Animations

These are some of the best animations from Relic to date; the combat is satisfying and the executions never get old (the chainsword especially). The lip synch and character to Captain Titus and his men are well done and there is a real personality to the Orks themselves, especially their Warboss. The animation also feels weighty, you don’t feel like you’re controlling a stick figure, you feel like you’re in command of a nine foot tall genetically engineered power-armoured badass.

Physics

Explosions cause major Orky ragdoll, they have a nice feel to them and of course the various heavy hitting weapons like the thunder hammer send Orks flying all over the place, if they’re not dismembered or battered into bits with a single blow. The same is said for ranged combat with the heavier weapons actually having an impact beyond just shooting an Ork in the face, which of course earns you a headshot and a nice splat.

AI

Ranged Orks are tricky buggers; they actually know the value of moving around and changing cover. They are also masters of sneak attacks and can soon rip down your shields and health. Then you have the melee based Orks which swarm you and never let up, the big Nob Orks are scary and have a massive WAAGH factor. They also know how to barge right in and don’t care for tactics in that regard.

There are other enemies, but I’m not going to go into that. Their AI is pretty cool though and your buddy AI isn’t bad either.

Sound

It’s hard to imagine what the 40K Universe sounds like, or should sound like, but the sounds in the game, from the combat sounds, ambient sounds and just the whole rev of the chainsword are beautifully done and meaty. Just what you want when you have to stop a Warboss’ WAGH with a sizzling power axe blow to the chest. The chunky thunk of a Bolter is fantastic and the little explosion at the end makes it even better.

Music

A truly stirring score that evokes the dark gothic imperial nature of 40K perfectly! This is the best 40K soundtrack yet, full of character and theme and it really stirs the blood in combat. From the opening sequences harmonies and sweeping melodies to the softer tones for exploration and dialogue, it’s all great stuff.

Voice

Captain Titus is the star of the show, ably acted by Mark Strong who is usually known for his portrayal of bad guys in various movies. Mark brings a heroic timbre to Titus and makes him one of the more likeable 40K characters yet. The rest of the cast do a great job with their roles and whilst the Orks aren’t as good as the ones in DoW II...they are good enough.

Dialogue

Space Marine features some great writing and some quality dialogue; there are some superb moments of dry humour from Titus and his Battle Brothers as well as some interesting twists and turns that drive both the performances and story forwards.

Multiplayer

With co-op announced as an online DLC addition, in the form of a Horde based Exterminatus mode, Space Marine’s online component is a team based class based frenetic battle between Chaos Marines and Space Marines.

There is an online code to redeem to unlock the full multiplayer experience as is the norm these days.

The three classes are:

Tactical/Chaos Space Marine: These are the classic ranged/melee combatant class and can equip quite a wide range of perks and weapons.

Assault/Raptor: These are experts in close combat; their Jump Packs give them enhanced mobility and battlefield control.

Devastator/Havoc: With the most powerful weapons at their command, these are capable of using alternate fire on their heavy weapons and are masters of ranged combat.

My favourite class has to be the Assault class, due to the Jump Pack and the ability to get a great overview of the battle. As well as Death From Above!