If you're a Warhammer 40K fan, you've dreamed of taking up a chainsword
and carving Orks into bloody chunks of flesh and bone. Warhammer 40,000:
Space Marine plants you in the heavy boots of an Ultramarine and lets
you do just that. The viscera fly in this third-person shooter/melee
hybrid. They stain the ground and splash against your screen, yet the
brainless hordes continue their assault, crying out their familiar
"waaagh!" before presenting themselves for slaughter. Space Marine is
simple fun, and a treat for fans of the franchise--and for anyone who
delights in the ceaseless bloodletting of bad guys. It is, in fact, a
little too simple. As entertaining as it is, the game lacks the variety,
the memorable moments, and the sense of scale of the finest shooters.
After you annihilate yet another great mess of greenskins, the question
arises: Is this all there is to it? With some exceptions, yes, that's
all there is to it, and it's hard not to wonder what might have, should
have been. But the action is so satisfying, and the atmosphere so grim,
that you'll want to see the adventure through.
