At first glance the game looks like your average futuristic shooter with many similarities to games like Gears of War and Crysis 2. However, looks can be deceiving. If you want a long and epic campaign with fun multi-player modes that will keep you coming back then I advise you to read on. The game’s story is not hard to follow, but if you are new to the franchise then you may wonder why all these armored blue guys are running around crushing skulls of a thousand orcs. Sounds for the game are realistic and whenever you are in battle you feel consumed by the clashing of axes, swords and bullets flying by your character every few seconds. Even if you manage to maintain silence for a little bit you can always expect more yelling, blood, and carnage around the corner.

With new games like Skyrim and Battlefield 3 coming out, Space Marines does start to look a little bit dated in the graphics department, but gameplay is where Space Marines shows its true colors. Combat is frantic, having you rush into battle with your guns firing then spamming the melee button to cut your enemies into shreds. When your health is low in this game you must perform an execution to get back on your feet. I personally liked this mechanic because it can be hectic trying to find a weak enemy to execute while you have twenty other dudes firing at you. The game isn’t too difficult, but it has a bit of a learning curve.

Multi-player is pretty awesome in this game. There are the same game modes as almost every other game, capture the flag, team death-match, and domination. However, there are three classes you get to choose assault, tactical, and heavy marine. Each are useful at different distances and come with different weapons to take into battle. The only complaint I have about multi-player is that the spawning can be a little stupid and accidentally place you near a ton of enemies. Overall I wouldn’t say Space Marine is worth shelling out bucks, but it is a great rental or an excellent treat for fans of the franchise.

by Alan Cordry