some time while sprinting and jump-rolling until getting to the next ammo crate or the big green guy into a position more favorable for finishing him off.
If the fast-paced, incessant action makes one largely overlook the single-player's five chapters' quite linear progression, excepting those moments where special equipments like the useful Jump Pack or the devastating Thunder Hammer provide a welcome variation or when having to trick out skull-adorned sentries or seek one's way through the floating remains of the destroyed Spire, the multiplayer's large maps surrounded with the same impressive architecture add some more events to W40K's epic combat.
In addition to the Challenges, the Online menu provides Versus and Exterminatus in both public and private mode, with Versus including Seize Ground, Annihilation, Capture the Flag, Capture and Control as well as Dreadnought Assault, largely the usual team deathmatch and target control scheme whose customization system makes it but sufficiently interesting to continue. Relatively easy up-levelling unlocks new loadouts including the yet familiar ranged and melee weapons, special equipments, and useful perks for increased damage or effectiveness, while the Customizer available when reaching level 4 permits to decorate one's avatar with new colors, patterns, and emblems, faithful to the game's painted miniature origins. For the players are fighting as both Space and Chaos Marines the fancy armor presets (Knights of Gryphonne, Death Guard Champion) and customizable colors (Thousand Sons Blue, Angels of Ecstasy Pink) add yet another fun element to the fierce online battles, where the fellow Marines are to replace the Orks in their groans and yells ("Smash them Spice Marines!").
As the war against the descendants of Earth is not yet won and Captain Titus' story left more or less open-ended there will probably be a sequel which one might hope will not fall back in its possibilities while adding some more assets to gameplay and storyline; but all in all Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines provides with Power Axe and Storm Bolter hours of diverting action in both long and close range making it a worthy title in W40K's long history...