The Emperor Protects!
I enjoyed what I played of Warhammer 40,000 Boltgun when it came out a few years ago. I am a huge Warhammer fan and the way it blended the lore and world of 40K with the retro aesthetics of a classic boomer shooter. Honestly, with the cadence in which we get Warhammer games it’s really shocking that no one had blended the two sooner. Boltgun 2 looks to double down on what made the original great with two heroes, a bigger, better campaign and more enemies to blast into gibs.
MSRP: $24.99
Platforms: XBOX (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $24.99
What’s most striking about the Boltgun games is how much story there is. Yes, story takes a back seat to all the bombastic action; but its really good. The structure has been changed from the original where players moved from stage to stage. In the sequel missions have subdivisions, think World 1-1, 1-2, etc. During these missions’ players will find side missions as well as hidden secrets, which promotes exploration around the levels. Also, the variety of enemies in this game is vast as it includes armies from all of the Chaos gods; Tzeentch, Slaanish, Nurgle, it feels like Warhammers version of the Sinister Six.
But when it comes to heroes to combat this menace players will have two to choose from. Space Marine Malum Caedo returns, still on his quest to stop Chaos from opening a rift. I didn’t play as him this time, instead focusing on newcomer Nyra Veyrath, a warrior from the Battle Sister faction. She is extremely agile in comparisons to the usual slower, heavier Space Marines. Nyra’s abilities all enable her to move about the battlefield quickly; her special move is a power slide that can be turned into a jump; oh, and it can slow time. She uses a Power Sword in one hand and a Bolter in the other, and oh man her Flamer weapon is amazing at melting down foes. But for when you absolutely, positively have to kill everything living thing in the room, except no substitute to the Melta Bomb. The area of damage with this makes it a necessity for trying to clear later purge rooms.
You probably are wondering what a purge is and in Boltgun it just means the player is going to be trapped in a room where a bung of enemies will spawn and need to be disposed of before they can proceed. All of these will feel familiar to fans of the Doom and/or Quake games. Players will need to utilize all of their abilities and be quick on the trigger before they can become overwhelmed. The late game purge levels will literally fill the screen with enemies. I only saw explosions, chunky body parts and buckets of blood. There was a lot to keep track of, and staying mobile is key as there are just so many things attack from all angles.
Its no real surprise that I walked away enjoying Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, I mean I am a huge fan of the franchise. But while I think this sequel upped the ante with its new character, bigger enemy variety and cool weapons. I feel like it missed a step by never letting off the gas. There was nothing that changed the pace of the game, it was all fast action; which got repetitive after a handful of levels. Even with that issue though I would still recommend this game to any fans of retro shooters or the 40K universe as a whole.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.